CHAP. I.

THE first great Infelicity that befel the World, was the fall of Adam, by which he lost Paradise, and he and his Po­sterity became uncapable of being saved by the terms of the first Cove­nant. But the greatest Blessing that was ever vouchsaf'd to the Sons of Men, was the coming of our Saviour, to restore us the hopeful possibilities of Salvation; to establish a new Covenant, between God and us, and to seal it by his Blood.

As in our Baptisin we were received into this Covenant of Grace and Mercy, [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2]so have we since stained and polluted these white Robes by unholyness and disobedi­ence; and broken our part of the Cove­nant. But now that we should refuse, when we are called and invited, to come and renew it in the Holy Sacrament, that we should refuse to come with the rest o [...] our Brethren, and commemorate the dy­ing Love of this our Lord, is equally strange and deplorable.

I shall therefore upon this considerati­on, and because the great Festival set a­part in memory of our Saviour's Resur­rection from the Grave, is at hand, offe [...] you some Meditations, touching that Ho­ly and Comfortable, that Divine an [...] Heavenly action; that so we may co [...] to our Lord, who has already invited u [...] willingly and chearfully; faithfully and cha­ritably; humbly and penitently; with Lo [...] and Devotion; and be found by him [...] have that Wedding-Garment on, wh [...] may be accepted by him now, and in [...] day of Judgment.

Though there are some, and th [...] Dr. Hammond, and Gomar. Ca­mero. Synop. great Men, that supp [...] the words of the Text [...] not directly and prope [...] spoken of the Holy Sa [...] ment, because it was not then institut [...] [Page 3]yet because Pro Carne Corpus habet Syrus, quae vox & in Euchar, insti­tutione legitur, ad quam hic tanta quae­dam allusio est Grot. in v. 53. others doubt not but there is a respect had to it, be­ing shortly after to be instituted; and there are Luc. Brugensis Mal. citant Synop. some that say ex­presly, that it is to be understood and meant of the Sacramental eat­ing; and a Dr. Sherlock of Religious Assem­blies. great and excellent persons sayes, he does not in the least doubt of it. I shall not therefore question to understand and take the words in the same sence also.

From which I might offer this Do­ctrine,

That worthily, and with a due prepa­ration, to eat the Flesh, and drink the Blood of our Saviour, shall, by placing him in our heart, and us in his, unite us more closely to him; and is an happy earnest of Eternal Salvation.

For the Proof and Confirmation of which, I might instance, in St. Jo. 6.54.57.58. 1 Cor. 10.16.17. and many other places of Holy Scripture. But to make the Text more useful to our present de­signs, I shall from it speak to 4 things.

• [Page 4]First, I shall briefly shew you, that this is a necessary holy and Christian Duty to be frequently performed by us, and the neglect of it infinitely dangerous.
• Secondly, I shall consider to what end it was instituted or appointed by our Blessed Saviour.
• Thirdly, Shew how we are to come prepared to partake of these holy Myste­ries.
• Fourthly and Lastly, insist upon 4 or 5 Considerations after Receiving.

First, that this is a necessary, holy and Christian Duty, to be frequently performed, and the neglect dangerous.

For whatever we have an express Command of our Saviour, unquestiona­bly it requires our obedience, and is ou [...] indispensable duty, to be obeyed by un [...] readily and willingly, with Sincerity and Constancy; And this was one of the las [...] injunctions which our dear Redeemer, a little before his Death was pleas'd to leave with us. Lu. 22.19. — This do i [...] remembrance of me. And that we might have the more full assurance of the truth of it, the blessed Apostle, when he speak [...] of this institution and command of ou [...] Saviour, sayes, I have received of th [...] Lord, that which I also delivered unto [Page 5]you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, &c. 1 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25, 26. — I have (sayes he) received of the Lord, as if he had said, though I were not my self present, when our Lord ordained and appointed this Memorial of his death and suffering, by which we that name his Name, are to shew forth his death till he come; yet I do assure you, Grot. that I received it (that is, either by the other Apo­stles, who were both Ear and Eye-witnes­ses, or by immediate Revelation from Heaven) from our Saviour, that the very same Night in which he was betrayed, soon after to be buffeted, reviled, scourg­ed, spit on, crucified for our Salvation, that he instituted this holy Feast, to be continued to the end of the World.

But then as this is a necessary and un­questionable Duty, so is it to be perform­ed not only once in the whole Course of our Lives, once in this our present State and no more; or once at the hour of Death, as some of us are too apt to sup­pose, and as willing to shew by their pra­ctice; but a holy and heavenly Duty to be performed more frequently. And for a Confirmation of this, let us see. First, what the holy Scriptures say to the fre­quency [Page 6]of this action. Secondly, what was the Practice and the Custome of the first Worthies of the Christian Church, shortly after our Saviour's time. Third­ly, Lay down some Reasons for our fre­quent attendance on those holy Myste­ries.

And if from all these we find cause for our often Communicating at the Lord's Table; if from Scripture, from the prac­tice of the first and purest ages of the Church of Christ, and from Reason too; then I hope that each soul present will lay this home to his own heart, and take it in­to his most serious consideration, and then ever for the time to come, endeavour to make up his former too great neglects by his future frequency in this holy Du­ty.

First, let us see what those Scripture are, that either countenance or imply the frequent performance of this holy acti­on; for this let us consider Act. 2.42. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles do­ctrine in breaking of bread and prayers. We read Act. 2.7. that on the first day of the Week, they usually came together to break Bread. So also 'tis said 1 Cor. 11.25. Do this as often as ye shall drink it is remembrance of me. The word [stedfastly] [Page 7]as is observed by a D [...] P. Chri­stian Sacrifice. Pi­ous and Learned Person, denotes the frequency of the action, and the words [as often] may imply it also.

Oh here then before we pass any fur­ther, let us six our thoughts and consider, if those who first named the Name of Christ, continued in it so stedfastly, if at least on the first day of the week, out of their flaming Love and Affection to their dear Lord and Master, they remembred his Death with praise and thanksgivings; how ill Copiers out of so holy and bles­sed an Example are some of us? They were it seems so ready to commemorate their dying Lord, so full of Zeal, so wil­ling and forward, to go forth to meet him at his Table; that they scarce ever put off their Wedding Garment, but their whole lives were a constant and habitual preparation for this holy Feast. Whereas in this declining Age of the Gospel, in which holiness so visibly decayes, how loath are we to approach him? how un­easie when we are there? how joyful when we are gone? So unwilling, that alas! we must be even hal'd and drag'd to it. And it may be feared, that some of us could even wish it over, and at an end already.

Why, what's the Reason of this un­willingness, this backwardness, this loath­ness to go to meet the Lord of life in the most holy and sweet and pleasant Duty in the World? Is there so much charge, or difficulty in it; or is it so hard to be performed? O what is there in this ho­ly Action, that any Soul that professes the Religion of the ever Blessed Jesus should have such an aversness to it? Say, are there any expensive chargeable Sacrifices to be offered? any Firstlings of our Flocks to be slain? No, why what's then the Cause, that we should not be as ready and forward, and, (when any opportuni­ties are offered us to remember the death of our Great Master in this holy Myste­ry) as constant too, as the Sun is to run his race? Alas! our great Reason is, That the Wedding-Garment of Religion and Holyness, Repentance and Reformation of our Lives, Charity and Devotion does not please us; We are loath to put it on, it sits uneasie about us: we are hugely un­willing to put off the old spotted rayment of Sin and Iniquity, of Wrath and Ma­lice, and Irreligion. We find no tast, no relish, in the Sweets and Delicacies of Piety and Vertue.

We are willing enough doubtless to meet our Lord, that is, if we thought he would receive and welcome us, with our sins about us, and with our old affections to them; then would we continue as stedfastly in breaking of bread and pray­ers, as ever the first Wor­thies did, Id. ibid. p. 9. (though it were twice a day, as is with great reason supposed they did of old.) Were those arms that were once stretcht upon the Cross, and still are open to receive the true-penitent, were they but as open too, to receive the habitually disobedient and impenitent, then would we frequent the Lord's Table.

But does not the Wedding-Garment of Faith and Repentance and Charity, and Devotion and the like, does not this please us? Give me leave to ask, (as the Apostle did in another case) unto what then were ye Baptized? have ye put on Christ for this? And was it for this that we were early dedicated to him in Baptism, and received into the Covenant of Grace and Mercy; that when we with the Disciples of old, should have continued stedfastly to renew this Covenant in the holy Sa­crament of the Lord's Supper, and to ow̄n what was then done for us, when we [Page 10]could do nothing for our selves, and come and declare our willingness to stand to those Engagements then made for us; to come and in person to shew our readiness and our willingness to follow him in the ways of his Commands and holy Religion; that then we should refuse it? or if we do not refuse it, yet come so seldom, as if we desired to be excused from it. Whi­ther, Oh whither will our Indevotion, our Lukewarmness, our Inconsideration carry us! Is this to act as they who now sit at Peace and rest in the Mansions of Glory, have done before us? And has not our Lord shed as much blood for us as for them? And are not our hopes and Promises and Expectations the same which they had? why then, Cur non pos­sumus quod isti & istae? as the pious Fa­ther said of old. Why cannot we (at least in far better measures than now) do as they have done before us? whence is it then that our Practice is gone so far off from their frequency in this Heavenly action, their zeal and their fervour?

Certainly, this must of necessity pro­ceed from a great and most deplorable want of Love to our Religion, or of Zeal for our Saviour, from a stupid unconcernment for a joyful Resurrection: or (as was be­fore [Page 11]hinted) because we find no tast or relish in this heavenly food, this sood of An­gels, or from intolerable inconsideration. Hence, O hence is it in a great measure, that our Lives are so unholy, our Actions so uncharitable and unchristian, our thoughts so impure and prophane and incon­siderate, and the whole frame of our Live so disordered and discomposed; and as this chiefly for want of a more frequent and devout use of these holy Mysteries.

‘Whence (sayes one) came the San­ctity and Holiness of the first Christi­ans? Whence came their strict obser­vation of the Divine Commandments? whence was it that they persevered in holy Actions with a comfortable hope and unweary diligence? from whence came their despising the World, their universal Charity? whence came these and many other Excellencies, but from a constant Devotion and frequent Communion? They who every day represented the Death of Christ, every day were ready to dye for Christ.’

We look upon that body to be sickly, distempered and diseased, and dangerous­ly ill, that allways loaths it's wholesome food, and has no appetite to that which would be its only, or it's best nourish­ment. [Page 12]Thus, O thus! it is in the Case of the Soul; how sickly and distempered, how diseased and disordered must that Soul needs be, that loaths it's most whole­some food, the food of Angels? this nou­rishment of the holy Sacrament; which if duely and devoutly taken, would so nou­rish it up to Salvation as to make it more healthful and holy, more chearful and re­ligious, more just and upright, more pure and devout and Angelical; 'Twould make it much more ready for the performance of any other Duty, more full of zeal and fervour, more constant and unwearied in all Religious actions. In short, 'twould make it more ready for Death and Im­mortality.

The holy Sacrament is call'd by St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.16. ‘The Cup of Bles­sing, and surely if we do not thirst af­ter this Cup of Blessing, Blessing may be far from us:’ Neither is it imaginable, That that man should love Heaven and his Soul, or felicity or his Lord, that de­sires not frequently to bath in that whol­some stream, the blood of that immacu­late Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World.

Having thus seen what these texts of Scripture are that imply a frequency of [Page 13]Communicating, we shall briefly consider the second thing.

Secondly, let us see what was the custom and the practice of the first Worthies of the Christian Church shortly after our Sa­viour's time; and if in a few Instances we find them frequently meeting and repre­senting the death of their and our Com­mon Lord and Master, Let us (remem­bring he has done and suffered as much for us as he had done for them) ever hereaf­ter fit the Soul to take all opportunities we are able, to do in some degree as they have done before us.

The first Instance I shall produce, shall be of a great and holy man, St. Cypr. a Bishop of the Church of Christ; who lived above two hundred and fifty years after our Saviour Christ; he tells us, that the Custom of receiving it daily was observ'd in his days.

Another who liv'd above three hun­dred years from our Saviour, St. Ambro. says, Receive that every day, which may profit thee every day. And no less than a whole Council or Assembly of Devout men at Antioch, (the place where the Disciples were first called Christians, as we are told Act. 11.26. though not at the same time) decreed [Page 14]some ages since our Saviour's time, that those should be excommunicated, cast out of the Church, who came to other holy offices and divine Services, but went a­way without receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper.

And, (to mention no more) a Reve­rend Father of the Church, St. Jerom. who liv'd about four hundred years from Christ's time, saies the practice of daily receiving was continued to his time. Let us then with eyes shut and arms folded, when we are next alone and retir'd from the World, in a serious thought consider, Did those of old who owned the same crucifyed Jesus with our selves, Did they as constantly do this in remembrance of him, as they did pub­lickly meet to pray together or hear the Word? And is it come from once a day and once a week, to once a year, to once in our whole lives? Is it come to this? Is this all the sense and apprehension we have of the necessity and advantages of this duty? Is this the obedience we shew to an Express Command of our Saviour; ei­ther wholly to disobey it, or perform as sel­dom as possible we can? Is this the i­mitation of the practice of the first ages of Christianity? Is this all the reckoning [Page 15]and accompt we make of that inestimable priviledge of being in Covenant with God? or of being called and invited to come and renew it again when we have broken our terms, and to have it signed and sealed to us again? Was it for this, O blessed Jesu! that thou hast done and suffered so much for our sakes? Was it for this that thou wert content for us to submit to an Agony and bloody sweat, to the Cross and Passion, to a Death and Burial? And is it for this that we have so long owned thee for our Lord and our Redeemer, a tender and merciful Saviour? that some of us should stupidly live in an habitual neg­lect of doing this in remembrance of thee?

And have we no greater sense of, and concernment for the last words of a dying Saviour? shall the expiring breath of a dear Redeemer poured out for our eternal Interest, be lost and in vain to any of us that call him so? O how much Reason have we to say of such, Father forgive them, (or rather, father open their eyes) for they know not what they do. Bishop Tay­lor's life of Christ.

But thus (as is observ'd by an excellent Prelate now with God) it hath fared with this Sacrament as with other Actions of Reli­gion which have descended [Page 16]from Flames, (the Flames of the Devotion of the first ages) to still Fires, from Fires, to Sparks, from Sparks to Embers from Em­bers to Smoke, from Smoke to Nothing.

But in the Name of God let me en­quire, are we willing to make any publick, thankfull, joyfull, acknowledgments at all of the love of our crucifyed Jesus, and the great things he has done and undergone for the redemption of us and of our Chil­dren after us? if not, we are monsters of Ingratitude and Impiety. If we are at all willing so to do, why shall we not fit our soul to take all possible opportuni­ties, while we are yet here below, and at this distance from him, to do this in re­membrance of him?

How can we think that our other De­votions shall be prevalent with, or ac­ceptable to the Holy God without the In­tercession of our Saviour? and the merit of his sufferings? and yet this is the way he hath appointed to give our prayers an Interest in his Sacrifice. Can we reaso­nably suppose, that indeed any Duties whatever and the performance of them shall be accepted, when this great and so­lemn act of Religious worship shall be re­fused, omitted and neglected?

O let us in our next retirements, when we are withdrawn from the noise and tu­mult, and business and thoughts of the world, deeply think, should we not have reason to be afraid, that no Petitions of ours, no Devotions, no works of Mercy, Piety, or Charity, no Fastings or Alms, no hearings or readings, shall be accepted without this part of our Christian Worship; Would it not further be a sad and dismal consideration, to remember in the hour of Death or day of Judgment, that these and many other holy Actions shall fall to the ground, being vain and lost, only for our wilful neglect of this holy Sacrament.

Again in the same retirement from the World, and in your next meditations, consider, what could you think of a rich and very wealthy person, that never in all his life should be perswaded to bestow so much as the worth of a farthing to the poor and needy? Or, what thoughts should we have of him, who never in the whole course of his life, should offer up a prayer to God, either in publick or in secret? The same may we think of him that would never accept of an Invitation to fit and trim the Soul, to come, and with the rest of his Christian Brethren to par­take of these holy Mysteries: for they did [Page 18]but disobey a plain Command of our Sa­viour's; the one only disobeyed the com­mand of feeding the hungry, and cloathing the naked, the other only refused obedience to the Command of praying without ceasing; So the wilfull absenter from the holy Sup­per of the Lord, only dissobeys the Com­mand of Do this. Nay, I look upon this to be a greater piece of disobedience, be­cause in this there is an obligation of love, Love infinite and unspeakable, an obli­gation of thanks and gratitude to engage us. Do this in remembrance of me the Lord that bought you, the Lord that pay'd down the dear price of his blood & Wounds, sweat and groans, pains and death for you.

Give me leave to say further, I shall never, I can never truly believe, you have any tolerable care of your souls, till I see this Holy Sacrament more frequented; till I see some evidence of your greater love to these holy Mysteries. Not how­ever, as if I would perswade, or give encouragement by this, to wicked men while they continue such, to approach this heavenly feast. But for those who resolve heartily by divine Grace to reform their lives, and (amidst the disadvantages of this life) are fully purposed, to Devote them­selves [Page 19]in sincerity, though not in perfecti­on, to the Laws of our holy Religion; whatever else you do, yet I shall never, I can never suppose you have any tolerable Love or Zeal for our Dear Redeemer, while you habitually turn your back on his Holy Table. Nor can your constant attendance at the house of Prayer; your Zeal and Devotion there, your justice and integrity in dealing, your sobriety and purity of life, be sufficient to per­swade me to think you have any truly considerable value for immortality, or that you make any tolerable provisions for a happy Resurrection, while you wil­fully deny your selves the priviledge of feasting on the Body and Blood of our common Lord, by which new life and Grace is conveyed to us.

O how can I believe, you truly and ear­nestly repent of your Iniquities, and de­sire a pardon of your Sins, when you will not be at the pains to prepare your selves to come and beg it, and to have it seal'd to you? Or how can I think, that you desire to be firmly united to Christ our head, or to be united to each other, when you refuse to come and strengthen the Union?

Surely, one might be apt to think we have lost all sense and remembrance of the Love of God in sending his Son, and of the Son in coming to lay down his life for us, by this one intolerable neglect of ours. How can we go to God in our Prayers, and plead to him the meritorious Death and suffering of our Saviour, and yet refuse to shew forth the Lord's Death till he come? and wholly slight, or very seldom attend on this highest Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving? How long shall we call the Holy Jesus Lord, and not do what he saith? How long shall we thus refuse to keep the memorial of dying Love, and o­bey a Command pronounc'd by his expi­ring breath?

Little, O little do you consider how great a reproach to Christianity it self, and how dangerous to your invaluable Souls, the constant omission of this one excellent part of Christian Worship is.

Consider, we do all believe, that Christ dyed for Sinners, and we have had the happiness to have been baptized into this belief; we do profess to believe, that there is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved. We all hope that his merits shall be applyed to us, that so we may for ever partake of these benefits pur­chased [Page 21]for us; and yet we are so impru­dent, as that we will not have them ap­plyed in such ways, as he himself hath ap­pointed, in the performance of those Con­ditions, and the use of those means which he himself has ordained to that end and purpose.

‘And (to use the words of a learned per­son) I see no reason why men may not as well hope to be saved without Holi­ness by Christ, Dr. Sherlock of Religious Assemblies. as well as without eating his flesh, and drinking his blood in the Sacrament. For Holiness will not save us without the merits of Christ, and I know not how we should come by the merit of Christ, but only in such ways of dispensing, conveying and applying them as he himself hath ap­pointed; & he has appointed no other or­dinary way but this Mysterious Supper.’

Having seen the Custom and practice of the first Worthies of the Christian Church in the purest ages; I shall upon the whole offer this further consideration to common reason, Whether do we now suppose is most safe and Holy, to imitate as far as we are able, this pious practice of theirs of a very frequent communica­ting, (remembring also, that those De­vout [Page 22]Souls who lived so near the time of our Saviour, better knew his mind in such cases, than we, at this distance) or, very rarely to address our selves to this Solemn Act of Christian worship? In which are we more likely to please God and our Saviour, to do his will, and provide for a joyful Resurrection?

Thirdly, Let us see and consider a few Reasons for the frequency of communi­cating.

The first is this; That as our breaches of our part of the Covenant are too fre­quent; so, seeing God is willing that yet we should renew this Covenant again, and Seal it at the Lord's Table; how infinite­ly willing should we then be of so doing? The Covenant which we entred into with God in our Baptism, is this, Almi­ghty God is pleas'd on his part to promise Pardon of Sin, Grace and Glory, if we per­form the Conditions of Faith and Repentance, and sincere, (though not perfect) Obedience. Here then let us fix our foot and consider, how frequently, how miserably, have we broken our part, of this Covenant of Grace! and is it not infinite mercy, ten­derness and compassion, that God is still content and willing that we should come and renew this gracious Covenant? Shall [Page 23]not we be ready and desirous to renew it for our own safety, our eternal security; shall not we be willing and earnest so to do, when our God is willing; and when he calls and invites us to it? shall we not be ready and willing to renew it of­ten, when the great God often calls and invites us to it? Oh how shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation!

A second Reason for our frequent ap­proaching this holy Table, is, That this is a Holy Duty which if duly and devoutly per­formed, conveys great comforts, benefits, and blessings to us. Thus, Oh how would it confirm, strengthen and encrease our Faith? how would it promote and height­en our Love to our Lord and Master Jesus, and make it more flaming and ardent, more like the Zeal and Affection of the Cherubims and Seraphims?

How would it promote and encourage Religion and a Ʋniver sally Holy Life? How would it it promote our Peace, amd Cha­rity and Love and mutual Endearments to each other, as we are travelling together over this Wilderness to the Land of Ca­naan, as we are passing along together over this World on in our journey to Jesus and Jerusalem.

How would it strengthen and confirm [Page 24]our Hopes? How would it make our Repentance more serious, more deep, and more effectual, Our holy Resolutions more fixt and stedfast?

How would it help us to subdue, and get the victory over our Iniquities, over our bosom darling Sin, whether it were the Sin of our Calling, or the Sin of our Com­pany, or the Sin of our Constitution? How would it encourage us in all that is good, in all that's holy, in all that's just, and all that's upright, and bring us to a better knowledge of our own State and condition of Soul? How would it bring us to a near­er and more intimate acquaintance with the Holy Jesus, and with our selves also? What aids and assistances of the Grace and Spirit of God should we receive with it? These and many more than these are the blessings, and benefits, and advan­tages, which a frequent and devout commu­nicating would convey to us. Say now, are not these great and inestimable bles­sings? Are not these desirable? Are they not truly amiable and lovely? and to be earnestly wished for by all those whose hopes and expectations are in ano­ther World and not in this?

What, (my Beloved,) is it not an un­valuable blessing to have our Faith in­creased? [Page 25]and yet by the due and constant participation of these Holy Mysteries, to how divine a pitch, and heighth, would it be raised? Is it nothing to have our hope confirmed? and yet by our fre­quent attendance on this holy Table, how full and lively, how raised and chearful would it be? how much a bet­ter ground and foundation should we have for it?

Is it nothing to have our Zeal, and Love to our crucified Lord, more inflam­ed and heightned? and yet oh how would the due frequentation of this So­lemn act of Religious worship, exalt and raise and carry-up our Souls to him, and make them mount up upon the wings of Devotion, almost high enough to reach the pitch of Angels and freer Spirits? Is it nothing, to have our mutual Charity, and Unity, For bearance and Forgiveness of one another promoted, as we are go­ing on together to the Grave and Im­mortality? why, nothing will so effectu­ally do this, as the frequent meeting our Lord at this Heavenly Feast.

Is it not a bless'd advantage and bene­fit to have our Reformation made more sincere, effectual and persevering? and yet in the devout and frequent use of those [Page 26]holy Mysteries, we should find more rea­sons and arguments and encouragements for it than we could before imagine. We should find, that in the ways of Re­ligion and Holyness and Virtue, we can do more by Divine assistance, than be­fore we thought we could; and that in our moving towards the degrees of per­fection, we can go farther than before we supposed we were able.

Is it not a blessing to have a greater power and ability and strength to sub­due a temptation, and to beat down and conquer a stubborn and rebellious Sin Is it not a blessing to come to a more in­timate and near acquaintance with our Souls, and how their accompts stand with reference to a joyful Resurrection and happy Eternity?

Is it not a blessing to come at last [...] be delighted with, and encouraged it and tast the sweets and delicacies, the lightsomness and chearfulness of heart that accompany a truly Religious Life If these are blessings truely desirable and amiable, why, never shall we come to have them so effectually conveyed to us as by our frequent and devout atten­dance on this Christian Sacrifice. And assure your selves, that upon your own [Page 27]Experience, you will find it an undenia­ble truth, that there is not one of these Benefits, Blessings and Advantages, but would (if we are not wanting to our selves) be dispensed to us. Well then, seeing our hopes and promises, are not so much here below, and we daily look when we shall be received to our un­known Society, and unknown Conditi­on, methinks these should be irresistable reasons for a frequent and holy use of these Divine Mysteries.

Thirdly, Another reason is, that our frequent presenting our selves at the Table of the Lord, would be a great Sign of our Love to Religion and Virtue. It would argue our love to Religion, as this is one great and solemn part of it, and as it is an Ex­ercise of many Christian Graces and Vir­tues. It would argue our deep appre­hension and consideration of another World. 'Twould be an evidence of our desires to make seasonable a provision for Immortality, and of our endeavours to be such as our Lord would have us. 'Twould be one great Argument that we desired to be imployed and bear a part in Religious actions, with the rest of our Christian brethren, whenever we have opportunities, that we are earnest­ly [Page 28]willing to bear a part with those ho­ly Souls here below, among whom we would stand in the day of Judgment. 'Twould evidence that our Faith is live­ly, vital and obedient, that our Charity is truly Christian, that Religion is our practice, not our profession only. 'Twould argue, that we are willing to stand to the engagements of our Baptism, to our ut­most; that we resolve manfully to Fight under the Banner of our Jesus, against Sin, the World, and Devil, That we are will­ing to submit our selves to the Gospel, and to take on us Christ's easie yoak and light burden. Nay, a frequent and devout communicating would be a great Sign of our Devotion and frequency in, and love to all other Religious acti­ons.

And indeed how sad and deplorable an evidence, does the wilful refuser give of his prophaneness, his little love to Religion, and of his inconsideration? whereas I say, a due and frequent perfor­mance of this holy duty, would argue the contrary; would be a good Testi­mony of our desires to please God, and draw near to him; that we are wearied and laden with our iniquities, when we thus bring them to Jesus to be cast out, [Page 29]and when we come to take new Resolu­tions against them.

O may these considerations woo and win us over, perswade invite and encou­rage us to meet the holy Bridegroom of our Souls, who has appointed when and where to meet us! He has given the in­vitation, he has made the appointment, and shall not we go forth to meet him? why shall we so imprudently any longer refuse to give him those demonstrations of our Love to him and his Religion?

Rather let us say, this day with one heart, and one voice, and one consent, in the words of holy David, Ps. 40.7.8. Lo I come to do thy will O God. I come O Jesu to renew that Covenant with thee, which (and 'tis a sad truth) I have so mi­serably broken. I bless thee for the Call, and I come quickly to celebrate the memory of thy dying-Love. I come to own that I am a member (though unworthy) of thy Spouse the Church, and come with the rest of my Brethren, to beg a portion and an Interest in thy meritorious death and sufferings. I thank thee eternally for the Invitation, and I come with the rest of that body of which thou art the head, to wash in that Fountain that was opened for sin and for uncleanness, and would not be found out of the number of [Page 30]those holy Souls that are devoutly going to meet thee, for the whole World, in the day of Rewards and Punishments. Thou hast done as much for me as for any one of them; with them therefore I thankfully come to do thy Will, to do this in remembrance of thee.

O that thus we would be winn'd and woo'd to this holy action, by arguments of Love to Religion, by arguments of Zeal and Devotion, fervour, desire, gra­titude and affection! and let us not be hall'd and dragg'd to it, only by the ap­prehensions of Terrours and Horrours, Hell and Damnation.

And may we yet grow and still en­crease in our Love to this holy Sacra­ment, so much and so long, till we come to desire it, and wish and long for it! Which a great Prelate of our own, Bishop Taylor Preface to holy Living. and another pi­ous person make (to use their own words) one of their twelve signs of Grace, Drexel. and Predestination to Eternal life.

May our love of it then so increase, till we come to be able to think it too long that our Lord tarries; too long till the op­portunities of Supping with him come about; too long before the time come [Page 31]when we may meet him once more in his own House at his own Table; and to be able, with a full and teeming heart, to say of his coming to us in that Sacra­ment, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, thou hast long tarried from that Soul that loves thee, from that Soul that thou know­est loves thee. St. Jo. 21.15.

Fourthly, the 4th and last Reason that I shall mention is, that a frequent and de­vout Communicating, would be an undenia­ble argument of our flaming affection to and Love of Jesus.

How can it be reasonably suppos'd we should have any tolerable affection for that man from whose company we all­wayes desired to be excused? from whom we run when he calls and invites us? up­on whom we turn our backs when he sends to us to come and Sup with him? Can we truely call him our Familiar ac­quaintance or intimate friend, with whom we never care to be? This, O this is the Case between our Master Je­sus and some of us that call him so.

But if we call him Master, for shame let us no more refuse to apply our selves to this highest and chiefest piece of Ser­vice; If we call him Lord, let us do what he sayes, and he has said, — do this. If [Page 32]we call him Friend, (the Worlds best Friend) let us make hast, and be glad to go forth to meet him. Let us be joyful, that he is willing once more before we dye, to come to us and to invite us to come to him. Let us not think it much to lay aside our old spotted Garments when we are going to meet our Friend, the World's best Friend Jesus. Let us not think it much to put on our best Ar­ray, our Wedding-Garment when we are hastening to go forth to meet our Friend, the World's best Friend Jesus.

If we call him the Captain of our Sal­vation, then let us go and Solemnly de­clare and own our selves his Soldiers, and not shrink and stay behind, when the rest of his great Army with Banners ( Cant. 6.10.) is going so to do: but let us also go and declare our intentions and reso­lutions to follow him whithersoever he shall please to call us, though it be to lay down our lives for him, (and yet in do­ing so, we should do no more than he has done for us.) Let us go and publish our resolutions to enter into no more leagues of Friend-ship with the Enemies of this our Captain, these enemies that once made him bleed, these enemies, (Sin I mean) that once made him sweat drops [Page 33]of blood, these enemies that flew our Captain. Let us in our very affections renounce such Enemies, and go forth to meet our Captain, and humbly tell him, that we are purposed by his assistance and by his conduct thus to do. Let us tell him, that we are resolv'd to renew the Combat, and reinforce our diligence with all our strength, never more to desert and leave him; and that we are now coming to enter into this engagement again, and solemnly to seal it: and that as we were once lifted under him by Baptism, when we knew it not, so now when we are come to know it, we are ready and will­ing to stand to it to the end of our days; and are thankful too, that he has brought us to the knowledge of this Grace, and Faith in him: and that he has given us this one one opportunity more of making so­lemn declaration of it at his own Table. Thus let us manifest our Love to our great Master Jesus, our best Friend, the Captain of our Salvation Jesus.

But further, if we call him Friend, and this Friend of ours, be for a while gone off from us, shall we do nothing in re­membrance of him? did he require us at parting (at least not long before he left the World) to do something in remembrance [Page 34]of him, when he was gone, and had bid adieu to the World? Surely, if we knew not what it was, had it not been plainly revealed to us, how desirous, how earn­est would we be to know it, that so we might not fail to do it? we should then (if we knew it not) be apt to say, what should it be that thou wouldest have us to do, in remembrance of such love as thine? O our Jesu what should it be? O that we could but come to the knowledge of it, that so we might instantly set about it. If so, consider then, how far should we be from refusing to do it, when we certainly know what it is.

What, is there something to be done in remembrance of dying Love? Some­thing in remembrance of a bleeding Friend? Something in remembrance of the great Lover of Mankind? Something in memory of a crucified Saviour, and a parting Redeemer? Surely one would think it must needs be some very hard and uneasie duty, something next to im­possible, that there should any be found in the Christian World, refusing to do this something; and yet all this that we refuse to do, is but to fit the Soul, and come and feast on his body and blood, in memory of his Cross and Passion: and [Page 35]is this all the difficulty in that which we are to do? tremble then, at thy mon­strous Ingratitude, and never more dare either come unprepared, or to keep a­way.

How should this consideration rather melt us into Love? Love (in some mea­sure) such as his, that is, dying Love? how should it swallow up all our little and trifling objections, as the Ocean swallows up a drop of water? how should such considerations melt us into tears of Love, and then into those of Re­pentance, and blow off all our fond ex­cuses and vain pretences against doing this, as easily as Feathers are blown a­way by a violent blast of wind? What can indeed resist this, but a heart bent up­on iniquity and prophaness and irreligi­on, a heart never opened by any serious thoughts or apprehensions of the Love of Jesus? and how should that considerati­on move us, readily and speedily to be­take our selves to the putting on of the Wedding-Garment of preparation, and infallibly take the very next opportunity of coming and shewing, that we are deep­ly sensible of this Love, and of our for­mer great neglects? and do it how un­easie soever some look upon the Gar­ment [Page 36]to sit about them when 'tis on; do it, (that is) how much pain & loss; how much shame and reproach; how much disadvan­tage & self-denyal soever it costs us in our endeavours to procure it; if the frequent use of those holy Mysteries will be so great an argument of our Love to Jesus.

O let it no longer therefore be said of any one of us that we should live in the habitual neglect of this known neces­sary duty; and let it no longer be said of us, that our Communicating was not as frequent as possible we could have op­portunities for it. Let it no longer be said of us, that we should be so impru­dent as not to be willing to renew our Baptismal Covenant, when our Lord is yet so willing to renew it with us. No longer let it be said of us, that we should be so inconsiderate as to live in the omission and neglect of a duty, which if frequented would convey so many be­nefits and advantages to us as we have mentioned. O let it no more be said of us, that we should ever hereafter live in the constant neglect of that solemn act of Christian Worship, which if frequent­ly performed, would be so evident a sign of our great love to Religion and Piety, and of our deep apprehensions of ano­ther [Page 37]World, and our concernment for a joyful Immortality. Never, never let it be said of us in the day of Judgment, that while we dwelt upon Earth, we were alway loath and backward, and un­willing to present our selves whenever we were invited to that holy and hea­venly and pleasant duty, by the frequent­ing of which, we might so plainly have shewn our greater love to Jesus, by our readiness to take all opportunities of commemorating his dying bleeding af­fection to us.

And then, O let it never be said of any of us, that the only reason why we should or could be supposed to refuse it, was, because we would not be at the pains of putting on the Wedding-Gar­ment, or endure the thoughts and con­sideration of stripping our selves of the old spotted rayment of Sin and Irreligi­on! No, the old acquaintance must be parted with, the old Dalilahs divorced, the darling Iniquity that has long been near and dear to thee must be thrown off. But may it be henceforth never said of us, that we had rather part from the sweet Communion with the holy Jesus, than renounce our fellowship with the un­fruitful works of darkness. Why shall a­ny [Page 38]of these things be ever said of any one of us, in the hour of death or day of our Accompts? May they never be said to us, or remembred in that day and hour, when it shall be impossible to re­form them!

To conclude this head, O that some­times we would withdraw our selves from the World, and look beyond the Grave, and then look upon our selves as those that are hastning to Eternity; and then in that serious thought let us con­sider, that e'r long, we shall find it to have been the best and most satisfacto­ry imployment in the World, to have been frequent and devout Communi­cants.

O that sometimes we would shut our Eyes, or take them off from the World, and then think how vast that Eternity is, that depends upon the holy manage­ment of this moment: and having so done, then tell me, how great the neces­sity and advantages of this holy Duty do begin to appear.

O that sometimes we would look upon our selves only as Strangers and Pilgrims here, and that two or three ages hence, we shall all be forgotten, & that then no­thing shall be remembred of us any more, [Page 39]but either our horrid unreformed Iniqui­ties, or our sincere holiness, and Confor­mity of heart and life to the Gospel of our Saviour: and then upon such a close and piercing thought as this, instantly consider, how does this holy and hea­venly Duty appear to thee? and wouldst thou not willingly have it then remem­bred of thee, that thou wert here below a devout frequenter of these holy Myste­ries?

O that Sometimes we could seriously fix our eyes in a holy Meditation on that glorious day, in which our Lord shall come to place his faithful Servants be­yond all further doubts or fears, possibi­lity of sin or temptations, infelicities or Scruples of Conscience: Tell me in such a thought as this, would it not be a bles­sed consideration to be in a State, in which we could be truely able to love his appearing? (2 Tim. 4.8.) why, never shall it be thus with us, 'till we come to be devout and frequent attenders on these holy Mysteries. Nay, I will appeal to thine own Soul in the Case, when wert thou ever able so heartily and true­ly to love the thoughts of thy Lord's ap­pearing, as when thou wert but just come from his holy Table? Couldst thou not [Page 40]have been willing then, that all thy busi­ness in this World might have been o­ver, and that he might have then come, and taken thee into the air with him, and set thee down in the Mansions of eternal Holyness? and why then should not thy frequency in this holy action be such, as that he may almost even at any time come, and not fail to find thee so do­ing?

O that sometime we would look upon this life, as a state and condition in which we are plac't by the eternal God, to fit and trim the Soul, for the society of those holy Worthies that are gon up be­fore us; and then in that thought consi­der, how far short our practice comes of their daily and weekly communicating: Or, that lastly, we would sometime look back too, and consider again, that a­mong all our former days that are slid away from us, those only shall shortly be remembred with joy, in which we have done something in order to a joyful Re­surrection, and a safe Eternity. Say now, would we not in such a thought as this, wish heartily, that we had a better ac­compt in the Registers of Heaven than we yet have? more especially that we had many more devout performances of [Page 41]this holy and heavenly duty recorded there than we have? and if we find Rea­son thus to think of our past dayes, Oh why should we henceforward have rea­son to think the same of our future days then, when they also shall be over, and we shall be brought to the Neighbour­hood of the Grave?

I shall therefore in the name and words of our dear and holy mother the Church, earnestly beseech you no longer to continue so much strangers to, so wilful neglecters of this holy Duty: (— and if any man neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican. St. Mat. 18.17.) and she invites us thus, — ‘I bid you in the name of God, I call you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you as you love your own Salvation, that you all be partakers of this holy Communion. And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his Soul by death upon the Cross for your Salvation, so it is your duty to receive the Communion in re­membrance of the Sacrifice of his death, as he himself hath commanded: Which if ye shall neglect to do, consider with your selves how great injury you do unto God, and how sore punishment [Page 42]hangeth over your heads for the same, when ye wilfully abstain from the Lord's Table, and seperate from your brethren who come to feed on the Ban­quet of that most heavenly food.’ And thus much of the first general head, to shew, that this is a necessary holy and Christian Duty to be frequently per­formed, and the neglect of it infinitely dangerous.

CHAP. II. This do in remembrance of me.

SEcondly, we come now to see to what end it was instituted or appointed by our blessed Saviour.

First, it was instituted and ordained for a perpetual and devout remembrance of him our Redeemer, so says our Lord himself, St. Luke 22.19. This do in re­membrance of me. —

As if he had said, in remembrance of mine Agony and bloody sweat for your interest; in remembrance of my bitter sufferings and my death; in remem­brance of my Laws and Doctrines; in remembrance of my Resurrection and Ascension; in remembrance of my Vi­ctory for you, over Sin and Death and Hell; in a comfortable remembrance of this too, that upon your Repentance, Reformation, and Sincere obedience for the future, your past iniquities shall all be placed upon the accompt of the Cross, [Page 44]and be covered with the Robes of my Righteousness; and that I will ever be your Jesus, your Saviour; Do this, do it for a continual and grateful memo­rial of these things: that so such a re­membrance as this of me your dying Lord, may fill your Souls with Love and Devotion, your Wills with holy resolu­tions; that so it may excite and stir up holiness and virtue in your lives, and may unite and endear you to your Lord and Saviour, unite and reconcile you to each other, and promote peace and love, and unanimity and Charity among you, who are all members of my body, of that body (the Church) of which I am the head: that so meeting together fre­quently at this feast of Charity, when you remember my love to you all, this may promote love among you all, and may increase Faith and Piety and obedi­ence in you, and incourage you in it, till at last you come to meet me in my King­dom. Thus was it first instituted for a thankful remembrance of our Redeem­er, and all he has done and suffered for us.

Was it so? and Lord can it ever be, when this was the great intent and de­sign of it, that any that name thy sacred [Page 45]Name, should be unwilling to come and bear a part in such a remembrance? Me­thinks that Soul that should refuse to do so, refuse to fit and trim it self, to go forth and remember the Lords of Life and Glory, with the rest of his Christi­an brethren, should upon such a thought, be sorrowful and greatly troubled, that almost all others should go to claim and beg an interest in the death and suffer­ings of their Lord, and he alone be un­concern'd in it; he alone stay back, and refuse to put his hand to the Petition, and his Seal to the Covenant. Methinks again, such a Soul should consider and say, how imprudent, how inconsiderate is my case and condition, how dange­rous is my state of Life, that while others are resolving and preparing to go, and hoping to feast acceptably with Jesus, I should be alone backwards? Here I am, wallowing in Sin, living in a heedless, stupid, careless state of life, following my lusts and vices, and take no care to get out of them, no care for my Salva­tion, making no provision for Eternity and a joyful Resurrection; but always suffer my self to be hurried away by Ini­quity, born down by every slight Temp­tation, and am kept off from fitting my [Page 46]self for the Table of my Lord, by vain pretences, and little Excuses, by every Sin that looks fair and offers a little de­light or advantage; and shall I live and dye thus? Shall I continue in this State till all opportunities be over and at an end with me? Why, O why should not I, even I also labour to put on the Wed­ing-Garment, and see if he will yet be in­treated, and reconciled to me, and bless me, even me also? Rouze then O my Soul, awake and arise speedily from the death of Sin, to the life of Righteousness; off with thy old poluted Garments, (by di­vine Grace) forever, on with thy better rayment of Faith and Repentance, Piety and Charity; and come my Soul, let us go speedily to remember the love of our dying Lord; for most others, they are either gone, or going; Come my soul, at last let us go willingly and chearful­ly, others they are hastening, and me­thinks the Love of Christ begins to constrain us to, 2. Cor. 5.14. Come then let us hasten to commemorate and meet him, with the best preparations we can make; for others they are sitting trimming and adorning the Soul so to do: and the same Lord is ready with his assisting Grace for me, even for me also, if I am [Page 47]not wanting to my self, that is, earnestly beg, and faithfully use and imploy it.

Well then; my Christian Brethren, all of them they are going, and shall I be the only person that shall stay behind? they are now resolving to celebrate the memory of a bleeding Redeemer, and shall not I also? Oh how will my Lord take this at the day of Judgment? how ill will he take it at my hands, that I alone should stay behind, lurking with his Ene­mies Sin and Satan, when others throw them off and bid adieu to them, to go to meet and remember Jesus?

May each Soul that is seeking for pre­tences and has any temptations to absent himself, thus argue, and thus consider; and let him say further, would I be will­ing to stand among those who have fre­quently and devoutly remembred the Lord of Life and Peace, the Author and Finisher of our Faith? ( Heb. 12.2.) Is not this my desire? is it not my earnest hope? Come my Soul, say once more, come, let us stand with them now, let us stand with them now and ever here­after, while we stay with them here be­low, let us be found among them now imploy'd in this heavenly action, among whom we would willingly be found at [Page 48]our Lord's Second coming to judge the World. Let us not (my Soul) prefer the pleasures of Sin for a Season, let us not choose the trifling profits and ad­vantages of Sin for a season, but when others go forth to meet the Lord, and commemorate the death and passion of their blest Redeemer, may it never be my lot to be absent, much less may it never be my choice to be so; and when others shall be prostrate before him, and by this heavenly action joyntly renewing their Covenant with him, recounting what he has done and suffered for them, Sending up the Incense of praises and thanks­givings, joyntly Suing out their pardon from the Court of Heaven, with one Soul and heart, sending up holy petitions to him, to be by him presented and handed un to the Father; thus making a joynt pro­vision for a safe and holy Eternity; far be it, O far be it (I say) from me, to refuse to bear a part with them: but with all the devout Souls of the Christian Church, be ever hereafter ready and joyful, and forward and glad of all opportunities to be imployed in the solemn, devout, and holy and thankful remembrance of the Lord that bought me; And That's the first end to which this Sacrament. was ap­pointed.

Secondly, it is also a Seal of that Co­venant, which God was pleased to make with us by Christ, which we entred into at our Baptism; that gracious Cove­nant made between God and us, by the Mediator Jesus. Thus 'tis called, the blood of the New Testament, [...] St. Mat. 26.28. [ or of the new Covenant. Now this new Co­venant, between God and us, made by our Saviour, is (as was before said) that God will give pardon of our Sins, sancti­fying Grace, and everlasting Glory, up­on our Conditions of Faith, Repentance, and sincere Obedience. Our Lord in those Mysteries, Seals this to us, and as­sures us, as he is the God of Truth, and cannot lye or deceive us, that he will perform his part; We on the other hand, seal back this to him, that we will sincerely and heartily endeavour to per­form our part: We are then to remem­ber, that thus it was promised for us in our Baptism, when we knew nothing of it; but here we come in our own per­sons, to take those advantageous Condi­tions on our selves, to renew them by our own hand, our own act and our own choice.

This is my Blood of the new Covenant, says our Saviour; to this our Lord in­vites us, to shew first his death till he come, and next, to renew our Covenant with him; to Seal it again, and to de­clare our resolutions, to labour more ef­fectually and diligently for the remain­der of our dayes to stand to our engage­ments, and discharge our Conditions of it.

O my Lord, (say now upon this con­sideration) who am I, that thou shouldest leave thy Fathers bosom, to be the com­passionate Mediator of a new Covenant be­tween God and me? but oh who am I, that after so many breaches of it, thou shouldst call and invite me, once more to come, and renew it with thee again? who am I, that thou shouldst speak to me, to come and enter again into a further con­firmation of it? what a tender mercy is this? how blest a priviledge is this? that thou art pleased to call me once more, to come and receive my Pardon, if but yet for the future, I do in an ho­nest sincerity perform my part of the Covenant? What long-suffering is this, that thou shouldst still bid me to ap­proach, and have my Pardon sealed too; if my terms be but yet performed? and [Page 51]how far have I been from deserving any thing of this at thy hands?

And O my Jesu, shall I refuse to come, and humbly accept of those mercies which thou art yet pleased to offer me? and though I have broken my part of that Covenant which this Sacrament is a seal of, shall I not thankfully come and accept of thy desires to make good thine, if af­ter all this I am not yet wanting to my self?

Shall I not rejoyce in an opportunity of confirming and ratifying in my own person, that which was done for me without my knowledge in my Baptism? shall I not come and declare my desires to be found now and ever within the Co­venant of Grace? Or shall I voluntari­ly withdraw my self from it, and not come and put my hand and seal to it, with others of my Christian Brethren? shall I by my refusal to renew it, declare for Sin, for the World, Flesh and Devil? Far be it from me, (say) O my dear Re­deemer, far be such thoughts as those, No, I come willingly and readily and chearfully, with a Soul, and Heart, and Mouth, full of Praises and Adorations, to renew this gracious Covenant, to own my self thy Disciple, thy Servant, thy [Page 52]follower; I come to see thy dying bleed­ing Love, and to imprint it afresh upon my memory: I come to see thy earnest desires of accomplishing my Redemption represented to me; I come to behold thy Agony and bloody sweat, thy Cross and Passion; thy Body broken, thy Blood poured out for me: I come freely and openly to own my unworthyness to come at all, to own how undeservingly I have walked of those benefits. I come to sue a Pardon for my breaches of my terms of the new Covenant; I come to seal it again with thee, and humbly, and thank­fully adore thee for this mercy, that thou callest me once more to do so.

O that instead of ever entertaining a thought of absenting our selves, we would imploy it in some such meditati­ons as these, Dr. Sherlock Relig. Assemb. or with the words following of that excellent person before mentioned? ‘That frequent Commu­nions are as necessary to our spiritual growth and increase in holyness, to re­pair the decays of our Graces, and to renew our strength and vigour in ser­ving God, and to procure the pardon of Sin after a relapse, and to call back the holy Spirit when he is withdrawn [Page 55]from us, as bread is to keep our bodies, in constant repair; and did men love their Souls as they do their bodies they would no more neglect the Supper of our Lord, than their daily food. And if we have been guilty of any breach of Covenant with God, by ven­turing on the commission of any Sin, when we have with tears bewailed our Sin and renewed our Repentance, here we must renew our Covenant, and by approaching the Table of our Lord, declare, that though we are Sinners, yet we are not Apostates, (that is, we are not fallen from the Faith or the Christian Religion) but that we still own our Covenant; and by the Grace of God, which we now implore and hope to receive, resolve to continue stedfast in it while we live.’

CHAP. III. Of Examination of our Selves.

I Come next in the third place, to shew briefly, how we are to come prepared to this holy Sacrament.

The chief parts of preparation are these.

• First, Examination of our selves.
• Secondly, To enter then into a holy Course of Life, by Repentance and Re­solutions of a future sincere Obedi­ence.
• Thirdly, To bring with us a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ.
• Fourthly, To bring with us Charity to our Brethren.
• Fifthly, To bring with us Devotion and a pious frame of Soul.

Of each of these briefly.

First, of Examination of our selves; to this St. Paul adviseth, — Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that Cup. 1 Cor. 11.28.

And here we are to examine (as far as our memory can inform us) what our breaches have been of that Covenant which we entred into with God and our Saviour in Baptism. We told you, that our part of the Covenant is, Faith, Re­pentance, and sincere Obedience. But alas! we have most miserably gon astray, and have often, knowingly, wittingly and willingly broken all these parts of that holy Covenant.

As to our Faith first, how dull, lifeless, and unactive has that been? how little have we shewed it by our works? by works of Mercy, Piety, Charity, or De­votion? How little have we shewed our Faith, by our Conformity of heart and life, to those Gospel duties to God, to others, and our selves, by which we should have shewn it? St. Ja. 4.18.

Again as to Repentance, how unsincere has that been? how have we return'd soon after our beginnings of it, to our old iniquities, like the Dog to his vomit, or the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire? 2 Pet. 2.22. Can we not easily remember the time, when we had wept over our Crimes, and thought our Re­pentance had been deep and hearty, that we instantly fell into them again, upon [Page 56]the next temptation that look't fair? and forgot our holy Resolutions. Where­as a Reformation or change of life, is the life of Repentance, and without that, (at least in the Gospel measures, that is, in the most hearty sincerity, though not entire perfection) what we call Repen­tance, is but the bowing down the head like a Bull-rush.

Then as to that other part of our Co­venant, Obedience, how unsincere has this been too? how partial have we been in it, performing one duty, and omitting two; reforming one iniquity, and then soon after, entring upon another instead of it? Thus, can we not remember, that we may have changed the Lusts of our Youth, into the Covetousness of old age? the intemperance and vanity of our younger days, into revenge and ma­lice, in our growing years? and so in­stead of a universal reformation, often exchanging only one sin for another? Then again, how gross has our Igno­rance been of our necessary and indispen­sable duties? and yet of those that we have known, how few have we faithfully discharged? how has the World Flesh and Devil stept in between us and our former resolutions of Obedience? So dis­mally [Page 57]have we broken our part of the Co­venant.

But now does our God and Saviour call us to renew it once more? and will he be reconciled to us yet, if we heartily return and renounce iniquity, and give up our selves to obey his commands? and is he ready to give us an assurance of this, and to confirm it in the holy Sacra­ment?

Come my Soul, let us examine our selves, and consider what our breaches have been of this gracious Covenant, at least our greater and our more notori­ous, heynous breaches; that is, what our omissions of our Duties have been; what our known commissions have been, that so we may come to a true and deep Humi­liation of our selves before God; and be­ing sensible of our Crimes, and heavy La­den, we may come to Jesus to be eased of them; and that so, seeing them, we may loath them; that loathing them, we may remember this when we come to the Ta­ble of the Lord: and that we may re­member it too, when we are come off from that holy Table, and are going a­broad into the World again, and throw them off forever.

That so we may ever remember how dear they cost us, (and if returned to a­gain, are like to cost us dearer) how dear they cost our Jesus, and yet how willing he is to be reconcil'd. And when the Temptation returns again, we may beat it off (by divine aid) with some of these considerations, some of these remem­brances, and especially this. That for­giveness belongs not to him, who sins and repents, repents and sins on still; but to him who repents so, as to for­sake his Crimes and his Iniquities.

Plainly and in short, the meaning of Examination, is to consider these three things following.

• First, To examine whether you right­ly understand that Vow and Covenant which you made with God in your Bap­tism, and which you come to renew and Seal again with God in the Sacrament: If you do not, 'tis (I say it again) briefly this; Almighty God on his part, graci­ously promises a free pardon of all your past-Sins, Grace here, and Salvation here­after by Jesus Christ; Upon Condition, that we discharge our part; that is, se­riously believe the truth of the Gospel of our Saviour, Truly Repent of all our Sins, and by sincere resolutions and con­stant [Page 59]endeavours of future Obedience, give up our selves to follow him in Ho­lyness and Righteousness all the dayes of our Lives.
• Secondly, To look into the Soul, and as far as our memory will reach, to en­quire what our Iniquities, (especially our greater iniquities) have been, with refe­rence to God, Our selves, Or our Neigh­bours, that we can discover we have ad­ventured upon, either in Thought, Word, or Action.
• Thirdly, To enquire, what Omissions of Duties (especially what greater omis­sions) either to God, our selves, or Neighbours, we can charge upon our selves, either of Thought, Word, or Action.

And when we have so done, to bewail them heartily, (as well as our Secret-Sins, with David Ps. 19.12.) to take new Resolutions against them, to go and declare those our holy resolutions at the Holy Sacrament, and when that is over, to la­bour watchfully and sincerely to keep those pious Resolutions. This is ( [...] short) the meaning of Examination; as to the particular heads of Examination, and helps to it, Whole Duty of Man. I refer you to the book mentioned in the Preface.

But then let us Examine not only what our iniquities have been, but also how great they have been; how they have been aggravated or increased in their guilt, or made greater by several wayes and means. For thus, Examine, have not some of them been against much light, much knowledge? have we not rusht into them foreseeing them plainly, and done it wittingly and willingly? Examine a­gain, has it not been a Sin or Sins not only of knowledge, but of which we might easily consider before-hand the great guilt and dangers? Nay possibly did weigh and consider it, and yet after such consideration have resolved to choose it, for some vain delight or trifling advan­rage it brought with it.

Examine further, was it not a Sin which when we adventured on, our own Conscience flew in our face, and stept in be­tween us and it; and yet we broke through all Resistances and oppositions of Conscience?

Examine again, had not thy Sin this guilt to make it greater, that it has fre­quently been committed? so frequently, that no vows, no former purposes, of amendment or obedience, could re­strain thee from it, but didst wilfully [Page 61]break all these, to come to thy crime?

Examine further, it is not grown up to a greater height? has it not this in­crease of its guilt, that 't'as been so fre­quently adventured upon, as that it is grown into a custome, a second Nature with thee, strongly grafted and deeply rooted in thee?

Examine again, is it not so deeply rooted in thee, that thy Conscience is even hardened and seared against it? that af­flictions sent from God to reclaim thee, have not wrought upon thee? or it may be 'tis of so Long continuance, that the charitable and private admonitions of thy Friends and the Ambassadours of God, have been in vain with thee; so deeply rooted, that notwithstanding these, the long custom of the Sin, has endeared thee to it, so as to like it in thy self and others too.

Having inquired therefore, what thy iniquities are, examine whether they have not some of these aggravations that make them greater and more heynous. If thou findest it so upon enquiry, Oh let the consideration of it, work thee into a deep sense of, and humiliation for it, and that hu­miliation for it, lead thee to sincere Con­trition, to grief of heart, that thou should­est [Page 62]thus have requited the infinite mer­cies of a tender Father, of a dear Redee­mer; and that the good and holy Spirit should have been so grieved by thee. ( Eph. 4.30.) And let the end of all this be, that thou now at last, come to a hatred and abhorrence of it, and that thou art now going to Jesus, to take up new Reso­lutions of Reformation.

Such as this let thy Examination be, look back thus upon thy past dayes, look into the State of thy Soul, search it nar­rowly, and as strictly as thou canst, and see if there be any one known wilful Sin lodging in it; and beg of God to dis­cover it to thee, and then take this op­portunity of throwing it off forever. Or, if after a long Custom and habit, it be not to be thrown off all at once, then (at least) begin thy faithful resolutions, and war against it now; never leaving, till by the grace of God (always ready for those that beg and faithfully use it) thou hast obtained the Victory, and subdued it: and here at the Lord's Table, thou wilt get greater strength against it, new Arguments against it: The remem­brance of thy dying Saviour's bleeding Love, will assist thee in the conquest of it.

Come then, let us go to our Jesus, and to the Entertainment which he will make for us, and let this Examination bring us to a sense of our Sins, that the sense of them may bring us to a Humiliation; and that humiliation may bring us to sincere Contrition; and that Contrition may bring us to Repentance, Reformation and Holyness; that so we may come at length to see the Pleasures and Advantages of a Religious and Holy Life, and tast those Sweets and Delicacies, which we yet little think there are in such a state of Life; and that so our past impieties may all be covered with the Robes of our Lord's Righteousness.

But that you may never hereafter be at a loss in your Examination, so as to neglect this Holy and Heavenly Duty, because of endless doubts and fears, whe­ther you are qualified or no, do but try your selves by these following questions. As I was baptized into the Religion of the ever blessed Jesus, so am I willing to stand to these engagements, (to the ut­most of my power) that were then made in my name? Do I seriously believe the Gospel to be the Truth of God? and will I labour uprightly to conform my heart and life to it? Do I repent of all [Page 64]my Sins, (known and secret) and my former disobedience? Have I a lively and stedfast Faith in Christ my Saviour? Am I sensible of my unworthyness to come to this Table, and desirous to be made more worthy? that is, am I sensi­ble of my Crimes and Iniquities, and de­sirous of Pardon, and of Grace to re­form? And do I resolve and purpose a sincere reformation of any thing that I can discover in my self at any time, which is contrary to the Will of God? — Par­ticularly, do I resolve and purpose, to set my self with watchfulness and diligence against that bosom Sin whatever it be, to which I know my self most inclin'd? Do I harbour in my heart no one known wilful Sin at this instant? Do I desire, and heartily endeavour to understand the Gospel of my Saviour, and to direct my Life and Actions, according to the Do­ctrines there delivered? And wherein I shall at any time hereafter fall, through frailty, infirmity, or unawares; do I re­solve, speedily to rise again by Repen­tance, and by a greater Care and dili­gence, and watchfulness for the future? Am I in Love and Charity with all men, and willing and ready to do any good action for Friends and Enemies? and do [Page 65]I wish and desire their good, of Soul, and Body, Goods and good Name? — Am I desirous to renew this Covenant of mine with God, and to come and thank­fully commemorate my Dear Saviour's bleeding, dying Love for me in the Sa­crament? To come there to receive fresh tokens of his Love to me, and to beg and receive more of his Grace, to help me to perform these things, and to live a sincerely Holy and a Christian life?

If from a sincere and honest heart, you can answer Yes to these particulars, then lay aside your doubts, away with your fears and scruples; And in the name of God come, and come with joy and com­fort, with a thankful, lightsom and chear­ful heart, to this most holy, and heaven­ly, and pleasant duty in the World.

And thus much of Examination.

Secondly, the Second part of Prepara­tion is, That upon such Examination, we then enter into a holy Course of life, by resolutions of a future new obedience. Let this be the end and intent of Exa­mination of our selves, that so having found what our frequent, too frequent breaches of our Covenant, of the Com­mands [Page 66]of our Saviour have been, we may seasonably, while our day lasts, take up hearty and unfeigned purposes of dis­charging them uprightly, for the re­mainder of our days. Thus holy David, Ps. 119.59. I thought on, [or I examined] my wayes, [...] Accuratum exa­men institui. Sy­nops. and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies. Let our Examination of our ways, have the same end, the same fruit and effect that his had. Here let us come then, and renew and declare our Christian Resolutions, when our Lord calls, and invites us, and is willing to have us do it.

More especially here do thou go to de­clare and renew them against that parti­cular Iniquity, to which (upon thy Exa­mination) thou foundest thy self most frequently tempted: bring with thee an enrire hatred of all, but especially of that, which hath oftenest foyl'd thee hereto­fore, and got the Victory over thee, and may be most like to return upon thee, and do so again. And as now thou art to come in an hatred of it, so think and con­sider by what wayes and means, Companies and Temptations it may be most like to steal in upon thee again. Consider by [Page 67]what occasions, in what business or imploy­ment 'tis, that it may be like to entice thee again, and bear thee down before it; and that so often, so long, till it may be thou dye in it, and thou lye down in the grave with it, and the holy Jesus come and find it unmortified, and alto­gether unreformed; and thou be at his second coming Sentenced for it, to en­ter into the Lot and portion of the damned.

Having in these thy holy resolutions considered the occasions of it, or by what delights or profits and advantages it usually tempts thee, and prevails over thee, la­bour then, (how dear soever it cost thee) to get out of the snare and the tempta­tion; resolve, whatever mortifications, self-denials or disadvantages in thy Worldly affairs it stand thee, to get out of the way of it. In the first place, la­bour now then, to foresee what the oc­casion of it may be, by which wayes the temptation enters upon thee; by what Companies, (I say) business, Imploy­ments; for the Love of what pleasures, advantages and interests thou art led to it; that so foreseeing them, thou mayest abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thes. 5.22.

Resolve hence-forward, to step out of the way of these occasions, whatever shame or reproach it may cost thee from man; that so thou mayest follow Jesus uprightly and chearfully, and ever here­after, be a ready, willing, joyful and pre­pared Communicant. And when thou hast found out the occasions of it, what­ever they were, Consider, and say, And is this that petty Interest, or that vain delight, that comes to rob me of my Soul? my Heaven, and my Immortali­ty? And is this all that it can ever give or promise me in exchange of them? Is this all I shall get by my Complyance with them whenever they come again? And shall I do so any more? shall I em­brace their motions any more? No, on my Soul, on, and as thou art going; look back no more, faint no more, give out no more; thou knowest the utmost of those Pleasures or Profits, they can bring thee in, but thou knowest little, or not half of those vast felicities and joyes that await thee in the place of Glory; On therefore my Soul, and be content to stay for thy Delights and advantages, till but after the death of one Life, (and that's no longer than thou wouldst be content to stay for the Reversion of a [Page 69]large Estate) and then sit down in the full Enjoyment of them to all ages, and thou shalt be at rest forever, at peace forever, happy and holy and safe for e­ver. And thus, let us enter upon a holy course of life, by resolutions of a future sin­cere obedience, and by actually putting off all known Sin whatsoever. And that's the second thing as to Preparation.

Thirdly, let us bring with us a lively Faith, in God's mercy through Christ. That is, stedfastly believing, that for his sake, our offended Father will be reconciled to us, if with Repentance and such Re­solutions of a sincere obedience to his Commands, and a future Reformation, we give up our selves to him.

And not doubting of this, let us con­sider and say; who am I, that after so many acts of wilful disobedience, so ma­ny habitual Impieties, so many known neglects of my holy Duties, there should, upon my sincere Reformation and new Life, be any arms yet open to receive me? What, are there any possibilities for me of being yet accepted upon my hearty returning? Can these arms that were once stretcht out upon the Cross, and nail'd to it, be spread still to em­brace me, upon my becoming a new [Page 70]Creature? me, who have as it were trampled upon the blood of the Cove­nant? Are there hopeful possibilities yet left, of my receiving infinite benefit by that blood, if I am willing to have the merits of it applyed to me, and fit my self to have them so applyed? And may I yet be accepted to eternal ages, if I go in the name of Jesus, with a faithful pe­nitent Conversion to my offended Fa­ther? Why then, with the Prodigal, I will arise and go to my Father; and if he should have Compassion upon me, should I not rejoyce that ever I went to him, and bid adieu to my impious Courses? I will then arise and go to him, and say, Father, I have Sinned. And if I resolve thus to go to him, I have one to go with me, and intercede for me too; One that can pro­duce and shew to my Father the price of my Redemption: One, who (if I thus penitently go) will stand between me and my Father's Wrath, between me and the sorrows of Eternity. One, that can shew Blood and Wounds to plead for me to my offended Father. One, who, if we are truely desirous to wash our Sins in penitential tears and yet cannot, can represent to my Father, that he wept blood for me; and 'tis one, in whom [Page 71]our Father is well pleased: One, that can prevail, and do any thing with this our Father. And because we cannot hope that he will be reconciled to us, but by the merits and mediation of this our Re­deemer, let us go to him first, and be­seech him to intercede for us.

But where shall we go to find and meet him? why, at his holy Table he will not fail to meet us, if we go thither faithfully, penitently, charitably, and devoutly; there 'tis he often calls and in­vites us to meet him, and expects and stays for us there; ready (if we come thus qualify'd) to go with us to him.

O my Soul (say) Come let us go to this our Jesus then, Let us go and Sup with him, and humbly tell him how the Case stands with us, how disobedient we have been; and how heartily earnest we are to return and be accepted. And having his Son our friend and Advocate, Let us not fear to say to him, with an awful humility. Father I have sinned a­gainst Heaven, and before thee; But oh my Father, look upon thy Son, and my Je­sus.

I can only confess, and sorrow, and sue for pardon, but he has atton'd for me too, Let his wounds plead for me. [Page 72]See (O my Father) that side the spear pierc't for me, and there made way for me to his very Heart. Look on those Sacred hands that were nailed to the Wood; See there how the pointed Iron drew for me in his hand the line of Life, the line of Life Eternal. Let his bleeding palms be an Expiation for mine, that have been so often lifted up to smite my brother, so sel­dom raised in my Devotions. Let those Feet, the nail also bored, be an Expiati­on for mine, that have been swift to shed blood; or slow to run the way of thy Commandments. Thus O Father, tho I have sinned, he has suffered, and atton'd; though I have sinned against Heaven, he is there to plead and mediate for me; his merits are infinitely more than my Im­pieties.

And when thou hast thus in the Name of Jesus, humbly sought the favour of thy offended Father, would it not be mat­ter of infinite Joy to think the Redeemer of the World should intercede for thee, and say Behold O my Father, a penitent, a true and contrite penitent, one that with the Prodigal had estrayed from thee, but he is returning, and he sorrows not only for fear of Hell and punishment, but he grieves for having offended a [Page 73]tender and compassionate Father. The consideration of his very ingratitude melts him into tears, and his Contriti­on also has wrought in him sincere reso­lution of amendment of life. Behold O my Father, to such contrite penitents are my merits to be applyed, to such hast thou promised mercy; Let all his past Ini­quities therefore be charged upon my ac­compt.

Say now, would not this be a blessed consideration, to have the Saviour of the World thus pleading and prevailing for thee with thy offended Father?

Why then go to him, but so qualified as we have mentioned, and he will be heard in thy behalf; for thy Father is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. Joel. 2.13. And that's the third part of a Preparation.

Fourthly, We are to bring with us universal Love and Charity to our Bre­thren. To come with a readiness and willingness to be reconciled to them who have injured us; and if we have done the wrong, to be ready, and actually to endeavour, to reconcile them to us; according to that of St. Matth. chap. 5. v. 23.24. If thou bringest thy gift to the Altar, and there remembrest that thy Bro­ther [Page 74]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.

But to insist on this the more briefly, clearly and distinctly, we are to consider, that the Charity we are to bring with us, consists, first in Forgiving, second in Giving.

Now as to the first of these, the two great and usual Miscarriages in our pra­ctice, are first our Loathness and back­wardness to forgive. Secondly our great unwillingness when we have done a known injury, to go and seek a reconciliation, and to desire to be at peace with him that we have injur'd.

We are loath in the first place to forgive; It may be we have listened to a Tale-bearer, and we have been told an idle story, and such a one has spoken ill of us, or railed on us; Instantly we swell, and are all in a flame, and can think of nothing but revenge and malice, and a perpetual hatred, and it may be nothing but his blood will satisfie our revengeful humour; and bitterly say presently, We will be even with him a­gain.

But is this the patience, and meekness, and self-denial of the Gospel? Is this the forbearing, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any one, as Christ forgave us? Col. 3.13. Is this to love Enemies, and to bless them that curse us? Matth. 5.34. Is this our best imitation of the Example of our great Master Jesus? But let us not always so learn Christ, but endeavour to bring the Soul to that mortified, calm, and peace­ful temper, as to be ready to forgive in­juries, and to bear them meekly, sweet­ly and temperately; and when the Tale-bearer shall come to thee, and tell thee, that such a one has reproacht thee; Con­sider, possibly it may not be true, Si probra nobis be­nè oleant, & verbe­ra Impacta malis na­ribus (que) rideant, ut vix modesto difflu­entes gaudio Red­damus alto gratias altas Deo, Ac Im­probanti lene pacis osculum, Haec solida tandem est hilaritas frater Leo, Inambu­lantum Regia in Cru­cis via, Angel, Gaz. and then thou art angry with him without a cause. Con­sider again, it may be it was in a very great Pas­sion, and by this time he may be sorry for it. However labour to bring the Soul to that Christian pitch and dis­position as to be able to say. Has he spoken this of me? God forgive him for it; or to [Page 76]say to the bearer Remember me to him, and tell him I heartily forgive him, and shall be ready to do him any office of Christian Love, whatever he sayes of me. This would dis­courage the Tale-Bearer, and heap Coals of fire on the head of the injurious Person, Rom. 12.20. Coals of fire, not to burn or inflame him, but to melt him into Love, or into sorrow for the injury. This would be an excellent imitation of that great Lord of ours, who prayed for his persecutors, and laid down his life for his Enemies.

At least Consider this, who would lose the benefits and advantages, the joy and the Comfort, and Satisfaction of being a Holy Communicant, only for the small and unchristian pleasure of a revengeful Word, a revengeful look, or a revenge­ful action? Or consider how much easier is it to forgive an injurious, spiteful word or action, than to lye under the wrath of God to eternal Ages?

Alway too, let us take this for an E­ternal Rule, that if we Copy out the Example of Christ, in forgiving, what­ever the reproach be, God will force Light out of Darkness, bring Glory out of that which was intended for our Shame; and clear up our Innocence, if in [Page 77]an humble holy and patient Life, we be content to trust him with it.

Secondly, The second miscarriage in this part of Charity is, our great unwill­ingness, when we have done a known in­jury, to go to the person, and seek and desire a reconciliation with him. This I confess is a thing so much a stranger to the World, that few look on it as a Du­ty: But when our dear Redeemer has commanded it, why cannot we deny our selves so far as to be content (I say for a known injury) to go to him, and offer to be reconciled? Oh no! the World will call us fools, and whatever becomes of it, our proud necks will never submit to this part of the Christian yoke: But consider, we renounced the World in our Baptism, and shall we then suffer it to rob us of our Innocence and Duty? Let the World account it so, Remember, our Lord sees not as the World sees, nor judges as the World judges. Again, if we be ill spoken of for a Chri­stian Duty, that is, St. Matth. 5.11.12. for Righte­ousness sake, great then is our reward in Heaven. And let us be con­tent to stay for it, till we shall receive it there. Again, let us not listen to the voice of an irreligious World in matters [Page 78]of Religion; but above all, let us consi­der, our Lord has gone in the high way of the Cross before us, he endured it, and despised the shame. O let us more rea­dily do so too, in this case, Looking un­to Jesus. Hebr. 12.1.2. Let us remem­ber too, That Christ is come to mortifie our carnal tempers, and to teach us self-denyal, and to bear the Cross; and what an excellent instance, would this readyness to go and desire; and offer to be reconciled to those whom we have knowingly injured, be of our desires to imitate our Saviour? and if we were re­vil'd and laught at, to say with the Mar­tyr of old, Nunc incipio esse Christianus. Now I begin to be a Christian, and to be likened to my Saviour. To conclude this point, how much easier is it to de­sire to be reconciled, to acknowledge our fault, and ask a forgiveness when we know we have injured, than to bear the ter­rors of Eternity? and 'tis a deplorable consideration to think, that we can deny our selves nothing, bear nothing, do no­thing, though a little against the grain, against flesh and blood, for the sake of Immortality, for the pleasures of the ho­ly Sacrament, and the Love of Jesus.

Secondly, The second part of Chari­ty consists in Giving. Alms and Oblati­ons have in all ages of the Church, ac­companied the feast of Charity; and with great reason is it, that in this So­lemn act of Christian worship, we should humbly offer some part of our possessions to God, as a token of this, that we thank­fully own, we hold all we have from him, and therefore desire to pay back some­thing again to him; that is, to those whom he has made his Receivers: and the usual miscarriages in this case, are two likewise, either first, we come to this feast of Charity, without setting apart any thing for the needs of our poor brethren, or else secondly we bring too little.

As to the first of these, Consider, when we relieve any at our doors, that's (often) because of their importunity with us, or it may be to be rid of them; when we relieve by a Rate, that's by constraint, and the Laws compel us: But this is a free-Will-offering. Never let us fail therefore, when we come to see fresh tokens of our Saviour's Love to us, who for our sakes became poor. 1 Cor. 8.9. then, to set apart some evidence of our Chari­ty to those who bear his Image, and whom he has made his proxies, and that [Page 80]our Lord takes it as done to himself; and that for an Alms, we may receive a blessing. Never therefore in this Hea­venly action, let us appear before the Lord empty.

But secondly the other fault is, that our alms are often too thin and slender. 'Tis true indeed the holy Scripture has not set down the exact measure or rule of giving; but therefore, even for that ve­ry reason, we should do well to give even beyond our ability, rather than fall short of it, that being the course that is most safe and most holy, considering, that he that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully. 2 Cor. 9.6. and ever remem­bring that 'tis the obser­vation somewhere of a pious Prelate, Bishop of Down and Conner. (now, through Christ, reaping some of the fruits of his unknown Charity and Piety) That the business of the great day of Judgment shall be transacted, and the Sentence chiefly pass, according to the measure of our works of Mercy and Cha­rity, as he infers from St. Matth. 25.31. to the end.

'Twere easie to produce admirable in­stances of the vast Charity of the Chri­stians of old, such as to this age might seem almost incredible, for as a learned Person observes of them, Dr. Cave Pri­mitive Christ. ‘They looked upon the Poor as the Treasure and ornament of the Church, by whom as by bills of Exchange, they re­turned their Estates into the other World.’

Let me therefore offer you this one Consideration, to be seriously laid to heart, in your next sober and retired thoughts, would we be but content to cut off from our vain Expences, needless visits, our Excess and extravagancy, our vanity or folly, or what we may lay out on, either Lust or Intemperance, or in pro­secuting our brother, in a revengeful malici­ous and contentious Law-Suit, or the like; we might have a good portion for the Poor, and opportunity for many more charitable actions, than are yet recorded above; and might have a large Treasure laid up in Heaven, at the end of or Sixty or Seventy Years, yet never the worse in our Estates, at the end of the year, or the end of our dayes; besides the pro­mise of a blessing here and hereafter, [Page 82]from the Eternal God, who has past his word to us. And why then can we not secretly lay out that on our Kingdom, on our Eternal Inheritance in Reversion, which would else be expended on our jol­lity and excess, in vain and useless Ex­pences?

Further, he that has injured his bro­ther by fraud or deceit, or any other in­justice, is in Conscience absolutely bound to restore, or make restitution to him again; but in case he be deceased, we are then to make it to his Heirs or Exe­cutors. But possibly it may so happen, that we may have been unjust to some, or in such wayes, that we cannot possi­bly know who they are; In this Case, the Restitution is to be made to the Poor. Now consider, what an excellent oppor­tunity we have of so doing, by our Alms at this holy Sacrament; alway remem­bring, that the Restitution be rather be­yond the injustice done, than in the least degree to come short of it. And that's the fourth part of Preparation.

Fifthly, we are then to bring with us a great Devotion, and pious frame of Soul.

Let us be very careful to lay aside all thoughts and considerations of this lower [Page 83]World, and all things else that may clog and hinder the Soul from being then wrought up to a Sprightly, Holy, Heaven­ly and Devotional temper; and earnestly beg of God by prayer to assist us in our cloathing our selves in the Wedding Garment, that so we may go to meet our Saviour acceptably and chearfully, as we would to meet the dearest Friend on Earth, whom we had not seen in many years before.

And having with us a deep sense and sight of our Iniquities, begot in us by Exa­mination, and a lively Faith in the infinite mercies of our God, through our Savi­our, having our Charity truely Christian, and our Devotion high and Angelical, let us with joy and pleasure go to Jesus, and declare our resolutions to be his unfeign­ed and faithful Servants and follow­ers; utterly abhorring all known Sin, and sincerely resolving for all known duty.

And let us say of our old Iniquities, Be content to lay down your Necks, quiet­ly, and submit to be thrown off, for I am going to renew my Covenant with my dear Redeemer. Be content, ye my old Debaucheries, Prophanesses, Lusts and Intemperance, Oaths and Blasphemies, [Page 84]Malice and Injustice, and the rest of you, to part from me, who am resolv'd to take my leave of you, and to go and be more closely united to the Holy Jesus, and to go on in my journey to the new Jerusalem; adieu to you all, and though we weep at parting, 'tis not because I must leave you, but because I have been too long with you, and had not done so sooner.

And now my Soul, (may the devout person say) seeing we have done with them, let us raise and exalt one affecti­ons, for our Lord is coming; and he is coming (if yet we are not wanting to our selves) to bring us a pardon sealed with him from God, and to re-establish our title to a glorious Inheritance: and we shall shortly bless the day, that ever we were perswaded thus to do.

Stay, methinks we begin to feel some­thing of the pleasures of Religion alrea­dy, something of satisfaction in our ve­ry first resolutions of holyness; Oh what will it then be, when we are better ac­quainted with our blessed Saviour, and his holy and Heavenly Doctrine! what will it be when we come to his Table, and have long frequented it, and given up our selves, intirely to him, as we now [Page 85]hope to do? Come then let us begin it now.

And oh my Soul, could we but for a while steal out of the body, that we might be the more free and lively, and active and unwearied, in our thanks­givings, praises and Hosanna's to that Lord whom we are going to meet.

But however, Let us now say, I believe, Lord help my unbelief, for I come to have my Faith strengthned: I am grieved and wearied with the burthen of my Sins, but I come from them to thy arms, the Sanctuary of rest and peace, where wea­ried Souls alone can lay their Heads, and bring their Cares and Sorrows, to be ea­sed of them, and to have them turn'd in­to Peace and Pleasure. Thou (Lord) art he whom my Soul loves, and suffer me to say with thy Servant St. Peter, — Lord thou knowest that I love thee. And whatever thou please to deny me here, deny me not thy Grace and Aid, to cloath me in that Wedding-Garment which thou will please to accept.

And may the pious Soul further say, Away away from me, all my lesser Con­cerns of this life, that are apt to draw aside my thoughts from Holyness; Trou­ble me not now, when I am about to sup [Page 86]with Jesus: and come and welcom to me all holy thoughts, holy desires, and holy Resolutions; for you my heart is open at the welcom news of going to feast my Soul with the Body and Bloud of the Sa­viour of the World.

And be entreated Lord, to come and fill my heart, and take up thy dwelling there, and turn out thence every thought, and desire, and inclination whatever it be, which thou art not willing should dwell with thee. Be entreated Lord, to possess thy self wholly of it; for I am coming to offer it up and present it to thee. And I am loath, when thou shalt come to take possession, that thou shouldst find any thing there, but holy desires, di­vine breathings, earnest longings after thee, pantings after Immortality, holy hopes, and devout affections. Fill it O my Jesu, fill it up with those for me, who am coming to meet thy glorions Majesty, by the nearest approaches I can make to thee on Earth; that So I may never miss of thee at thy Table, or ever go away without a blessing; and when I shall go forth into the necessary concerns of this present life again, ever let me keep such a flame alive in me, that so the old Enemies may no more be lodged [Page 87]there, or the old temptations prevail with me; but that alwayes hereafter, when they shall come and seek to be en­tertained again in my heart or affecti­ons, I may have this answer ready for them, Away from me, Jesus has taken possession there already; Trouble me no more, the room is full, and the door is fast shut, to keep him there, and you from thence.

With these, or some such meditations as these, let us raise our Devotions then, and stir up our affections, which in this, are like other Flames, the more they are moved and stirred, they appear the more bright and shining.

Or let the pious heart, again say, Oh my Saviour, thou hast touched me with secret but strong inclinations, to be with thee at thy Table, and to take hence­forward, all opportunities of so doing; O make them greater than yet they are, and may they never cease to be growing, till I come to meet thee in thy Kingdom. O that thou wouldest but look upon this heart of mine that pants after thee, as a heart fit to be wrought upon by thee, to be made to do so, infinitely more than it does! That it may never more be contented to take fewer opportuni­ties to commemorate the Death and [Page 88]love of a crucified Lord, than all that it can possibly have: and when the day of my communicating is over, that I may mourn, and sigh and long for the return of it again. O let the time come, when my Soul shall be wrought up to this pitch and temper never to be so well at ease, or so full of joy as when it has lately come from, or is shortly to go to a holy Com­munion. 'Tis true, O my Redeemer, and 'tis a sad trueth, I have long carried a World of unholy desires and sensual inclinations about with me, and they have long followed me, and made my love to this Sacrament but dull and lit­tle; But I now hope they are all going off from me, to make way for that and thee. I have long fancied, I might have found happiness in some things of this World, but I now begin to be perswaded and to find, it is only to be found with thee and thy Religion.

I can easily remember, when I have been greatly troubled at small disappoint­ments of this lower World, but never at my disappointing my self of this holy and Heavenly feast, and can likewise as easily call to mind when I have longed for, and been pleas'd in vanity and fol­ly, much more than for a holy Sacra­ment; [Page 89]but 'tis some comfort to me, that at last I can feel the thoughts of it to be­gin to appear pleasing and joyous, and that those old Clouds of Darkness begin to be scattered: and let those flames of love to thee, never go out again, never more return to coldness and ashes; and may I ever be much more afraid lest they should do so, than at all the troubles, and all the disappointments, and all the reproaches of this World: May I but live and dye with those, and then let all other things be as thou pleasest.

And now O my Redeemer, come and take possession of my heart while 'tis thus warm with the Love and desires of thee, while by it's pantings and divine breath­ings 'tis moving towards thee, and stands open for thee. May my eager pursuits of either Riches, Honours, or Pleasures of this life, never more shut thee out thence, but be thou pleas'd to rest there, 'till I shall be caught up in the Clouds to meet thee in the Air. 1 Thess. 4.17. and be ever with thee. As this of all things is now my earnest desire, so may it ever be, 'till that glorious day: and then all my doubts and fears shall be over and at an end, all my temptations and inclinati­ons to Sin, and my frailties and infirmi­ties [Page 90]shall be cured; all my scruples of Conscience, my tremblings, and my fears to displease thee shall be ended, and be to me as if they had never been at all. But before that time come, suffer me O my Lord, to sigh out my desires to be al­ways with thee, as near as I am able to be, on Earth, at this distance from thee.

And O my Soul, shall we begin then to take this Heavenly course now at the ho­ly Sacrament? We will, by Divine aid. On then, our Lord invites us, and calls, Come unto me, all ye that are weary and hea­vy laden, and I will give you rest. St. Matt. 11.28. And seeing all things are ready, and he expects us, let us say to him, we come to do thy will, we are weary and hea­vy laden, we come to find rest and ease, we come Lord Jesu, we come quickly. With these, or some such meditation, let us then scrue up the Soul to a devout frame and temper. And thus much of Preparation.

CHAP. IV. Considerations after Receiving.
Fourthly, what is fit to be considered and done after Receiving.

• FIrst, thankfully meditate on the infi­nite mercy and long-suffering of God, that he has been pleased to give thee this one opportunity more, of renewing and sealing again the Covenant of Grace, who hast so often broken thy Conditions of it.
• Secondly, labour to imprint a deep re­membrance of any promises or holy re­solutions there made, between God and thy Soul, and be watchful in the keeping of them.
• Thirdly, earnestly beg of God, to as­sist thee in the keeping them, and in the walking for the future in the wayes of Religion and Holyness.
• [Page 92]Fourthly, meditate on the danger and the guilt thou runnest into, if thou la­bour not more sincerely afterward to keep those thy pious purposes, and thy felicity if thou do.
• Fifthly and Lastly, by looking back on this divine and heavenly, and pleasant duty, think and meditate, how lovely and chearful and pleasurable, a Religious life must needs be.

First, thankfully meditate on the infinite mercy and long suffering of God, that he has been pleased to give thee this one opportunity more of renewing and sealing again the Co­venant of Grace, who hast so often broken thy Conditions of it.

Upon this Consideration, who is there but must needs say with David, Ps. 34.8. O tast and see that the Lord is good. We that have lately tasted, and have seen how good the Lord is, how gracious, to have given us one opportunity more of renewing our Covenant with him; shall we, can we forbear to publish it? Can we ever cease to be thankful? No surely, ra­ther let us be ready to encourage others ever hereafter, to go from whence we have come, and tast and see how good the Lord is.

However, let each particular Soul, be deeply sensible, and considerate of this goodness of the Lord which he hath ta­sted; O my Soul, (say) has our Jesus admitted us once more to his Table, and permitted us to seal our Covenant again, to renew our resolutions and purposes of obedience? and would he do it after so many old breaches of it? and is he wil­ling yet to be reconciled, upon our re­formation, and future sincerity in Holy­ness? and has he confirmed this to us in the Sacrament? O infinite Mercy and Compassion of our God! Well, my Soul, let us never forget it, but say with Da­vid, Ps. 103.1.2. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name: Bless the Lord O my Soul, and for­get not all his benefits. Let us consider a little, might not God have snatcht away, and have called us presently before him, in the midst of such or such a crying Sin, which we can easily remember, and not have given us one call more, one oppor­tunity more of a reconciliation? he might very justly. Might he not have call'd us to our particular judgment in the mid­dest, in the very act of such or such an Impiety, of this or that Lust or Intem­perance injustice or perjury, Oath or [Page 94]Execration, Debauchery or uncharitable­ness? Might he not have done so, after our long and wilful neglects of this holy Duty, before ever we approacht to it? and how might it have been now with us, had he taken that advantage against us? Might he not have hurried us away, to eternal unknown woes, without giving us these advantages, which we now by his Grace may improve to the purposes of a blest Eternity? And shall we not, my Soul, shall we not improve them, to the uses of Immortality, when our Lord is thus willing we should? Let us do so then, and do it heartily, chearfully and constantly; and let this goodness of the Lord lead us to Repentance and Refor­mation, and invite us to holyness and Religion, that's the first.

Secondly, after receiving, labour to im­print a deep remembrance of thy Promises or holy resolutions then made (or before) be­tween God and thy Soul, and be diligent in keeping of them. O let not the old Love, the former affection to Iniquity, return any more; but if the temptation do re­turn, stay and remember, how odious, how deformed and ugly the Sin appeared then to thee, when thou wert at the Lord's Table, and then it was, that it [Page 95]appeared most truely as it is: and then next, let this engage thee to recal thy pious purposes there; for alas! these are not to abide with thee only for an hour or a day or a week, but to the end of our dayes: and how hypocritically should we deal with our God, should we instantly forget that we have renewed our Covenant, and our purposes of obe­dience with him, upon the Alarum of a Sin that promises much, and shows fair.

However, Consider before-hand, the temptation will come again, whatever thy resolutions now are, (and do thou expect no other) and 'tis likely thou wilt not always be in this temper of Soul that thou now art in. The opportuni­ties for thy Sin will be fair again; but dost not thou now resolve against it? I suppose thou dost: But alas! this thou hast done heretofore, (perhaps often al­so) and promised universal obedience to this Saviour; and yet hast fallen again, as surely as a man falls that is struck with a Thunderbolt; and thus it may be thou hast gone round all the dayes of thy Life, Sin'd and repented, received the ho­ly Supper, and yet still fallen as fre­quently and as surely as ever, and hi­therto [Page 96]remain'd in a State of Sin and Death.

Thus I say, it may be, thou hast run on in this Course many years, and dou­bled thy guilt with thy dayes, and always upon the next occasion and opportunity, forgotten that ever thou didst repent and resolve amendment of life. Re­member, this is a very ill sign (yet) of thy Condition, and it is extreamly dan­gerous. Much (perhaps) above half thy days have gon round in this Circle; And now if thou wouldest, thou hast not half of them left to dedicate to Religion, and the service of the holy Jesus, and to the blessed Severities of Piety and virtue. And what's now to be done then? O at last (now) be more strictly watchful and diligent, in keeping thy Resolutions against it; and against all occasions of it also, whatever self denial, or shame or reproach or difficulty it cost thee: Get at least som tolerable ground against it now, never leaving, till thou hast crucified and subdued all known habituall wilful sin whatever, and laid it dead at thy feet.

Remember too, that now is thy time, that now thou hast yet fair advantages; but if thou imploy them not to the uses of Eternity, and in order to the conquest [Page 97]and victory over thy darling Sin that has so often born thee down before it, thy Lord may e're long, bid thee lay aside all thy business here, and come and appear before him, and find it uncrucified, un­reformed, and unmortified in thee.

Consider further, if so, why when thou art laid on the borders of the Grave, and coming to the Neighbour­hood of Death, thou wilt then with sor­row perceive and find, that by that hour all thy pains about it would have been over, and all thy trouble at an end; and would have been as if they had never been; and nothing left to do, but to sit down in eternal peace; all thy combats would then have been ended, all thy mor­tifications over, every difficulty of thy journey past through, and thou wouldest have had nothing more to come, but on­ly (through thy Lord's merits) to sit down and to enjoy the fruit of thy dili­gence, and thy Victory, in Rest and Ho­liness, and joy and safety.

Come then in view of these hopes, con­sider once more, that after all that thou hast done, the old temptation will return upon thee, and what art thou resolv'd to do if it should? wouldst thou without any resistance of it submit, and tamely [Page 98]yield to it again? Dost thou not resolve with sincerity of endeavours to get some ground of it, if not the victory? art thou fully purposed to oppose and resist it? If not, to what end hast thou begun thy holy Course of life, if thou intend only to go on in it so long till thou find­est a fair opportunity to do otherwise.

If this be thy Case, if thou wilt run thy race no longer than thou canst do it with ease, or no longer than thy Cor­rupt Interests or desires, or the Devil are quiet, and forbear to tempt thee; thou art then as surely gone as ever.

Consider therefore, now while they are at rest, before they come to be im­portunate and earnest with thee again, (for they certainly will) how thou mayst best resist them, or be out of the way and most secure from them, from all appea­rance, all occasions of them, out of their reach and violence. Whatever your Ini­quity be, try whether there be not an absolute necessity before it be subdued, and thy resolutions kept, to mortifie thy great desires of the Riches, Honours, and Pleasures of the World. Do but try for a while, how safe thou wouldst be then, how much further from all danger of a relaps: and be sure of this also, that [Page 99]whenever it returns, it will (like other Enemies) fall upon thee there, where thou art weakest and least fortified.

Whatever therefore thy sinful inclina­tions be, O double thy guards there, that the Enemies of thy Soul and of thy cru­cified Lord, may never more find thee un­armed and unprovided, at their next re­turn upon thee.

Further, if thou hopest to keep thy holy Resolutions against all known Sin, then beware, lest thy affections to it, should not be left as dead, as thou art apt to think: Take heed that they revive no more. The least indulgence, or affection left behind, may renew insensibly, and grow great, and become big enough to bear thee down against thy present holy purposes, and become strong enough to break down all the bonds of Reason and Religion; and then all thy Labour may prove to be lost, thy guilt greater, and thy time less: So great are the least re­mains of affection left for the old Iniqui­ty. O be then at least more mindful of thy promises of obedience, than hither­to thou hast been. Remember, that now thou hast begun for Heaven, and set out for the Land of Canaan, and undertaken, sincerely to be for all that's holy just and [Page 100]good; and that now thou mayst be safe for ever, holy and happy for ever, if pru­dently and with an upright heart, thou carry on the concerns of thy Soul, with those of thy allowable Calling, and to make them equally keep pace together, as thou art peacefully moving toward thy Prize and thy Crown: And as thou art thus going on chearfully to health and peace and pleasure, look behind thee as little as thou canst, lest thy foot slip again, and thou lose thy ground, and thy last state be worse than the first.

Whenever therefore the old allure­ments, the old occasions, and the former temptations shall return, or the Flesh the World or the Devil, be strongly draw­ing thee off, and pressing thee to fall as grosly as ever, then (if possible) recal­ling thy pious resolutions, producing and laying them before thee, say, O my Soul, shall we now break them again? if we do, we know not, we are not sure, that God will ever give us one advantage or opportunity more of a Reconcilia­tion.

Now then is our time, of resisting the Enemies of our Saviour and our Soul, and of showing what we can do for God and for Religion; for Heaven and Im­mortality. [Page 101]Now, when our Enemies are most earnest, busie and importunate with us; let us now (seeing this is our time of tryal) gather up all our strength, manage the Combat with Courage, and a great and fixt Resolution, and what­ever the pleasure, whatever the advan­tage or Interest or Honour be, let us look on them all, as the flatteries of our Enemies, and be deaf to them all: and then (by Divine aid and assistance) We shall prevail, and be more than Conquerors. Rom. 8.37.

And O my Soul, let it never be said or remembred of us, in the day of judge­ment, that we begun well very often, but persevered not; went not on with alacrity and chearfulness, with Zeal and Courage in our pious Resolutions. Never then let it be said, that we forgot thee O Jesu! forgot our League of Friend­ship, our Covenant with thee, assoon as ever we came from Feasting with thee.

Should our Prince, whom we had high­ly provoked and injured by treasonable words and actions, invite us to his House, bid us come and dine with him at his own Table, should he tell us he were willing to pardon us; willing to be reconcil'd [Page 102]to us; notwithstanding all the affronts and injuries he had offered him, willing to receive us into his embraces too, and to be (as we say) friends again, and take us to his favour; should we not thankfully accept of the kindness? and be proud of the favour? Would it not melt us into Love and Affection, joy and gratitude? and upon this should we pro­mise him sincerely to endeavour no more to partake with his Enemies, or to be lead by them to affront or displease him; should we, or could we indeed, assoon as ever we were gone out of his house pre­sently run to his Enemies and joyn with them, and fall to injuring him again as bad as ever, or perhaps worse than ever? How disingenuous, how provok­ing must it needs be to him? If so, far be it from us my Soul, thus to deal with the King of Kings, and Prince of Peace, the Saviour of the World, and our dear Redeemer.

But now when we go forth from his House, the House of Prayer, and are to apply our selves to the lawful Concern­ments and occasions of this life, let us car­ry with us a faithful and constant remem­brance of our holy purposes; and let this be one of our pious Resolutions, no more [Page 103]to be ever unmindful of the rest of our good resolutions which we made with God at the Holy Table.

Thirdly, Earnestly beg of God to assist: thee in keeping any good Resolutions, and in walking for the future in the ways of Reli­gion and Holyness. Our pious purposes, desires, or intentions cannot be effected by our selves alone, without the pre­venting and assisting Grace of our Great Creator and Redeemer. Let us not fail then, frequently and earnestly to sue for it at the Throne of Grace; and then if we are not wanting to our own Interest, but with diligence and sincerity, and watch­fulness and honest endeavours, we set our selves to the performance of them, the day will e're long be ours, the Victory and the Crown ours.

Say then, who would be so imprudent, as not earnestly to sue for that which he may certainly have for the asking and the using? and who would not diligently use and husband it, when the so doing will not fail to procure more? and then again, who would not industriously im­ploy that More, when (like Interest upon Interest) it would bring in more yet? St. Mat. 13.12. and 25.29. St. Lu. 8.18. and 19.26.

O let not the Grace of God be in vain, and lost on us, only for want of our own Diligence in imploying and using it: and then let not our own watchfulness and labours and pious endeavours be all in vain, only for want of suing for the as­sistance of divine grace, frequently and devoutly beg of God therefore, to aid thee in all thy holy purposes and desires and Resolutions; that he will please to keep thee constant to them, as thou art pas­sing over this World, to him, and to a better; that he would increase the ha­tred of thy Sins, and the Love of Religi­on in thee, both which he has lately gra­ciously begun in thee. Say to him, O my Lord, I have nothing, I am nothing, I can do nothing without thee; These my Resolutions and purposes of amend­ment of life, of piety and virtue, will up­on the next violent Temptation be wa­vering and tottering again, without thee and thy aid: By that be pleased to keep them warm and stedfast in me; so warm, that no length of time may cause them to grow cold again, no violence of a Temptation break through them.

Fourthly, Meditate on the guilt and the danger thou runnest into, if thou la­bour not more sincerely afterward to keep [Page 105]those pious purposes; and thy Felicity if thou do.

I do not say, so to keep them as to live without Sin, and in an absolutely perfect Estate; To live wholly without Sins of frailty and meer infirmity, ignorance or sudden surprize, that is, those that may sometime or other rush on us e're we are a ware; No, but of not keeping thy Resolutions of Reformation of all known customary wilful Sin whatever, and to re­tain no one such known Iniquity.

Remember, the Sin, if entertained a­gain, at least as familiarly as heretofore, and returned to with as much love as e­ver, will now ever be a Sin against more Mercy, against more Love, and against more purposes and resolutions of returning from it; O run not thy Soul then upon this increase of Guilt and Danger; But ra­they say, O my Soul, shall we so soon forget our Lord, our Master Jesus, to whom we lately vowed obedience, and swore Allegiance, as to entertain and cherish a known Enemy of his within our heart and bosome? Shall we soon for­get, whose sighing, groaning, bleeding, dy­ing Love we have seen represented to us lately, and shall we add disingenuity and ingratitude, and a vow-breach to the Sin [Page 106]it self? And shall we thus keep our in­tegrity, and thus shew our endeavours to keep to our pious resolutions, as tamely to yield up all, lay aside all those consi­derations, at the return of the next Sin that looks pleasantly, and that comes with fair opportunities for the commit­ting it? shall we do this, not only after so much love, but after having our Co­venant renewed and sealed again with Al­mighty God? And after he has graci­ously declared, that he is willing to be reconciled to us, for what is past, if we heartily give up our selves to him for the future? and when we have promised so to do to our uttermost, and to give up the whole man to him?

In sum, shall we (say) in spight of so much Love, so much mercy and Com­passion, such gracious offers on God's part; and then in spight of many ad­vantages, purposes and resolutions on ours, shall we return to our Lusts and Intemperance, as frequently as ever? to our old Oaths and Execrations, our Re­venge and Malice, our Covetousness and Injustice, our Pride or Ambition, our Inconsideration or Uncharitableness, to our darling Sin whatever it be? No, my Soul, we will now at last more seri­ously [Page 107]weigh the Guilt and Danger of so doing; We have begun, and let us go on for Eternity, whomsoever we displease by it, whatever becomes of it as to this present life.

Let us now once more consider, that possibly this may be the last opportunity that our Saviour may give us to be re­concil'd to him, before we go hence and be no more seen; the happy union and agreement between us has been lately sealed, let us never more wilfully and knowingly break it, lest all the old ac­count be charged on us again. Let us therefore now make the best advantage, the best use of it we are able, and return no more to the former state, lest our Lord come and find us in such a breach of our part of our Covenant, and never more permit us to renew it again, till the day of Judgment.

And as now we have by our Lord's in­finite mercy, got a good advantage to try once more for a Crown of Life and Glo­ry, let us be watchful and diligent, un­wearied and constant in our Race, that our Lord when he comes, may find us so do­ing.

Adieu then (say) once more my old Dalilahs, farewel to ye, and welcome Re­ligion, [Page 108]welcome my holy Duties, ye that once seemed irksome and tedious to me; Welcome now as the way and means by which I am to be qualified to have my Lord's merits applyed to me, to keep me in his favour, and to meet him in his Kingdome.

Welcome my Devotions, ye that once seemed too tedious to me, and to take up too much of my time, the actions I once was even ashamed to be found imployed in; Welcome, though purchased at ne­ver so dear a rate, or expence of time, I am sure I can be no loser by you.

Welcome my Solitudes and Retire­ments from the World, and my frequent being alone; I find I can best see and consider the state of my Soul in ye, and though ye were once very disagreeable to me, I now perceive you are advan­tagious.

Welcome ye Christian Temperance and Sobriety, and Purity and Chastity, whatever self-denials or reproaches ye may possibly cost me, no matter, so I may sit at the Feet of Jesus to all Ages.

And welcom Alms and Charity, though ye once seemed expensive to me, and ill bestown; I now see Cause, infinite Cause to think otherwise, when ye are laid [Page 109]out in order to the Inheritance of a Kingdome.

Welcome Humility, Charity, and For­giveness, and Love of Enemies, ye that once seemed unreasonable, and of all o­ther Duties most disagreeable to flesh and blood, and a heavy yoke; but I now think otherwise of you, when I consider how excellent an imitation ye are of that blessed Jesus, with whom I lately supt, and at whose Feet I hope to sit, in the mansions of Glory.

Welcome Meekness and Patience, Mor­tification and Self-denyal, and all that's holy just and good. Welcome all means of my growth in Grace; all the Com­mands of my Saviour; Welcome to me, who have resolv'd never more to give out, never to think I have done enough, till all be over, and at an end, in a holy and happy Death in a blessed and joyful Resurrection.

Fifthly and Lastly, after receiving; by looking back on this Divine and Heavenly and pleasant Duty, think and meditate, how lovely and chearful and pleasurable, a Reli­gious Life must needs be.

Say truely, is there not a great Sereni­ty and Calm, and peace of mind, in the being free from Malice, and desires of [Page 110]Revenge, from Rage & Envy? Is there not a Secret joy and Cheerfulness and Light­someness of heart, in offering up Praises and Thanksgivings, and Hymns and Hal­lelujahs to the Saviour of the World? Is there not a blessed inward Relish and de­light and pleasure that flows from the offering up a holy and devout Prayer to him? How great a satisfaction and plea­santness is there in offering up some of our substance to God in Alms? Is there not a great quiet and sedateness, and peace of Soul and mind, in the being free from the hurries, and the shame and follies, and sollicitations of Lustful de­sires? Is there not an unknown tranquil­lity of mind in the being freed from proud and vain-glorious and ambitious desires, and in the sitting down at ease with meekness, contentment and humi­lity? Is it not a blessed thing to be freed from the pain and disorders of Intempe­rance? from the shame and dishonour of Lust? to have subdued, and conquered, and mortified our passions and sinful ap­petites, and to sit above the reach of them? Must it not needs be a blissful thing, to be freed from those stings and lashings and secret gnawings, that perpe­tually dwell in the heart of the wicked, [Page 111]and irreligious man? though they are little known to any other but God and his own Soul? Is it not (think you) a great felicity to be freed from the slave­ry of Sin and the Devil, which are the greatest Tyrants in the World? Can you not now from this short and small experience of these things, be perswaded of the sweets and Delicacies that dwell with Religion?

Do but ask the holy person, the man of an heavenly Conversation, whether there ever be any thing that greatly dis­composes and troubles his serene and calm, and peaceful heart? Ask him a­gain, whether he do not each night lye down in peace, and with an undisturbed Conscience, sleep sweetly and securely, content heartily if his Lord please, to sleep 'till the general Resurrection? Ask him, whether he, lying down in peace and Innocence, feels the insupportable horror and amazement of any great guilt when he awakes? No, he awakes as plea­santly as the morning, he no sooner o­pens his Eyes, but they are darted to­wards the new Jerusalem, before they behold vanities.

Ask him whether he dreads the Face of the Sun, or Men or Devils? Whether [Page 112]he greatly dreads the sight of an open Grave, of a winding Sheet, or the name of Death? Know of the pious Soul a­gain, whither there be any real pleasures in a holy retired, and angelical life? and he will tell you, he has found more plea­sure in being a devout communicant at his Lord's Table, than ever he found in the commission of the most relishing Ini­quity. Ask him further, whether those pleasures do not stay longer with him, than any others? and he must undoubt­edly tell you, that as the pleasures of Sin are but for a small Season, none of them lasting and continuing; So those of Pie­ty are permanent and abiding.

But now on the other head. Let us a little enquire into the unpeaceful, un­pleasant state of the unholy person. Ask him, whether when he is sometimes in the midst of his jollities and pleasures, there do not something within him check and restrain the freedome of his mirth? and often on a sudden turn him into fears and Melancholy? and if he would speak the truth, he must needs confess, that he hath been frequently served so. Alas! this is his guilty Conscience, proceeding from his inconsiderate state of life; this is the fruit and effect of his Crimes, and [Page 113]the want of a more frequent and devout communicating.

Enquire of him again, whether he usu­ally lyes down in peace and rest? whe­ther he do not often startle in his sleep, and his very dreams are not terrible? whether he be not hugely apt to be dis­quieted and discomposed, and disorder­ed, and to fear almost every little noise, and at last awakes with unknown horrors of Guilt upon his heart? This he can doubtless tell you is a sad truth.

Ask of him again, whether, when o­thers take their innocent recreations, and refresh their Spirits with harmless mirth; whither (I say) he do not sometimes sigh and droop, and goes away alone, withdraws into some solitary place, and is there discontented, full of anguish, per­plext and haunted, and when he hears the knel of his departed Neighbours, looks pale, and trembles; and is amazed, be­ing so little prepared for the same state and condition?

Ask him, whether, when he beholds a dead Corps, his blood do not cool and surround his heart? Alas! poor wretch, 'tis his guilty Conscience, his Sins unre­pented of, his life unreformed, that are the Causes of these doleful and dismal [Page 114]Confusions; and little (it may be) do the World think, the Iniquities he knows himself guilty of. This, if he would confess, he must needs acknowledge.

Say, now, is it not a blessed Estate of life, to be alwayes freed, and to sit at a distance from these? to be at peace from these secret tumults and inward horrors? Why, 'tis Religion and holyness, and frequent communions alone, that can ef­fect it for us.

Say again, when we look back on the state and temper of the pious man, can we choose but think it a blest and peace­ful thing, alway to have the Soul in that disposition? why, 'tis Piety and Virtue, That can alone fix and settle that joy and peace there.

To which state, when you are once (by the assistance of Heaven) arrived, you will find reason to say, O my Soul, how much peace and joy do we find in that State of Life, in which we have reason to hope our Lord is reconciled to us? How much better is it, how exceedingly beyond the old unreformed, unregene­rate course? how sweet is the conside­ration of being become from an Enemy, a friend of God? and to think that we have caused joy in Heaven by our returning? Oh [Page 115]how imprudent were we, that we should believe nothing of those things sooner, and could not be brought to believe there was any such contentment and joy in ho­lyness!

How many Dayes and Months and Years of true Peace and Pleasure have we lost, that we had not been acquainted with our Saviour sooner? That the voice of God, inwardly calling us, often by his holy Spirit, or outwardly by his Embas­sadors, should so long have been in vain? Oh that we should not have been per­swaded by them to come sooner; and to tast and see, how gracious the Lord is. — That we should scarce ever till now, find by our own Experience, that the wayes of Religious Wisdom, are wayes of plea­santness, and all her paths are peace. Prov. 3.17.

But blessed be God, that he has at last opened our Eyes to behold the wonderful things of his Law, Ps. 119.18. and enclined us to expe­rience and try the sweetness, pleasure and satisfaction, of being in a good measure qualified to have his merits applied to us; that he has given us Grace to experience somewhat of the blissful apprehensions of being in his Favour.

And now O my Soul, what infinite reason have we to say, Blessed be the day that ever we came acquainted with our Saviour! Blessed be the day that ever our disobedient heart was melted into Love of thee, O our dear Redeemer! And I beseech thee, keep it filled ever with this love, fortified ever with these Resoluti­ons, ever fixt and constant in this tem­per; and if there be any thing in it, that yet may displease thee, O make me to know it, and assist me to throw it off for ever!

And when will our Lord come again? that we may again Sup with him, and feast our selves upon his sacred Body and Blood, and tast this pleasant, most deli­cious food again? May he make no long tarrying, may it not be long, O may it not be long, before we again either meet him at his Table, meet him in the Air, or meet him in his Kingdom. O what will it be to be always with him, where there is so much secret joy and peace, in this small glymps of him, and at so great di­stance too!

And now my Soul, seeing we have given up our heart to our dearest Lord; in this temper let us live, and in this dis­position let us dye; and we hope by [Page 117]Death we shall come nearer to him, ne­ver more to be pulled back again, or in danger to be drawn off from him by the violence of any temptation; for these shall be done away. And being thus united to him the great Lover of Souls, we shall at last, at his glorious coming, not much dread the heavens being rolled into a Scroul, or the Crack and flames of the dying World, or the Trump of the Arch-angel; but with infinite joy, hear the words.

Arise, & come up hither; awake, and arise, and come, Take your Crowns, your place on my right hand. Arise, and come and see your new State, and new Condition; your unknown felicities, and unknown Glories, your endless peace and safety.

Arise and come hither, up to me your Jesus the Captain of your Salvation; Come, and be above the reach of Infelicities and Miseries, Sin and Death for all ages; and sit down in your Immortality and Rest for ever. Arise, come and partake of those Glories, that cost me your Lord, Sighs, and Groans, and Blood, and Wounds, pangs and Life it self, to pur­chase it for you: that cost you also so many Dutys; the Strugling with so [Page 118]many temptations, the combating so many Enemies, before you got the Victo­ry; so many difficulties, discouragements, so much shame and reproach, self-denials, and the like, before you were intitled to my Merits, and qualified to receive the bene t of my purchase; Come now, and sit down in their Enjoyment, for above millions of years and ages.

In a word, O my Soul, say, May these hopes be ever in our view, ever in our heart & thoughts. And as we have lately begun for Eternity, upon the Stock of this Hope; so let us by this square and order all the Actions of our lives: That so at last, when we shall come to leave Mor­tality, our Passage hence may be peace­full, safe, and holy; our Resurrection joyfull, safe and holy: and (through him who is the foundation of our hope) we may not fail to be remembred with mercy in the day of judgment. After which, we may with Angels, and Arch-Angels, and all the Company of Heaven, laud and magnify his glorious Name, ever more praising him, and Saying Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, Glory be to the, O Lord most [...] High, Amen.