to their spiritual Life, there is no other Way to free ourselves from this Death of Sin, but by fpeedily applying ourselves to our heavenly Phyfician, who came into the World to feek and to fave thofe that are loft, and ready to perish; and the very Sense of our own Unworthiness, is, of all other Arguments, the beft Qualification to recommend us to God's Favour and Mercy, fince we know that he refifteth the Proud, [and prefumptuous Sinner] but never denies his Grace and Favour to the Humble and Meek. As often then as we come to the Holy Communion with fuch an honest and true Heart, as to exercise our "Repentance "towards God, our Faith, and Hope of his "Mercy, through Chrift, for the Forgive❝ nefs of our Sins, and our Love and Charity "for all Mankind;" fuch a Temper and Refolution of Mind as this, will, doubtless, render us worthy Partakers of these holy Myfteries, and prevent us "eating and drinking "Damnation to ourselves." Nay, I further add, that any Perfon thus difpofed or qualified, may come (if it fhould be required) at an Hour's Warning, as fafely as he may come to Church and fay his Prayers, or hear a Sermon. The Duenefs of Preparation doth not fo much depend upon our setting aside fo many extraordinary Days for the forcing ourfelves into a religious Pofture of Mind, as upon the plain natural Frame and Difpofition of our Souls, as they constantly stand inclined to Virtue and Goodness through the general

Course

are

Men of great Bufinefs, either public or private, not thereby excufed from fre quent Commu

nion.

Courfe of our Lives. From whence I infer, that a Multitude of Bufinefs, or a Man's being deeply engaged in the public Affairs of this World, cannot be any juft Plea or Pretence for his not coming to the holy Communion; because all Bufinefs is confiftent with the Duties of Religion, provided we govern our Affairs by Chriftian Principles: For though fuch Men have not Leifure for fo much actual Preparation, yet they may have that habitual Preparation, upon which the great Stress ought to be laid in this Matter: Nay, even the conscientious Discharge of a Man's Duty in his Bufinefs, may be one of the beft Qualifications to recommend him to God; fince every Man ferves God when he follows his Calling with Diligence, and obferves Juftice and Honesty in all his Dealings; and confequently, the greater Danger and Temptation he is expofed to thro' the Multiplicity of Bufinefs, the more need hath he of God's Grace and Affistance, which are abundantly communicated to us in this holy Ordinance: So that Men of Bufinefs, if they have any serious Thoughts of another World, ought more especially to lay hold on fuch Opportunities which fecure the Salvation of their Souls; for as they who have Leifure ought to receive conftantly, as the beft Improvement of their Time; fo they that are engaged in many worldly Affairs, ought to come the oftener to the holy Communion, and learn how to fanctify their Employments. But to proceed :

The

The other Branch of a Communicant's Duty.

A lively Faith in God's Mercy.

is, to "examine whether he "hath a lively Faith in God's "Mercy through Chrift." Examine yourfelves whether ye be in the Faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. this Sacrament of the Lord's. Supper being only appointed for fuch Believers as own their Baptifm, and profefs the Faith of Chrift crucified, and understand the fundamental Articles of the Chriftian Religion, contained in the Apostles Creed, and also the End and Defign of this holy Inftitution. The Benefits of our Saviour's Death and Paffion in this Sacrament are indeed freely offered unto all, but only effectually to Believers. As many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe in his Name, John i. 12. And this is Life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent, John xvii. 3. All that Chrift hath done and fuffered for us Men and our 'Salvation, can never profit us, unless we have Faith to believe it: That which must render the Benefits and Bleffings of the Gospel effectual to our Salva-, tion is our Faith in Chrift. Verily I fay unto you, faith our Saviour, he that heareth my Words, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting Life, and fhall not come into Condemnation, but is paffed from Death unto Life, John v. 24. The ancient Churches accounted those only Faithful that had received the Lord's Supper; and the Germans allowed none to come

unto

unto their Sacrifices who had loft their Shields; nor does our own Church allow that any of us fhould come to this Christian Sacrifice without the Shield of Faith. "Draw near with Faith, "fays the Prieft, and take this holy Sacra"ment to your Comfort." And this Faith hath God's Mercy, through Chrift, for its Object, as the Fountain and Foundation of all thofe infinite Bleffings and Comforts which we gain by his Manifeftation in the Flesh; and if we enquire into the Caufe and Reafon of fo much Mercy and Goodñefs to Mankind, no other can be given, but the Riches of his Mercy, Eph. ii. 4. And if we further enquire how this Mercy became ours, the Anfwer is plain, it was through Chrift, by whom all the Bleffings of this Life, and thofe of a better, are purchased for us, and must be obtained through the Merits and Interceffion of the Holy Jefus: By him we were redeemed, and according to the Riches of his Grace we have obtained Remiffion of our Sins, and through him at last we shall be glorified. And to this our Faith we must join

A thankful Remembrance of bis Death.

a

"thankful Remembrance of his "Death, and of thofe Benefits "which we receive thereby." Our gracious and merciful Lord, faith holy David, hath fo done his marvellous Works, that they ought to be had in Remembrance, Pfal. cxi. 4. But efpecially this Wotk of our Redemption by Jefus Chrift, which to forget were an Ingratitude bafer and viler than ever Heathens, or Publicans, the very

worst

worft of People among the Jews, were known to be guilty of towards their Benefactors.Matt. v. 46. Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins, 1 John iv. 10. This is a Mercy far above all other Mercies; nay, it is even this which fweetens all other Mercies to us. Had there been no Redemption, our Creation had only made us capable of endless Torments, and it had been better for us never to have been born, than to be born to inevitable Ruin; which must have been our Lot and Portion, had not " the Son "of God, by his own Oblation of himself, 66 once offered upon the Crofs, made a full, "perfect, and fufficient Sacrifice and Satif"faction to God for the Sins of the whole "World." The Confequences of this Redemption are fo infinitely great and valuable, that it as much furpaffes our Understanding as it does our Merits. We are to declare and publish to all the World, what God hath done to fave Mankind from that Damnation which they had deserved, and to reftore us again to that Happiness and Glory which we could never expect or hope to enjoy, had not Chrift died for us. O come hither and hearken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul, Pfal. lxvi. 16. Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, praife his holy Name: Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits; who forgiveth all thy Sins, and healeth all thy InfirmiB ties;