are carnal and worldly, and averse to the thoughts of Heaven and heavenly things. And let them never think well of their spiritual state, till they have brought themselves to a serious examination of their lives, and a hearty repentance for their past sins, and so have made them... selves fit to receive his seal of God's pardon and forgiveness, together with the assistance of his grace to sanctify their hearts, and enable them to persevere in their good resolutions, and to continue the faithful servants of JESUS CHRIST.

SECTION III.

How groundless the excuses and pretences are, for not coming to the Holy Sacra

ment.

CONSIDERING the express command of our blessed Saviour, to continue this remembrance of his death until his coming again, and also the many spiritual benefits accruing to every Christian by religious obedience to that command; it is matter of great wonder that so many persons, who call themselves Christians, can live securely in an open neglect and contempt of it. And it is likewise matter of great grief, and a sad argument of the lukewarmness and irreligion of these times, to see the generality of Christians so willing to excuse themselves from partaking of an ordinance, which CHRIST instituted for the refreshment of their souls, and the conveying to them new supplies of spiritual life and strength. Some are going on in a course of wickedness, (as swearing, drunk, enness, uncleanness, revenge,

The case of wicked persons.

injustice and the like) and they will not

come to the Sacrament, because in that condition they know they are utterly unfit for it. To whom we can only say, that it is in their power to make themselves fit, by forsaking their sins; and if they will not forsake them, the same sinful course which keeps them from the Sacrament, will certainly shut them out of the Kingdom of Heaven. And one would hope, that this reflection should awaken and startle the most desperate sinner, and not suffer him, when he is invited to renew his covenant with God, and to seek for grace to enable him to perform the condition on his part, to tell GOD that he is wicked, and will continue so; or, which is the same in effect, that he resolves to go to hell, in spite of all the means which God in his great Mercy has provided to carry him to heaven.

sons.

But there are others, who have so much The case of sense of religion, as is suffilukewarm per cient to restrain them from liv. ing in any notorious sin; and who, out of conscience, or shame, or some other motive, do at least attend the Ordinances of Prayer and Preaching : but as to the Lord's Supper, they will not be prevailed with to come to that, be

cause it requires such a course of preparation as none can go through, but they who have much greater leisure from the business of this world than providence has given them, and they are very well aware of the extreme danger of receiving it unworthily, or without due preparation. Which excuse, carrying in it something of reverence to that holy institution, not only keeps very many persons from coming to the Sacrament, and makes their minds easy under a direct disobedience to the command of CHRIST, and the prejudice they do to their spiritual estate; but it oft times leads them to censure others of the same condition with themseives, as rash and profane, for presuming to receive it. And since these mischiefs arise from some common mistakes, concerning the degrees of preparation that are necessary to the due receiving the Holy ation. Sacrament; the proper way to remove the mistakes, is to give a plain and clear account of the necessary preparations. That carnal and worldly minded men (who, if their leisure were never so great, have no hearts to set about such a spiritual exercise) may not colour over their

Mistakes concerning the de

grees of prepar

neglects by this pretence of wanting time: nor others be discouraged without cause, whose hearts are really religious and who are willing and ready to make the best preparations that their condition and circumstances will allow.

To these ends, let it be observed, that there are two kinds of preparations required of those who come to renew their covenant with GoD in the holy Sacrament; but these two not equally necessary.

heart the first

I. The first is, the preparation of an An honest honest and upright heart; as it preparation. shews itself in a willingness to forsake all sin, and a conscientious desire and resolution to serve and please GOD, in the general course of a sober, virtuous, and good life. This is a frame and disposition of soul, in which every Christian is bound constantly to live: and all persons, high and low, rich and poor, being equally capable of living in such a frame, GoD absolutely requires it of all, as an indispensible condition of being his servants, and continuing in covenant with him. So that it would be great mockery in men to make a show of living in covenant with GOD, while