divine Qualifications, which this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper requires, to render us worthy Partakers thereof.

And what thofe are, is the Defign of this Difcourfe; wherein I fhall endeavour to fhew what that Preparation of Heart and Mind is, which muft difpofe us for a worthy Participation of the Bleffed Sacrament: And herein I hope to remove all thofe Fears and Scruples which arife in our Minds about eating and drinking unworthily, and of incurring our own Damnation thereby, as groundless and unwarrantable; and to do this I fhall take Occafion to explain that Part of our CHURCH CATECHISM, defignedly intended for our Inftruction, with relation to this Duty of a Sacramental Preparation, viz.

2. What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper?

A. To examine themfelves whether they repent them truly of their former Sins: stedfastly purpofing to lead a new Life, bave a lively Faith in God's Mercy through Chrift, with a thankful Remembrance of his Death, and to be in Charity with all Men. This is that Sacramental Preparation which our Church (n as few Words as poffible) hath provided for our Companion or Guide to the Holy Altar. Th Duty then of a devout Communicant confifteth in these fix following Particulars: 1. Self-Examination, to examine themfelves, 2 Repentance towards God, whether they repent them truly of their former Sins. 3. Holy Purposes or Refolutions of a new Life, stedfaftly purpofing to lead a new Life. 4 Faith in God's Mercy through Chrift, to have a lively Faith, &c. 5. A Thankful Remembrance of his Death. 6thly, and leftly, Unfeigned Love or Charity for all Mankind, and to be in Charity with all Men.

The first Part then of a Communicant's Duty is SelfExamination A Duty not only enjoined by human Authority, but likewife commanded by St Paul. But let a Man examine himself, and fo let him cat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup, Cor. xi. 28. Intimating, that no Man fhould prefume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup, without a previous Preparation, if he meant to escape that fame Judgment

Judgment or Condemnation which these Corinthians brought upon themselves for their irreverent, finful, and diforderly Bebaviour at this Sacrament; and this was the Occafion of St Paul's Caution and Reproof: He that eateth and drinketh anworthily (fays the Apostle) eateth and drinketh § Damnation to bimfelf, not difcerning the Lord's Body, Verfe 29.

But that our Preparation may be fo well performed by us as to prevent the like Danger, let us (as the wife Man advifeth) Remember the End, and we shall never do amifs, Eccl. vii. 36. First, then, that we may come to this heavenly Feaft boly, and adorned with the Wedding Garment, Mat. xxii. 11. we muft fearch our Hearts, and examine our Confciences, not only till we fee our Sins, but until we hate them; and instead of thofe filthy Rags of our Righteouf nefs, we must adorn our Minds with pure and pious Dif pofitions; even that clean Linen, the Righteoufnefs of the Saints, Rev. xix. 8. With thefe Ornaments are holy Souls fitted for the Society of that Celeftial Company, which are to be met with at this Solemnity. Secondly, Another End or Defign of this ftrict Preparation is, that we may be accepted of by God as worthy Communicants; that he who knoweth The Secrets of all our Hearts, neither is their any Creature that is not manifeft in his Sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do, Jer. xvii. 10. Heb. iv. 13. may approve of the Sincerity of our Repentance; and the King who comes in to view the Guests, Mat. xxii. 11. may (though ftrictly speaking we are not fo) count as worthy of his Favour and Countenance. And

how

Note, This Word Damnation does not fignify Eternal Condemnation, but on the contrary, fome temporal Punishment or Judgment, (as you have it in the Margin of your Bible) fuch as Sickness or Death, with which this City of Corinth was a icted, for their great Abuse and Profanation of this folemn Inftitution; fo that the Sins here reproved, (viz. Gluttony, Drunkenness, and Faction, ver. 18, 21, 22.) and the Damnation here threatened, hath no Relation to us, unless it could be proved that any of us were ever guilty of the fame Wickedness with these CoFinthians; which I believe no Man ever was, or would be fuffered to ap proach the Lord's Table after fuch a disorderly Manner, as they did, if Men were fo lewd and prophane.

how to obtain fo great a Bleffing, thefe following Inftruetions will help and affift us.

Repentance. Firft, We are directed to repent us truly of all our former Sins. This is that Preparation which Chrift himself requires of us, Mat. iii. 2, 3 A Duty, you know, which our finful Lives make always neceffary for our Confideration, if ever we expect eternal Happiness hereafter, Luke xiii. 2, 3. But more especially the Dignity of this Sacrament requires, that it fhould be enquired into with more than ordinary Care and Circumfpection; because without fincere Repentance, we cannot expect any Benefit or Advantage from the Death and Paffion of Chrift, which in this Sacrament we commemorate, and have the Merits of it conveyed to us by this facred Memorial. Suppofing then that this is fufficient to convince you of the Neceffity and Importance of this Duty, that upon it depends our Welcome or Rejection, to or from this Heavenly Feaft unto which you are called: I proceed now, in the fecond Place, to inform you, That if your Repentance or Return to God, be real and fincere, it will produce these following good Effects in you.

The Nature of a true Repintante.

First, A Senfe, a Sorrow, and Confeffion of all bur former Sins. Secondly, A fedfaft Purpofe or Refolution to lead a new Life. These are the genuine Fruits of a true Repentance, and must always accompany our Return to God, if we hope to have it effectual to our Salvation. And,

*

First, We must labour to gain a Senfe or Sight of all our former Sins and Wickednefs. This will readily prefent itfelf to us by comparing our Lives and Actions by the Rule or Standard of God's Word, which we must The Ten Com- make the Measure of our Examination +. St mandments. Paul fhews us, Rom. iii. 20. That by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin; and our own Experience will convince

See An Explication of the Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, by John Rawlet, B. D. the Author of the Chriftian Menitor + See The Daily Self-Examinant: or, An Earneft Perfuafiue to the Dat of Daily Self-Examination, &c. By Dr. Warren.

vince us, that there is no Way more likely to discover our In quities, and to humble ourselves for them, than a serious Application of God's Word to our crooked Paths and this Duty of Self-Examination is never more properly applied to, than when we intend to receive the Holy Communion: For unless we fee the Number, and apprehend the Heinousness of our Offences, and fear the Vengeance due unto us for them, we are altogether unfit for the Commemoration of his Death, who died for our Sins, and rofe again for our Fuftification. It is the Senfe and Sight of Sin, that muft fhew us the Need and Neceffity of a glorious Redeemer, and what Obligations we are under to blefs and praise God for our Salvation by his Son JESUS CHRIST. Of fuch great Ufe and Advantage is this Duty of SelfExamination at all Times, that Pythagoras, in thofe Golden Verles which go under his Name, particularly recommends the fame to his Scholars. Every Night before they flept, he enjoins them to examine themselves, what Good they had done, and wherein they had tranfgreffed. Run over thefe Things (faid he) and if you have done Evil, be troubled; if Good, rejoice. This Courfe, if daily followed, as is fuggefted by Hierocles, his excellent Commentator, perfects the Divine Image in those that use it. Plutarch, Epictetus, Seneca, and the Em. peror Marcus Antoninus, agree in recommending the fame Practice by their own Examples; but especially Holy David, I thought on my Ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies, Plal. cxix. 59. And this Method, no doubt, is an admirable Means to approve us in Virtue, and the moft effectual Way to keep our Confciences awake, and to make us stand in awe of ourselves, and afraid to fin, when we know before-hand that we must give so severe an Account to ourselves of every Action. And when we are employing our Minds in this Duty of Self-Examination, before the Communion, or at any other Time, we must discharge it as impartially as is poffible for us, judging as feverely of our own Actions, as we would do of our greateft and worst Enemy; or otherwife we shall but flatter and deceive ourselves in a Matter of the greatest Weight and

Importance, viz. of knowing the State and Condition of our own Sculs: But if our Enquiries are just and true, we fhall then plainly discover wherein, and how often we have gone aftray and done amifs. We fhall, by the faithful Difcharge of this Duty, bring to Light all our ungodly, unjust,and uncharitable Allions; all our vain and filthy Speeches; all cur wanton, proud, and covetous Thoughts. Such a strict and impartial Examination will difcover to us that accurfed Thing Sin, Deut. vii. 26. which has defiled our Nature, made God our Enemy, and will exclude us the Kingdom of Heaven, if not repented of, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. But by fuch a fevere Scrutiny as this, we fhall foon perceive the Number of our Tranfgreffions, what vile Wretches and grievous Offenders we are, how often we have broken our moft ferious Vows and Refolutions, especially after the receiving the Holy Sacrament, and in Times of Sickness and Distress: Such a Sight, and fuch a Profpect of Mifery as this, should excite in us a hearty Trouble and Sorrow for Sin; especially if we caft an Eye upon the final Iffue and Confequences of it, with respect to the World to come. Upon the Ungodly (faith Holy David) God will rain Snares, Fire and Brimstone, Storm and Tempeft; this shall be their Portion to drink, Pfal. xi. 6. Great Plagues remain for the Ungodly, Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguish, upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil, Rom. ii. 8, 9. The Wicked fhall be turned into Hell, and all the People that forget God. Thefe, and many other fuch like Texts of Scripture, may give us fome Idea or Notion of the deplorable Condition of the Wicked in a future State, and of God's Hatred against Sin. And is not this then, without multiplying Arguments, fufficient to affect us with great Grief and Sorrow, when we confider that fo long as we live in a vicious Courfe, fo long are we expofed to all thofe Plagues and Torments which God hath in Store for wicked Men, and will most certainly be their Lot and Portion, if not prevented by a timely Repentance? The fecond Part of a true Repentance is Contrition, or a forrowful Bewailing of our own Sinfulnefs, in Thought, Word, and Deed. When we call to mind the Sins and Follies of our past Lives, and the Dan

Contrition.

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