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hold off and forbear, because God can pardon them without thefe Means; or Because fuch great things are fpoken of Faith and Repentance; they must not let go Certainties, and truft to Poffibilities; nor flight any Ordinance, as if it were unneceffary, upon a Prefumption that God's Mercy and Power is All-fufficient. 'No, they must fhew their Obedience; and have recourse to those Means which God hath Appointed: And this is one, and a principal one; viz. the Receiving of this Bleffed Sacrament.

CHAP.

С НА Р. II.

Several Excufes Confidered.

WHA

HAT hath been thus delivered, will I hope prevail with those, who will be Wife for themselves ; who study to be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverfe Generation.

BUT it is a moft difficult Matter to Perfwade, especially to Actions that are of a Divine and Spiritual Nature. Though Interest be commonly the most powerful Rhetorick in the World, and Mens greatest Interest is concern'd in this Cafe, yet because they do not difcern with their Eyes, either the Advantages that are Received by a Worthy Ufe, or the Loffes that are fuftain'd by an unworthy Contempt of this Ordinance; fuch is the Folly and Stupidity of many People, that any pretence almost ferveth as an Excuse and Plea (fufficient, as they think) to keep them from the Lord's Table. That Great Person, Luke 14. that made a coftly Supper, and Invited many Guests, received very rude Returns; when they prefently pretended,

one,

25

one, that he had bought a Farm; another, that he went to make Tryal of his Oxen; a third, that he had Married a Wife, and therefore could not by any means come. 'Tis called a Parable, but if you apply it to the Cafe in hand, it is a plain History of the Improvidence and Unthankfulness of thofe, who refuse to come to the Lord's Supper, and would fain come off handfomely, if they could, with feveral Excufes, that fomething or other doth still hinder them from clofing with the Invitation. Therefore my next Business must be to thew, how incompetent and trifling Mens Excuses are; and I muft do this the rather, because the shameful neglect which fome are Guilty of, is very Mischievous and Scandalous to others; fo that they both Judge themselves Unworthy of Eternal Life, and (as much as in them lyeth) by their bad Example, do help to draw many more into the fame Condemnation; and further the hurt of divers precious Souls, for whom the Saviour of the whole World was content and defirous to Dye.

IN the Prosecution of this Matter, there are feveral forts of People, I am to speak to. 1. Such as Indulge themselves in a courfe of Life, that is unbecoming and inconfiftent with Chriftianity; and therefore are very backward and unwilling to

come

come to the Holy Communion. 2. Such as live Honestly and Fairly before Men, but yet are fuch Drudges to the World, and fo intent upon making Provifion for their Families, that their whole time is laid out upon Secular Affairs, and they have none left them (as they fay) for the business of Preparation; and therefore pretend, they have no Leifure to come. 3. Such as are willing (and perhaps defi rous) to Communicate, and confefs they have time enough to fit themselves by Prayer, Fafting, and Repentance, but yet what out of a Senfe of their manifold Failings, and what out of an apprehenfion of the greatness of the Myftery, and what out of a mistrust of themselves for the future, conceive themselves to be Unworthy and Unfit, and therefore are affraid

to come.

I. NOW, as for thofe in the first place, who make no Confcience of their ways, but live without having a due regard to the Laws of Religion, I muft premife, that though it be a wonder, that any who have Learned Chrift (who have heard of his Sufferings, of, his Laws, and of his Threats) thould prefume in spight of all to live after this rate, yet it is no wonder that they who do live fo,.fhould be backward and unwilling to Receive this Sacra

ment.

ment. It would be very dangerous for them indeed to receive it, because S. Paul hath declared, that he who eateth and drinketh Unworthily, eateth and drinketh Judgment to himself; and fuch Men as I now speak of, are no more Worthy to eat and drink at the Lord's Table; than Swine are fit to live of the Altar. To fuch, the Holy Sacrament is a dreadful thing indeed, as long as they continue in an Evil Course: They do in a manner drink down Death with the Wine, and swallow the Bread and the Devil together. Therefore as long as they are in Love with Sin, and Obey it in the Lufts thereof, and yield their Members as Inftruments of Unrighteousness, they must by all means forbear coming to this Ordinance.

BUT then they must observe, that this forbearing or refraining upon the confideration of an Evil Confcience, will be in no wife excufable in the Great and Terrible day of God; and if any Man be so Vain and Foolish as to think fo, I would offer thefe following things to his moft serious Confideration. I. That by parity of Reason, he may neglect every other Divine Ordinance, as well as this; for there is none, but what will rife up in Judgment against him, unless he Repent, and An

fwer

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