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I. THE Neceffity of preparing ourselves SERM. for the Receiving of the Sacrament of VIII. the Lord's-Supper.

II. THE Way how we must prepare our-
felves, it is by examining ourfelves.
III. I SHALL fhew after what Manner,
or wherein we ought to examine our-
felves.

IV. I SHALL lay down fome Rules,
whereby we may discover whether we
have examined ourfelves as we ought
to do, and whether we are duly qua-
lified and prepared for the Receiving of
this Sacrament.

I. Or the Neceffity of preparing ourfelves for the Receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper.

THERE is no Perfon, who will but confider with himself the Nature and Importance of this Duty, but must needs judge fome Preparation abfolutely neceffary, before we prefume to partake of this Table of the Lord. It is ufual to deck and adorn ourselves, before we go to the Table of one who is of higher Rank than ourselves; and fhall we rudely approach this Table of the Lord, without any Preparation at all? There is fome Preparation neceffary, even before the

Per.

SERM. Performance of the other Duties of ReliVIII. gion, and we are commanded to keep our

48.

Feet when we enter into the House of God; and shall we not bring holy and devout Affections along with us, when we perform fo folemn and venerable a Duty, as Receiving the Sacrament is? The Heathens themselves were fo fenfible of the abfolute

Neceffity of preparing themselves for the Worship of their Gods, that, before the Celebration of their fuperftitious Rites, they used to cry out, Procul este prophani, Let all wicked and unprepared Perfons be gone: And, under the Law, a strict Preparation was required before the Paffover; no uncircumcifed Perfon was to eat the Exod. xii. Pafchal Lamb, nor any who were circumcifed, unless they had spent fome Time in preparing themselves for it; in which -xii. 3, it appears, that the Pafchal Lamb was to be taken on the tenth Day, and not to be killed till the fourteenth, the Days between being fet a-part to prepare themfelves for it. None were to approach God, who had any ceremonial Uncleannefs on them, nor were the meaneft Utenfils to be made Use of in God's Worship, unless anointed with the holy Oil. And under the Gofpel, when our Saviour Christ instituted this bleffed Sacrament, he first arose from

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Joh. xiii.

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Table, and took the Bason and the Towel, SERM. and washed his Difciples Feet, intimating VIII. to us, that those, who come to this Sacrament, must bring along with them pure and holy Affections; the Affections serving for the fame Ufes to the Soul, as the Feet do to the Body; for, as the Body is carried and borne up by the Feet, fo the Soul is moved by the Affections, which are the Source and Fountain, from whence all our Words and Actions do proceed; and, therefore, our Saviour tells St. Peter, who defired to have his whole Body washed, that he, who had his Feet washed, Ver. 1o. was clean every whit.

IN the first Ages of Chriftianity, the Prieft, before the Communion, used to cry aloud, Sancta Sanctis, Holy Things belong only to those who are holy; and both under the Old and New Teftament we find, that dreadful Judgments were inflicted on those, who profaned these facred Rites. When the great King of Babylon polluted the fanctified Veffels of the Sanctuary, even whilft he was carousing in the Bowls of the Temple, a Hand from Heaven wrote his Doom upon the Wall before him, the Terror thereof loofed his Joints, and made his Knees fmite Dan. v. one against another; and, the very fame 6, 30.

SERM. Night, he loft both his Life and Kingdom. VIII. How dreadful was that Judgment, when upwards of fixty thousand Souls were

xiii. 10.

ftruck dead, for Looking irreverently into 1 Sam. vi. the Ark? We find that Uzza loft his Life, 1 Chron. only for Touching it with profane Hands, though he did it with a good Intention of faving the Ark from falling. In the first Ages of Chriftianity, it was ufual, that thofe Perfons, who received the Sacrament unworthily, were punished with Sickness and Diseases; and even at this Inftant, when the Apostle wrote this Epiftle to the Corinthians, they were vifited with fome uncommon Difeafe, for this very Reafon, because they had profaned Ver. 30. the Holy Sacrament; for this Caufe, i. e. because they received this Sacrament profanely and unworthily, many are weak and fickly amongst you, and many fleep, i. e. are dead. And let us not imagine that we shall efcape unpunished, if we rafhly and unadvisedly partake of this Holy Ordinance, and approach the Table of the Lord, whilft by a wilful Continuance in Sin, and indulging ourfelves in our licentious Courses, we partake alfo of the Table of the Devil: For God's Juftice, though it has leaden Feet, yet it has iron Hands; and though, in thefe latter Days, it is flow

paced,

paced, yet it will overtake the Sinner at SERM. the Long-run, either in this World or the VIII.

next.

BUT, if these Things are fo, many, I fear, will be apt to say, if it is so dangerous a Thing to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, without due Preparation, then it is better not to receive it at all, or to defer the Receiving of it till fome more convenient Opportunity, when they shall have more Time and Leisure to prepare themselves for it.

BUT, in Answer to this Objection, let me defire these Perfons to confider,

I. THAT it is in every one's Power fufficiently to fit and qualify himself for this holy Ordinance, who doth but fincerely and heartily endeavour it.

2. THAT this Excufe may be made to ferve for the Neglect of all the other Duties of Religion.

3. THAT, by forbearing to partake of this Sacrament, Men deprive themselves of many valuable Benefits which they might receive.'

4. THAT thofe Perfons, who neglect this Ordinance, are guilty of a very heinous Sin.

Firft, THAT it is in every Man's Power fufficiently to fit and qualify himVOL. II.

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