for those who have grieved or injured thee; and by reconciling thy felf, and asking Pardon of thofe whom thou haft offended. And, if they ftill be fo perverfe, as not to be reconciled upon a due Submiffion; Yet confider, Their Obftinacy and Wickednefs ought to be no Qbftruction to the Performance of thy Duty. Thou haft done thy Part, and God will be fure to forgive, and accept thy Perfon, though Men do not.

1

What Benefit can a Man poffibly propofe to himself, from the putting off Examination and Repentance, and forbearing to come to the Holy Communion? Moft certainly, when one is diseased, the greatest Wifdom is to get well again as foon as poffibly he can: To expel the Malignity, and difcharge the Venom immediately. Thus will the Cure be eafier, more fpeedy, more fuccefsful. For every Delay adds to the Diftemper, and gathers fresh and more obftinate Matter. If If you omit the prefent Opportunity upon One Pretence, Another and more prevailing may interpofe, and deprive you of the next. And thus by degrees you will be wrought upon to excufe your felf again and again, and by longer Abftinence become lefs fit, as well as lefs willing, to return to your Duty. Whatever Burthen then you find upon your Mind, get quit of it betimes; do not indulge your Sloth and backwardnefs a Moment; for there can never come any good of prolonging your Cares and Troubles, and making the common Hindrances of Worldly Business, a Reafon for neglecting your great, your eternal Intereft. This is moft manifeft, and Experience will prove the Truth of it when it is too late; that, the longer you defer Communicating, the lefs you will find your felf difpofed to it; and a ftrange Carelefnefs and Difregard for holy Exercifes will infenfibly creep upon your Mind, and get a mighty Head. But, which is a moft lamentable thing to confider, many loofe

and

and diffolute, nay, many Thoughtlefs and lukewarm People, allow themfelves in this Indifference; and industriously feek Pretences to defer their Repentance and Approaches to the Lord's Table, meerly to avoid, as they think, the Neceffity of parting with their darling Lufts, and the keeping that ftrict Guard upon their Converfation, without which they must be lost to all Eternity.

How cold, alas! is thefe Mens Love for me? How feeble their Devotion, who, upon fuch frivolous Pretences, can difpenfe with this fo neceffary Duty, fo glorious Privilege, of Communicating at my Table? How happy, how eafy to himself, how acceptable, how dear to God, is that Man, whofe Conduct is fo ftrictly virtuous, whofe Confcience fo void of Stain and Reproach, that he could every Day moft chearfully, moft fafely, partake of this Heavenly Feaft, were the Opportunities of doing it equal to his Difpofition, and might his Zeal efcape the Cenfure of needlefs Oftentation? For a Man is not presently to be condemned, who does not feek, or embrace, every poffible Occafion of Communicating. There may be fome very allowable, and others even commendable, Reasons for abfenting. If out of deep Humility, and awful Reverence, or as a voluntary Punishment inflicted upon a Man's felf for fome grievous Relapfe, he impofe this Penance, or dread to come: The Refpect paid to the Ordinance, or the holy Indignation conceived against himself, may be better accepted, and more becoming, than Receiving in fuch Circumftances. But this muft not be fo far indulged, that long Difufe fhould produce Indifference and Difregard for the Sacrament. For, if once the Soul degenerate into Neglect and Spiritual Sloth, all poffible Endeavours muft be used to awaken it. Not doubting, but that God will be ever prefent with the Affiftances of his Grace, and fecond thy Care with Succefs, proportionable to

X 4

thy

Book IV. thy Vigour and Diligence, and the Sincerity of thy good Intentions.

But one thing must always be obferv'd, That when the Hindrances to Communicating are real, and important, and neceffary; not frivolous Excufes induftriously fought, or readily laid hold on, to cover Impiety and Negligence; the Perfon fo detained is prefent in Wish and Inclination, though not in actual Attendance. And then the Benefit of the Sacrament, and all the faving Effects of it, are as fully imparted to him, as his Appearance in the Congregation, and the Elements themselves could have enfured them. For 'tis a great Mistake to imagine, that good Men receive not the Advantages of Chrift's Body and Blood, except just then, when they receive the outward and vifible Signs of them. Every Day, every Hour furnishes Opportunities of Communicating Spiritually; and a Man thus compofed can never be furprized, never find any Difficulty to comply with any Occafion of doing it publickly. For an innocent Life, and a devout Mind, are a conftant Preparation. But, when thẹ ufual Seafons return, and efpecially the folemn Festivals, wherein the great and glorious Myfteries of the Christian Religion are commemorated; then fuch a one will think it his Duty to join with the publick Affemblies, in this fublimeft Inftance of Piety and Thankfgiving; he will approach with a Heart full of Affection and Reverence; and efteem this Homage due, not only to himself for the Comforts and Advantages he may expect from it, but more efpecially to Me, for the Honour and Tribute of Praife, by which my Name and Mercies ought to be thus magnified among Men. And this is a Fruit, which can only redound to me by open and vifible Acts of Worship. Whereas the Other of private Improvement and mystical Communion with Chrift, is attained in fecret, and conftantly follows upon every religious Meditation concerning

cerning my Incarnation, and Sufferings, or any other of the mysterious Works, by which the Redemption. of Mankind was compleated, and the pious Affections of Chriftians are cherished and inflamed.

They, who referve themfelves for the Feasts of the Church only, and take no Care to put their Souls in a due Pofture for Receiving, except only when fuch Solemnities call them to it, are feldom or never prepared as they ought to be. He is the fafe, the happy Man, who makes it his frequent Practice, and conftantly offers up himself a Sacrifice to his God. In the Act of Communicating keep Rule and Order, and let not thy Haste or Impatience, the length of thy private Devotions, or any other Singularity of thy own Fancy, give Disturbance to the common Ufages and Ceremonies of the Congregation, whereof thou art a Member. For take this along with thee, That, even in this Part of Worship, where Zeal and Devotion are most acceptable Ingredients, yet thefe very Qualifications, when indulged out of Seafon and Measure, lofe all their Value; and are not half fo pleafing in the Sight of God, as unaffected Modefty, and an humble decent Compliance with the establish'd Orders and Cuftoms of the Church, and the Convenience of others; who ought not to be difturbed, or incommoded, for the fantastical or peculiar Ways of any private Perfon whatsoever,

CHA P. XI.

The Benefit of Chrift's Body and Word.

Disciple.]

Sweeteft, deareft Jefus ! Who can exprefs the Charms, the 'Transports, of

that Soul, which feasts with thee at thy Table; That

Table,

Table, where no common Food is placed, but the Divine Entertainment of thy own Body and Blood? An Entertainment delicious, above all that Man can exprefs or imagine! What Satisfaction fhould we take to come into thy Tabernacle, and fall low on our Knees before thy Footstool, to open wide our Hearts for the Delights of thy Houfe, and, with Mary Magdalen, to wash thy holy Feet with Tears of Love? But where, alas! is this Devotion to be found? Where are thofe Eyes overflowing with pious Sorrow? Or, if that Sorrow be fwallow'd up in Joy, yet ought we not even thus to approach thee with dry Eyes; but Tears of Joy fhould trickle down apace, when we confider our mighty Privilege, and the Happiness of being admitted to thy bleffed Prefence, and made Partakers of the Blifs of Angels. For, as They really behold thy Face in Glory, fo am I fure to fee, and to receive thee, in the mystick Elements; tho' covered there under a different Form, and fhrouded in a Veil of Bread and Wine.

I adore thy Goodnefs, which thus condefcends to the Infirmities of Human Nature, and in much Compaffion is pleased, under these fenfible Representations, to hide that glorious Majefty, whose Native Luftre is too piercing bright, for Me, or any Created Being, to behold in its full Strength. But tho' my Eyes fee thee not as thou art; yet here, I know, I have thee most effectually: And do therefore moft humbly adore that Divinity on Earth, which Angels proftrate themselves before in Heaven. I do it through a Glafs, and I gaze

with the Eyes of Faith; They are permit1 Cor. xiii. ted to do it Face to Face, and to know even as they are known. And, tho' this Glafs be dark and dim, yet it is fuch as I ought to be content with, fince Mortality admits of nothing better; nor can I attain any higher Perfection, till the Day of Everlasting Life dawn, and the thick Shadows of Figures are fcat

tered