neceffary or advisable it may be to others,

yet it is not fo to them, who have so just an hindrance to excufe or difcourage them from being present at it.

The most usual, and moft general hindrance of all others, and which keeps back very many from the bleffed facrament, who otherwise are defirous enough to partake in the fame, is, their thinking themselves unworthy of it, and unfit to receive it; and the great danger of receiving it unworthily; inafmuch as the apostle fays, they eat and drink damnation to themselves.

Now to filence this plea, and to fatisfy the minds of those who make it, so as that there may be no more caufe for it, I fhall obferve these things following:

FIRST of all; They fhew great partiality in this plea; because they are not so scrupulous about neglecting the communion, as about the unworthy receiving of it, though there be the fame cause to scruple both. They fhew all their nicenefs about doing what God bids them, but none about letting it alone. They are afraid of offending, in coming to the holy facrament; but have no fear of

giving offence in ftaying away from it: as if God had forbid them only to receive unworthily, but had no where forbid them to absent themselves, and not receive at all.

But this is a very wrong judgment; for almighty God doth as strictly injoin a worthy, as he forbids an unworthy communicating. He hath given us his command for it, and that too, with such notes and circumstances, as fhew that he lays a particular weight up→ on it, and highly expecteth to be obeyed therein. So that if we would not bring guilt upon our felves by finning against him, we must make confcience of not coming to the facrament, as well as of irreverent treating and profanation of it when we come.

This then is very partial and unfair dealing; to be fcrupulous only about the manner of performing this duty; but to have no fcruple at all about the omiffion of it; as if, when God commands us to do a thing, not to do it at all, were not as much a fault as to do it wrong; and it were not equally tranfgreffed, when we neglect, as when we profane it. And if all thofe, who are full of fear about unworthy receiving, would be but as fearful of finful abstaining;

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abstaining; this equal fear on both fides would make them diligent in feeking fatiffaction, and in carrying on the work of preparation; fo that they might neither offend by coming, nor by staying away, but worthily approach to the Lord's table, and be heartily welcome to it when they do.

SECONDLY; I obferve this further: Every penitent, who is refolved to leave his fins, and has begun the change, is really worthy; fo that the thoughts of unworthiness ought not to put him by it.

inan.

He is a true penitent, who confiders of all God's laws, and is refolved by God's grace to keep them; and of all his own fins, and is refolved by God's grace to leave them; and fo, changing his former evil course and practice, becomes a new And whofoever does this, he is a fit perfon, and worthy to come to the holy communion. For all the particulars of worthy receiving, are inftances of duty, and neceffary parts of a good life; fo that every man, who turns penitent, and becomes truly and acceptably good, will be indowed with all of them. Nay, if any man were to learn them, there would be no dif

ficulty

ficulty therein at all, if repentance would but go down with him: So that any perfon who fincerely repents, may do every thing else which God requires him to fhew forth in the facrament. The great things expected of us at this feast, are these; namely, that we give thanks for Chrift's death, and refign our felves up to his fervice, and repent of all our fins, and be in love and charity with all perfons, and have faith in

Chrift and his merits.

And all these are easy, and create no great difficulty to a penitent perfon. For is it not an easy thing for him to thank Chrift, who verily believes that he died for him? And cannot he readily resign himself up to his use, who has already given himself up to an holy life, which is all the use that he would make of him? And is not he in peace and charity with all men, who has repented of all his fins, and then furely of malice and unpeaceableness among them? And doth not he believe those things which our Saviour Chrift has declared to him; namely, that he died for us to purchafe terms of grace; and that now, for his fake, God will forgive us any fins, when we truly repent of them, and help us by his spirit to any graces, when

we carefully endeavour after them, and give us eternal life in heaven when we entirely obey him; but that otherwise than upon these terms, he will not give us any of them ;-which are thofe declarations that he makes to us in the holy scriptures, and wherein he expects to be trusted and believed by us :-Doth not every penitent man, I fay, believe all this, who is at the pains to live according to it; and repents, that he may be pardoned;. and endeavours, that he may be affifted; and obeys, that he may be graciously rewarded for it?

All this faith, which is required to the communion, is neceffary to repentance, and is fhewn therein; for we fhould not leave intemperance, fraud, malice, or any other fin that is ftrongly recommended to us, unless we believed God had forbid it, and would now for Chrift's fake freely forgive, and eternally reward those who repent of it. And all this thankfulness, and refignation, and peace, and charity towards all men, which are likewise required to the fame, are not only easy after it, but are parts of it. For if we are unthankful for Chrift's benefits, or unrefigned to his use, or out of charity