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weakneffes, and fupply the needs, and feel the good and pleasures of each other, as they do their own. All this good will, and brotherly kindness, peace and forgiveness to wards all perfons, we profefs in eating together at this feaft; and therefore it is moft unwor→ thy dealing if we want them, and are even then acted by hatred, envy, and malicious thoughts, which are most opposite and contrary to them.

And these are the things, which must render our eating and drinking, as it is in confirmation of a league of love and friendfhip with all our brethren, worthy of that fignification. We muft lay afide all envy and malicious thoughts, and come to it in forgiveness of all those who have offended us, and in charity to all our neighbours, and to all mankind.

AND thus we fee, wherein the worthinefs of eating and drinking in this holy feaft doth confist, and what tempers and difpofitions in us, are worthy of all those ends which are fignified and defigned by it. We must eat and drink in remembrance of Christ's dying for us, with an humble sense of our own unworthiness, and an utter ab

horrence

horrence of all our fins, which were the causes of all his fufferings; and with an intire refignation of our felves, both fouls and bodies, to his use, to be employed as his own purchase in what he pleases, as his death was a facrifice for our fins, wherewith he bought and redeemed us. We must eat and drink in confirmation of the new covenant of pardon and reconciliation, upon our repentance and reformation, profeffing our consent to the terms thereof, and our refolution to ftand by it, in all fincerity and faithfulness; coming to it with that true repentance of all our fins, and with those obedient hearts, which we profefs; and with a full purpose of making all that good afterwards which we promised in the fame.-And lastly, We must eat and drink in confirmation of a league of love and friendship with all our brethren, laying afide all envy and malice towards them, and making reftitution where we have wronged them, and forgiving them heartily where we have any grudge against them, and fo being in perfect peace and charity with all men.

And this will make us worthy communicants at this feaft, and welcome to God at all other times.

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SERMON

X.

Deportment at and after receiving the facrament.

[From KETTLEWELL on the Sacrament.]

I COR. X. 31.

Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

THE

HE holy facrament is a rite of the greatest honour and endearment, that ever God vouchsafed to men; and the most fublime and blissful inftance of our communion with him. For therein he calls us to his own table, not to attend as fervants, but to feaft with him as his friends: And that, not for his own good, but intirely for our benefit; forafmuch as thereby he conveys to us grace and pardon and reconciliation, and all other benefits of our redemption. And being thus fit to excite in us the highest devotion, and to enrich us with the greatest fulness of grace and blef

fing, one would expect it should be had in reverence, and most thankfully received by every christian.

And that we may do fo at this time, I shall lay down in this prefent difcourse some few things which may affift us in a right discharge of this duty.

When we come to the holy facrament, to commemorate the death of our bleffed Lord and Saviour, whose body there is represented as broken, and his moft precious blood as fhed, upon our account; we ought to fhew forth an affectionate and hearty thankfulness for fo invaluable a kindness,-an univerfal peace and charity to all mankind;—an intire refignation of our felves to his use and fervice, and true repentance of all our fins, fully purpofing to amend them thence-forward; all which we should excite in our own fouls by due confiderations.

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More particularly; In the

ift Place, when we come to the holy facrament, we ought to fhew forth an affectionate and hearty thankfulness, for fo invaluable a kindnefs. And what foul can be flow to pay this, who confiders how infinitely M 2

our

our bleffed Lord hath deferved of us? For he hath procured for us the most precious and glorious things, which heaven it felf could furnish, namely, that all our fins fhould be freely pardoned, and that the Holy Ghost, that immenfe, eternal, and all-fufficient fpirit, fhould come in at all times to our help, and that we fhould be in no less quality than that of the fons of God, and heirs of a kingdom, who are affured of eternal joys and glories in another world.

And ought not gifts fo vaft, and fo exceeding excellent, to be most affectionately acknowledged? He hath purchased all these to bestow upon us, at the dearest rate; not only taking the most unwearied pains, but alfo paying the highest price, and laying down his own moft precious blood for the purchase.

And muft not fuch aftonishing kindness, which was affrighted by no hazards, nor stopped at any difficulties, nor declined any fufferings, not the fuffering of death it self, for our fakes,-be always held in a most thankful remembrance?

And in all this, he had no ends of his own to ferve of us, but was led on purely by the pleasure

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