our being, ás our sovereign, and our judge; our end and our happiness is then fixed; and we can have but one reasonable design, which is, that by endeavouring to please God we may gain his favour and protection in this world, and arrive at the blissful enjoyment of him in the other: in whose presence is fulness of joy; and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore. To him, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, dominion and power, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON XVIII.

A PERSUASIVE TO FREQUENT COMMUNION.

1 COR. xi. 26, 27, 28.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. My design is, from the consideration of the nature of this sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and of the perpetual use of it, to awaken men to a sense of the great obligation that lies upon them to the more frequent receiving of

it. And, in order to this, I shall take occasion briefly to treat of these four points:

I. Of the perpetuity of this institution; this the apostle signifies, when he says, that by eating this bread, and drinking this cup, we do show the Lord's death till he come.

II. Of the obligation that lies upon all Christians to the frequent observance of this institution; this is signified in that expression of the apostle, as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup.

III. I shall endeavour to satisfy the objections and scruples which have been raised in the minds of many devout and sincere Christians to the discouraging them from receiving this sacrament, at least so frequently as they ought.

IV. I shall show what preparation of ourselves is necessary in order to our worthy receiving this sacrament.

I. For the perpetuity of this institution, implied in these words: For as often as ye cat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come; or, show ye the Lord's death till he come. In the three verses immediately before, the apostle particularly declares the institution of this sacrament, with the manner and circumstances of it: For I have received of the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you; that the Lord Jesus, in the same night that he was betrayed took bread, and when he

had given thanks he brake it, and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood; this do in remembrance of me. So that the institution is in these words; this do in remembrance of me. By which our Lord commanded his disciples, after his death, to repeat these occasions of taking, breaking, and eating the bread, and drinking of the cup, by way of solemn commemoration of him. Now whether this was to be done by them once only, or oftener; and whether by the disciples only, during their lives, or by all Christians afterwards in all successive ages of the Church, is not so certain merely from these words, Do this in remembrance of me. But what the apostle adds, puts it out of all doubt, that the institution of this sacrament was intended, not only for the apostles, and for that age; but for all Christians, and for all ages of the Christian church; for as often as ye eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come: that is, till the time of his second coming, which will be at the end of the world. So that this sacrament was designed to be a standing commemoration of the passion and death of our Lord till he should come to judgment; and consequently the obligation that lies upon Christians to observe it is perpetual.

The consideration whereof should mightily

strengthen and encourage our hope in eternal life, so often as we partake of this sacrament; since our Lord hath left it as a memorial of himself till he come, to translate his church into Heaven, and as a sure pledge that he will come again at the end of the world, and invest us in that glory which he is now gone before to prepare for us.

The same consideration should likewise make us afraid to receive this sacrament unworthily, without due preparation for it, and without worthy effects of it upon our hearts and lives. For as he that partakes worthily of this sacrament, confirms his interest in the gospel so he that receives it unworthily; that is, without due reverence, and without fruits meet for it; nay, on the contrary, continues to live in sin whilst he commemorates the death of Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, this man aggravates and seals his own damnation, because he is guilty of the body and blood of Christ, not only by the contempt of it, but by renewing in some sort the cause of his sufferings, and as it were crucifying to himself afresh the Lord of life and glory, and putting him to an open shame. But this is by no means a sufficient reason to make men fly from the sacrament; though certainly one of the most powerful arguments in the world to make them forsake their sins.

II. To consider the obligation that lies upon

all Christians to the frequent observance of this institution.

1. We are obliged, in point of indispensable duty, and in obedience to a plain precept of our blessed Saviour, that great lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, as St. James calls him he hath bid us do this. Now, for a Christian to live in the open neglect of a plain law and institution of Christ, is utterly inconsistent. To such our Lord may say as he did to the Jews, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

2. We are likewise obliged frequently to receive the communion in point of interest. The benefits which we expect to be derived and assured to us by this sacrament are all the blessings of the new covenant; the forgiveness of our sins; the assistance of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to perform what is required on our part; the comforts of the same Spirit to encourage us in well doing, and to support us under sufferings; and the glorious reward of eternal life. So that in neglecting this sacrament we neglect our own interest; we deprive ourselves of one of the best means and advantages of confirming and conveying these blessings to us.

3. We are likewise particularly obliged in point of gratitude, to the careful observance of this institution. It was the particular charge given by our Lord, when he was going to lay