down his life for us, do this in remembrance of me. The charge of a dying friend, unless it be very difficult and unreasonable, who does not religiously observe? But this is the charge of our best friend (nay, of the greatest friend and benefactor of all mankind) when he was preparing to yield himself up to the worst of temporal deaths, that he might deliver us from the bitter pains of eternal death. Had such a friend, and in such circumstances, bid us do some great thing, would we not have done it? How much more when he hath only said, do this in remembrance of me; when he hath only enjoined us, in a thankful commemoration of his sufferings for our sakes, to meet at his table, to remember what he hath done for us, and to resolve to grieve him no more? Can we, without the most horrid ingratitude, neglect this dying charge of our Sovereign, our Saviour! a command so reasonable, so easy, so full of blessings and benefits to the faithful observers of it!

What then should be the cause of all this backwardness which we see in men to so plain, so necessary, and so beneficial a duty? The truth is, men have been greatly discouraged from this sacrament by the unwary pressing and inculcating of two great truths; the danger of the unworthy receiving of this holy sacrament, and the necessity of a due preparation for it.

IH. I propose in the third particular, To 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. These objections are chiefly grounded upon what the apostle says in the 27th verse; Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And again, ver. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself. Upon the mistake and misapplication of these texts have been grounded two objections, which I shall endeavour with all the tenderness and clearness I can, to remove.

1. That the danger of unworthy receiving being so very great, it seems the safest way wholly to refrain from this sacrament, and not receive it at all. But this objection is evidently of no force, if there be (as most certainly there is) as great or greater danger in neglecting this duty and so, though the danger of unworthy receiving be avoided by not receiving, yet the danger of neglecting a plain institution of Christ is not thereby avoided. Surely of the two it is the greater disrespect wholly to neglect the sacrament than to partake of it without some due qualification. The greatest indisposition that can be for it, is one's being a

bad man; and he may be as bad, and is more likely to continue so, who wilfully neglects it, than he that comes to it with any degree of preparation, though much less than he ought: and surely it is very hard for men to come to so solemn an ordinance, without some kind of religious awe upon their spirits, and without some good thoughts and resolutions, at least for the present. If a man that lives in any known wickedness, before he receives the sacrament, sets himself seriously to be humbled for his sins, to repent of them, and to beg God's grace and assistance against them; and having received it, continues for some time in these good resolutions, though after a while he may possibly relapse into the same sins again; this is some kind of restraint to a wicked life; and even this righteousness, which is but as the morning cloud and the early dew, which so soon passeth away, is better than none.

Few can think of coming to the sacrament, but they will be excited to some good purposes; and though they be very much under the power of evil habits, if, with any competent degree of sincerity, they make use of this excellent means for mortifying their lusts, and for obtaining God's grace and assistance, it may please God to imprint such considerations upon their minds in receiving this holy sacrament, and preparing themselves for it, that they may at last become good men.

The sacrament always laid some kind of restraint upon the worst of men; and if it did not wholly reform them, it would at least have some good effect upon them for a time; if it did not make men good, yet it would make them resolve to be so, and leave some good impressions upon their minds.

It is true, indeed, the danger of unworthy receiving is great; but the proper inference and conclusion from hence is not, that men should be deterred from the sacrament, but that they should be affrighted from their sins, and from that wicked course of life which is an habitual indisposition and unworthiness. St. Paul, indeed, truly represents and very much aggravates the danger of unworthy receiving; yet deters not the Corinthians from this sacrament, because they had sometimes come to it without due reverence, but exhorts them to amend what had been amiss, and to come better prepared and disposed for the future. And therefore after that terrible declaration in the text, Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, he does not add, therefore let Christians take heed of coming to the sacrament; but, let them come prepared and with due reverence; not as to a common meal, but as to a solemn participation of the body and blood of Christ: Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

If the fear of performing so sacred an action in an undue manner, were a good reason to abstain from the sacrament, it would be best for a bad man to lay aside all religion; to give over the exercises of all the duties of piety, of prayer, of reading and hearing the word of God; because there is a proportionable danger in the unworthy and unprofitable use of any of these. The prayer of the wicked (that is, of one that resolves to continue so) is an abomination to the Lord. Our Saviour gives us the same caution concerning the hearing of the word of God; take heed how ye hear. And St. Paul tells us, that to those who are not reformed by the doctrine of the gospel, it is the savour of death; it is deadly to such persons.

But now will any man from hence argue, that it is best for a wicked man not to pray, nor to hear, or read the word of God, lest by so doing he should aggravate his condemnation? And yet there is as much reason from this consideration, to persuade men to give over praying and attending to God's word, as to lay aside the use of the sacrament. And it is as true that he who prays unworthily, and hears the word of God unworthily, or, without fruit and benefit, is guilty of a great contempt of God and of our blessed Saviour; and by his indevout prayers and unfruitful hearing of God's word, does further aggravate his own damnation: I say, this is as true,