whether the things laid to their Charge were not Evil, for all this was plain and open, and manifeft already, and needed Cenfure rather than Examination. But when he Commanded them to Examine, his purpofe was, that they fhould Reform themfelves, and for the future take care, not to, meddle with that Sacred Mystery, till upon fearching of their Hearts, they could approve themselves to God and the Church, and to their own Confciences, and thould find them'elves fit to be Communicants. Examination here, is as much as Approba tion; and in this Senfe, we find the word used as well in Prophane as in Sacred Writers. The Men of Sparta were wont to be Tryed, whether they had well ob ferved the Laws of Lycurgus; and fuch of them as were found to have done fo, were •called Sompo eles, approved Perfons, Men that were fit and well Qualified to be Citizens. And according to this Sense we are to understand that of St. Paul, 1 Tim.3. 10, where speaking of fuch as were to be chofen Deacons, he faid, dominasio Dwouv, let them be first approved of; let them be Efteemed as Men that are fit for that Function; avéyxanto orles, perfons that are blameless in every refpect. And fpeaking of himself being appointed to be an Apostle, he useth the fame Expreffion, I Theff.

Tbelf. 2. 4. Some dua ra vào rỡ s we were Approved of by God, and thought Meet to be entrusted with the Gospel. And many more places there are in the New Teftament, where the word fignifies, not only Examination, but Approbation,or Liking; and queftionless this chiefly is the meaning of St. Paul in this place; Let a Man Examine himself; that is, let every Man fee that he be fit to be a Receiver, that he be rightly qualified and difpofed, that he be fuch as the Conditions and Laws of the Gospel require him to be His Confcience must not Condemn him for any known Sin Unrepented of: He must have this Testimony within himself, that his Heart is fincere: He must be an Holy Perfon that makes ufe of this Mystery; one that hath led an Holy Life, or at leaft, that hath now Holy Purposes and Vows, that he will Redeem the time for the future, and yield up the Members of his Body, and the Faculties of his Soul, as Inftruments of Righteoufnefs and Holiness. He that hath not. any Comfortable Confidence, that he is thus Religiously and Honeftly disposed, ought not to Communicate of these Mysteries.

3. FOR in the Third place, to fhew you yet further the Neceffity of due PreparaE 4

ration,

ration, the Apoftle tells us, 1 Cor. 11. 27. Whosoever shall Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup of the Lord Unworthily, Shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. And again, v. 29. He that Eateth and Drinketh Unworthily, Eateth and Drinketh Damnation (or Judgment) to himJelf, not difcerning the Lord's Body. In which two Verses, the Apostle fets down the Sin and the Punishment of those, who go to the Lord's Table, as the Corinthians did, with Factious, Irreverent, and Unprepared Hearts. Their Sin is twofold. 1. First, they difcern not the Lord's Body; meaning, that they make no difference between this Supper, and an ordinary Meal; they take the Body of the Lord with the fame IndifCretion and Negligence, wherewith they take Unhallowed and Common Food, not confidering the greatnefs of the things that are Exhibited, nor the Amplitude of the Gift that is here given to every well Prepared Soul. For no less than the Spiritual Body of Christ is tendered by the Elements. And fo, Secondly, the Unworthy and Irreverent Communicant Sinneth directly, and immediately against the Body of his Saviour;

De iis erat Sermo, qui doni. ni corpus veluti quemlibet alium cibum indifcrete, negligenterque fumebant. Auguft. Tract. 62. in Joan. Sic & Hieron. in Loc. & Author Librorum de Cardinal. oper. Cypriano afcript. & S. Chryf.

in 1 Cor. 11. 29.

he becomes Guilty of his Body and Blood, thewing by his Actions, that he hath a very low and mean regard, of that most Precious and Salutary Offering upon the Crofs. Now according to this twofold Sin, the Unworthy Receiver hath a twofold Punishment. 1. First, he Eateth and Drinketh his own Damnation, faith St. Paul. As the Devout and Sincere-hearted Communicant Receives the Pledges of a Glorious Immortality, by Receiving the outward Symbols; fo doth he that intrudes rudely, take that which is the occafion of his Everlasting Ruine, without true Repentance. The Devil enters in with the Morfel, as he did into Judas, not to be caft out, but by Prayer and Fafting, and a strong Repentance. For as the Bodily Prefence of Chrift in the Flesh, was an occafion of Condemnation to those who Received him not then by Faith; fodoth his Mystical and Spiritual Prefence here, accidentally turn to the Prejudice of such as Receive him pot now in a due manner. Nay, 2dly, fuch Bold and Prefumptuous Perfons, do draw a Curfe down upon their Heads even in this World. For this Cause, faith St. Paul, many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep. many lingring Difeafes, Deaths? Why, it is very

Whence come many fudden probable, that

many

over;

many of them are owing to the Irreve rent use of this Bleffed Sacrament. Certain it is, that as God threatned under the Law, Exod. 12. 15. to cut off thofe Souls that should eat Leavened Bread at the Passfo in the Primitive times of Chriftianity, many were remarkably vifited. with Plagues, and fundry kinds of Death. (and fome People were poffeft with the Devil too) by Reason that they came not to this Mystery, well Prepared and Qualified for it, as they ought to have been. I fhall fay no more upon this Theme,' suppofing that what hath been delivered now, is fufficient to Convince Men of the Neceffity of due Preparation: And I had fcarcely faid fo much, but that it is a thing which lyeth before us in our way, and I could not leap over it with an Honest Conscience. In many other Cafes Men need a Bridle, rather than a Spur; but in this Cafe, a Spur feems to be more neceffary than a Bridle; because such is the fhameful neglect of this Ordinance, which many are Guilty of, that we fhould rather use Protrepticks, to provoke Men unto their Duty, than Threats and Menaces to deter them from Receiving. However, that they may not make more hafte than good fpeed, it behoved me to fhew, what Cautions they are to take along