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pofitive Command about this matter, till his Last Supper, and juft before the time, of his Departure; to fhew unto us (as St. Auftin hath fomewhere noted) that the Obfervation of this Solemnity, ought to be had in very Venerable and Lafting Efteem. Because nothing is more Natural to Men, than to remember and value the Injunctions of a Dying Friend, whose Laft Commands are apt to leave a deep impreffion upon our Minds, and a continual warmth upon our Affections. Therefore, though our Bleffed Saviour, intended all along to Institute this Ordinance, yet he was pleased to post-pone the Inftitution of it, and to referve it until his Death, to put his Church in mind of the vast Importance of this Myftery, that fhe might fet and Devote her felf to the Religious Obfervation of That, which she had Received at the Hands of her Dying Lord, as the laft Request and Pledge of his fincerest Love. To which we may add in the 4th place, That this Mystery beareth an immediate and near Relation to Chrift himfelf, because it is the great and standing Memorial of his Philanthropy. This Character he himself hath fet upon it, that it is the Annunciation of the most Marvellous Love that he could fhew unto the World; This do in remembrance of me. Lord!

Lord! were there not a thousand other Arguments of his Love to us, from his Nativity to his Crofs? What were Į his Sermons, Miracles, Sufferings, but fo many Declarations and Monuments of his Goodness, to perpetuate the Memory thereof to all Ages? And yet, we see, he appointed this Ordinance, to be in remembrance of him Chiefly and Principally.. Here we do moft Solemnly Commemorate the Incomparable Greatness of his Love; we do Publickly own and Declare it; we Proclaim and Publish it before. God and Man. So that now by all this put together, the Neceffity of Receiving this Sacrament doth plainly appear. For to deny this Neceffity, is no other than tacitely to deny, that we are to obferve Chrift's Laws; to refufe Obedience, is in effect to deny him to be our Lord; it is to caft off our Livery, and to renounce our Profeffion; to defpife this Memorial of his Philanthropy, is to render our felves the most Infenfate and Unthankful Wretches, that are as willing to have the Memory of his Love Dye, as the Jews were to have Him Expire upon the Crofs.

I am fure, in the Primitive and Pureft times of Christianity, Men accounted it a great Act of Religion, and a main Expreffion of their Affections to the Holy

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Jefus,to Celebrate this Mystery very often; nay, they looked upon this Solemnity, as a neceffary part of their conftant Worfhip; without which, the reft of their Services were imperfect and lame. Religion began to be Decrepit and Cold, when the Custom of Receiving a few times in the year, stole into the Church of Christ. For: not only in the Apostles time, but for a long time after, Chriftians were wont to Addrefs themfelves to the Lord's Table, every Lord's day, as evidently appears out of Justin Martyr, St. Cyprian, Jerome, Austin, and fome more of the Ancients; nay, in the Synod at Antioch, it was Decreed; That all fuch, as at any time met together in the House of God to hear the Scriptures, fhould be Excommunicated if they Stayed not to Receive the Holy Communion. Devotion, which now is, as it were, vanish'd into Smoak, in thofe times fhined in a mighty Flame; The Hearts of Men were on fire, and their Zeal was Active and Sprightly in this particular, because they reckoned it a neceffary piece of Religion. I confefs, the Practice of the Church, is not that which maketh a thing Neceffary: Yet 'tis a fair and strong Argument of its Neceffity, as being a good Comment upon our Lord's Command. The continued Practice of the Church

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from the Apostles downward, doth fhew, that the Wisest and most Learned among them, did look upon themselves greatly obliged by the Law of Chrift, to a fre quent Participation of this Mystery: Becaufe he faid, Do this, as oft as ye, drink it, in remembrance of me, they concluded themselves bound to do it often; and left they should not do it often enough, they did it daily.

BUT I will not urge the Neceffity of a daily Communion: Yet this we must affirm indefinitely, and in general, thạt 'tis neceflary to Communicate often; so that if nothing be wanting, but a willing and ready Mind, to omit it, is a Sin, a Violation of Chrift's Law: And if we think the Primitive Christians did it too often, they are infinitely more to be followed yet, than many now a-days, who either do it not at all, or at most but once or twice a year; and even then it may be queftioned, whether it be not fomething else befides the Love of Chrift, that doth conftrain them.

2.THUS much may fuffice to be spoken of that Neceffity, which is grounded upon our Lord's Command. But befides this, we are to confider, that the neglect of this Sacrament is Evil, not in it felf only, but in respect of a very Evil Cause, whence

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this fhameful Neglect cometh; for that cannot well be fuppofed to be any other, than fome lurking Sin and Wickedness in Mens Hearts, which makes this Sacrament fo formidable in their Eyes. Since at this Ordinance, God offereth to Men all the. Mercies of the Gofpel, and nothing can hinder the conveyance, but an Impenitent and Wicked Heart on the Recipient's part: Hardly would any Man refufe fo great Salvation, did not his Confcience tell him, that by Reason of his Love of Sin, he may take Poyfon into his Mouth, instead of the Bread of Life. It must needs be, that the great Contempt of this Sacrament is caused, mostly by fome root of Bitterness that is in Men's Breafts, which renders the 1 Cup of Bleffing very unfavoury and loathsome unto them. The World generally is

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Evil, and many Love to be fo, and for that Reason they dare not come to the Lord's | Table. How elfe comes it to pass, that they croud many times into the Church in Throngs and Multitudes to Prayer, and especially with itching Ears after a Sermon; when yet we fee a very flender appearance (especially in fome places) at the Sacrament? Certainly we must conclude (or miftruft at least) that People are Confcious to themfelves, of many Vices which they are fond of, and willingly al

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