cious Suit many times cuts deeper wounds than a private ftroak, when 'tis commenced upon premeditation, and carried on with implacability, and is at laft armed with the Sword of publick Juftice.

NOW by these Four Rules a Man may examine his Condition, and make a right judgment of his Charity; as every one ought to do, before he comes to the Holy Communion. If he feeks for Reparation by fair means, and after a Friendly and Christian manner; if it be not any inward rancour or hatred that moves him to it, but only the nature of the injury; if it be of fuch importance as that it makes Redress neceffary either for himself, or for his Relatives, who have a dependance upon him, and fome fhare with him in all his Civil Rights; if he be not his own avenger, but commits his Caufe into the hands of those who judge for the Lord; and if in his whole Behaviour he manageth himself with Chriftian fimplicity and candour of mind, and with an heart defirous of perfect Reconciliation and Peace. I do not see what just reason such a Man hath to forbear the use of the Holy Sacrament. The Injurer indeed is bound to make Reparation, and by all poffible means to Sollicite his Friendship,

N 3.

and

and to beg his Forgiveness; but the injured Party hath done all that either a Good or a Prudent Person can be fuppo fed able to do in fuch Circumftances. But if Malice, or Spight, or Inhumanity, a Quarrelfom Mind, a vexatious Spirit, an Oppreffive or Revengeful Humour be at the bottom of all this, or in any part of it, I have no more to fay, but that fuch a one must bewail his great wickedness, and Repent of it, and implore the forgiveness of God and Man for it, and endeavour to new-mould and rectifie his Uncharitable and Unchriftian Temper, before he prefume to go to the Lord's Table; the Bleffed Sacrament being too Holy a Thing, to be put into the mouth of a Tyger, or a Wolf. And fo much fhall fuffice to be spoken upon this Subject.

CHAP.

CHAP. X.

Of our Behaviour at the time of Receiving.

H

AVING thus Largely Difcourfed upon the point of Preparation, because it is of fuch vaft Concernment in order to our acceptance with God, I proceed now to what is yet behind. For hitherto I have brought you but as it were to the Porch of the Temple, and must lead you next to the very Altar of God; and confequently muft fhew, first what you are to do there, and then how you are to behave your felves after your departure thence.

I. FIRST then we are to Confider, that we are going upon no lefs a bufinefs than to offer up our Whole Man, not our Souls only (though that be the chief Oblation) but our very Bodies alfo, a Living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reafonable Service, as St. Paul speaks,

Rom. 12. I.

་

2. THAT we may not prefent the Sacrifice of Fools, nor turn our Offerings into an Abomination; "tis neceflary for us

to entertain very serious and awful thoughts of God's Omnifcience, that we are in his prefence, and under his eye, that he observes our whole deportment, that he fearcheth our Hearts and Reins, and understandeth our Thoughts afar off. Accordingly we must prefent our felves before him, not as a thing of course, or only to comply with a Cuftom, but as in the fight of God, with reverent apprehenfions of his Divine and Infinite Majefty, with all Lowlinefs and Humility of Mind, with Souls bowing and caft down to the duft, under the fense of our own unworthiness, with Confciences void of all Offence, with Spirits enflamed with the Love of God and Man, and with that true fincerity and fimplicity which is the infeparable Ornament of every honeft heart, and which in the fight of God is of great price.

3. THE happy hour being now come, that we are to be entertained at God's Table, and muft take the Seals of his Covenant into our Mouths, we should remember the promises we made to God in private, we should repeat our Vows and Refolutions, and put our Souls upon fresh exercises of Faith and Holiness.

SEEING Holinefs ever becometh the

House

Houfe of God, and especially when we Celebrate this Holy Myftery, we are to void and empty our Minds, as much as 'tis poffible, ofevery thing that is earthly or unclean; to lift up our hearts, and fix them upon things above; to employ our thoughts only upon that Divine Service we are now concern'd in; to be full of Heavenly Contemplations, and fo to warm our affections by them, that with Angels, or Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven we may most devoutly Praife and Magnifie the Name of him, whom thofe Bleffed Spirits above continually worship, and reft not day and Night, faying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord T God Almighty, which was, and is, and is

to come.

BE fure to act your Repentance over again, because this is the thing which through the blood of Chrift doth fanctifie the unclean, and render us capable of the Benefits of the Sacrament. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth, and all the finful deeds of the Body, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleannefs, Inordinate Affection, Evil Concupifcence, Covetoufness (which is Idolatry) Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies, Envyings,

Murthers,