ration, the Apoftle tells us, 1 Cor. 11. 27. Whosoever shall Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup of the Lord Unworthily, fhall 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 himSelf, not difcerning the Lord's Body. In which two Verfes, the Apoftle 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 Indif cretion 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 Chrift is tendered by the Elements. And fo, Secondly, the Unworthy and Irreverent Communicant Sinneth directly, and im mediately against the Body of his Saviour;

De iis erat Sermo, qui domi 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

he becomes Guilty of his Body and Blood,
thewing by his Actions, that he hath a
very low and mean regard, of that moft
Precious and Salutary Offering upon the
Crofs. Now according to this twofold
Sin, the Unworthy Receiver hath a two-
fold Punishment. 1. First, he Eateth and
Drinketh his own Damnation, faith St. Paul.
As the Devout and Sincere-hearted Com-
municant Receives the Pledges of a Glo-
rious Immortality, by Receiving the out-
ward Symbols; fo doth he that intrudes
rudely, take that which is the occafion of
his Everlasting Ruine, without true Re-
pentance. The Devil enters in with the
Morfel, as he did into Judas, not to be
caft out, but by Prayer and Fafting, and
a ftrong Repentance. For as the Bodily
Prefence of Chrift in the Flefb, was an
occafion of Condemnation to those who
Received him not then by Faith; fodoth
his Myftical and Spiritual Prefence here,
accidentally turn to the Prejudice of fuch as
Receive him not 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,
fait St. Paul, many are weak and fickly a-
mong you, and many fleep. Whence come
many lingring Difeafes,
Deaths Why, it is very

many fudden probable, that

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 those Souls that should eat Leavened Bread at the Paff over; fo 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 Qua lified for it, as they ought to have been. I fhall fay no more upon this Theme, fup. pofing that what hath been delivered now, is fufficient to Convince Men of the Ner ceffity 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 Cases Men need a Bridle, rather than a Spur; but in this Cafe, a Spur feems to be more ne ceffary than a Bridle; because fuch is the fhameful neglect of this Ordinance, which many are Guilty of, that we fhould rather ufe Protrepticks, to provoke Men unto their Duty, than Threats and Mena ces to deter them from Receiving. How ever, that they may not make more hafte than good speed, it behoved me to few, what Cautions they are to take along

with them, left they take a step towards their Perdition. Keep thy foot when thou goeft to the House of God; and be more ready to hear, than to give the Sacrifice of Fools, as the Royal Preacher faid, Ecclef. 4. 1.

I.

Thus having made it appear, that we are ftrictly bound to Communicate, and to Prepare our felves rightly and duely in order to a Profitable Communion (which was the first thing I was to difcourse of upon this point)I fhall now go on according to this plain Method, and Treat in the next place of the Nature and Quality of this Preparation, and fhew you wherein that doth confift.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Nature of Preparation, in general, and in particular.

HIS is a Matter of great weight and Confideration; though a very flight account is made of it by thofe, whofe great care and folicitude seems to be, to whifper their Crimes to the Ear of a Confeffor, and to undergo or Promife fome trifling Pennance; and if after these little Practices, they have the Abfolution of a Priest (who yet perhaps, is equally involved in the Communion of Guilt with his Penitents) they think themselves fufficiently purged from the Confcience of Sin, and to be perfectly Innocent. And this naturally followeth from the Principles of thofe Doctors, who Teach, that Confeffion and Penance, are the necessary Preparatives before the Sacrament; without making any the leaft mention of a Lively Faith in Chrift. And although they speak of the Neceffity of Contrition (or Attrition at least) yet by those words, they understand no more, but a little

i.

grief