are at no pains to be what they would feem. Thefe are the mean and low ends they propofe to themselves, and they get them by that way. But the high and noble ends of the Chriftian communion with God, ftrength against corruption, &c. call for other fort of werk. 3. Men may get duties done, and their lufts kept too; they may go to a communion-table, and to the table of devils too: but to do duties in the right manner is inconfiftent with peace with our lufts, Pfal. lxvi. 18. If they would have a calm fea, Jonah muft be thrown overboard. Hence they take fo little pains in felf-examination before a communion. There are fome fecret lufts which the man has no will to disturb; therefore he will not light the candle and fearch, lest he fhould be obliged to caft out the old leaven. 4. Because men moftly have low and mean thoughts of God and his fervice, Mal. i. 6. 7. 8. It is not every one that knows the Lord. Many worship they know not what, and therefore they give him they care not what. If men had fuitable thoughts of that God whom they ferve, they would be careful how they ferve him, Pfal. lxxxix. 6. 7. Wherefore the apostle, to put men out of their floth, and engage them to the right performance of duties, tells what a one God is, Heb. xii. 28. 29. Let us have grace, whereby we may Serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a confuming fire. 5. Because men moitly are unacquainted with communion and fellowship with God to be had in duties; they know not the neceflity of it, nor the excellency of it. Hence they are not at pains about it. He that minds to entertain his prince, will be at pains to provide all things neceflary for that effect, while he is not fo taken up who is expecting no gucfts." Use of lamentation. O how fad is it that there are fo many who content themfelves with the bare work of communicating, neglecting the right manner! That there are many fuch, take thefe evidences. 1. Many approach very rafhly and inconfiderately to the Lord's table. It would make a tender heart to tremble how forward many are for going to the communion-table, though it be fenced by the fevere threatenings of God. They are like the horfe, Job xxxix. 22. 23. 24. who mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth be back from the fword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering Spear and the Jhield. He fwalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage neither believeth he that it is the found of the trumpet. And they are as the leviathan, by whom darts are accounted as fubble, and who laugheth at the fhaking · of a fpear, Job xli. 29. They fnatch up the holy things of God, and with polluted fingers do they handle them. How few are there that find any notable difficulty in their way to it? Truly it is lamentable to think of this rafhness. 2. The little pains that many are at beforehand to get their hearts prepared for this work. Any thing they do lies moft in hearing, in public; few wrestling. with God, that he would prepare them as a bride adorned for her husband. 3. The licentious lives of communicants. Many, when the work is over, turn juft back to their old ways, clearly difcovering that it has made no great impreffion on their hearts while they were at it. Many are a fhame to religion, harden the profane, and grieve the hearts of the godly, by their courfes. We may justly wonder that the Lord does not fometimes make a breach among us, and mingle our blood with our facrifices. Under the law the Lord made fome fad inftances of his anger; as in the cafe of Uzzah, 2 Sam. vi. 6. 7. of the men of Beththemesh, 1 Sam. vi. 19. and of Nadab and Aibhu, Lev. x. 1. 2. Is not the Lord as angry ftill with the abufe of gospel holy things? Yes, furely but now the difpenfation is more fpiritual, and the ftrokes of anger are more fpiritual alfo fuch as hardness of heart, and blindness of mind. Some fouls may get their death's wounds at the table, though their bodies come away whole and found. Ufe of exhortation. Be exhorted to get your hearts in a case for performing this duty after the right manner. It may be fome have communicated often, and never to this day communicated once right. Oftrive to begin now. The advantage of it is great. Ye may find that in a communion that ye never found yet, if ye be worthy partakers; if not, the hazard is great; which take in DocT. II. He that communicates unworthily, eats and drinks judgement to himfelf, while he eats the facramental bread and drinks the facramental wine. In difcourfing from this doctrine, I shall fhew, II. What judgements unworthy communicating expofes people to. III. Make application. I. I am to fhew what communicating unworthily is. A man communicates worthily, not when he merits the facrament, but when he is meet for it. So a man communicates unworthily when he is unmeet for this holy ordinance, when he wants a gofpel-fitnefs for it. To find out this then, we must inquire into the nature of this ordinance. Conlider then, First, The author of this ordinance. It is Chrift, 1 Cor. xi. 23. He appointed it. It belongs to him only to appoint the feveral parts of worship, who was faithful in his own houfe as a Son; and worship commanded by men is but vain worship. Now, if Christ be the author of this ordinance, then it is meet, 1. That we have an honourable refpect for it as a divine ordinance. 2. That we go about it out of a respect to the command of Chrift. 3. That we expect the blessfing and the advantage by it from him. 1. People communicate unworthily when they have not an honourable refpect for and a due reverence to this ordinance, when they partake of it, Mal. i. 6. 7. If it bear the stamp of divine authority, is it meet that perfons fhould defpife it, and not be touched with reverence of it? When the angel of the covenant appeared to Mofes in the bufh, he faid to him, Put off thy fhoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou ftandeft is holy ground, Exod. iii. 5. But behold in this facrament there are bread and wine of deeper fanctification than that holy ground, they being the fymbols of Chrift's body and blood. 2. When people do not go about it out of refpect to the command of Chrift; inay he not justly astonish fuch at his table with that queftion, If i be a master, where is my fear? Mal. i. 6. Is it meet that people fhould communicate out of cuftom, vain-glory, &c.? If the fense of his command do not bring thee there, thou canst not expect the fenfe of his love, but rather to feel the weight of his hand when there. As we muft believe the truth because God has faid it, otherwife our affent is not divine faith; fo we must do our duty because God has commanded it, otherwise our obedience is not acceptable to him. 3. When people look to any other quarter than to Chrift for the good of the facrament. Some look no further than the elements. This is to put them in Chrift's ftead: but be not deceived, bread and wine cannot nourish thy foul. Some are apt to look to minifters; and if fuch a one as they affect ferve the table they are at, they think they are fure of advantage. If they knew your hearts fo led afide, they would with a fad heart and angry countenance fay to you as Jacob did to Rachel, Am I in God's ftead? Gen. XXX. 2. The spouse went a little further than the watchmen before fhe found her beloved, Cant. iii. 4. Many fmart by this refpecting particular minifters, and overlooking the Mafter of this ordinance. Secondly, Confider the time of the inftitution; the fame night in which he was betrayed by Judas, when the hour and power of darkness was approaching. If fo, then it appears that this facrament was left us as a token by our dying friend. He was now to go out of the world to the Father; but before he goes, he will leave his people a feaft and token of love. Did he not know what was abiding him? Yes, verily he knew all. O then might not the profpect of the agony and bloody drops in the garden, the racking of his body, and the load of wrath under which his foul was to wrestle, have made him mind himself, and forget us? Nay in the night in which he was betrayed, he inftituted this facrament. Surely then it is moft fuitable, 1. That we prize it highly as the love-token of a dying friend. 2. That we be at pains to prepare to keep the tryft which he was fo concerned to fet. 3. That at fuch a time we avenge the treachery upon our lufts. So they partake unworthily, 1. Who partake of this ordinance without a due valuing of it as the love-token of a dying Lord. A token from a friend, though it be fmall in itfelf, yet ought to be prized; a token from a dying friend more; but a token from a friend dying for us moft of all; and he would be reckoned a monfter of men, that would not highly value it. Not to value this ordinance highly, and fo to defire it and delight in it, as many communicants do, who, if they could get their credit kept, could well live without it, and in their unconcernednefs of heart for it and about it, fay practically, The table of the Lord is contemptible, is to trample upon our dying Lord's love-token, and to fay in effect, He fhould have been otherwise taken up that night in which he was betrayed. 2. Thofe communicants who are not at pains to prepare to keep the tryst our Lord fet at that time. I may fay, he forgot to eat his own bread, that he might provide for us. He did not fo mind the cup of wrath which he was to get himfelf, as to forget the facramental cup for our comfort. When he was on |