God, and communion with him," which are the dainties here fet before you, coft Jefus Chrift no less than his life to purchase them for you. And, do you think this glorious King can take it well at your hands, if you make light of this rare and coftly feaft, and flight all the preparation he hath made for you? Can you ever expe& to enjoy communion with him in heaven, if you flight the offer of communion with him upon earth? Nay, you provoke him to cut you off eternally from his prefence: For, as of old, the Lord threatened cutting off to the foul of him that neglected to keep the paffover, becaufe he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed feafon, Num. ix. 13. fo he threatens the fame to thofe who fhould flight the gofpel-feafts typified thereby, Zech. xiv. 16. 17. 18. Luke xiv. 24. We fee how his wrath was kindled against thofe that neglected to come to the marriage of the king's fon, and how severely he punished them for it, Matt. xxii. 5. 7. "They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise." But, when the king heard thereof he was wroth, and "he fent forth armies and deftroyed thefe murderers, and burnt up their city.” He reckons your eating not, no less fin than eating irreverently; for, as by this you are guilty of profaning the Lord's body, fo by the other you are guilty of defpifing it, and preferring your lufts before him, which is a crime as heinous.

Objections Answered.

HERE it may be proper to anfwer fome objections which are made against partaking of the Lord's fupper; whether by the prophane, flothful, or fcrupulous.

Object. I. Some profane perfons think meanly of this ordinance, and hence they neglect it, What needs fo much noife (think they) about this matter? It is but eating a little bread, and drinking a small portion of wine; what efficacy can there be in that action?

Anf. This ordinance is of divine authority, and not appointed by men like ourfelves. It hath the ftamp of

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our Lord's inftitution, which fhould make it to be highly valued by all Chriftians: For, as he hath wifely in ftituted it for moft important end- and ufes, fo he will certainly make it effectual unto thefe ends. A little parchment, with ink and wax upon it, is in itself a small thing; yet, being of legal authority and inflitution among men, it ferveth to convey a right and title to a great inheritance, and so it becometh highly valuable. The brazen ferpent, that was lift upon a pole for healing the Ifraelites, was mean to the outward view; but, being of God's appointment, it was effectual for healing, and therefore none would defpife it. So the elements in this facrament, however common or mean in them felves, yet. being of God's appointment, and confecrated for facred ufes, they are powerful and efficacious to the believing receiver, for the great ends of their institution.

Object. II. We may remember Chrift in the word; and what need is there for doing it in the facrament ?

Anf. 1ft, It is abominable prefumption to think ourfelves wifer than Jefus Chrift, who is the Wisdom of the Father. Hath he thought this ordinance needful; and, will any man judge it needlefs?

2dly, The word only prefents Chrift unto the ear, but the i.ord's fupper fets forth a crucified Chrift unto the eye.

3dly, There is more than a fimple remembering of Chrift required in the Lord's fupper; there is also a renewing of baptifmal engagements, and a ratifying our covenant with God. And befides, our Lord hath referved fome special bleffings and communications to this ordinance, which are nowife to be undervalued or flighted.

Object. III. It is hard to be at fo much pains, and to employ fo much time in meditation, examination, prayer, &c. as is requifite to prepare for communicating

Anf. 1ft, There are many who do not grudge to be at much pains and travel, and frequently to hazard their lives, both by fea and land, for a little temporal gain; and, will you grudge fome pains to prepare for this or

dinance,

dinance, which feals a right to the unfearchable riches of Chrift, and by means whereof you might, thro' the divine bleffing, be enabled to fubdue your fins, reform your lives, grow in grace, and be made ready for death and judgment? Is not this fpiritual gain better than the gain of a whole world?

2dly, Are there not many who throw away their hours in needlefs pleasures and paftimes? And, with what face can fuch pretend they have not time to examine themselves, and prepare for this bleffed ordinance? What are thefe tranfient pleafures of time you are fo fond of, to the comfortable views of an interest in Christ, and of living with him throughout eternity, which may got at his table?

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3dly, Will you be at no pains to pleafe that King and Sovereign, to whom you have fworn allegiance, or to obey the command and dying charge of your great Mafter and Saviour? That vile impoftor, Mahomet, forbade his difciples to drink wine; and this command hath been religiously obferved among them: And, fhall our renowned Saviour, who is Lord of angels, and fon of the most high God, injoin us the use of the wine in the facrament; and, will any of his difciples adventure to difobey him? "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the ftreets of Afkelon." Let not this be told among Turks, Jews, Infidels, Atheists, and the rest of the adverfaries of the Chriftian religion, left they fhould infult and triumph.

4thly, Our Lord Jefus had a thousand more difficulties and difcouragements in the work of our redemption, and yet he did not fhrink back, as you do from communicating. He never objected, "The fea is deep, I cannot wade it; the cross is heavy, I cannot bear it; the cup is bitter, I cannot drink it; the wrath is terrible, I cannot endure it." He did not plead, tho' he had caufe," The work is hard, it will coft me dear; and I fhall meet with an unthankful world, that will flight my love, refuse my offers, and defpife my institutions." No; he overlooked all that, and went cheerfully thro' his fufferings: "With defire have I defired (faith he) to eat this paffover, the cup that the Father hath given me, fhall I not drink it?" When the Father called

him

him to drink the very dregs of the cup of trembling for you, he readily anfwered, "Lo, I come, I delight to do thy will." But when he calls you to take the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord; what grudging, and backdrawing is there with you! Had Christ fo great defire after the bitter cup of God's wrath on your account; and have you no defire after the cup of bleffing in the facrament? Did he go fo cheerfully to die for you; and, are you unwilling to go and feast with him? Be aftonifhed, O heavens, at this ingratitude!

How wretched and perverse a creature is man! Still he would be flying in the face of God's authority: For, when God faid to him, " Eat not of this forbidden fruit," then he will needs eat, tho' it ruin him. But when God faith, "Eat of this bread;" he is backward' to do it, tho' it be for his eternal welfare. O how long doth a patient and merciful God bear with us!

Object. IV. I am fo ftated with my worldly bufinefs, that I cannot get time to prepare myfelf in fecret, and give fuch attendance in public as is needful, and fo I

cannot come.

Anf. ft, Doth not your bufinefs afford you time to eat, drink and fleep, and converse with unprofitable company; and, can you find no time to converse with God in his ordinances, or to prepare for meeting and dwelling with God throughout eternity?

2dly, Can you have any greater, any better bufinefs in the world, than to remember the love of a dying Saviour to put your fouls in order to meet with him at his table, and there to feal a covenant with him, and receive pledges from him of his pardoning and redeeming love? Is there any bufinefs upon earth fo preferable to this?

3dly, When fickness and death come, you must find time to attend them whether you will or not; all your business must of neceffity give place to them. And, muft you find time to be fick and die, how foon the fummons cometh; and will you not find time in your health to prepare for ficknefs and death before they come? Now, if you would take time duly to prepare Lord's fupper, you should not be found unprepared for death; for the fame preparation is needful for both

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Object.

Object. V. But, fay fome, we are not fit for the Lord's table, (and perhaps it is very true :) Why? We have but loofe lives and converfations; there is fome bad company we cannot be free of, fome fins we cannot get left; and fo we cannot come to the Lord's table.

Anf. if God will furely iook upon it as no other than a mocking of him, to fay, you are not dreffed for this feaft, when indeed you never went about to make yourfelves ready. Nay, he will look upon it as the most heinous wickedness, for you to go on wilfully in your fins and wicked courfes, and then to make your fins an excufe for the neglect of thofe duties he commands you.

have no

2dly, If you fay, you are not fit for the Lord's fupper here; you must confefs you are lefs fit for the marriagefupper of the Lamb above. And, how can you live one day contendediy in that condition you dare not venture to die in; or, if you die in it, you must be eternally excluded from heaven? Confider then, O profane finner, although you may now fit Chrift's charming call to come to his table and remember him, you cannot fit his alarming call to come to his tribunal to answer before him. And, how can you think to look upon that face with comfort at that day, which now you pleasure to behold in the fymbols of bread and wine? 3dly, Let me ask thee, Ó profane man, do you intend to repent and leave your fins; or do you not? If you do not intend it, then it is in vain to treat with you, feeing you wilfully make choice of everlafting burnings But there are few fo gracelefs and wicked, but will fay they have intentions to do it. Well, if your intentions be hearty and fincere, furely you will put them fpeedily in execution: And, if you do this, your objection evanisheth; your bad life can no longer hinder you from this ordinance, feeing all penitent reforming finners are welcome to Chrift, and to his table alfo, whatever their former lives have been.

Object. VI. But (faith one) I am not in charity with my neighbours; I am at variance with fuch a person that hath injured me; and fo I cannot come to the Lord's table.

Anf