Smote thee? As I reach forth my bodily Hand to receive the Bread and the Wine, fo I reach forth the Spiritual Hand of my Faith to receive that Chrift whole Body was thus broken, and whose Blood was thus poured forth. Now to those only who thus by Faith receive Chrift Jefus, who thus eat his Flesh, and drink his Blood, this Sacrament doth seal and confirm, that they shall have Eternal Life by him, and shall be raised up at the Laft Day, to that Glory with which he is in*vested.

And now, my Brethren, I am fent to you by my Lord and Mafter Jefus Christ, who is both the Lord of the Feast, and the Feast it felf, to invite you to come, and to tell you that all Things are ready. Behold, he himself expects you; and after fuch Coft that he hath been at in furnishing a Table for you, when he hath provided his own Flesh for your Meat, and his own Blood for your Drink, after fo many kind and indearing Invitations that he hath made you, he cannot but take it as an high Contempt of his Love, and an Injury done to the Friendship be offers, if you should yet delay, or refuse his Entertainment. Yet, I fear, it will befal this, as it did the Wedding Supper, that too many will make light of it, and

either by flight Excufes, or downright Denials, leave this Table unfurnish'd of Guests, which is fo abundantly furnish'd with Provifion. Muft I be sent back with a Refusal? Or fhall I have that joyful Answer from you all, that you will come? I hope I fhall not return ashamed that you will not turn your Backs upon your Saviour, who hath given himself for you, and now offers himself unto you, and that you will not damp the Devotion of those who present themselves to this Holy Institution by the fad and difcouraging Confideration of the Paucity of their Number.

Suffer me a little to expoftulate with you; and I befeech of you only these Two Things:

The One is, to lay afide all Prejudice, and to confider Things nakedly and impartially; weighing them only according to the clear Evidence of Truth, and not by the deceitful Ballance either of preconceived Opinions, or former Practices.

The Other is, that in a Matter which you your felves must needs acknowledge to be doubtful and difputable, you would think it poffible you might be mistaken. Let not contrary Cuftoms, nor the deep Impreffions of any other Perfwafion, bribe

your

your Judgments to give Vote against the manifeft Dictates of Truth and Reason. For otherwise, if we come to the Disquifition of any Opinion with Prepoffeffion and a stiff Adherence to formerly received Principles; though the Proofs be clear; and the Arguments irrefragable, yet the Affections will blindly mutiny and murmur against the Convictions of Reason, and think that still there might be fomewhat more faid in their own Defence, though they know not what. Therefore, I beseech you, let not your Affections lead your Judgment, but your Judgment them. Take the Byafs out of your Minds. Confider Things indifferently, as if you had never heard of them before; and be altogether unconcerned which Side hath the Truth, but only concern'd to follow the Truth when it appears fo to you: This is but an equal Request, not only in this, but in all other Debates concerning the Truth of Doctrine. where the Mind is foreftalled with an overweaning Conceit, that the Notions we have already taken up are infallibly true and certain, and that whatsoever can be faid against them is but Sophiftry and Delufion; this will render us wholly incapable of being convinced of our Miftakes, and reduced from our Errors. Prejudice

For

Prejudice is the Jaundice of the Soul, and colours every Thing by its own Diftemper. Or as a Man that looks thro' a Painted Glass, fees every Object of the fame Colour that the Glass is; fo when our Understanding is once deeply tin&ured with former Notions, all that we look upon will receive a Colour from them; nor can we ever hope to fee Things as they are, until our Judgment be cleanfed from whatfoever our Affection to such a Way, or our Admiration of fuch Persons, or any other Perverter of Reason, have painted and died them with.

Well then, let me argue the Cafe with you, and I fhall do it plainly and freely, and I hope without any Bitterness, or giving Offence to any who will not be offended with Reason that contradicts them. May not most of the Scruples, that have hitherto kept you off from Communion with us in this Gofpel-Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, be reduced to these Four Heads?

1st. Some fcruple their own Fitness and Preparedness.

2dly. Others the Gesture of Kneeling in Receiving.

3dly. Others, our promifcuous Affemblies, and the Admiffion of thofe to the Sacra

Sacrament who are ignorant, or fcandalous, or both.

4thly. Others are afraid of giving Offence unto, or grieving their weak Brethren, who are not fatisfied in the Lawfulness of communicating with us upon the Accounts before-mentioned.

I think I have faithfully collected the Sum of all that any have to object, under these Four Heads. And if there be any Thing which is not reducible to one of thefe, I fhould gladly learn it, and endeavour to give full Satisfaction. Now whether any of these be such Excuses, as may fufficiently justify your rejecting the Invitation I have made you to this Gospel and Spiritual Feast, I shall leave to your own Confciences to judge, after we have particularly examined them.

Ift. To the First, who defireth to be held excused, not because he judgeth the Administration of the Sacrament in the Way wherein it is now difpens'd, unlawful, but only because he looks upon himself as unprepared, and therefore is afraid to come. I answer,

First, Haft thou not had Time and Opportunities enough to prepare thy self? How often haft thou been warned and admonifh'd to fit, and to put on thy Wedding