Observations and Pious Reflections. desire or stand in need of. And, for your comfort, remember that if you are prepared, as you ought to be, for this Sacrament, you are prepared for death, and for a blessed eternity. Consider how many there are, who, to their sorrow, are deprived of this means of grace and salvation: and how many, through a most stupid ignorance and negligence, deprive themselves of it. And you cannot but give God thanks, both for the opportunities which He affords you, and for the graces He gives you, by your resolving to close with them. But still take care, that you go not with an evil conscience, as Judas did, with any bad design of malice in your heart; or while you live and resolve to die in any known sin unrepented of.—Or, Lastly, Without fully purposing, through the F grace of God, to lead a life becoming a Christian. Consider, therefore, the great hazard you run of going to the Sacrament, while you live in any known sin: you will provoke God to leave you to yourself, and to that evil spirit, who is continually seeking whom he may be permitted to devour. Do not despise so kind an offer as the minister of God now makes you, if you have any doubt upon your spirits, the advantage being greater than you can at present imagine. You will give him an opportunity of convincing you of sins, which, perhaps, you were not before aware of, and which may arise in judgment against you or clearing up some doubts, which might proceed from a disordered mind, or state of health, rather than from an evil conscience. vice, to the quieting of his conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness. ¶ Or, in case he shall see the people negligent to come to the holy Communion, instead of the former, he shall use this Exhortation. D EARLY beloved brethren, on I in tend, by God's grace, to celebrate the Lord's Supper: unto which, in God's behalf, I bid you all that are here present; and beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, that ye will not refuse to come thereto, being so lovingly called and bidden by God himself. Ye know how grievous and unkind a thing it is, when a man hath prepared a rich feast, decked his table with all kind of provision, so that there lacketh nothing but the guests to sit down ; and yet they who are called (without any cause) most unthankfully refuse to come. Which of you in such a case would not be moved? Who would not think a great injury and wrong done unto him? Wherefore, most dearly beloved in Christ, take ye good heed, lest ye, withdrawing yourselves from this holy Supper, provoke God's indignation against you. It is an easy matter for a man to say, I will not communicate, because I am otherwise hindered with worldly business. But such excuses are not so easily accepted and allowed before God. If any man say, I am a grievous sinner, and therefore am afraid to come: wherefore then do ye not re Observations and Pious Reflections. And do not entertain a into the motives and thought so injurious to the merciful promise of your Saviour to the pastors of His Church, or imagine, that the Absolution given by His Minister after he hath inquired 5 manner of your repentance, according to the rules of the Gospel,-do not imagine that this will be of no avail to the health of your soul, and to the comfort of your mind. Exhortation what they must expect from the despised offers of No minister of God | from this must say, that he cannot get such a convenient number as the Rubric requires to communicate with him as often as he himself is disposed, until he can truly say, that he has applied to his people more than once, in the words of this Exhortation following. And until he has begged of God to touch their hearts with a sense of their duty and danger as He promises, and will not fail to do, considering how very much depends upon so sacred and saving an ordinance. When the tender love of God will not prevail with Christians to consider their ways, they will learn mercy. Say, therefore, to yourself, Why am I so earnestly, so lovingly invited? Why is my Pastor, why is the Church, so much concerned for my going to the Lord's Supper?--Is it not because she knows that this is the most acceptable way of serving God, of securing His favour, and my own salvation? Is it not because they would have me look into the state of my soul, as I must do before I go to this Sacrament, that I may not live in the way to ruin, till I am surprised by 5 S. John xx. 23. pent and amend? When God calleth you, are ye not ashamed to say ye will not come? When ye should return to God, will ye excuse yourselves, and say ye are not ready? Consider earnestly with yourselves how little such feigned excuses will avail before God. They that refused the feast in the Gospel, because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of oxen, or because they were married, were not so excused, but counted unworthy of the heavenly feast. I, for my part, shall be ready; and, according to my Office, I bid you in the Name of God, I call you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you, as you love your own salvation, that ye will be partakers of this holy Communion. And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up His soul by death upon the Cross for your salvation; so it is your duty to receive the Communion in remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, as he himself hath commanded: which if ye shall neglect to do, consider with yourselves how great injury ye do unto God, and how sore punishment hangeth over your heads for the same; when ye wilfully abstain from the Lord's Table, and separate from your brethren, who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. These things if ye earnestly consider, ye will by God's grace return to a better mind: for the obtaining whereof we shall not cease to make our humble petitions unto Almighty God our heavenly Father. Observations and Pious Reflections. death, and utterly unprepared for the account I must give? Shall my Saviour's and His Minister's love and care be lost upon me? Is this the way to show my thankfulness for the mercies I hope for on account of His death? Is He the better for my services? Or do I not indeed serve myself most when I obey His commands, and accept of His invitation? They that be whole, indeed, need not a physician; but dare I say this is my case, when I so sensibly feel the corruption of my nature, and how much I stand in need of help? Must I be invited, entreated, compelled, to give | God thanks for the greatest blessing He ever bestowed on men? and to lay hold on the only means of making my peace with Him? Doth it repent me that I was dedicated to God in Baptism? How shall I tremble, if I should be required to renounce my Saviour, and all my hopes in His death. What can be more like it than frequently turning my back upon this Ordinance, when I am invited? How many tears did it cost St. Peter, for saying that he was not Christ's disciple? Will it be accounted a less crime in me to deny Him in deed, by refusing to join myself with His disciples? What if this should be the last opportunity that God will vouchsafe me? This having been the case of many before. Can I expect to be received, after so many wilful neglects, when I am compelled by death to flee to Jesus Christ for help and comfort, when I shall most stand in need of it? Let me consider what I am invited to; to thank my Saviour for my redemption: To engage Him to be my 1dvocate with |