any man (fays Mofes) Deut. xii. 15. fhall eat unleavened-bread in that time, that Soul fhall be cut off from Ifrael: But more exprefly, Numb. ix. 3. He that is clean, and is not on journey, and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the fame Soul fhall be cut off from his People. Whatever the meaning of that Excifion be which God here threatned that People with; whether it be, that such a one should have no part in the World to come, as fome interpret it; or, that God would cut him off by an untimely temporal death, as others: Or laftly, which was esteemed by them no small Curse, that he should die childness, and have his name put out in Ifrael. This is certain that the Denunciation is very fevere; and, if the Remark of a very learned* Rabbin be true, almost particular to the thing in hand; there being but two of all the Affirmative Precepts to which God made this Denunciation, viz. to him that neglected the first Sacrament, of Circumcifion; and this fecond, of the Passover.

vid. Fag. in Exod. xii. 15.

*Aben-Ezra.

But perhaps it will here be faid, That this Commination was to thofe that were clean, and near at hand, and yet neglected this Holy Inftitution: And therefore ought not to be applied to them, with reference to the Blessed Sacrament which we are speaking of, who would gladly receive it, and have a very honourable remembrance in their hearts of the Death of Chrift; but alass! either they are not clean, or are in a journey; either they are not prepared, or have not the leisure to come to this Table.

'Tis true indeed, God did here reftrain the Judgment I have mention'd, to fuch as were clean, and at or near to Jerufalem; but the reft were

not

not therefore by any means excufed, and permitted to neglect the partaking of it. They had time given them till the next Month, to cleanse themfelves, and to come up to Jerusalem; and if they neglected in the fecond Month to keep the Feast, after having omitted it in the first, there was then no farther Provision for them, but they fell under the Curse of those who neglected altogether to eat of it.

And this therefore may ferve for a ufeful Admonition, as well as full Anfwer to the Excufes of thofe, who are ftill pretending they are not worthy to come to this Sacrament, or elfe have not time and leifure to prepare themfelves for it. If indeed this fhould chance by any accident to hinder them at this time, or on this occafion, from receiving of it; they ought not therefore to difquiet themselves, but to believe, that in fuch a case our Saviour Christ will make the fame allowance for this Feaft, that God did for that other; and permit them yet another Month to remove the Obstacle, and prepare themselves to come to his Table. But if inftead of doing this, they shall still go on to infift upon thefe vain Pretences, and live fo as not to be worthy to receive the Holy Sacrament, and continue to live fo ftill, without taking any care to put themselves into a better ftate; this will prove an aggravation of their Sin, not a Leffening of it; and their neglect will be but the more inexcufable, for being grounded on a reafon fo contrary not only to the defign of this Holy Sacrament, but of the whole Christian Religion. But,

Sixthly,

Sixthly, And to clofe all: The Command of our Saviour in these words we have been fo long confidering, will not only oblige us in the general, fometimes to remember his Death, by receiving this Holy Sacrament, but frequently and oftentimes fo to do.

I have before obferved, that the word which we here render Remembrance, does not imply a bare Memorial, but a renew'd Commemoration; to teach us, that we are often to refresh the Memory of Chrift's Death in our Minds by this Sacred Solemnity, and to repeat again and again theRemembrance of it. And though it be pretty hard to fay, how often a Man ought to receive the Sacrament; yet 'tis plain, he is not fo zealous a Christian as he should be, that very feldom or never does it.

We know that in the first Ages of Christianity, when Devotion was quick and vigorous, and Men had the most fenfible impreffions upon their minds of the love of our Saviour, in giving himself to die for us, that then they receiv'd it ordinarily every day: Infomuch that fome of thofe Fathers who then lived, have interpreted this Euchariftical Bread, to be that daily Bread which our Lord has taught us to pray for. Afterwards, as Mens Zeal cool'd fo did their frequent Communica ting decay in proportion with it. At first it fell in fome Churches to four, in others to three times in the Week; and in a little while it came to be the diftinctive Devotion of the Lord's days: And at laft, the necessary, leaft proportion established was, the three great Feasts of the Year, in which our Church ftill obliges all her Members to partake of it.

But

But as he who is in a pure and holy ftate, can never receive it too often; fo certainly it is a thing than which none would more advance our Piety, to labour as frequently as we can, to fit our felves for it. And fince it has pleafed God, to revive fomething of the Primitive Zeal among us as to this particular, in bringing our Solemn Communions to a monthly courfe, befides other extraordinary occafions of it; I do not fee what better Exhortation I can leave with you as to this Matter, than feriously to advise, and earnestly - befeech every one of you, to examine and prepare your felves, than at leaft, to joyn with your Brethren in thefe Holy returns; and not deprive your Souls of the Benefits which are thus graciously offered to you in this great and moft ufeful Remem brance.

、

This will indeed both beft answer the defign of our Bleffed Lord in the Text, and be the best Application, I could even wish you would make of my Difcourfe upon it. But then I must obferve, that I fpeak now by way of Exhortation, not as neceffarily requiring this in Obedience to the Command before us, but as the improvement I defire, if it were poffible, you might all make of thofe Opportunities God is pleafed here to reach out to you in order to this End; and which I do not see how any good Chriftian can with a good Confcience fo frequently neglect.

In the mean time, this is the fumm of all; He that defpifes this Institution, does not only fhew a light esteem of the Death of Christ, and do violence to the Command of his Saviour; but does moreover deprive his Soul of the most excellent affiftance God has given us in this World, in order

tq

to our Salvation in the next: Whereas he who comes frequently, and with that due Preparation he ought to it, will not only put himself out of all danger from the Precept before us, but will in a - little while fecure himself of fuch a measure of the Grace and Favour of his Redeemer, whofe Memory he here honours, as fhall carry him through all the Temptations, the Sorrows, the Afflictions of this Life, to an Eternal Enjoyment of Glory, Honour, and Immortality in the next:

And to which God of his infinite Mercy vouchsafe to bring us all, for the fame his Son Jefus Chrift's fake, our Lord, Amen.

The End of the Eleventh Sermon.

SER