[*Note, This Word Damnation, does not fignify eternal Condemnation, but on the contrary fome temporal Puniflrment or Judgment, (as you have it in the Margin of your Bible) fuch as Sicknefs or Death, with which the City of Corinth was afflicted, for their great Abuse and Profanation of this folemn Inftitution; fo that the Sins here reproved, (namely, Gluttony, Drunkenness and Faction, ver. 18, 21, 22.) and the Damnation here threatned, hath no Relation to us, unless it could be proved, that any of us were ever guilty of the fame Wickedness with these Corinthians; which I believe no Man ever was, or would be fuffered to approach the Lord's Table after fuch a diforderly manner as they did, if Men were fo lewd and profane.]

But that our Preparation may be fo well per formed by us as to prevent the like Danger, let us, as the wife Man advifeth, Remember the End, and we fhall never do amifs, Eccl. vii. 16. First then, That we may come to this heavenly Feaft holy, and adorned with the WeddingGarment, Matt. xxii. 11. we must search our Hearts, and examine our Confciences, not only till we see our Sins, but until we hate them; and inftead of thofe filthy Rags of our Righteousness, we muft adorn our Minds with pure and pious Difpofitions; even that clean Linen, the Righteoufnefs of the Saints, Rev. xix. 8. With thefe Ornaments are holy Souls fitted for the Society of that celeftial Company, which are to be met with at this Solemnity. 2dly, Another End or Defign of this ftrict Preparation, is, That we may be accepted by God as worthy Communicants; that he who knoweth the Secrets of all our Hearts, neither is there any Creature

Creature that is not manifeft in his Sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do, Jer. xvii. 10. Heb. iv. 13. may approve of the Sincerity of our Repentance; and the King, who comes in to view the Guefts, Matt. xxii. 11. may (though ftrictly speaking we are not fo) count us worthy of his Favour and Countenance. And how to attain fo great a Blefiing, thefe following In1tructions will help and affift us.

First, We are directed to repent us truly of all our former Sins. This is that Pre

paration which Chrift himself re

Repentance.

But

quires of us, Matt. iii. 2, 3. A Duty, you know, which our finful Lives make always neceffary for our Confideration, if ever we expect eternal Happiness hereafter, Luke xiii. 3. more especially the Dignity of this Sacrament requires that it fhould be enquired into with more than ordinary Care and Circumfpection, becaufe without fincere Repentance, we cannot expect any Benefit or Advantage from the Death and Paffion of Chrift, which in this Sacrament we commemorate, and have the Merits of it conveyed to us by this facred Memorial. Suppofing then that this is fufficient to convince you of the Neceffity and Importance of this Duty, that upon it depends our Welcome to this heavenly Feaft unto which we are called; I proceed now in the Second Place to inform you, That if our Repentance or Return to God be real and fincere, it will produce thefe following good Effects in us.

A 4

First,

First,

The Nature of

true Repen

tance.

These

"A Senfe, a Sorrow and Confeffion "of all our former Sins. Secondly, "Aftedfaft Purpose or Refolution "to lead a new Life." are the genuine Fruits of a true Repentance, and muft always accompany our Return to God, if we hope to have it effectual to our Salvation. And,

The Ten Commandments.

FIRST, We muft labour to gain a Senfe or Sight of all our former Sins and Wickedness; this will readily prefent itself to us by compar ing our Lives and Actions by the Rule or Standard of God's Word, which we must make the Measure of our* Examination. St. Paul fhews us, Rom.' iii. 20. that by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin; and our own Experience will convince us, that there is no Way more likely to discover our Iniquities, and to humble ourselves for them, than a ferious Application of God's Word to our crooked Paths: And this Duty of Self Examination, is never more properly applied to, than when we intend to receive the Holy Communion; for unless we see the Num ber, and apprehend the Heinoufness of our Of fences, and fear the Vengeance due unto us for them, we are altogether unfit for the Commemoration of his Death, who died for our Sins,

* See The Daily Self-Examinant; or, An Earneft Per fuafive to the Duty of Daily Self-Examination, &c. R. Warren, D. Q.

By

and

and rofe again for our fuflification. It is the Senfe and Sight of Sin that must fhew us the: Need and Neceffity of a glorious Redeemer,, and what Obligations we are under to blefs and praise God for our Salvation by his Son JESUS. CHRIST. Of fuch great Ufe and Advantage is this Duty of Self-Examination, at all times,, that Pythagoras, in thofe Golden Verfes which go under his Name, particularly recommends. the fame to his Scholars. "Every Night be-"fore they flept, he enjoins them to examine "themselves what Good they had done, and "wherein they had tranfgreffed. Run over "thefe Things, faid he, and if you have done "any Evil, be troubled; if Good, rejoice." This Courfe, if daily followed, as is fuggefted by Hierocles, his excellent Commentator, per-fects the divine Image in thofe that ufe it.. Plutarch, Epictetus, Seneca, and the Emperor Marcus Antoninus, agree in recommending the.. fame Practice by their own Example, but efpecially holy David; I thought on my Ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies, Pfalm cxix... 59. And this Method, no doubt, is an admirable Means to improve us in Virtue, and › the most effectual Way to keep our Confciences » awake, and to make us ftand in Awe of ourfelves, and afraid to fin, when we know be-forehand that we must give fo fevere an Ac-count to ourselves of every Action. And when we are employing our Minds in this Duty of Self-Examination, before the Communion, or at any other Time, we must discharge it as impartially as is poffible for us, judging as feverely A-5

3

off

of our own Actions, as we would do of our greatest and worft Enemy; or otherwise we fhall but flatter and deceive ourselves in a Matter of the greatest Weight and Importance, namely, the knowing the State and Condition of our Souls: But if our Enquiries are just and true, we fhall then plainly difcover wherein, and how often we have gone aftray and done amifs. We fhall, by the faithful Difcharge of this Duty, bring to Light" all our ungodly,

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unjuft, and uncharitable Actions; all our "vain and filthy Speeches; all our wanton, proud and covetous Thoughts." Such a ftrict and impartial Examination will discover to us that accurfed Thing, Sin, Deut. vii. 26. which has defiled our Nature, made God our Enemy, and will exclude us the Kingdom of Heaven, if not repented of, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. But by fuch a fevere Scrutiny as this, we shall foon perceive the Number of our Tranfgreffions, what vile Wretches and grievous Offenders we are, how often we have broken our most ferious Vows and Refolutions, efpecially after the Receiving the holy Sacrament, and in Times of Sickness and Diftrefs: Such a Sight, and fuch a Profpect of Mifery as this, fhould excite in us a hearty Trouble and Sorrow for Sin; especially if we caft an Eye upon the final Iffue and ConLequences of it, with refpect to the World to come. Upon the Ungodly, fays holy David, God will rain Snares, Fire and Brimftone, Storm and Tempeft; this fhall be their Portion to drink, Pfalm xi. 7 Great Plagues remain for the Ungodly; Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and

2

Anguife,