which, in Proportion to the new Crime added, is ever more and more fevere than the former.

It is true, this Sentence is not irrevocably fix'd; but God is ready to reverse it upon the fincere. Repentance of the Offender. However, it is most certain that fome Sinners are harder to be reclaim'd and wrefted out of the Devil's Power than others; and I fear unworthy Communicants are of this unhappy Number. They have abused God in his greatest Bleffings; and made void the best Remedies provided by him for their Cure; God's fanctifying Grace is withdrawn from them; their Enemy is doubly fortified against them; and the Blood of Chrift, the most fovereign Balm for a wounded Confcience, by their Abuse of it, lies heavy upon their Souls, and seems rather to cry for Vengeance, than plead for Mercy. All these Circumftances render the Cafe of an unworthy Communicant very deplorable, and look upon him with an ominous Afpect, as feeming to forbode, that tho' the Time of Forbearance allow'd him, be abfolutely improveable to the Salvation of his Soul, if he but takes the right Courfe; it will probably, only be abused by him to his greater Condemnation.

In effect, all this came to pafs in the Cafe of the unforunate Judas; who ought to be the Terorr, as he was the first Example,

ample, of an unworthy Communicant : For he had no fooner eaten the confecrated Morfel given him by Chrift, but the Devil enter'd into him, as St. John relates; and it is probable that in that very Inftant, the Devil confirm'd him in his wicked Design of betraying his Mafter: For, from that Inftant forwards, he was deliver'd up to a reprobate Sense; his Soul was wholly blinded with Avarice, which was his predominant Paffion; and his Heart was fo. harden'd, that neither the Remembrance of paft Favours, nor the Wonders he had been Eye-witness of, nor the touching Things our Saviour faid then to him, could work any Effect upon him; but hurried on by the evil Spirit that poffefs'd him, he went immediately forth to execute his wicked Defign; and every Step he made, after that, contributed to haften him towards the terrible Judgment that was waiting for him, and fell upon him the very Day after he had committed his Crime; when, as you all know, he fill'd up the Measure of his Sins by Self-Murder, and died in Defpair.

Here you fee the natural Effects of an unworthy Communion exactly represented in the Reprobation, Blindness, Obdurateness, and final Defpair of him, who gave the first Example of it: I fay, the natural Effects: For tho' God's infinite Mercy and

the

the Power of his Grace may, and does many times prevent them; yet the Nature of the Crime itfelf is fuch, as leads Men, by infenfible Degrees, to all the fatal Dif pofitions I have remark'd, which also naturally draw after them final Impenitence and Despair; especially if a Perfon be fo unhappy, as to be overtaken by his laft Sicknefs, whilft he is yet in the Practice of this Crime. For I cannot imagine any thing can be a heavier Load upon a Conscience in that Cafe, or a more dead Weight to fink him into Despair; than when he reflects, upon his Death-bed, that he is going to appear before the Tribunal of Jefus Chrift, whofe Blood he has fo often been guilty of; and that the only Thing he has now to depend upon, is the Grace of thofe very Sacraments he has till then abused. These Reflections, I fay, will, in the Cafe fuppofed, be a moft violent Temptation to Defpair; and the Devil, who now labours to lull Men's Confciences afleep, whilst they are in perfect Health, will not only be the first Suggester of defpairing Thoughts in their laft Sicknefs, but make it his Bufinefs to heighten them to the utmost of his Power.

However, if this should happen to be the Cafe of any Perfon, he is bound to bear up with all his Strength against any SuggestiTom. III.

M

ons

L

ons of that Nature; to regard them as the laft Efforts of the Devil's Malice against him; and raise in his Soul the greatest Horror and Deteftation of them: Because his Salvation depends then abfolutely, upon his refifting them with all his Force. But the fecureft Way is not to let Things go so far, but to prevent the Danger of fo violent a Temptation, by a fincere Repentance in Time of Health; and fince all Sinners have it in their Power to take this Courfe, it is undoubtedly the Intereft as well as Duty of every unfortunate Chriftian, who finds his Confcience charged with the Guilt of facrilegious Communions, not to let flip the Opportunity, which the Divine Bounty -now favours him with, of applying to his Soul the Remedies neceffary for his Cure : And therefore, the farther he has departed from God, the more Hafte he must make to return to him, with the fincere Repentance of a contrite and humbled Heart : And whereas his principal Guilt confists in having abufed his holy Sacraments, his principal Care must also be to repair those Abules, as far as in him lies: First, By making good the Defects of all former Confeffions; at leaft from that time forwards, in which he firft became guilty of that Sin: Secondly, by fubmitting to any Terms of Reconciliation, his Confeffor fhall propose

to him: And 3dly, by approaching ever after to the Holy Table with fuch a fincere Humility, Respect, and Devotion, as may be fome Atonement for his Abufes committed against it. If he performs these Conditions, he may confidently rely upon the infinite Goodness of his Redeemer; and animate himself with an affured Hope, that that very Blood, which would have call'd for Vengeance, had he continued in the Abuse of it, will now cry fo powerfully to to Heaven for Mercy, as to render him eternally Partaker of the Fruits of it.

The LIXth ENTERTAINMENT.

Christ's Love in inftituting the Bleffed Sacrament.

A certain Man made a great Supper. Luke xiv. 16.

Nder the Figure of the Supper here mention'd,is fignified, First, that everlafting Banquet in Heaven; where the bleffed Souls are inebriated with the Plenty of the House of God: And Secondly, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharift, which conM 2 tains