imitate the Goodness of our bleffed Saviour, by doing good even to those who repay us with Ingratitude; fecondly, to fix in our Hearts a lafting Remembrance of him, with a deep Senfe of Gratitude for the Bleffing received; and, lafly, to live fo, that Chrift may abide in us, and we in him.

The LXth ENTERTAINMENT. The Returns we ufually make our Saviour for his Love.

They began all at once to excufe themselves. Luke xiv. 18.

I'

HAVE reprefented to you, in my

former Difcourfe, the Greatness of our Saviour's Love, in inftituting the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharift; I fhall now make fome Reflections upon the Returns we ufually make him for it; which fhall be the whole Subject of this Entertainment.

The firft Circumftance, whereby we have difcover'd the Greatnefs of our Saviour's Love in inftituting the Holy Eucharift, was the earneft Defire, and Longing he had to beftow this Bleffing on us; a

Defire

Defire fo great, that no Obftacle could put a Stop to his intended Bounty. But how do we correfpond with this Defire of our loving Saviour? Do we covet as carnestly to receive him, as he defires to communicate himself to us? Are we as ready to open our Hearts to let him in, as he is to enter into them? Do we long and hunger after this Bread of Life, with fuch a craving Appetite, that no Obftacle whatfoever, no temporal Concerns, no Pleasures of this World can hinder us from fatisfying our Hunger? Alas, how far are we from this happy Difpofition! How far are we from making our Saviour this acceptable Return! How truly, on the contrary, is the Behaviour of many Christians reprefented in the Parable, from whence I have taken my Text! Where we have this Account of the Guests invited to the Supper. They began all at once to excuse themfelves. One faid he had bought a Country-Houfe, and must go fee it. Another alledg'd be bad bought five Yoke of Oxen, and was going to try them: A third gave for Answer, that be bad married a Wife, and therefore could

not come.

By the first of thefe Characters are marked out thofe, who fpend their Time in trifling Amuzements; which they make in a Manner their whole Employment. By the fecond

fecond Character, of him that bad, bought Oxen, and was to try them; are meant your Men of Bufinefs, whofe whole Time and Thoughts are taken up with temporal Concerns. Finally, by the third Character, of him who had married a Wife, and therefore could not come; are fignified Perfons wholly plunged in fenfual Pleafures: Now, all thefe put off the Invitation, and defired to be excufed: And how lively a Reprefentation is this of the Behaviour of many Chriftians in Reference to the great Banquet of the Lord's Supper, to which all are invited!

Some neglect to frequent the holy Communion, meerly out of a flothful and carelefs Temper; and those are your tepid or luke-warm Chriftians. They are, for the moft part, too confcientious, on the one hand, to receive the Holy Eucharist without being in fome measure difpofed for it; and yet too flothful to prepare themfelves, on the other: They know they muft do many Things, to be worthily difpofed: They must retire from Company, and be ferious for fome time: They must call themselves to an Account by a strict Examination of Conscience; excite themselves to a hearty Repentance; confefs their Sins; perform their Penance; and be fomewhat recollected be. fore and after Communion. But their natural

tural Sloth, which they are accustomed to gratify, gives them fuch a Repugnancy to all these Duties; that tho' they have often for much Time lying on their hands, that they fcarce know how to difpofe of it, yet every trifling Accident, that throws itself in their Way; as a Party of Pleafure to go fee fomething, that invites their Curiofity; fuffices to make them put off their Communion.

Others again are fo taken up with temporal Concerns, and overwhelm'd with Bufinefs, that, alas! they have no Time to pay their Attendance upon our Bleffed Saviour at his Supper; and therefore these all, for the most part, put off the Invitation, and defire to be excused; and whereas the former are usually too flothful, these on the contrary are, for the most part, too full of Bufinefs, to fave their Souls. But there is a third Sort, that excufe themfelves, upon a Pretence yet worse than the former. Those I mean, who are strongly addicted to fenfual Pleasures: God invites them often by his holy Inspirations; but they know that to become Partakers of his holy Table, they must renounce their criminal Engagements; they must throw off their old Habits; and enter upon a new Course of Life. But finding their Hearts too strongly engaged, to refolve upon a

thorough

thorough Change, they refuse the Invitation, and defire to be excufed

Thus we fee how little the the greatest Part of Chriftians are difpofed to comply Iwith our Saviour's earneft Defire of Communicating himself to them. He invites, and they refufe to come. He offers them his precious Body and Blood, and they prefer each petty Intereft, or triflingSatisfaction, before him.

But how did the Mafter of the Feaft receive the Excufes of the Parties invited? The Gofpel tells us, that he was highly offended, and declared that none of them all fhould ever taste of his Supper. We cannot. doubt but that a Contempt as well Abuse of God's Favours is a very grievous Offence, and what we fhall account for at the laft Day: Now, are we not guilty of a Contempt of the inestimable Bleffing offer'd us in the holy Eucharift, when we neglect to receive it, either because we are unwilling to put ourselves to fome Trouble, or deprive ourselves of fome finall Satisfaction, and offer fome Violence to our Inclinations, for its Sake? Is it not a convincing Proof that we prefer the Enjoyment of a little Eafe or Pleasure before it? And what is this but a barefac'd Contempt and Undervaluing of it.

Nor