THE NECESSITY OF RECEIVING THE Holy Sacrament;  
(That great Test both of the Christian and Protestant Religion)  
Declared in a SERMON, at a CONFERENCE of the several Ministers of the Deanery of Braughin in the County of Hertford, appointed by the Right Reverend Father in God, HENRY Lord Bishop of London, to be held at Ware, August 28. 1678.  
By ROBERT NEVIL, B. D. Rector of Ansty.  
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for Benj. Billingsly, at the Printing-Press in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange, 1679.   

LICENCED.  
May 20. 1679. W. JANE.   

To the Worshipful, My much honoured Kinsman, James Wilymot, Esq OF Chelsull in the County of Hertford.  
Honoured SIR,  
I Am so big with the Resentments of your multiplied and repeated Favours, that I am in pain till I am delivered of them in Public Acknowledgements; and have therefore chose rather to expose my own weakness to the World (by making this Discourse Public) than be ungrateful to you; designing not so much the Publication of my Sermon, as my Gratitude: when (at the Command of our Right Reverend and Noble Diocesan) I preached this Sermon, you were pleased to do me the honour to ride some miles to be an Auditor of it. What was then presented to your Ear, I now place before your Eye; not that I flatter myself to serve the ends of my Reputation by it: for I am too well assured that those Discourses, which (in the hearing) went down with a tolerable relish, are often found flat and insipid in the reading, especially when they are leisurely and critically considered by Persons of Judgement and Understanding. I have read of a young Gentleman of Athens, who being to plead for his Life, hired an Oratur to make him a Defensive Oration to be pronounced before the Judges, which (at the first reading) was very grateful and pleasing to the Youngman; but when by reading it often (that he might fix it in his memory, and speak it with the better grace) he began to nauseate, and grow weary of it; the Orator bid him consider that the Judges and the People were to hear it but once, and then it was probable they might (at the first instant) hear it with as much delight and satisfaction, as he himself had done. This Story hath often represented to my mind the Fate of my Sermon, which is now stripped of the Advantages it had in the Delivery; but however I can dispense with my own Credit, and give myself sufficient satisfaction in that particular; because I have sent it into the World upon no other Errand, than to put me into a capacity of making a solemn and public profession that I am,  
Honoured Sir, Your much obliged Kinsman, faithful and humble Servant, Robert Nevil. Ansty, May 15. 1679.   

A SERMON PREACHED At a CONFERENCE at Ware, August 28. 1678.  LUKE 22. latter part of the 19 verse. 
— This Do in Remembrance of Me.  
The whole verse runs thus: And he took Bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my Body, which is given for you; This do in Remembrance of Me.  
THE Holy Sacrament was in such great esteem and veneration in former Ages, that in Can. 21 of the Council of Illiberis, the keeping Men from it was thought an heavy Punishment, as appears by these words of the Canon, 
(a) Quod si quis per tres Dies Dominicos ad Ecclesiam non accesserit, etc.  That if any absented himself from the Church for three Sundays, he was to be kept as long from the Holy Sacrament, that he might thereby seem punished and corrected for it. And it was decreed by the Council at Aken, in the Year 836, That the Sacrament should be administered every Lord's day, lest they who stand off from the Sacrament of their Redemption, should be kept also at as great a Distance from Redemption itself. And St. Basil (in his 289 Epistle ad Caesaream Patritiam) commends an everyday Communion as 
(b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  good and profitable. A sense whereof caused St. Cyril of Jerusalem to invite Guests to this Feast in these words, 
(c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Eat the Bread, that renews your Nature; drink the Wine, that is the Smile and Delight of Immortality. And St. Cyril of Alexandria tells us, 
(d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  That to drink of the Sacramental Wine, is to drink of the Blood of Jesus, to be partaker's of the Lord's Incorruptibility. And Holy Ignatius (in his Epistle to the Ephesians) calls the Sacramental Bread 
(e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Medicine of Immortality, An Antidote against Death, A Purge that expels all evil. And the Fathers of the Nicene Council style the two Elements of the Sacrament, 
(f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the Symbols of our Resurrection. And at this rate did several of the Ancient Fathers speak of it And I could hearty wish that the generality of Men had the same opinion of the Sacrament in this, as they had in former Ages; and that they would not exercise the power of the Keys against, and excommunicate themselves, by their wilful Absence, from this Holy Feast. And since the Heathens had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their Feasts in memory of their Heroes, Aeacus and Ajax; and the Israelites their Passover (a Type of this our Feast) in memory of their Deliverance in Egypt; let us Christians celebrate this Memorial Feast, which our Saviour did institute in these words, This Do in remembrance of Me.  
Before I contrive the words into a Proposition, I shall first resolve this Question; How Christ could, at the eating the last Supper with his Disciples, with whom he was present, bid them Do this in remembrance of him? how could they be said to do that in Remembrance of his Death, which was then future, and to come? For if we do an Action in remembrance of any thing, it must be of a thing that is past; or, if in remembrance of any Person, it must be either of a Person absent from us, or of one departed this life.  
To which I answer, That it follows only from these words, that Christ instituted and appointed a Sacrament, or Figurative, mysterious Representation of a thing; which, in the whole use of it, was variabie, either to this day, to morrow, or any other day; and therefore never to be naturally verified, but on the Cross, by a Proper and Natural Presence; because than it was so, and never else: In Remembrance of which his being and suffering on the Cross, we do this Holy Action, We do this in Remembrance of Him.  
The importance of which words may be comprised in this Proposition: That this Holy Action of receiving the Sacrament, in Remembrance) of Christ's Death and Passion, is a Duty incumbent upon every Christian; every Christian is bound to Do this in remembrance of him; and that for these following Reasons:  
I. Because Christ, who did institute and appoint it, requires it of us; whose Command is of that extent and latitude, as to comprehend all Christians. 'Tis true indeed, that the Apostles only were present at Christ's first Celebration, and so the Command was directed to them: But how? not to the Apostles only as Apostles, but also as Communicants, as representing the People; or else to the Apostles, as Dispenser's; and to the People, as Receivers: For, if the Officers and Ministers of the Church are bound to give it, all Christians (no doubt) are bound to receive it: and that they are obliged so to do, St. Paul hath fully and plainly declared to us; telling us in 1 Cor. 11.24. that when our Lord had given thanks, he broke the Bread, and said, Take, eat, this is my Body, which is broken for you; Do this in Remembrance of me. Here this Command [Do this] immediately refers to these words, [Take, eat] which the verse of my Text hath not; and therefore it must there refer only to taking Bread, giving Thanks, breaking it, and giving it to them; in which the Apostles and their Successors, were more immediately concerned; and none can do this, i. e. take Bread, give Thanks, break it, and give it, but they; but in the other actions of taking, and eating, all Christians are concerned.  
The Receiving the Sacrament is not a thing Arbitrary or Indifferent, to be done, or not done, at our pleasure, because it is under the Obligation of a Positive Command, which our Saviour hath given us in these words, This Do in remembrance of me; that is, Do this in remembrance that I put a cloud of Flesh upon my bright and resplendent Glory; In remembrance that I, who am the Light of the World, suffered myself to be put into the dark Lantern of an Human Body; In remembrance of my bitter Pains and Sufferings on the Cross; In remembrance of the stretching out of my Arms on the Tree of Shame, to receive and embrace You; In remembrance of the opening of my Side, to make an avenue and passage for You to my Heart; In remembrance of my pouring out Water to wash You, and Blood to redeem You.  
Memorials of Dying-Men are of great account with all Men, being placed among their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their most valued and esteemed Treasures: And we usually say, That the words of a Dying-Man make the strongest and deepest impressions in the minds of the Living: Be pleased therefore to bribe your Fancy, to suppose One, who had always been a loving and indulgent Husband, now lying upon his Deathbed, and the very moment before his Soul is divorced from his Body, and he from his Wife by Death, making this his last and dying request to her; I perceive the last Sand of my Glass is now running, and my time of Departure is near at hand, let me therefore beg this last favour of thee, and desire thee to keep my Picture by thee when I am dead and gone; let me desire thee to do this in remembrance of me: Undoubtedly his Wife, if she had but the least spark of kindness for him, would keep his Picture by her, as a most valuable Treasure; and when ever she beholds it, pay him, whom it represents, the just Tribute of a Tear. The Church is Christ's Spouse, and the Sacrament is the Picture of Christ's Death drawn to the Life; and if Christ, a little before his Death, desires, nay more, commands his Spouse, the Church, for whom he was about to die, and shed his most precious Blood, to commemorate his Death after his Suffering and Crucifixion; and break Bread, and drink Wine, in remembrance that his Body was broken, and his Blood poured out; call to mind his bloody Passion by that holy Action; certainly if she hath any bowels of Compassion in her, she cannot deny his so just and reasonable request; she cannot disobey so obliging a Command.  
If this Sacrament could have well been spared, and Men could have kept the Law of the Inward-Man without it, our Saviour, who came to beat down all the Rites and Ceremonies of the Old Law, would never have raised up this under the Gospel; but he knew it necessary, and therefore left it upon Record, as binding as a Law; 1 Cor. 11.25. This do ye, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. As oft as ye do it, implies a doing it often; and does not leave it at large to our will and pleasure, to be taken up at the discretion of every private person; but supposeth that it must be done frequently, as frequently at least as that Church, whereof we are Members, requires it of us.  
Had our Saviour imposed upon us a heavy Yoke of Judaical Rites, and laborious and expensive Ceremonies, and crowded them in so thick and fast upon us, as to employ and take up all our time, and exhaust our strength, we had had some tolerable Plea for our disobedience; But when he hath freed us from the burdensome imposition of Judaical Observances, and (except that of Baptism) hath recommended but one innocent, cheap, and easy Rite to our observation; We are Monsters of Ingratitude if we take not and most cheerful Obedience to this his peculiar Command; A Command in so peculiar a manner His, as no other is but that of Baptism. For his other Commands are but enforcements of those Precepts, that are either contained in the Old Testament, or derived to us from Principles of Nature; but this is his Peculiar, his own proper Commandment: and our Receiving the Sacrament in obedience to it, is the proper Characteristical mark of a Christian, the very Test of our Christianity: for Christ is concerned in no piece of Worship so much as this; This is more properly Christian Worship than any other Act of Religion. Shall we not then observe this Mandate, obey this Command, and enjoy this Privilege properly belonging to his Disciples? This, this it was that caused the Christians of old, when for their Sins they were debarred and excluded, to lament their condition in large showers or Tears, and sadly bewail their banishment from the Lord's Table: This was esteemed the highest Honour the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could receive, when (after long attendance, and strict examination) they were permitted to commence, and take the Degree of Fideles, and admitted into the Society of Communicants, into the Fellowship and Communion of Saints  
2. This Holy Action of receiving the Sacrament in Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion, is a Duty incumbent upon every Christian, because this was the practice of the most Apostolical and Primitive Times, which is a good Comment upon Christ's Intentions, and a clear discovery of the Obligatory Power of this Command.  
They who were the immediate Auditors of Christ and his Apostles, had certainly the best Notion of the import of this Command; and the Notion they had of it, made them as constantly do this, as they assembled together either to eat, drink, or confer together in love and friendship: And the 46th verse of the 2d of the Acts seems to intimate to us that the Church of Jerusalem received the Sacrament every day, and that they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking Bread at home, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart; that is, after they had daily performed their common Devotions with the Jews in the Temple, they (because the Jews would not then permit them to do it in the Temple) went to their own Houses, to tender a more peculiar Service to Christ, by doing this in remembrance of him. But the principal time for this Holy Exercise seems to have been on the Lord's Day: for we read, Acts 20.7. that the Disciples were assembled on the first day of the week to break Bread. And as in the Apostolical, so in the next succeeding Times, they often met together to do this; and while the Spirit of Christianity was yet warm and vigorous, it is more than probable they did communicate every day, or as often as they came together to the Public Worship; insomuch that the Canons 
(g) Canon 9▪  Apostolical, and the 
(h) Canon 2.  Synod of Atioch threatened those persons with Excommunication, who resorted to the Public Assemblies to hear the Scriptures, and departed from them without this Spiritual Food. This custom of communicating every day was of no short continuance in the Church; and some Churches, and particularly the Western did retain it longer than others. And St. Cyprian assures us that it was practised in his time, saying, 
(i) Eucharistiam quotidiè ad cibum salutis accipimus. Cypr. de Oratione Dominicâ. p. 268.  We receive the Eucharist every day, as the food our Salvation. The like St. Ambrose reports of Milan, where he was Bishop. And St. Hierom affirms, that this custom was in use in his time at Rome. And St. Augustin intimates, that in the Age in which he lived it was not wholly disused and laid aside. In the Eastern Churches this custom disappeared sooner than in the Western, though more or less, according to the ebbing or flowing of their Zeal. And St. Basil 
(k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Basil in 289 Epist. ad Caesaream Patritiam  positively affirms, that in his time they did communicate four times a week, namely, on the Lord's day, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and upon other days, 
(l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Basil. ibid.  if the memory of any Martyr were celebrated upon them. Afterwards, as Religion began to be in her Wane and Decrease, this Sacrament was more and more discontinued, and from a daily was first changed into a weekly, and then into a monthly Service, and afterward performed but thrice a Year, at Christmas, Easter, and upon Whitsunday; and even at these three great Festivals it is now by many lukewarm Christians neglected and disregarded: for (to speak the truth) we have much degenerated from the Devotion of the Primitive Christians; and are taught of late to idolise Preaching, and value our self from our much Hearing; being like that People called Corimandi, whose Ear (as Historians tell us) covered their whole Body. The Epidemical Disease of this Age, being the Rickets of Religion; or the having great Heads, Heads swelled, and big with Knowledge (falsely so called) but their Legs weak and impotent, not able to walk in the ways of God's Commandments. Prayer, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, must strike sail to Sermons; & because Men are too feeble in Spirituals to prepare themselves for it, they are unwilling to come to this holy Feast; and persuade themselves that Superstition did eat out the heart of true Religion in the Primitive times, and that then Men did come so frequently to eat with Christ at his Table, only in a Compliment, and Complaisance, and flatter and wheadle their Saviour with a superfluous and needless Devotion, and therefore they will not do this once a year, nay some of them scarce once in all their lives. But let me advise such, not to dare to neglect Christ's gracious Invitation, nor disobey his Command, of doing this in remembrance of him: for not only Acts, but Omissions are evil. It is a Sin to contemn the Sacrament, and a Sin not to receive it when we may: the one leads to the other: Neglect and Indifferency (as we have seen by woeful experience) terminate at last in open Profaneness. If we had a true esteem of the Cup of Blessings, we should thirst more after it: but the truth is, our thoughts are seldom or never employed upon the consideration of those many Benefits and Advantages we receive by it. And this brings me to the third Reason, why this holy Action of Receiving the Sacrament in Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion, is a Duty incumbent upon every Christian. And that is,  
III. Because 'tis fraught with many Benefits and Advantages; this is not an empty barren Ceremony, or an unprofitable Rite, it hath a large train of Blessings attending on it. And  
1. It makes us participate of Christ, and his Grace and Spirit. The external Act indeed only declares Christ's Death in Rite and Ceremony; but the worthy communicating of it, makes us feed upon Christ, and unites him to our Souls, and makes us to become one Spirit, according to those words of St. Ambrose, 
(m) In similitudimem quidem accipis Sacramentum, sed verae naturae gratiam virtutemque consequêris. Ambros. de Sacramento.  Thou receivest the Sacrament as the similitude of Christ's Body, but thou shalt withal obtain the Grace and Virtue of the true Nature. The Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament are not (as some tell us) only Symbols of mutual Charity, Allegorical Admonitions of Christian Mortification, and Rites instituted, only to stir up Faith, by way of Object and Representation; this were to embrace a mere Cloud instead of the true Juno, the true Deity: Those Names, and Appellations, which the Scripture gives them, speak them to be more than so; such as are the Body and Blood of the Lord, the communication of his Body, and the communication of his Blood; all which intimate no less to us than a real change in the Elements, and that Christ is really present there; and though we must never hope to have our sight so acute, as the Romanists tell us theirs is, when, through that strange glass of Transubstantiation, they pretend to see and discern the very Flesh and Blood of Christ; yet we must not entertain such mean thoughts of them, as to think them only bare signs of what Christ did for us; but firmly believe that they exhibit Christ himself to all worthy Communicants.  
2. A second Benefit or Advantage of the Sacrament is, That it quickens, strengthens, and increases our Faith: All Habits are increased by often repeated Acts: Now this Sacrament requires frequent and great Exercises of our Faith, by fixing it upon its proper Object, a Crucified Saviour; and it being (as St. Cyril of Jerusalem tell us) 
(n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Catech. 2.  A Representation of Christ's Sufferings, makes us seal to that Truth, which he hath signed and sealed with his Blood, and make a public profession of our Faith in the virtue and merits of it: For the Sacraments (as one saith well) are nothing else but Protestationes Fidei, the public Protestations of our Faith. They who come to the Lord's Table, by their very coming do publicly profess, that they believe not only every Article of their Faith, but also every part of this Divine Promise and Institution, by which Christ will renew, strengthen and establish his Covenant to every worthy Receiver. Nor is our coming to the Sacrament our Protestation only of our Faith, but also of our Repentance, which,  
3. Is hugely advantaged and promoted by the Sacrament: for we cannot certainly but repent with all speed of our Sins, when we consider that they were the Spears that pierced our Saviour's side, the Nails that fastened him to the Cross; and that they laid such loads of Wrath upon the shoulders of Omnipotency itself, as made him complain and sweat, groan and die: it being impossible for any Man ever to have such, a sense of, and sorrow for Sin, as when he is awakened by the signs and images of Christ's Sufferings, and when he sees it writ and deciphered in Characters of Blood: so that our receiving the Sacrament, which commemorates Christ's Death and Sufferings, is a Protestation of our repenting of those Sins of ours, which most Jewishly crucified the Lord of Glory.  
The Canonist will tell us, Sacramentum & mortis Articulus aequiparantur, that we are considered at the Sacrament, as on our Deathbed: Now on our Deathbed we repent of our Sins, than we lay down our Malice, than we nauseat our Lust, than we go out of and renounce the World, than we quarrel with Mammon; then we are meek, humble, and tractable; then we are commonly what we should be in Health: Now if we consider ourselves at the Holy Table, as on our Deathbed, we shall undoubtedly repent of our Sins, and drown them in the Blood, and nail them to the Cross of our Saviour: and if so, than this Sacrament may very well (notwithstanding what some extravagant Fancies may suggest to the contrary) deserve the name of a Converting Ordinance; that is, such an Ordinance as God makes use of to turn Men from Sin to Holiness; towards which nothing can contribute more, than that solemn Obligation which all Worthy Communicants lay upon themselves at the Lord's Table, to forsake their Sins, and lead holy Lives: there being nothing imaginable that can seen a more probable and proper Instrument, to convert Men from a wicked to an holy Life, than the sacred Remembrance that Christ's Death was designed to be the Death of Sin, and the Life of Holiness.  
4. A fourth Benefit or Advantage of the Sacrament is, That it enlarges and inflames our Love, our Charity: whether it be,  

First, Divine Love, or the Love of God: Or,  
Secondly, The Love of our Neighbour.   
First, It enlarges and inflames our Love of God: For, by the commemoration of Christ's Death in the Sacrament; we imprint in our Memories that Heroic Act, that never yet did ennoble the story of any Person, namely, Christ's laying down his Life for his Enemies; the Lamb of God his dying for Wolves, for those that would have devoured him: So that if the Poet's Fancy of Deucalion and Pyrrha were verified in us, and we, like the Men and Women in their days, were made or Stone, yet these Marbles could not but weep, these cold stones could not but be warmed with the Fire of Divine Love, struck out of them by the consideration of Christ's great Love to us, expressed by that Gift he gave to obtain our Pardon, namely, his Life: This was such a transcendent Act of Love as no Romance of Friendship did ever yet fancy or suppose. We may have heard of two Companions that would die for each other, and that never quarrelled in their Lives but for this, who should suffer first, to save the other, and strove only for Death and Execution: But for a Person in the Trinity to leave his Heaven, to come down to us, to dwell with Agonies, that he might free us from Torments: This was an Act of Love fit for Ecstasies of Apprehension! there were never such wounds of Love as those that tore his Heart; never such melt of Affection and Goodness, as dissolved Christ into sweats of Blood. Let us look on our Saviour in the Garden, and on Mount Calvari, and we shall find him there in as great Agonies of Affection as of Torment, and hanging down his head upon the Cross, with Languishments of Kindness, more than Weakness. Now such Meditations of Christ's Love to us as these, does receiving the Sacrament suggest to us; and if (as undoubtedly it is) Love is the best Loadstone to attract Love; the doing this Holy Action cannot but kindle in us that Holy Passion of Divine Love: Nor will it stop here, but proceed:  
Secondly, To nourish and increase the Love of our Neighbour: For it being the Commemoration of his Passion, who was the perfect Mirror of Love, it cannot but kindle and inflame our Loves to one another, which is an expression of our Love to God: For, 1 John 4.12. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his Love is perfected in us. Christ died for his Enemies, and shall not the Commemoration thereof teach us to love ours? When the King of Moab was pressed hard by the Israelites and Edomites, he took his own Son, and offered him as an Holocaust upon the Wall, whereupon they presently raised the Siege: So God hath offered up his Son, as an Holocaust, as a Sacrifice for us; and can we choose then, when we commemorate that his Oblation in the Sacrament, but raise the Siege, and cease from quarrelling and fight with our Enemies, and do them all the good Offices of Love and Kindness. Epictetus hath ingeniously observed, That 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  every thing in the World hath two handles; one turned towards us, which we may easily take; the other turned from us, harder to be laid hold of: the first makes all things easy, the second does not. The instance he brings fits my present purpose; Be it (says he) that thy Brother hath offended thee; there are two handles, one of the offence, the other of thy Brother: if thou take hold of that of the Offence, it will be too hot for thee; but if of that of thy Brother, it will make all his behaviour towards thee so tolerable, as to continue him still the Object of thy Love. There is no part of out Brother's carriage towards us, but (if we examine it) we shall find some handle, some circumstance, that may reconcile our Love to it; if we can find no other, that of our Saviour's dying for his most virulent, bitter, and malicious Enemies, will accomplish and effect it. For (says St. Chrysostom) didst thou know that thy Brother intended particular Mischief against thee, that he would even imbrue his hand in thy Blood, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  kiss that very hand; for the Lord Christ did not refuse to kiss that very Mouth, that made the Bargain for his Blood: The Effusion whereof we commemorate by pouring out the Sacramental Wine. Now this Love of his required the best of our Love by way of Compensation; and he hath made our Brethren Letters of Attorney to receive that Debt of our Love which is due to him.  
And thus having mustered up all the Arguments, to enforce the Necessity of receiving the Sacrament, which the time allotted to this Discourse would allow of: I shall now remove some of the principal Objections, which are urged by some, to discourage both themselves and others from this necessary and holy Duty.  
The first Objection is, that of their own Unworthiness, which (they say) frights them from this holy Feast.  
To which let me return this Answer, that though they pretend Fear to be a Bridle in their Mouths, that hinders them from eating, yet I am apt to believe this but a bare pretence; because they are not afraid of those things, which (I am sure) have more evil and danger in them, than the doing this holy Action can ever be supposed to have; for they are not afraid to break a positive Command of Christ's, which requires them to do this in remembrance of him. They are not afraid to live in the known Sins of Schism, Faction, Covetousness, Uncharitableness, Disobedience to their Governors both in Church and State; and yet they are afraid to do a necessary Duty, which Christ himself requires of them. They make their Unworthiness a Plea for their not coming, but who is culpable and  for it? Is it not to be charged upon themselves alone? Is it not because they are unwilling to take a Survey of their Consciences, and examine themselves? Is it not because they are so in love with Sin, as to think it hath a better Gusto than this blessed Feast? O let not these sad Wretches put such Cheats upon themselves, as to pretend, that the thoughts of their Unworthiness fright them from it, of which if they were truly sensible, they would not remain so unworthy; but (as the Apostle adviseth) 1 Cor. 11.28. First examine themselves, and then eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. Let them not therefore spin such fine Threads of Hypocrisy, as to deceive their own Eyes; for their Unworthiness is no sufficient reason to keep them from this Duty, unless they are resolved to continue in that state without Repentance. The sick Man is not unworthy of Physic, because he is sick, but because he flings away his Physic, and defies all Remedies and Medicines that may restore him to Health; and if this be the state of these Men in Spirituals, they are then indeed unfit to come to the Holy Table: But if they are desirous to purge away their sins by repentance, and lead a new life for the future, they may, nay, they are obliged to participate of this Holy Feast; and are as worthy of it, as the Wounded Man is of Healing Balsam, or the Sick Man of Physic; that is, they want it; and Christ invites them to come, that they may receive such supplies as are suitable to their Wants and Necessities.  
Secondly; A second Objection against coming to the Sacrament, is this; That it is often seen, that Men break those Resolutions against Sin after the Sacrament, which they made in so solemn a manner before they received it; and than therefore they will not come to it, lest by breaking those Vows and Promises of a Reformation, which they made to God before receiving, they should inflame their Reckoning, increase their Sins, and thereby exasperate God the more against them.  
To which I answer; That though Men should by chance break their resolutions of amendment, after the Sacred Solemnity is over, yet let not that fright them from a second Celebration of it, but induce them rather to frequent it the more; that they may obtain that strength by a frequent repetition of this Action, which could not be had from one single Act; there being a greater Probability of their standing firm, and not relapsing into Sin, if they receive often, than if they receive seldom or not at all; especially if they consider, that their not receiving is itself a Sin, a Sin of Omission, a breach of a positive Command of Christ's, who requires their Presence at his Holy Table; to which if they come prepared by Self-examination, and with a sincere Resolution of their Souls to lead a new Life, they will find their Graces strengthened, their Faith quickened, their Hope increased, their Charity inflamed, and their whole Inward-Man repaired by it; and that the oftener they receive the Sacrament, the more fit they will be to receive; this Sacrament being more suitable to the weak than the strong, though needful for both: and it is more than probable, that men's weakness is the effect of their feeding so seldom on it, and permitting those Recruits and Reinforcements they had received by it, decay and languish, before they were renewed by a fresh repast. To which I may also superadd, that by the same Argument by which Men discourage themselves from the Sacrament, they may also fright themselves from the duty of Repentance, without which there is no Salvation upon Gospel terms; For whenever I repent, I must, after I have asked God pardon for my former Sins, promise and resolve to serve him with better Obedience for the future, if I would obtain Pardon of him. And do we not find by woeful experience, that we break those Promises we make even in our most solemn Repentance, and consequently incur God's Displeasure by that breach of Promise? And what then, must we not repent, because we sometimes▪ fall back from our Repentance, and either forget, or break our Promises? Certainly we ought rather to repent again of that our breach of Promise, to repent and be sorry for the imperfections of our former Repentance: So that by the same Reason that we must not come to the Sacrament, because we often break those Vows and Promises of Amendment, that we make before we receive it, we must not also repent, because we often again return to those Sins whereof we repent, and which we resolved against at the time of our Repentance; which dangerous Opinion no Christian, who understands the purport of the second Covenant, will dare to espouse.  
Thirdly; A third Objection against the Sacrament is, That Men fear they want Knowledge, and understand not aright the nature of the Sacrament; which if they do not, this their gross and stupid ignorance of a thing so easy, and withal so necessary to be understood, is, inexcusable. A Subtilety in thorny Controversy, or an Ability in the intricate Mysteries of Religion are no necessary Ingredients in a Worthy Communicant; even those Heads that can neither toil about, not spin out an Argument, may be as richly arrayed in that Knowledge that is requisite for a good Communicant, as Solomon in all his Glory. To qualify and fit Men for the Sacrament, it is not required that they should know the Motions of the Celestial Bodies, or the Influences of the Stars; if they do but feel any good Motions within themselves, and how CHRIST, the bright Morningstar 
* Rev. 22.16. , (and that this Star descended from his bright Orb of Glory, and set in a Sea of Blood, to raise such black Sinners as they are to Mansions of Eternal Glory: It is not expected from a Worthy Communicant that he should dive into the depth of any new Mystery, or study for any new Notion; All that is new he is to be in quest of, is the New 
‖ 2 Cor. 5.17.  Creature. Every Child (that hath but learned his Church Catechism) can tell that the Sacrament was ordained for the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, and the Benefits we receive thereby; and that the Reception of this Sacrament is the ratifying and confirming our Covenant with God; and that it is required of those who come to the Lords Supper, to examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former Sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new Life; have a lively Faith in God's Mercy through Jesus Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his Death, and be in Charity with all Men. He that knows but thus much, knows enough of the nature of the Sacrament; and he that knows not this, (after so many Sermons and Catechise that have been made upon the Sacrament) for this his gross and supine Ignorance, may justly be reputed such a Dunce in Christianity, as scarcely to deserve the Name of a Christian. And therefore if any Person be ignorant in this matter, why does he not repair to those, whose Office and Business it is to teach and inform him better? Why hath he not recourse to those, 
* Mat. 2.7.  whose Lips should keep Knowledge? who (I am confident) would be glad of all opportunities to ●nstruct those who are ignorant in this or any other kind.  
Fourthly. A fourth Objection against coming to the Sacrament, is a fear in Men, that when they have prepared themselves for it as well as they can, they are not yet so well prepared as they should be.  
To which I answer, That if we may not come to God's Ordinances, till we are as well prepared as we should be, why then are we not afraid to pray to God? and why are we not afraid to hear h●● Word? For when we hear and pray, we do the same thing that is performed at the Sacrament, the not in so solemn a manner: So that by the same Argument that some Men scare themselves from the Sacrament, they may also fright themselves from other holy Duties, such as Praying, or Hearing the Word: For, as the Apostle saith, that he the eats and drinks unworthily; so it is true also, that he that prays or hears unworthily, prays and hears to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Judgement, and temporal Punishments, and (if he repent not by the Admonition of those Punishments) Eternal Damnation; and as he that is not the better for the Sacrament, is certainly the worse for the Sacrament; So he that is not the better for a Sermon, is certainly the worse for a Sermon; every Sermon he hears amiss, shall rise up in Judgement against him.  
Let us then prepare ourselves for the Sacrament as well as we can, and God will accept of it, though it be not so well as we should; he will accept of our sincere endeavours of Preparation: And if we will not choose to feed rather upon Doubts and Scruples, than upon the Bread of Life, we may assure ourselves of a welcome to, and advantage by, this Holy Feast. Indeed if we come, like rude and unmannerly Guests, once is too often; but if we purge and cleanse our Hearts, if the stomach of our Souls be clean, often we may come, but we cannot come too often; Christ's Blood is always full of virtue and efficacy, it will put out the Fire of immoderate Anger, cool the Heart-burnings of Malice and Envy, the Calentures of our Lust, quench the raging Thirst of Covetousness: If we drink of this Cup as we ought, it will keep us from drinking too frequently and immoderately of any other. Christ is always a Fountain of Life to those who desire to taste the Waters of Life, at which we may draw as often as we please, if our Pitcher be clean; and the oftener we draw, our Pitcher will be the cleaner: And that it may be so, God grant us such a sense of our Saviour's Sufferings, as may create in us a just detestation of our Sins, and quicken our endeavours in the ways of Repentance, and a holy Life, till we obtain those Blessings, which by the effusion of his Blood he hath purchased for us: to whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all Honours, Glory and Praise.  
FINIS.   

Books sold by Benjamin Billingsley at the Printing Press in Cornhill.  
CHristian Religion's Appeal from the groundless Prejudices of 〈◊〉 Sceptic to the Bar of Common Reason. Wherein is prov●●  

1. That the Apostles did not delude the World;  
2. Nor were themselves deluded.  
3. Scripture Matters of Fact have the best Evidence.  
4. The Divinity of Scripture is as demonstrable, as the Being 〈◊〉 Deity. By John Smith, Rector of St. Mary's in Colchester. Fol. Pr. 1. 〈…〉   
A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Ma●●●●●… and Court of Aldermen of the City of London, at Guild hall Cha●●●●●… Aug. 18. 1678. By Robert Nevil, B. D. late Fellow of King's Col●●●●●… in Cambridg, and now Rector of Ansty in Hertfordshire. 4. price 6 〈…〉  
Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Two short Discourses, o●●●●●…ing the Nature, Design, and Ends of those two great Gospel-O●●●●…nances, and teaching the holy use and improvement of them. In 〈…〉 Price 6 d.