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his will, and in imitation of him.--Such like duties should attend our participation of this holy facrament.

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The duties which ought to FOLLOW AFTER the receiving of this facrament, fhould be fuch as these :

An increase of all pious inclinations and affections, expreffing themselves in a real amendment of our lives, and producing more goodly fruits of obedience: The thorough digefting of that spiritual nourishment, by our becoming more firmly united to our Saviour by higher degrees of faith and love: The maintaining a more lively sense of his fuperabundant goodness : The cherishing thofe influences of grace, which defcend upon our hearts in this communion; and improving them to nearer degrees of perfection, in all piety and virtue: A watchful çare and endeavour in our lives, to approve ourselves in fome measure worthy of that great honour and favour, which God hath vouchfafed to us in admitting us to fo near approaches

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to himself: An earnest pursuance of the refolutions, and making good the engage ments, which we made in fo folemn a manner to our God and Saviour And laftly, the confidering, that by the breach of fuch refolutions, and by the violation of fuch engagements, our fins will receive fo great aggravations of inconftancy and perfidioufness, that our guilt will be migh tily increased; that if our fouls relapse into fo grievous a diftemper, our fpiritual ftrength will be exceedingly impaired; and confequently, our true comforts will hereby be abated, our best hopes will be fhaken, and our eternal estate will be defperately endangered.

AND now, from all that hath been faid, it abundantly follows, that we ought gladly to embrace any opportunity presented to us, of communicating in this holy facrament; the doing fo, being (as you fee) not only our duty, but a great aid and inftrument of piety; the neglecting of it, a grievous fin, and productive of great mif chiefs to us.

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The primitive Chriftians did very frequently ufe it, partaking therein, as it feems, at every time of their meeting for God's fervice. Which practice may well be conceived, to have been a great means of kindling and preferving in them, that holy fervour of piety, which they fo illuftriously expreffed in their conversation, and in their gladfome fuffering for Chrift's fake. And the abating of that frequency may poffibly be reckoned one of the causes of the degeneracy of Christian practice, into that great coldness and flackness; which did afterwards feize upon it, and doth now apparently keep it in a languishing and dying state.

The feldomer occafions therefore that we now have of performing this duty, and of enjoying this benefit, the more ready we should be to embrace them. If we fear God's difpleasure; if we value our Lord and his benefits; if we tender the life, health, and welfare of our fouls; we thall not neglect it. For how can we but offend God by fuch extreme rudeness, that when he kindly invites us to his table, we VOL. IV. B b

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are averfe from coming thither, or utterly refuse it? that when he calleth us into his presence, we run from him? that when he, with his own hand, offereth us inestimable mercies and bleffings, we reject them? It is not only the breach of God's command, who enjoined us to do this; but it is a direct contempt of his favour and goodness, most clearly and largely exhibited in this office.

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And how can we bear any regard to our Lord, or be any ways fenfible of his gracious performances on our behalf, if we are unwilling to join in thankful and joyful commemoration of them? How little do we love our own fouls, if we fuffer them to pine and ftarve for want of that food, which God here difpenfeth for their fuftenance and comfort; if we bereave them of enjoying fo high a privilege, fo inestimable a benefit, fo incomparable pleafures, as are to be found and felt in this service, or do spring and flow from it?

To conclude: Let us every one endeavour, therefore, by God's grace and affiftance, to believe and to act, as becometh Christians.

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Christians. Let us be frequent and fervent in prayer, and all pious devotion, fin cerely obeying all God's commandments. Let us continue orderly, dutiful, and worthy members of Chrift's church, growing continually in grace, by the worthy participation of the holy facraments. That fo we may obtain the end of our faith, the fuccefs of our prayers, the reward of our obedience, and the perfect confummation of grace, in the poffeffion of eternal glory.

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