purpose of our Master in this Inftituti- Vol. II. on better than they did? or are we fo arrogant and felf-conceited, as to dare to pretend to a more compendious way, either of obtaining or exercifing the Graces of God's Spirit, than this of Christ's own appointment? Certainly, whatever Shifts and Evafions we may fly to, it must in reality be our Wifdom and Intereft, our Duty and Hap pinefs, to follow thofe who walk as Chrift himself walk'd, and to place Religion in what they plac'd it; and what this was, we are taught Acts 2. and 42. in found Doctrine, in Charity, in breaking of bread, and in prayer; and in being frequent and constant in thefe.

2. The fecond Motive to the Holy Sacramentis, That it is a Drawing nigh to God, or an A&t of Communion with him. This was ever the Notion of Sacrifice under the Old Teftament, and must be so of our Euchariftical Sacrifice under the New. This we learn from 1 Cor. 10. 18. Behold Ifrael after the flesh; are not they which eat of the Sacrifices, partakers of the Altar. This in other places of this Chapter, the Apostle expounds by Communion and

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Vol. II. Fellowship with God, and applies it to the Sacrament. The offering up of Sacrifice, was an Homage and Acknow ledgment of the God to whom they offer'd it; God's accepting their Sacrifice, was an owning them for his Peo ple; and their eating the Sacrifice be fore him, did fuggest to them all the good things they were to expect from the Bounty and Munificence of God, and the Joy and Happiness they were to reap from his Protection and Fa vour. And how much more perfectly, how much more eminently is all this imply'd and verified in the Holy Eucharift? Here we have access with confidence unto God, and an affurance of all the Benefits that flow from the Death and Mediation of Jefus. When St. John, 1 Epift. 1.3. has told us, What we have feen and heard declare we unto you, that Jou may have fellowShip with us and verily our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Chrift Jefus he adds, v. 4. These things write I unto you, that your joy may be full. And no wonder, for how great are the Things included in our Drawing nigh unto God? Do we confider what God is? how great the Thunder of his Power

Power; how dazling the Glory of his Vol. II. Majefty; how vaft the Fulness of his Bounty; what a Priviledge is it to draw nigh to fuch a Being? and to draw nigh to him as his People, his Servants, his Favourites, his Children, what Bleffednefs is this! This Presence of God to his People, is an energetick, gracious, vital Prefence; we then corruptible mortal Creatures draw nigh to the Spring and Source of Life. Wethat are dark and foolish, draw nigh to the Light and Wisdom; we impure and defiled, to Perfection and Purity; wę defolate and thirsty, to the Fountain of Joy and Pleasure and when we are thus nigh, we partake of the Divine Nature, and thrive and flourish under the benign Influence of God. How stupid then are we when we shun God? when we fly from him whose Prefence makes Heaven?how are we infatuated, when we forfake the Fountain of living Waters, to hew out to our felves Cifterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no water: what value we are to fet upon this Communion with God, the thirst of devout Souls after him, their Sorrows and Complaints upon his retir ing, their Joy and Exaltation for his F Pre

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Vol. II. Prefence, do abundantly teftifie. The Pfalmift is a full inftance of all this, Pf. 27.4. One thing have I defired of the Lord, that I will feek after; that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple. Pfal. 42. 1, 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks, fo panteth my Soul after thee, O God. My Soul thirfteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come to appear before God. Pfal. 51. 11. Caft me not away from thy prefence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Pfal. 16. In thy prefence is fulness of joy, &c. He that feels nothing of this, is, I doubt, a ftranger to true Faith, and a fincere Love of God; or has but very flight and scanty measures of them. But whatever Notion we now have of the Prefence and Communion of a propiti ous God, we shall be fenfible what an unspeakable Happiness this is, whenever we fall under the wounds of Confcience, and the terrours of God; whenever we are overwhelmed with any Distress or Calamity; whenever Diseases, Death, and Judgment ap proach, then shall we with for one of the days of the Son of Man; then fhall

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we wish that we had in our Profperi, Vol. II. ty acquainted our felves with God, and been at peace, that we had frequently drawn nigh to him in the Holy Sacrament, and received repeated Affurances from him, of his being our God.

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3. The Sacrament, as Euchariftical Sacrifice was formerly, may be look'd upon as an Act of Gratitude. This is ■ Topick that nothing but Infidelity can refift; for certainly if we owe any Gratitude for Obligations, 'tis impoffi ble we fhould be wholly deftitute of it towards God. If we confider what has been done for us, what could God do more for us, then bestow his Son upon us; and what could the bleffed Jefus do more than die for us? If we confider the Advantages accruing to us from hence, what could we afpire af ter more then Eternal Bleffed nefs? and the freedom of Divine Love, is equal to the Greatness of it: Herein is love, not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins, 1 John 4. 10. Nay, we were not only unworthy of his Love, but worthy of his Wrath. If lastly, we confider the Mifery from which the Death of Christ has rescued us, there is F 2

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