tition to put up to the Throne of Grace, any fpecial Bleffing, either Temporal or Spiritual, to implore of the Divine Bounty, then is it a proper time for us to join Fafting to our Prayers. But, especially, fhould we do this in the Days of our Humiliation and Repentance: When we labour with ftrong Cryings and Tears to avert the fierce Anger of the Lord, and to incline him to Pity. In fhort, as for Publick Fafts; we are to direct our felves by the Laws where we live; which fo far, at leaft, oblige every one, that he of fend not against them either contemptuoufly or with Scandal. And for private Fafts, how frequenly they are to be us'd, every one's own Confcience in the fear of God is left the Judge: And he who seriously confiders his Spiritual Dangers and Neceffities; the number, ftrength, and fubtilty of his Enemies, and his great Weakness and Inability to defend himfelf: How often he has been already betray'd, and how apt his Heart is ftill to furrender itself into their Hands, will, questionless, fortifie himself with Fafting, as often as Prudence, join'd with a due care of his Health, fhall direct.

I fhall now, by way of Corollary, fpeak very briefly of the Effects of this Duty, and conclude.

C

Fafting then quells the Haughtiness and Pride of the Prince of Darkness, overcomes his ftrongest and moft powerful Legions, and breaks down those Fortreffes which bid defiance to all other Affaults. Even this kind, fays Mat. 17. our Lord, goeth out by Prayer and Faft. 21. ing. It is an Antidote against the Poyfon of fenfual Temptations, which, by Feafting and full Tables, is apt to ope rate to the perdition of our Souls. d When I fed them to the full, fays God, d fer. 5.7. then they committed Adultery, and affembled themfelves by Troops in the Harlots Houfes. And in another place, e Thee 1 Cor.10. People fat down to Eat and to Drink, and 7 rofe up to Play. But Fafting dries up the Fountains of Senfuality, withdraws that Fewel which minifters to the Bames of Luft, and fo renders our Bodies like the Vehicles of Angels, chaft and honourable Temples of the Holy Ghoft. It defeats our Faculties, clarifies our Spirits, frees our Minds from the degravating load and burthen of Meat and Vapours, and fo puts us in

to a convenient difpofition to operative, intenfe, and undisturbed Prayer; and upon this account 'tis ftil'd the Nourishment of Prayer, by Tertullian; and by St. Bernard, the Wings of the Serm. 5. Soul. It fecures us (as f St. Bafil thinks) de jeju. from the deftroying Angel; the palenefs and meagre Vifage which the Extremity of it occafions, being in his Father's Opinion, that Mark in the Fore-head which the Angel obferv'd, when he fign'd the Saints in Jerufalem to escape the Judgment of God. It is a punitive and afflictive Action, an ef fect of Godly Sorrow, a Teftimony of Contrition, which our Heavenly Father accepts, and will at length reward with unconceivable Refreshments the repafts of Seraphim, the banquets of Heaven, the intuition of his glorious and immortal Beauty. So true is that Cap. 2 of 8 Baruch, (with which I fhall conclude) The Soul that is greatly vex'd, which goeth stooping and feble, and the Eyes that fail, and the hungry Soul fhall give thee Pratfe and Righteousness, O Lord.

. 18.

LUKE

LUKE 22, 19.

This do in remembrance of me.

TH

HE many excellent Treatifes that

are in every one's Hand, and the plentiful Provifion which our most excellent Mother, the Church, has made for her Children upon the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, had almost induc'd me to believe, that a Difcourfe upon the fame Subject, would be altogether fuperfluous and unneceffary. But finding fome in the World, who (notwithftanding these affiftances) do either out of Ignorance of the nature of this Myftery, or an unaccountable, fupine, irreligious Difpofition, entirely omit it; and others, who without due Preparation, without ferious Thoughts and Recollections, indifcreetly, unadvifedly, irreverently approach it; and a third, N 3 who

who run as much into the contrary Extream, imagining no Preparations enough to qualify them for it: I thought it neither improper, nor unseasonable, to difcourfe upon thefe Words. In doing of which, I fhallendeavour to fhew these two Things.

I. That we are oblig'd to come to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And

II. How we are to prepare our felves in order to our coming thither.

I. We are oblig'd to come to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. This is plain;

1. From the Words of the Inftitu. tion in my Text, This do in remembrance of me: For the Terms (you fee) are pofitive, an exprefs Command to all the Disciples of the Crucify'd Jefus. He fpreads his Table, prepares a folemn and magnificent Feaft, and defigns to entertain us with all imaginable Kindness and Refpect. He fees our backwardness and unwillingness to

ap: