tition to put up to the Throne of Grace, any special Blessing, 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, should we do this in the Days of our Humiliation and Repentance: When we labour with strong Cryings and Tears to avert the fierce Anger of the Lord, and to incline him to Pity. In short, as for Publick Fasts; we are to direct our selves by the Laws where we live; which fo far, at least, oblige every one, that he offend 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, strength, and subtilty of his Enemies, and his great Weakness and Inability to defend himself: How often he has been already betray'd, and how apt his Heart is still 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, shall direct.

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

Fasting then quells the Haughtiness and Pride of the Prince of Darkness, overcomes his strongest and most powerful Legions, and breaks down those Fortreffes which bid defiance to all other Affaults. Even this kind, sayse Mat. 17. our Lord, goeth out by Prayer and Fast-21. ing. It is an Antidote against the Poyfon of fenfual Temptations, which, by Feasting and full Tables, is apt to operate to the perdition of our Souls. d When I fed them to the full, says God, d Fer. 5.7. then they committed Adultery, and afsembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses. And in another place, e Thee 1 Cor.10. People fat down to Eat and to Drink, and 7. rose up to Play. But Fasting dries up the Fountains of Sensuality, withdraws that Fewel which minifters to the flames of Luft, and so renders our Bodies like the Vehicles of Angels, chaft and honourable Temples of the Holy Ghost. It defeats our Faculties, clarifies our Spirits, frees our Minds from the degravating load and burthen of Meat and Vapours, and so puts us in

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to a convenient disposition to operative, intense, and undisturbed Prayer; and upon this account 'tis stil'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 destroying Angel; the pale

ness and meagre Visage which the Extremity of it occasions, being in his Father's Opinion, that Mark in the Fore-head which the Angel observ'd, when he sign'd the Saints in Jerufalem to escape the Judgment of God. It is a punitive and afflictive Action, an effect of Godly Sorrow, a Testimony 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 & Baruch, (with which I shall conclude) The Soul that is greatly vex'd, which goeth stooping and feble, and the Eyes that fail, and the hungry Soul shall give thee Praise and Righteousness, O Lord.

2.18.

LUKE

LUKE 22, 19..

This do in remembrance of me.

HE many excellent Treatises that are in every one's Hand, and the plentiful Provision 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 Discourse upon the same Subject, would be altogether fuperfluous and unnecessary. But finding fome in the World, who (notwithstanding these assistances) do either out of Ignorance of the nature of this Mystery, or an unaccountable, supine, irreligious Disposition, entirely omit it; and others, who without due Preparation, without serious Thoughts and Recollections, indifcreetly, unadvisedly, irreverently approach it; and a third, who

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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 discourse upon these Words. In doing of which, I shallendeavour to shew 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 selves in order to our coming thi ther.

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

1. From the Words of the Institu. tion in my Text, This do in remembrance of me : For the Terms (you fee) are positive, an express Command to all the Disciples of the Crucify'd Jefus. He spreads his Table, prepares a folemn and magnificent Feast, and defigns to entertain us with all imaginable Kindness and Respect. He fees our

backwardness and unwillingness to

ap