3. The Apostles afterwards, we fee, were indifferent, whether they gave it to Men falting, or to Perfons, who had been at a Meal juft before, fo they were but ftudious, of a pure and fpotlefs Converfation, and fo much appears from what we'read, Acts 2. 46. After they came from the Temple, i. e. after they came from the Common Prayer in the Temple, which was at Nine of the Clock in the Morning, and at Three in the Afternoon they brake Bread from Houfe to House, and giving it in the Afternoon, as well as in the Morning, we may juftly conclude they laid no ftrefs upon Peoples receiving it fafting. However, it is plain that the Corinthian Chriftians, by St. Paul's allowance and approbation,adminiftred and receiv'd it after their Love-Feafts; and while they obferv'd the Rules of Decency, Sobriety, and Temperance, and Charity, and Serioufnefs in thofe Agapa, or Feafts of Charity, the Apoftle found no fault with their Communicating after them; but when they became luxurious, and grew exorbitant, and made provifion for the Flefh more than the Spirit, he juftly changed his Difcourfe, and turn'd his former Gentleness into harp Reproofs, and Apoftolical Reprehenfions; and he had reafon, for thefe Doings would have foon brought this weighty Ordinance into contempt, and made Men abhor the Offerings of the Lord.

II. Notwithstanding all this, to receive it fafting, is a thing very convenient.

1. Because it quickens Devotion. That we are not to come to the Table of our Lord with an indifferency of Mind,or loofenefs of Fancy,or carelefsnefs of Affections, none can be ignorant: The fublimeft Mystery requires the fublimeft Thoughts, and a Mind as clear from grofs and carnal Apprehenfions, as Mortality will let us; but this is not to be done without fafting, Meat and Drink filling the Brain with Fumes, and as you have seen a as Cloud coming before the Sun, intercepting, and darkening the brighter Rays of that noble Planet fo the greafie Steams and Vapours, which feeding before, fends up to

the

the nobler Parts, muft needs, in fome meafure at least, obfcure the Understanding, the Sun in this Microcalm, and hinder it from spreading and difperfing its kindly Beams and Influences; and this was the Opinion, not only of the Primitive Believers, but of the Pythagoreans alfo, and other Philofophers, whofe great Maxim was, That the pureft Thoughts flow from an empty Stomach, or Self-denial in Meat and Drink. That the ancient Chriftians fafted fo often, the reafon certainly was, to give Wings to their Devotion, and to make their Prayers fly the fafter, and with greater alacrity to Heaven. This way they found was moft proper to plant a Spiritual Temper in their Souls, and when they would mount up with greater Chearfulness above the Clouds, that gave themfelves to Fafting and Prayer. And indeed, in fome Conftitutions at least, the Soul never acts more like it felf, than when the Body gives it no Divertisement by Eating and Drinking for a time. The more the Body is fed, the leaner grows the Soul, and the leaner the Body is kept, the fatter grows the Soul; all which is evidence enough, That to receive the Holy Communion fafting, is the way to receive it with the quickest, and therefore moft fuitable Devotion.

2. To receive it fafting, is an Act most agreeable to the mortifying Profpect of Chrift's Death and Paffion. What ? Look upon fo difmal an Object with a full Stomach, or a pamper'd Body, which is enough to tempt us to say with St. Thomas in another cafe, Let us go, that we may die with him, John 11. 16. He that comes to this Sacrament, comes to die with with Chrifti.e. to die to Sin, and fure no fober Man will think eating and drinking to be a proper Preparative for fo serious a Death: How abfurd is it not to have all things fuitable in a great Solemnity? In the Communion we come to behold a fafting Saviour, fafting and abstaining, not only from common Food that day he fuffer'd, but fafting from a fenfe of the charming Love of God, and from the Comforts and Communications of the Divine Nature, which by a Miracle withdrew its fhine and fplendor,

and

and left him in the Dark; a feverer Faft, than if those Three and thirty Years he lived in the World, he had eaten nothing; and can we behold this dreadful Faft,and not appear fasting before the Altar? Besides, do People make a Meal when they are going to a Feaft? A greater Banquet we cannot go to, than that which the King of Heaven hath prepar'd; and fhall we fill our Bellies before we appear here, and dull our Appetite to the richer Food?

3. To receive the Lord's Supper fafting, hath been the Practice of the Chriftian Church for many hundred Years; for when fad Experience taught the Fathers how unfit the preceeding Love-Feafts made the generality for receiving Chrift in his Ordinance, they thought themfelves obliged, not only to feparate those Love Feafts from the Supper of the Lord, but to make strict Orders for the celebrating of it in the Morning, and to charge all Perfons to receive it with an empty Stomach; while the heat of Perfecution lafted, they were forced to receive it very early before Day, that they might not meet with Affronts or Disturbances from the Heathens, if they had known of the time of their Meetings; but what Perfecution made neceffary at firft, was made fo afterwards by a Law; I mean by a Law Ecclefiaftical; and therefore the Third Council of Carthage decrees exprefly, That the Sacrament of the Altar fhould be taken and received by none, but fuch as are fafting: A thing fo religiously obferv'd, especially by the Eastern Churches, that when fome of St. Chryfoftom's Enemies had informed against him, that he had given the Holy Communion to Perfons, who he knew had eaten at Home, before they came to Church; he falls a protesting and wishing, If he had done fuch a thing, that his Name may be blotted out of the Catalogue of Bishops; nay, That Chrift may exclude him from his Everlafting Kingdom. In St. Auftin's time, it was become an univerfal Practice to take and receive it fasting: And though in Egypt not a few kept to the old Custom of receiving it after their common Suppers, yet the Difor

ders

ders, Irreverence, and Intemperance they fell into by that means,hath been defenfative fufficient to wife Men, from following them in that prepofterous way of receiving; fo that we may truly fay, that this Commupicating with an empty Stomach, hath been the Praatice of most Christian Churches ever fince the Apostles days; and this was part of their Rules and Canons; and what hath been fo punctually obferv'd by moft Churches of the World, ought certainly to weigh much with him that believes the Church to be the Ground and Pillar of Truth, as it is call'd, 1 Tim. 3. 16.

III. However, fince it is poffible, that fome, by total Abftinence from common Food that Morning they are to receive, may make themselves unfit to receive with due Devotion, their Stomachs not being able to bear Emptiness, fuch must be allowed to eat fomething before they receive, whether they be Minifters of the Word, who must take pains, and spend their Spirits on fuch days, and fometimes are none of the strongest; or other Perfons of a weak and fickly Conftitution: But in this cafe, the following Rules muft neceffarily be ob served.**

1. That we eat no more than what just ferves to support Nature against fainting. Not only the Law of Self-prefervation, but of Religion too, bids us keep our Bodies serviceable to our Souls. If the Tabernacles of Clay be out of order, the Soul, which, in this Valley of Tears at least, works by the Organs of the Body, must needs languish too; and the Pen, which is the Body, being spoiled, or cracked, or weakned, the Scribe, which is the Soul, cannot write fo fair as otherwise it would do. But then there is a great difference betwixt keeping the Body from fainting, and pampering of it. He that before the Sacrament eats to fatiety, cannot be supposed to bring very lively Thoughts, or a profound Senfe of the great Mystery with him to the Holy Table; fo that the quantity of Food that's taken before, must be fuch as leaves the Soul in a good Pofture and Temper

to be affected, and touch'd with the folemnity and greatnefs of the Ordinance.

2. The Food we take before, must be of the courfer fart, that the Mind may be preferv'd in a mortify'd Frame. God, Ef. 58. 3. finds fault with the Jews for allowing themselves in Pleasures while they fafted, to fhew how unfuitable Carnal Recreations, though at other times lawful, are on fuch Humiliation-days. This may justly be apply'd to eating before Men come to the Holy Sacrament: Pleasant Meat is unfuitable: To find pleafure in eating and drinking before, spoils the pleasure the Soul should take in this Ordinance. Chrift, before he did eat the Eucharift, did eat, 'tis true, but it was unleaven❜d Bread and bitter Herbs, which I reckon was as much as fafting; for fuch Food cannot be fuppofed to be very palatable: and before the Love Feafts, that preceded the Sacrament, were corrupted, the Chriftians did eat fo moderately, that they seem'd to feed rather upon Discipline, than the Meat that was fet before them; as Tertullian words it.

3. Even that small quantity of courfer Food, must be taken with pions Reflections, and Contemplations of the far nobler Food, which, within a few Minutes after, we are like to be partakers of. Serpents, they fay, whatever injuries are offered them, ftill their great care is to preferve their Heads: If it be our duty to be wife as Serpents, it must be our care too to guard our Heads, our Minds I mean, especially where neceffity forces us to eat, before we come to the Lord's Table; that the ferious frame be not overthrown, and that it may appear, it is not delight in eating, but defire to be the better able to converfe with God, which makes us give our Bodies fuch neceffary Refreshments as their weakness requires. And if you ask'd me, What Reflections are moft proper in this cafe? I need only fend you to that Gueft, Luke 14. 15. who fitting at the Table, faid, Blessed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God! So he that upon fuch occafions gives his Body ordinary Food, may reflect on the Table, in Chrift's everlafting Kingdom, where

God's