5. And lastly; if the receiving of this Sacrament were an indifferent Rite or Ceremony, that might be done or omitted at pleasure, then indeed the great danger there is in receiving it unworthily might in a great measure justify our Omiffion of it. But what if the danger be as great, and the hazard equal of not receiving it at all, as of receiving it unworthily? Where then is our Prudence or Safety, when to avoid one danger we run into another every whit as great; when for fear of difpleafing God, we difobey a plain Command, and for fear of Damnation commit a damnable Sin? for I can call it no less, to live in the Neglect and Contempt of this holy Inftitution. It is not very eafy to determine which is the greatest Affront to God, or doth most highly provoke him, never to perform our Duty, or to perform it after a wrong manner; never to pray at all, or to be present at Prayer, but not to mind or regard what we are about; never to receive this Sacrament, or to receive it often, but make no difference between what we eat and drink there, and what we do at our own Houses. But however, he that receives this Sacrament, altho it be after an undue manner, feems to me to shew somewhat more refpect to God and his Commands, than he who wholly neglects it. And befides, there is hardly any wicked Man that dares come to the Sacrament without fome good Thoughts and Refolutions, or who is not for a little time before and after the receiving of it more careful of himself and his Actions; and tho this doth not last long, but he foon returns to his former Wickedness, yet however this is fomething better than continuing in Sin and Wickedness without any intermiffion or ceffation. Moreover, fuch an one uses the best means of becoming better, which by God's grace at fome time may prove effectual; whereas he that cafts off all thefe Duties, is in a more desperate and irreclaimable state. In short, were there neither Sin nor Danger in omitting this Sacrament, and yet fo great hazard in the receiving it unworthily, Prudence and Interest might engage us to chufe the fafeft fide, and not to meddle with it at all; but if we expofe our felves as certainly to God's Anger and Difpleasure by wholly neglecting this Duty, as by performing it unduly, then these words of the Apoftle can be no pretence or excufe for our abftaining from this Communion. For would not this be an odd way of arguing: Because intemperate eating and drinking is very prejudicial to our Health, and often breeds mortal Diseases, therefore 'tis better never to eat or drink at all? Would it not be madnefs, left we should kill our felves by a Surfeit, to refolve to starve our felves by obftinate Fasting? And And this fhall bring me to the fourth and laft thing I propounded to discourse of; which was, IV. To fhew what is the only true and juft Confequence which can be drawn from what is here affirmed by the Apostle, He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself: which is this; that forafmuch as our Saviour hath plainly commanded all his Followers and Disciples to do this in remembrance of him, and yet on the other fide there is fo great danger in doing it unworthily, we should neither omit the Duty (for that would be a plain tranfgreffion of our Saviour's Command) nor yet be careless in the performance of it. And this is the Inference which the Apoftle himself makes, not that the Corinthians, whom he blames fo much for their unworthy receiving this Sacrament, fhould therefore forbear coming to it any more at all, but for the future they should examine themselves, and partake of it with greater reverence and devotion than they had used to do. Let the danger of receiving unworthily be never fo great, the confideration of this ought only to make us fo much the more careful to receive it after a right and acceptable manner, and to put us upon greater watchfulness over our felves when we meddle with fuch facred things. This is the use we ought to make of these these words of the Apostle, not rafhly or precipitantly, without due preparation or confideration, to rush upon this holy Sacrament, but feriously to mind the End and Design of it, and so duly to affect our Spirits with the things represented to us by it, that they may make lively and lafting impreffions upon us, and we may bring forth the Fruit of all in a holy and unblamable Conversation in the World. To end all, I would not have any thing I have now faid upon this Subject to you, fo interpreted or understood, as in the leaft to take away from the Reverence you have of this Inftitution, or to leffen that Awe and Dread you have of receiving it unworthily; only I would not have Men afraid of, or fcruple doing their Duty. There is Preparation and good Difpofition of Mind required for Prayer, and the right Performance of other religious Duties, as well as this of the Sacra ment. We ought therefore to be afraid of these three things. 1. Of neglecting to receive this Sacrament; for that is to live in difobedience to a plain Command of our Saviour. 2. Of receiving it unworthily, without Reverence or Attention to the meaning of it, without hearty Repentance and fincere Refolution of Amendment; for that is to affront E and |
