fwer the great Ends of its Inftitution. Unto the Wicked, God faith, why dost thou Preach my Law, and takeft my Covenant into thy mouth, feeing thou hateft to be Reformed? Pf. 50. 16, 17. In like manner, why do fuch Men call upon God's Name, or please themselves, that they hear his word Nay, why indeed do they profess themselves Christians, as long as they hate to be Reformed? For the Displeasure of God is provoked throughout, and God is their Enemy,and they are His,as long as they thus continue in Sin. For all that fuch Men do, is Leavened with Hypocrifie; and no Monster is so hateful to God and Man, as an Hypocrite. He that Prayeth with his Mouth, and hath Villany in his Heart, doth in a manner fpit in God's Face.. He that Heareth the Divine Oracles with an Uncircumcifed Ear, doth but make a Mockery of Religion: And he that owneth himself a Disciple of Christ, and at the fame time is a Son of Belial, infinitely affronteth the Son of God, by making him a Friend to Immorality and Wickednefs. 'Tis an Honest and Upright Heart that rendreth all our Services acceptable; and where that is wanting, the Sinner may as well forbear every Exteriour Profeffion of Religion; as go from the Sacrament; there is the fame Reason for both,

because

because he injureth himself, and draweth a Curfe and Judgment upon his Head in other Instances, as well as by eating and drinking Unworthily. 2. To refuse the Communion, is fo far from Extenuating, that it aggravates the Crimes of an Evil Wretch; because he thereby addeth' one Sin to another; and this is the plain Language of his Heart; I have broken the reft of God's Commandments, and therefore I will go on and break this too.

;

Now I would beseech fuch to confider, whether this doth not tend to their greater Condemnation, instead of amounting to a juft Excufe. For a Man to fhed his Neighbour's Blood, and then to plead that he had Malice in his Heart, is the ready way not to leffen, but to heighten his Offence and fo, for a Man to trample under foot the Blood of Chrift (as they in fome Senfe do, that flight and vilifie this Ordinance) and then to pretend in his excufe, that he was an Impenitent Sinner,is to be Guilty in some measure, of the Sin of the Jews, when they Crucified the Saviour of the World, because he upbraided them with their Incorrigibleness. Were Men. allowed to come to the Sacrament with their Impieties about them, we should have Communicants enough; but because this Holy Rite is an Adverfary to their Lufts, and is intended

*

intended to bring Men under the Discipline of the New Law; Therefore fuch as are Wicked, and refolve to be fo, draw back, and keep themselves off at a great diftance from it, left they fhould be put to the trouble of Repenting; and then they make that their Apology, which in Truth is their Crime, viz; that they are - in a very ill State. A thing, which, instead of being any tolerable Plea, is a most inexcufable Pretence; Becaufe, 3dly, it is a Brutish and Unreasonable Contempt of that, which is a certain Remedy (if duly used) against the greatest Evil; and for that very Reason, do Licentious Men reject it, because it is a Remedy. Now who would pity a Man, that will not go to the Fire because he is ready to starve with Cold, or that refuseth to eat for that very Reason, because he is ready to starve with Hunger? Why, fuch is the contumacious Folly of thofe, who contemn God's Pardon at the Sacrament, because they need it; and refufe to be cleanfed by the Fountain of Life, because they are Filthy; and reject the means of Recovery, because they are in a State of Death. In this cafe, every Refractory Perfon pleadeth his Disease, to excuse his Unwillingness to accept of Help: Such an upardonable Act of Stubbornefs; as if a

Man

Man fhould fay, he is in extremity of Sickness, and therefore he will not make ufe of a Physician.. 'Tis true, most do pretend, that it is not out of Contempt, but out of Reverence, that they dare not approach to the Holy Table; they have a dread upon them, and are afraid (as they fay) of incurring God's Displeasure, and of Damning their own Souls, by receiving Unworthily. But then I would intreat them to ask their Consciences, why and how it comes about, that they are not afraid to Sin? And why they are not afraid to Tranfgrefs other Divine Laws, as well as to Violate this? Are Men fo Foolish, as to think, that there is only one Path which leadeth to Hell? and that nothing will bring them to Perdition, but Unworthy Receiving? Or that they may Sin fafely, as long as they Sin, and do not Eat? There is every whit as much danger by an Evil Course of Life, as by undue Participation; and a Man may drink his own Damnation at a Tavern, or in his own House, as well as at the Lord's Table; fo that when he dreadeth to do that, which he is commanded to do often,he should examine the Reason,why he 'dreads not that which he is required never to do. 4. It is not the staying from the

Sacrament that will serve an Ill Man's

turn:

turn; it is an addition to his Guilt, but no diminution of his Wickedness; and whether he Communicate or forbear, his Cafe is very bad, till he makes his Peace with God, by a fincere Repentance, and Reformation of his Life. Into fuch a wretched ftrait and Snare, do Ungodly and Irreligious Courfes draw Men, that whether they Receive the Sacrament or no, they are Miferable; they Perish without the Holy Food, and they Perish by Eating it too; fo that they have only this one way left them to fecure them from final Ruine, viz. to Repent them seriously of all their Wickedness, and fo to Eat of this Bread, and to Drink of this Cup. What (fay they) would you have us be Damned, by Receiving the Sacrament, when we are not in a fit Condition for it? No; but we would have you fit your felves, and then Receive: We would have you neglect neither, but do both; because your Unfitness is no Excufe or Bar against your Duty, by Reason that your ⚫Unfitnefs is wilful; and your failure in one inftance, cannot excufe, but muft needs aggravate your failure. in another. He that Eateth Unworthily, is Guilty in Eating, because he Profaneth Chrift's Body : And he that Eateth not at all, is Guilty in not Eating, because he Defpifeth Chrift's .Body.

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