( 12 )
1. That the danger of unworthy receiving being ſo very great, it ſeems the ſafeſt way wholly to refrain from this Sacrament, and not to receive it at all. But this Objection is evidently of no force, if there be (as moſt certainly there is) as great of a greater danger on the other hand, viz, in the neglect of this Duty: And ſo though the danger of unworthy receiving be avoided by
not receiving, yet the danger of neglecting and contemning a plain Inſtitution of Chriſt is not thereby avoided. Surely they in the Parable that refuſed to come to the Marriage feaſt of the King's Son, and made light of that gracious invitation were at leaſt as faulty as he who came without a wedding garment. And we find in the concluſion of the Parable, that as he was ſeverely puniſhed for his diſreſpect, ſo they were deſtroyed for their diſobedience. Nay of the two, it is the greater ſign of contempt wholly to neglect the Sacrament, than to partake of it without ſome due qualification. The greateſt indiſpoſition that can be for this holy Sacrament is ones being a bad man, and he may be as bad and is more like to continue ſo, who wilfully neglects this Sacrament, than he that comes to it with any degree of reverence and preparation, though much leſs than he ought: And ſurely it is very hard for me to come to ſo ſolemn an ordinance without ſome kind of religious awe upon their ſpirits, and without ſome good thoughts and reſolutions, at leaſt for the preſent. If a man that lives in any known wickedneſs of life, do before he receive the Sacrament ſet himſelf ſeriouſly to be humbled for his ſins, and to repent of them, and to beg God's grace and aſſiſtance againſt them; and after the receiving of it, does continue for ſome time in theſe good reſolutions, though after a while he may poſſibly relapſe into the ſame ſins again; this is ſome kind of reſtraint to a wicked life, and theſe good moods and fits of repentance and reformation are much better than a conſtant and uninterrupted courſe of ſin: Even this righteouſneſs, which is but as the morning cloud and the early dew, which ſo ſoon paſſeth away, is better than none.
And indeed ſcarce any man can think of coming to the⟨Sacrament,⟩
