The reasons of the point are these —
1. Because there is a great deal of laziness in people, and an unwillingness against such a soul-searching ordinance as the sacrament. Kow the best governors and most pious reformers cannot reach so low as the peoples hearts, and therefore, though they take never so much pains to provide for the due administration of the ordinances, yet, till their hearts be wrought upon by the word, there will be those that are not cleansed, some unworthy receivers that are ' not purified according to the purification of the sanctuary.' Some unwilling wretches there are that will submit no further than law requireth. The laws of men are terminated in the obedience of the outward man, but ' the law of God/ as the apostle speaketh, Heb. iv. 13, 'is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing the soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents.' If religion were only visible, and the strength of a duty did consist in the outward presence al; it, it were possible to bring all into a prepared way of receiving \ but because of heart-preparations, therefore still there may be some that are unworthy. If men were diligent and willing to prepare their ^ouls upon every hint from the authority of the magistrate, we should see a worthier company of receivers. But when men will do no more than they are compelled to, it must needs be that, notwithstanding all the provisions for the better performance, yet some should remain unfit — namely, lazy, unwilling persons, that take no pains to trim up their lamps to meet the bridegroom, to furnish their soul with answer- able affections and a becoming spirit, as beins: to meet with God in every part of this worship.
334 A PREPAKATIVE SERMON FOR
2. There is a great deal of hypocrisy in many men, and it is possible that they may carry their naughtiness so secretly that they may hide it from the most discerning eye. Now an hypocritical receiver is an unworthy receiver ; and therefore, in the times of greatest care about the admission of worthy communicants, these may slide under covert of their mask and fair pretences, A gaudy show may go far, and indiscernible hypocrites do often press upon the ordinances. Judas, you know, eats the passover even in Christ's own company — ' He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me,' Mat. xxvi. 23. The pharisees and sadducees submitted to John's baptism ; it i3 said in Mat. iii. 6, i^aiTTli^ovTo vtto uvtov, ' they were baptized under John ; ' they submitted to the ordinance, and his ministry ; and yet they were a generation of vipers all the while — vipers not only in the general, as they were ol KaKol rov o^lov o-7rapafjivdSe9, as Ignatius calleth Menander and Basilides, two infamous heretics, the spawn of the old serpent the devil ; but vipers they were and serpents in these three respects —
[1.] The viper, they say, when she hath bitten a man, runneth to the water, and if she missetli of it, she dies ; so these, after they had devoured widows' houses, they ran to the water of baptism. Hypocrites will come to ordinances to justify their extortion, their biting and griping of the faces of the poor. Sacraments are made stales to their base ends, to pacify their own consciences, or satisfy other men's opinions, concerning their other unjust dealings,
[2.] Vipers, too, as all other serpents, lay aside their poison while they are drinking, but resume and take it up again after their draught. And such hypocrites can lay aside their superfluity of naughtiness while they are at the ordinance, but it is with a promise to take it up again, saying to their sins, as Abraham to his servants, Gen. xxii. 3, ' Abide you here ; I must go yonder and worship, and come again to you.'
[3.] Vipers, because this beast is speckled, full of curious spots with- out, but fuller of poison within. So these have a gaudy painted out- side, a form of godliness, but within there is the root of bitterness. Now what course is there to keep ojQP such wretches, such glorious hypocrites and close moralists, that come not within the compass of the law, that look so like saints ? To the ordinances venture they will ; they must, to still their consciences and to insinuate with other men. And how shall we do to turn such off? for certainly they are un- worthy. Therefore, in these times, in which much care is had, many are unworthy still ; the viper's teeth not seen till felt Other reasons might be added ; but I come to application.
Use. Is it so, that, when much care is taken about the ordinances, many are unworthy to come ? It serveth —
1. To show what need we in this land have to humble ourselves, as for other sins, so especially for our sacrament sins, for the profane mixture and the promiscuous riff-raff that was admitted to the Lord's table without any distinction of persons. For if it be so, that many are unworthy in times when greatest care was had, how much more was it so when no care was had at all ! When encroaching governors did let loose the reins of church government to all licentiousness, and