2dly, Look upon the grievousness of the punishment.
[1st.] You venture your temporal life in every unprepared receiv- ing. You know what the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xi. 30, ' For this cause many are sick and weak among you, and many sleep ;' that is, are dead. It is no good jdaying with edge tools and dallying with duty. God's judgment may kill you in the place for yoiu- irreverent coming into his presence. The sacrament is to some as the water of jealousy ; if the party were unclean it made her thigh rot and her belly swell. Num. v. 18 ; so, if you come hither before you have cleansed your- self according to the purification of the sanctuary, every drop of wine that you drink will make your heart rot, and prove a curse to you. Therefore, as you tender your life, and a blessing upon all that you have, either be clean or forbear,
[2dly.] Irreverent receivers are often punished with spiritual dead- ness and stupidity. Oh ! it is a fearfttl judgment to be given over to hardness of heart, and to be infatuated by our performances. The ordinances, when they are not for the better, they prove the worse, and become the savour of death unto death. None so insensible and so hard to work upon as unworthy commtmicants ; partly because natural pride is mightily strengthened with a slight performance of duty, whereas it is abated if it were thoroughly done ; and besides, the just judgment of C4od shuts up such men in unbelief. We know this by experience. The best way to make some men sensible, that are past all other cure, is to deprive them of the ordinances. But —
[3dly.] The grand judgment of all provoketh God eternally to cast you off without repentance. The apostle saith so much, 1 Cor. xi. 29, ' He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damna- tion to himself.' You woidd think this were a harsh word if we ourselves should speak it, therefore you see it is very scripture words. The Lord give you grace to hear, to fear it, to consider thoroughly I The God of heaven give you understanding in all things !
SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENT.
Yet they did eat the passover otherwise than luas written. — 2 Cheon. XXX. 18-20.
In the words I have observed three parts — (1.) The condition of the people ; (2.) The prayer of Hezekiah ; (3.) The success. I began with the first part, and therein took notice —
1. Of the people's indisposition — ' Many had not cleansed themselves ;' and from thence observed — That when much care is had about the due celebration of a sacrament, yet even then there are many that are unworthy.
2. From the people's practice. Notwithstanding their indisposi- tion they did eat the passover — That many rush upon tbe ordinances notwithstanding their unpreparedness.
3. I shall observe somewhat from the expression, which noteth the fault of their practice— They ate otherwise than it was written.
The point is — That then we offend in our duties when we do other- wise than is written.
Brethren, God's service is written s.ervice ; the rule of our obedience is enrolled, it is upon record : if we go beyond it, or come not up to the fulness of it, we do not do as is ' written ;' then we offend in our duties. I shall show, first, how many ways we do otherwise than is written, and then prove and apply the point.
We do it two ways — either when we do too little or too much, when we come short of the rule, or go beyond it. There is a pharisaical superstition and an irreligious profaneness. True obedience is ade- quate to the commandment ; just measure, no more, nor no less. To do more is will- worship, to do less is laziness. God_ like th both tempers just alike ; neither pleaseth, for neither doth ' as it is written.'
1, When we do too much. Brethren, the essentials of a sacrament are set down in the institution ; there is the rule. If we seek to patch it up with some zealous additions and pieces of our own, we go beyond the rule ; we do too much, more than God hath required, and there- fore more I am sure than he hath promised to accept. Qids re- quisivit .? that is all the thanks that we shall have for it—' Who hath required these things at your hands ?' Isa. i. 12.
Ay ! but you will say, May we do too much in matters of religion ? Can God ever have enough of us ? '
SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. 343
Yes, brethren, there may be too much ; if you go beyond what is written, then there is an nimium in religion. But here we must dis- tinguish of the inward part of the duty, which is as the soul n^ it, and the outward part and presence, w^hich is as the corps and body. The heart of duty is in the heart, it lieth in the right frame of that ; and in respect of this, we can never do enough to put the heart in a right postm-e to meet God in his ordinances. The virgins can never be too long, never be too much in trimming up their lamps to meet the bridegroom. A worthy communicant can never take pains enough to prepare his untuned heart, that he may come with answerable affections and a becoming spirit, that he may embrace his Saviour in the ordinance. Thus all that we can do is little enough to answer God's expectation ; all our righteousness cometh far short of it, and is nothing to him, as it were. Thus never enough. But —