but that they ſhould be affrighted from their ⟨ſins⟩, and from that wicked courſe of life, which is ⟨an⟩ habitual indiſpoſition & unworthineſs. St. Paul, ⟨indeed⟩ (as I obſerved before) truly repreſents, and ⟨very⟩ much agg avats the danger of the unworthy ⟨receiving⟩ of this Sacrament; but he did not deter ⟨the⟩ Corinthians from it, becauſe they had ſometimes ⟨come⟩ to it without due reverence, but exhorts them ⟨to⟩ amend what had been amiſs, & to come better ⟨prepared⟩ and diſpoſed for the future. And ⟨therefore⟩ after that terrible declaration in the Text, ⟨whoſoever⟩ ſhal eat this bread, and drink this cup of the ⟨Lord⟩ unworthily, is guilty of the body and bloud of ⟨the⟩ Lord, he does not add, therefore let Chriſtians ⟨take⟩ heed of coming to the Sacrament, but let them ⟨come⟩ prepared and with due reverence, not as to ⟨a common⟩ meal, but to a ſolemn participation of ⟨the⟩ body & bloud of Chriſt; But let a man examine ⟨himſelf⟩, & ſo let him eat of that bread & drink of that cup. ⟨For⟩, if this be a good reaſon to abſtain from the ⟨Sacrament⟩, for fear of performing ſo ſacred an ⟨action in⟩ an undue manner, it were beſt for a bad man ⟨to lay⟩ aſide all Religion, and to give over the ⟨exerciſe⟩ of all the duties of piety, of prayer, of ⟨reading⟩ and hearing the Word God; becauſe there is a ⟨proportionable⟩ danger in the unworthy and ⟨unprofitable⟩ uſe of any of theſe. The prayer of the ⟨wicked⟩ (that is, of one that reſolves to continue ſo) is an ⟨abomination⟩ to the Lord. And our Saviour gives us ⟨the⟩ ſame caution concerning hearing the Word of ⟨God;⟩ take heed how ye hear. And St. Paul tells us, ⟨that⟩ thoſe who are not reformed by the doctrine ⟨of the⟩ Goſpel, it is the ſavour of death, that is, deadly ⟨and⟩ damnable to ſuch perſons.
But now will any man from hence argue, that it ⟨is beſt⟩ for a wicked man not to pray, not to hear
B
or
