Page:Preparation sermon, before receiving the Holy sacrament.pdf/3

 1. As the the first, negatively, I. The want of purity and spotleſs or untained holiness does  make a perſon an unworthy communicant if  imperfections be regreted and mourned over:  what mortal can ſay that he has cleanſed his heart,  that he is pure from ſin? Prov. 20.7. Neither, does the want of great knowledge Tho' a man  not the nice debates and abſtruſe  diſputes in divinity yet, if he know the  principles of religion, he may be a worthy communicant. Nor, 3. doth some measure of of faith, attended with many doubts and, render one an unworthy communicant: for  ſays to his disciples, O ye of little faith, yet  he not reject them; and he received that man, Mark 9 22. who had but a very weak weavering, and ſoon after cried out with tears, I believe, , help my unbelief Nor yet, 4. doth the want of ſensible joy or comfort in or after communicating a perſon from being a worthy partaker: for  may be a lively acting of the graces, while yet  is the great ſenfe of God's favour.

But, poſitively unworthy communicating at Chriſt's, is, I  When a perſon communicates more for  than for conſcience ſake; when men come  the table of the land because it is the faſhion of  country where they live becauſe all their  do ſo, and they must go along with them  company's ſake and that it would not be lucky  them if they got not their ſacrament with their ; but ſtill have no ſenſe upon their ſpirits  Chriſt's command nor of the deſigns, the  and comfort of this ſacrament. Let us and confider their hazard

42 [sic]. When a perſon conmmunicates without his neceſſity of Chriſt, and the nature and  of this ordinance; when a peſson knows not  need of a Redeemer to recoyerrecover [sic] him out of his