264 The Gofpel-11 fiery Direa. XIII. the benefit of it, is, becatife they think themfelves brought by it into great dangerof eating and drinking their own damnation; according to thefe terrifying words of the apotle, " For he that eateth and drink- " eth unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation " tohimfelf, not difcerning the Lord's body," t Cor. xi. 29. Therefore they account it the fafeft way, wholly to abftain from fuch a dangerous ordinance, or, at leaft, that once a year is enough to run fo great a hazard. And, if they be brought to it fometimes by conftraint of eonfcienee, their flavifh fears be- reave them of all comfortable fruit of it. So that in- (lead of iriving to receive Chrift and his falvation therein, they-account themfelves to have fucceeded well if they come off without the fentence of damna- tion; as the Jewifh Rabbies write, that ,the High Prieft's life was fo eminently hazarded by his enter- ing once a year into the Holy of Holies, that he {laid there as little time as he could, left the people fhould think him to be [truck dead by the hand of God ; and whenhe was come forth alive, he ufually made a feaft of thankfgivingfor joy of fogreat a deliverance. But there is no reafon why we fhould be fo much terrified by thofe words of the Apostle ; for they were darted againft fuch a grofs profanation of the Lord's fupper among the Corinthians, as we may eafily avoid, by obferving the inftitution of it, which the Apostle propofeth to them as a fuflÿci,nt remedy againit the grofs abufe,ínnot difcerning or differenc- ing the Lord's body from other bodily food, and par- taking of it as their own (upper, with fuch difor- der, that one was hungry, and another drunken. Befides, that terrifying word damnation, may be ren- dered more mildly judgement, as it is in the margin; yea, the Apostle himfeïf, ver. 22. doth interpret it of a merciful, temporal judgement, whereby we are chaftened of the Lord, that we fhould not be con- demned with the world. We are indeed prone to fin, in receiving this ordinance unworthily; and fo we
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