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And then he ſays, For this cauſe many are weak and ſickly among you, and many ſleep: That is, for this irreverence of theirs, God had ſent among them ſeveral diſeaſes, of which many had died. And then he adds, For if we would Judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged. For if we would Judge our ſelves; whether this be meant of the publick Cenſures of the Church, or our privat cenſuring of our ſelves, in order to our future amendment and reformation is not certain. If of the latter, which I think most probable, then Judging here is much the ſame with examining our ſelves ver. 28. And then the Apoſtle's meaning is, that if we would cenſure and examine ourſelves, ſo as to be more careful for the future, we ſhould eſcape the Judgment of God in theſe temporal puniſhments: But when we are judged, we are haſtned of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world. But when we are Judged; that is, when by neglecting thus to judge our ſelves, we provoke God to judge us; we are chaſtned of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world; that is, he inflicts theſe temporal judgments upon us to prevent our eternal condemnation. Which plainly ſhews that the judgment here ſpoken of is not eternal condemnation. And then he concludes, Wherefore, my Brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry for one another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto judgment: Where the Apoſtle plainly ſhews both what was the crime of unworthy receiving and the puniſhment of it. Their crime was, their irreverent and diſorderly participation of the Sacrament; and their puniſhment was, thoſe temporal judgements which God inflicted upon them for this their contempt of the Sacrament.
Now this being, I think, very plain; we are proportionably to underſtand the precept of examination of our ſelves, before we eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. But let a man examine himſelf; that is, conſider well with himſelf what a ſacred Action he is going about, and what behaviour becomes him, when he is celebrating this Sacrament inſtituted by our Lord in memorial of his body and
B 4
blood,
