* If wee doe well this day must be vnto vs all a very painefull day even a day of Battell against all the pleasures that ever wee had in sinne since we could discerne good from ill In this day wee must trye and search carefully all the secrets of our hearts * This is the time wherein wee must keepe an Assise against our selues both for to judge and condemne our selues * In a word wee must all take such paines in sifting out all our bypast iniquities that the LORD may say of vs as hee said of the woman that broke the Boxe of ointment vpon his head Shee hath done what shee could Good Brethren and Sisters What yee can doe doe What yee can not doe pray GOD to doe it and to pardon you your impossibility * I beleeue said that poore man with teares that is all that I can doe but I beleeue not as I should and therefore LORD helpe thou myne vnbeleefe Let vs all bee earnest to intreat GOD to giue vs grace to doe what wee can doe and what wee can not doe that hee would pitie vs and pardon vs. I reade that in the dayes of Hezekiah a number of the people which had not cleansed themselues did eate the Passcover otherwise then it was written But what befell them I pray you Many of them were troubled with sore sickenesse * But how were they cured of these diseases It is said that Hezekiah prayed for them The good LORD said hee pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke GOD the LORD GOD of his Fathers though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary Now what was the fruite of that prayer This was it The LORD hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people That which the Passover was to them the LORDS Supper is vnto vs even a Sacrament appointed by GOD for the sealing vp of our Salvation If wee eate this supper otherwise then it is written let vs looke for diverse diseases For this cause saith the Apostle Many are weake and sickely amongst you and many sleepe that is die Let vs therefore as we would desire our bodies health and our soules Salvation prepare ourselues to meete the LORD to morrow There is none of vs I confesse that can prepare himselfe according to the preparation of the Sanctuary nor cleanse himselfe according to its purification No Soule can bee so well prepared and purified as GOD in his Sanctuary requireth * But this I dare be bold to say that the good LORD shall pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke GOD though hee bee not so cleansed as the purification of the Sanctuary requireth GODS word is plaine that GOD is mercifull Hee hath sworne by his life that He deligteth not in the death of sinners * He hath sent his word for to tell vs that If wee will judge our selues wee shall not bee judged * Yea such is his mercy that while wee are chastised with sicknesse or death for our carelesse preparation he maketh all that to worke to our well for when wee are judged wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Now good people not knowing if ever after this yee shall heare or I teach another Preparation Sermon in this place let me conclude all with that adew of S t. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus at Miletum I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified Passe the rest of this day in a serious meditation of your owne miserie and of the bloodie agonie of IESUS our Master who out of loue to vs hang vpon a cursed tree for to purchase vnto vs the everlasting blessings of his Father To whom with the Sonne of his loue and with the Spirit of Comforts bee Glory and Majestie Dominion and Power now and ever Amen A SERMON FOR THE DAY OF THE SACRAMENT IOHN 6. v. 27. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate which endureth to everlasting lyfe which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for Him hath GOD the FATHER sealed THIS TEXT in my former Sermon was divided into a Fast and a Feast First heere is a Fast and then a Feast The fast is from carking care Labour not for the meate which perisheth Fast from that The feast is for the soule a banket of meate which feedeth to life everlasting Feast vpon that Take paines and labour for it This whole TEXT seemeth to runne vpon a Sabbath of rest and vpon fore working and labour The first part is a Sabbath and rest from labours Labour not for the meate which perisheth The second hath a commandement of worke Labour for the meate which endureth to lyfe everlasting As for GOD his Sabbath which is a discharge of labour a resting from toiling I read in Scriptures of three sortes therof First there is one on earth enjoyned by GOD his law a day of rest In it saith GOD thou shalt doe no manner of worke This is the lawes Sabbath The second is the Gospel Sabbath which is a continuall resting from carking cares This is enjoyned heere labour not for the meate c. This precept is for our whole lifetime * There is not one day of the weeke that GOD will dispense with any for to labour in this sort The third Sabbath is inâ—o the heavens an eternall rest from all worldly toiling and sweat of browes the paines of sinne of all that are there is said that they are blessed yea saith the spirit for thy rest from their labours As there bee three sortes of rest first of the law secondly of the Gospell Thirdly of the HEAVENS so there bee three sortes of labour first there is one enioyned by the law a labour laide vpon all the sonnes of Adam to them it is enioyned sixe dayes in the weeke to winne their meat with the sweat of their browes * Cursed is that meat which is not sawsed with sweete Bitter is that bread which is not sweetned with the sweete of browes The Second labour is Gospell labour a continuall labour Labour for the meat which endureth This is enjoyned in the second part of this Text This is our spirituall exercise painfull to flesh and blood in the best The third labour is Heauenly which shall bee our exercise in the life to come * That labour shall bee sweete without sweate pleasant without paine This labour is an everlasting praising of GOD without ceasing which is so easy and so pleasant to the praisers that Scripture calleth it a resting from our labours It is of the second sorte of labour whereof wee haue heere the command it is an Evangelicall labour which is heere commanded by the LORD labour saith hee for the meate which endureth to
TWO SERMONS FOR THESE WHO ARE TO COME TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD With diverse prayers fit for the necessities of the Saincts at diverse occasions Carefully digested by M r. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of GODS word at GLASGOVV AVGVST de doctrina CHRIST Omnis res quae 〈◊〉 non deficit dum habetur non datur nondum habetur quomodo habenda est I liue to die that I may die to liue EDINBVRGH Printed by IOHN WRâ—ITTOVN Anno DOM. 1629. TO THE RIGHT WORTHIE CHRISTIANS THE INDWELLERS OF THE BVRGH AND BARONIE OF GLASGOVV WELBELOVED in the LORD The word of God is a treasure of knowledge Jt maketh wise the simple It made David wiser then his teachers Blessed is the man whose delight is in Gods law and who meditats on the same both day and night This is the wisedome of the wise but in the hearts of fooles be proclamations of folie for they knowe not that the LORD pondereth all their goeings Happy are yee if yee can acknowledge the day of your mercifull visitation your God hath blessed you with many blessings He hath done to you amongst many Cities as Joseph did to Benjamin amongst his brethren to whom he multiplied the number of his measses aboue theirs But in a particular manâ—â— hee hath blessed you with the powerfull preaching of his Gospell The Lord who in Zacharias dayes promised to make the Mount of Olives to cleaue that Ierusalem hidde with hils might bee seene by all nations hath in this land which was Scotia a land of darknesse made a way to the sight of his glory and to you in a speciall maner I pray God yee bee thankfull and that such favors continue It hâ—th beene Gods providence by the occasion of the French bloody warres to bring me amongst you My soule the Lord is my witnesse wisheth your well In testimonie therefore of my sincere and hearty loue receaue favourably these two Sermons with some fewe prayers Take it in good part that I present you with them All that is done in this envious and taxing age is lyable to censure Many striue to stop a worke at the first stop as though the praise of any were their prejudice The tongues of such are armed with sharpe arrowes of the mightie and with coales of juniper * Let such knowe that the best reproving of others is to doe better them selues It is my desire that yee would accept this little and vouchsafe it a rowme of lodgeing in your favour as being a testimonie of loue from him who shall alwayes pray the Eternitie of Israell to make his graces raine downe plentifully vpon you as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the mountaines of Zion where the LORD commanded the blessings So humbly taking my leaue I intreate the LORD in whom all fulnesse dwelleth to replenish you with all spirituall blessings in Heavenly places Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower both minister bread for your foode and multiplie your seede sowen and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse Not els but humbly taking my leaue I remaine GLASGOVV this 5. of November 16â—8 Yours ever in the Lord M r. ZACHARIâ— BOYD. TWO PREPARATIVE PREFACES TO THE SERMON OF PREPAâ—RATION THE FIRST PREFACE THERE be two things in this world which cheefly should greeue the heart of man viz sinne and shame The one is the mother the other is the daughter Sinne is ever full of shame a shamefull thing great with shame as a woman with child * If wee would kill the viper of â—inne the mother of shame let vs be ashamed of our sinnes The shame wherewith a sinner is ashamed of his sinnes killeth sinne and the shame to ensue * If we be not ashamed of our sinnes which is repentance God shall by his judgements make vs ashamed of our selues which is vengeance In the consideration of this let vs fall downe vpon our kneâ—s with publick protestation that to the Lord our God belongeth the righteousnesse but to vs open shame and confusion of face Let vs humbly confesse our sinnes into his presence and kisse his footstoole by a humble debaseing of our soules and bodies before him before whose feete the crownes of Heaven are cast downe THE SECOND PREFACE * The fire of GOD his spirit is not a painted fire which seemeth to bee that which it is not It ever hath some heat though sometimes without flamme This day wee are come before the Lord for to blow at the coale Man must blow and God will blow Man bloweth vp the spark of grace by praying servently to God God bloweth it vp by the powerfull preaching of the word outwardly and by the secret motion of his spiâ—it inwardly When God quickned Adam but a dead lump of clay scripture saith that hee breathed into his nostrils the breath of lyfe and man became a living soule * If the spirit of Iesus this day breath into our hearts he shall be vnto our soules a quickning spirit which is better than Adams living soule For as that soule it was deprived of all lyfe by sinne but where once the quickning spirit is that soule can die no more And seeing God his word is the instrument of lyfe and the power of God to salvation I intreat you all earnestly to pray from your hearts that Christ who breathed vpon his Apostles the sweete breath of the holy GHOST would also vouchsafe in some measure to blow breath vpon you and mee at this time The LORD blow into my heart and mouth the words that may saue your soules A SERMON OF PREPARATION TO THE COMMUNION PREACHED THE THIRD OF MAY 1628. THE TEXTE IOHN 6. V. 27. LABOVR not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate which endureth vnto everlasting lyfe which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for him hath God the Father sealed THE first things of the godly man are hardest his last things are best things lyke the wyne of Cana in Galilee Many are the troubles of the righteous these be his first things But the Lord delivereth them out of them all these be his last things * As the Apryle showers goe before the May flowers so must our teares trickle before our triumphs we must sweate before we climb vp the everlasting hils and sorrow before wee sing Wee must groane before we glory and we must fast before wee feast THE DIVISION OF THE TEXT IN my text is both a fast and a feast first a fast and then a feast fast from worldly things Labour not for the meate which perisheth feast vpon Heavenly things labour for the meate which endureth to lyfe everlasting c. Seeing this day of preparation is a fasting day J shall content me with the first part of my text reserving the rest vnto the day of the feast That wee may the better vnderstand this dayes text we
grace This much for clearing of diuers difficulties concerning sealing in the Scriptures Wee haue already heard how man is said to seale GOD his trueth how GOD is said to seale man both outwardly and inwardly In this my Text wee haue particularly to considder how GOD is said to Seale his Sonne CHRIST IESUS of whom it is said heere Him hath GOD the Father sealed The LORD IESUS as is well remarked by the excellent Divines hath beene sealed by the Father diuersely First hee may bee said to haue beene sealed by the Father because in him was the Character the ingrauen image of the Father his person that is as a learned Interpreter saith Persona quae personam pairis ad amussim refert Sicut imago cerae impressa ad amussim refert imaginem inâ—culptam sigillo The sense is this The person of the Father is like that image which is ingrauen into a seale of Siluer or Gold and the person of the Sonne is like that image in the waxe which is sealed by the seale of gold According to this CHRIST the second person of the Trinitie is said to bee sealed into an vnspeakeable manner by the Father because in him is the essentiall image of the Father Secondly CHRIST was sealed by GOD when hee was anointed with the oyle of grace and gladnesse aboue his fellowes GOD the Father at that anointing powred into CHRIST man his spirituall giftes and graces without measure All the treasures of grace were stored vp into him Wee all haue receiued of his fullnesse The fulnesse of GOD in him was a Seale whereby both in his Words and Workes hee was knowne to be more than man for as by his enemies confession never man spake as hee spake which was the worde Seale S. which his enemies could not denye hee did among them the workes which no other man could doe this was his worke Seale Thirdly GOD the Father sealed our Saviour when by his testimonie from Heaven hee declared to the world that hee was his beloued sonne in whom hee was well pleased The Sealing properly vnderstood heere as Beza thinketh denoteth two things first that GOD endowed him with such a verture whereof the like was in no other creature for in him the fulnesse of the Godhead and essentiall image of the Father did so visibly appeare that who sawe him did see the Father Secondly by the Sealing of CHRIST by the Father hee vnderstandeth a commission from the Father giuen vnto him for to come to the world and reconceale all repenting sinners to their GOD This opinion he hath from Cyrillus S. Chrysostome and Theophylactus referre this Sealing of the Sonne of man by the Father to the testimonies whereby the Father from Heaven declared him to bee his Sonne particularly in those words This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased This also wee must consider that the glorious workes of Christ wherein the infinite vertue of GOD did appeare were as a Seale declareing to the world that God the Father had appointed that man to bee the Saviour of the world Piscator interpreteth the word Sealed after this maner Obsignauit saith he est Metaphora sumpta ab ijs qui quos mittunt eorum authoritatem obsignato diplomate sanciunt that is sealing heere is a metaphore or forme of speach taken from these that confirme the authoritie of these whom they send by a sealed charter or patent * According to this the Father is said to haue sealed CHRIST when hee sent him with a confirmed authoritie to declare his will and to giue gifts vnto man on earth as who were â—ent with a Kings patent to any of his dominions for effectuating his Maiesties businesse So as one saith learnedly Obsignatio haec est approbatio vt ita dicam authentisatio That is this sealing of CHRIST is an approuing and alloweing of him by authoritie for to giue that meat which feedeth to euerlasting life The doctrine I obserue heere is a doctrine of comfort for all Christians Behold heere Christ our Saviour a sealed Sauiour a Saviour whom the King of Heaven hath sealed by giuing him full commission and power for to saue all wearied soules that will come vnto him The vse of this doctrine is that what ever wee want in this lyfe that is needfull either for soule or body let vs seeke it from him with all boldnesse in all confidence to receiue Behold him heere sealed for to assure the world that for this end hee is come downe to the world to giue life eternall to all these that will labour for it in seeking it from hâ—m by humble prayers * When the Egyptians were distressed by Famine they all ranne to Ioseph because they knewe that the King had giuen to him his ring and had sealed him for to guide the whole Land what they did to Ioseph let vs doe to IESVS whom the Father of Heaven the great KING of the whole world hath sealed and approued by words and workes by gifts and by graces without measure Let euery emptie Soule come vnto him and receiue of his fulnesse even grace for grace The LORD grant vs all this grace To our GOD Father Sonne and holy Ghost bee Glory and Maiestie Dominion and power for now and ever Amen DIVERSE PRAYERS FOR DIVERSE NECESSITIES OF THE SAINTS Non vox sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non clamans sed amans cantat in ore DEI. This haue I thus englished Not voice but wish not sounding harp but heart Not cryes but loue haue in GODS eare a part A NOTABLE PRAYER OF THAT FAITHFVLL SERVANT OF GOD M. IOHN BELL Minister of Glasgow which ordinarly hee vseth before Sermon WEE are heere assembled in thy presence O blessed Father according to thine owne commandement to seeke thy gratious face What are wee O Lord whom thou should admit to come into thy presence who not onely are dust and ashes but also that which is worse vncleane and sinnefull wretches vnworthy wee confesse to behold the Heaven farre lesse to offer and present our speaches and prayers to thee who art the GOD of HEAVEN Yet it hath pleased thee in mercie to graunt vnto vs this accesse and liberty that wee may come before the Throne of grace Holy Father teach our hearts with a religious feare and an humble reverence towards thy diuine Maiestie in whose sight and presence now we are Remoue from vs the impediments which are great and many and which suffer vs not to drawe so neere to thee our GOD as wee should as wee would Take from vs this vaile of darkenesse which still by nature covers the eyes of our minds Remoue the foolishnesse and the vanitie of our worldly prophane and wandring cogitiations as also that hardnesse and securitie that deadnesse and dulnesse of spirit that â—urketh in vs and that maketh thy holy word so oft powerlesse in