THE GUARD OF THE Tree of Life OR A Sacramentall Discourse SHEWING A Christians Priviledge in approaching to God in Ordinances Duty in his Sacramentall approaches Danger if hee do not sanctifie God in them By SAMUEL BOLTON Preacher to the Congregation of Saviours South-warke 1 Cor. 11.27 Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Verse 29. Hee eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for A. Kembe and are to be sold at his Shop at the Talbotgate in Southwark 1644. TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS The Godly and Well-affected of Saviours-Southwark Grace and Peace Beloved IT is now well-nigh four yeeres since I was removed from a loving a very loving people in the City and fixed among you the expresses of love which in this time I have received from you have put me on to think what way I might again manifest my ingagements to you And considering with my self the relation wherein I stand I could think of no better way of acknowledgement then to impart something spirituall to you and no better subject then this which is now presented to your view nor could I think of a better time then this for the doing of it when God in our blood shewes us what a fearfull thing it is to be guilty of the blood of his Sonne It is not unknown unto you how greatly this place above many others hath been guilty of the prophanation of this Ordinance of the Lords Supper God hath discovered it to us humbled us for it shewed us the necessity and graciously inclined your spirits to the desire of the reformation of it In reference to which through the countenance and assistance of you my brother Minister and my self have adventured to set upon the work being willing to put our selves to no little trouble if by that wee might prevent a great deal of sin In this work the searcher of hearts knowes we have had no other design then to express our Pastorall duties and declare our Pastorall affections towards your souls In short to serve you in love Probably we may meet with many obstacles in the carrying on this work Indeed it is that which is expected nay and that which wee reckoned on before we entred on it But if the work be Gods hee will either facilitate and make it easie for us or give us spirits proportionable to the greatness of it I say hee will either lessen the difficulties or heighten our spirits to conflict and incounter with them There are two sort of adversaries which we expect to meet withall some that will say we go too far and others who will blame us that we go no further To them that think we have gone too far I shall only say that we hope we have not gone beyond Gods bounds sure as God hath a purpose this Ordidinance should be continued so hee hath a care also that it should be fenced from prophanation in the continuance of it and when a better way shall be discovered to us wherein we may hold up the use of this Ordinance and yet fence it in the use of it from evident prophanation wee are ready to listen to it and be thankfull for it in the mean wee do not see it our duty to hold up the use of this Ordinance except there be some fence set up all former fences being insufficient and now broken down to keep this Ordinance from manifest prophanation unless you will say our Pastorall office doth in the exercise of it necessitate us to sin Much more might be said if wee saw it either requisite or convenient for an Epistle To those who blame us we go no further I must say our design hath bin rather to tempt on by going their pace then to discourage by over-driving our little ones I say it hath been our aim to cherish not to quench to draw out not to suppress the graces of our people and therefore have we desired to improve those graces which wee found though weak rather then to expect that which was not to be found Our present reformation it is not the measure of our will but of our power it is not the utmost wee desire but the utmost wee are able And though it may seem small to you yet despise not the day of small things though the house is not built yet wee rejoyce the first stone is laid and wee could not choose but bring it forth with shouting Grace Grace unto it and Glory Glory to the Lord. Babylon was not built in a day neither is Sion God carries on his works without us as he doth his works within us by degrees the greatest fire was at first a spark the tallest Oak at the first an Achorne the strongest Christian had his infancie and the greatest work of God its mean beginnings Would the corruption of former times have suffered our godly predecessours to have left the work in that forwardness to us in which through Gods blessing it may be left to them who shall succeed possibly nay probably the work might have been carryed on to a greater height then now it can That which is done wee desire to bless God for it and think it our duty to cherish with our utmost prayers and indeavours In relation to which these ensuing Sermons formerly preached are now printed to which work if they shall be any thing serviceable they have obtained the end of him Who is not unwilling to spend and be spent for you S. BOLTON A briefe Table of the maine things contained in the following Discourse THe Introduction into the Discourse and parts of the Text and explanation of the term pag 1 2 3 4. Doctr. 1. To have to do with an Ordinance of God is to draw neer to God p. 7. Use 1. Judge how much you are bound to God for Ordinances p. 10. 2. What cause to lament the sad condition of those that want them p. 11 12. 3. What a sin to disturb the Saints in the use of Ordinances p. 13. 4. See the ground the Saints so much taken with Ordinances p. ibid. 5. See what cause there is to keep our hearts in a holy frame p. 14. Use Exhort 1. To a conscionable use of Ordinances upon four grounds p. 20. to 25. 2. To conscionablness in the use of them upon three grounds p. 26 to 28. 2. To Exhort When ever you have to do with Ordiuances take Christ with you p. 30 The necessity of it 1. In regard of admission 2. Assistance 3. Acceptance pag. 31 32 33. Doct. 2. Those who have to do with God in an Ordinance must sanctifie God in it 34. 1. What it is to sanctifie God in an Ordinance 35. To which something is required 1 In the work 35. 2 The workman 1 In his head knowledge c. 36. 2 In his heart 36. 1. Holy affections 2. Sutable 37. 3. Excited 38. 2. How
this ordinance And this lies in two things 1. That you come with hearts habitually disposed which lies also in two things 1. To be brought out of a state of sin 1. the power 2. practise 3. love of all sin for Sin sets a distance between you and God in ordinances it pollutes an Ordinance it indisposeth you for acceptance in it 2. To be brought into a state of grace to have your natures changed not partially but universally spiritually not only to have new practices but new princples Old things past away and all things become new 2. This conscionablenes in the use of Ordinances it lies in this That you come with hearts actually disposed and that consists in two things 1. Examination 2. Excitation But of these I shall have occasion to speak larger in the following discourse There is yet another branch of the exhortation If so be that whoever hath to doe with any Ordinance of God hath to doe with God in it Oh then when ever you goe to have to doe with any Ordinance be sure you take Christ with you There is a necessitie of this 1. In regard of Admission 2. In regard of Assistance 3. In regard of Acceptance 1. In regard of Admission God is a consuming fire and we are but dried stubble there is no approaching of him but in Christ in whom we may have access with boldnesse to the throne of grace God will not look pleasingly on you if you come without Christ here is no throne of grace without him without Christ it is rather a Barre or Tribunall of justice then a Throne of Grace Ephes 12. Heb. 14.14 16. Heb. 10.12.23 It is Christ who makes that which was a Barre of justice a Bench of mercie In him we have admission You goe upon this Ordinance now but goe not in the strength of your preparations but in the strength of Christ Say Lord I come alone in the Merits of Christ to partake of the Merits of the Lord Jesus I come in the blood of Christ to partake of the blood of the Lord Jesus I have indevoured to prepare and fit my self through thy grace but I look not for admission through my preparations but through the blood and mediation of Christ 2. There is a necessitie of Christ in regard of Assistance You go upon Ordinances but you have no strength to do them without Christ who is sufficient for these things you might as well bee set to move Mountains as to undertake Ordinances without the strength of Christ without me you can doe nothing saith Christ Joh. 15. without Union with him without Communion with him from him we must have both opeperating and cooperating strength both inherent adsistent strength otherwise though you have grace yet you will not bee able to performe any worke nor exercise your owne graces It is hee that must work all our works in us and for us the inherent work of grace within us Quodà me requiris ipse donasti prius Chrysost and the required works of duty for us And blessed be that God who hath given to us what he requireth of us and hath not only made Precepts promises but made promises performances 3. There is a necessity of Christ in regard of acceptance Our works * Nihil ab homine exit quamvis perfecto quod non sit aliquae macula inquinatum Calvin they are not only impotent but impure too as they come from us It is Christ that must put validity to them and Christ that must put his own odours to them Christ must put both his spirit * MerituÌ„ meum miseratio Domini non sum planè meriti inops quandiu non fuerit ilâ—e inops miserationum Domine meminero justitiae tuae solius ipsa enim est mea c. Calv. Instit lib. 3. c. 120. Sect. 3. merit to them his Grace to work them and his blood to own them what ever comes from his Spirit is presented through his Spirit And here is a great comfort thou looks over thy performances and canst not see how ever God can accept them so much deadness so little life so much coldness God looks not on the works of the Saints In foro stricti juris but in foro Evangelii Eph. 1.6 But God looks upon them not as thine but as Christs in whom not only our persons but our performances are accepted Christ gives us his Spirit and Christ is willing to own what we present by his Spirit and God is willing to own what ever is presented to him by his Son Well then thou hast to do with the Ordinances of God by these thou draws neer to God but would you be admitted into the presence of God would you have God to hold out a golden Scepter to you would you have grace and assistance to perform the work would you have acceptance when the work is done Oh get Christ to go along with you And thus much for the first Doctrine which is an introduction to the 2d. That they who draw neer to God in any ordinaÌ„ce Doct. 2 must sanctifie God in it In prosecution of which wee shal do three things we wil shew 1. What it is to sanctifie God in an Ordinance 2. How we must sanctifie God in an Ordinance 3. Why we must sanctifie God in an ordinance And so to application 1. What it is to sanctifie God in an Ordinance To the sanctifying of God in an Ordinance there is something required 1. In the work 2. In the workman 1. The work and that is that it be an ordinance such a one as he himself hath instituted and set up otherwise wee cannot sanctifie God in it no more then the Papists in their blind devotions and superstitions These offer strange fire As God's Benediction doth not accompany any thing further then 't is an Ordinance of his so our sanctification of God extends no further then to his own ordinances which he himself hath set up ordained in other things we sanctifie him not we dishonor him 2. Something required in the workman To say nothing here of the main requisite which is that hee be in Christ for that we take hee be in Christ for that we take for granted to qualifie such a one to this ordinance and in such a one there is something required in his head somthing in his heart 1. In his head and that is first that hee conceive aright of God secondly and that he conceive aright of the ordinance 1. That he conceive aright of God that he hath a right knowledge of God right conceptions of God in his Nature in his Person in his Atitrbutes Son 2. Of his Ordinances 1. in the nature of them 2. the use of them 3. the fruit and benefit of them 2. Somthing in his heart and that First that hee bring holy affections to it every ordinance of God requires the affections to be imployed about it and not only affections but holy
necessity of our nourishment so is there necessity our nourishment should come from Christ he is the staff of nourishment Eo modo quo generamur nutrimur As in naturall life the same way we are begotten the same way we are nourished so in spirituall life Christ hee is the Breeder and so he is the Feeder of grace in us he is the Begetter and he is the Nourisher From Christ we have our graces he is the fountain from whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace in our regeneration and he is the nourishment of whose fulnesse wee receive * Gratiam gratiae accumulatam grace to grace in our sanctification Hence he is called the Bread of life not onely because he begets life in dead men but because he nourisheth and maintaineth life in living men He is panis spiritualis spirituall bread in the word to beget life and panis Sacramentalis bread in the Sacrament or Sacramentall bread to nourish and to maintain life begotten and hereafter he shall be panis aeternalis our daily bread in heaven to preserve us in holiness with happiness to all eternity And as there is a necessity of nourishment and nourishment by Christ so Christ for this end that we might be nourished hath set up this ordinance of the Sacrament for the nourishment of the Saints in grace for the strengthening our faith to which it hath a proper influence being the seale of the covenant and for the increasing our sorrow and repentance unto which it hath the like influence being the representation of Christ wounded broken bleeding for sinne who looks on Christ bleeding but his heart must bleed c. And so of the rest Christ is a full fountaine and unwilling to be a sealed fountain to you Gratia derivantur à Christo 1. Efficatia operationis 2. Beneficio intercessionis 3. Merito passionis 4. Virtute applicationis he is a treasury of grace and unwilling to be lockt up and therefore hath been so gracious as to set up an ordinance not only to be a seale but an instrument or conduit-pipe to convey grace to us from him the Fountaine of all grace which nourishment he doth convey unto us by vertue of our union and communion with him and application of him to us in these ordinances which though they be all secret wayes of conveyance of nourishment and under ground that the world cannot see yet there is reall nourishment brought down to the soul whereby the soul goes home in a better frame faith more increased affections more inlarged our love more inflamed our desires more quickened and yet more satisfied Quest But I know you will ask of me how faith is here to be exercised for the drawing down of life nourishment from Christ in this ordinance Answ For the answer of which in brief 1. Faith looks upon Christ as the treasury and common stock of grace in whom dwels all fulness Joh. 1.14.16 Joh. 3.34 Col. 1.19 Col. 2.3.9 all our fulnes faith looks on him as the universall principle of life and root of holiness God gave not him the Spirit in measure 2. Faith casts its eye on the promise for the conveyance of grace from him Ille est canalis gratiae ab illo nobis omnes rivuli derivantur Daven it sees a promise for derivation of grace from him to us Faith works virtute promissi by vertue of the promise where there is no promise there can be no faith and therefore faith discovers that there may be communion and participation with this fulness there are such promises made that of his fulness we shall receive grace for grace John 1.16 and Christ is made unto us Wisdome Righteousnes Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 and he came that we might have life and have it in abundance Joh. 10.10 3. Sacramenta ex similitudine repraesentant ex institutione significant ex virtute Christi sanctificant Aquin. Faith looks upon this ordinance as an Instrument a means which God hath set up for the conveying of life and nourishment from Christ Though God can do it without yet in God's ordinary way Ordinances are the means of the conveying of life from him to us 4. Now then faith being steeled by such considerations as these that there is a fulness in Christ that there is a promise of this fulnes to be made over to us and that the Sacrament is an Ordinance wherby God as by an Instrument will convey of this fulness of Christ to a poor soul faith goes over to Christ and by vertue of the Promise applying and feeding upon Christ draws down further life and nourishment from him to the soul As one said of the tree of Christ's ascension though the fruit were high and above our reach yet if wee touch him by the hand of faith and tongue of prayer all will fall down upon us So here if we can but touch him with the hand of faith though a palsie hand though a weak and trembling hand if we can but goe to him with a praying heart Christ can with-hold nothing from us And after this manner doth faith form a Prayer to him Lord thou knows I am weak in grace thou seest my faith is feeble my love cold my desires faint my obedience small but thou hast all fulness of grace thou art the Fountain and this Fountain is opened here thou art the Treasury and this Treasury is here unlock'd Those graces I have though weak thou begatst them and wilt not thou now nourish them From thee I had the being of grace and from thee I must have the nourishing Thou hast set up this Ordinance as a means to convey grace and thou hast promised to remember them that are in thy way Isa 64.5 therefore help c. Besides may faith say Lord thou hast been pleased to implant me into Christ and shall I die for want of nourishment thou hast made me a member of Christ and shall I decay and wither for want of influence Oh! never let it be said that a branch in Christ shall wither and decay for want of nourishment when there is so much in the root let it never be said that a member of Christ should wither and die for want of influence and life seeing there is so much in the Head Thou camest Joh. 10.10 that I might have life yea have it in abundance why Lord my graces are weak here are dying affections dying dispositions dying graces Oh! come down before I dye strengthen the things that are ready to dye in me Rev. 3.2 Thou hast raised me from the death of sin let me not again drop into the same grave thou hast wrought graces in mee let them not decay for want of life when such abundance in thee Thus doth Christ formed in the heart cry out for Christ nourishing in the Sacrament The work of grace is called a forming of Christ in the soul Gal. 4.9 and Christ doth but
that we might be healed scourged that we might be solaced drunk the cup of wrath a bitter cup to procure all our sweet draughts He was slain saith Daniel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.26 but not for himself he was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed Isa 53.5 8. 3. Consider them as effectus peccati as the effects of our sin as those things our sins brought upon him Solvere gelicidium and needs must this melt and thaw our Icie stony hearts Oh will the soul say it hath been I who have been the traytor the murtherer my sins which have been bloody instruments to slay the Lord of glory I have sinn'd Ezek. 18. thou suffer'd 't was I that did eat the sowre grapes yet thy teeth were set on edge I have been thy death yet thy death hath given mee life I have wounded thee yet thou hast healed me yea and even out of that wound my sins made thou sent a plaister to heal mee This consideration must needs fill the heart with sorrow Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and how shall this sight affect them why it follows they shall mourn and be in bitterness of soul as one in bitterness for their first-born They say if one man kill another and you bring the murtherer into the place where the slain person lies the dead will bleed afresh Wee are the murtherers of Christ and we come here to an Ordinance where Christ is represented in his blood as broken and wounded for our sins O! that our hearts might bleed as he bleeds afresh to us so that wee might bleed a fresh to him A Prince wil weep himself when the Page is whipped for him but how should the Page mourn when the Prince is scourged for him My brethren there is infinite more disproportion between Christ and us then between the Prince and the Page the Lord and the slave And how can we then look upon him as wounded scourged pierced for us not be affected with afflicted for our sin the cause of it Bernard saith * Sivis ipsum cognoscere sicut se fregit ita te frange If thou would be conformable to Christ in the Sacrament as thou beholdest a broken a bleeding Christ so labour to behold him w th a broken bleeding heart Look on him in this Ordinance as Mary looked upon him on the Cross when Simeon's Prophesie was fulfilled that a sword should pass through her soul Luke 2.35 for then indeed did a sword pass through her soul when she saw him pierced on the cross so when you see him pierced and broken in the Sacrament which is the lively representation of Christ broken Oh that then it might be as a spear to our hearts as a sword to our spirits that we by our sins have wounded and pierced him This is the second grace to be exercised in this Ordinance And beside these two there are many more to be exercised here viz. Our love to God our hungring and thirsting after Christ There is that in Christ represented to the eye of faith in this Sacrament that calls out for all the affections dispositions and desires in you You cannot see Christ here but it will make every grace within you stir every disposition within you to move every wheel go Who can see him but love him who is so exceeding lovely Who can see him but prize him who is so exceeding precious Who can see him but desire him who is so exceeding desireable Who can see him but delight in him who is the joy and delight of the soul You cannot possibly see him here but all the powers of the soul will be up 1. Your judgements to prize him your wills to choose him and make a new match with him your affections to love him embrace him delight in him And the clearer your sight is here of Christ by faith the more will your hearts be stirred your spirits moved Men that sit here as logs lumps of clay never stirred never taken up they see not Christ they see no higher then the table the Bread and Wine and therefore dead and sensless Oh! but if if one crevise of your hearts were opened to let in but one beam one glimpse of Christ it would set you all on a burning heavenly fire this would warm you indeed But besides these graces to be exercised there is required some demeanours in the soul in this Ordinance if we would sanctifie God in it 1. An humble and holy reverence which is the fruit of that dread and fear of God which is in the heart There is abundance of lightness looseness and vanity in the spirits of men by nature And the Majesty and dread of that great God with whom wee have to do in this Ordinance must consolidate and make our spirits weighty in these great Ordinances The Sacrament is called an Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grata beneficiorum recordatio it is a gratulatory service and God is fearfull in praises Exod. 15.11 which hath speciall respect to the affection wherewith you are to praise him 2. There is required a discharge dismission of all worldly thoughts and businesses When Abraham went up to the Mount to sacrifice he left his servants in the valley Thou art now to go up to the mount where God appears Oh! leave all your servile affections your worldly thoughts in the valley And if any enter do as Abraham did by the Birds that would have eaten up his sacrifice chase them away do by them as you do by straggling beggars give them their pass and send them away In the Temple though there was so much flesh for sacrifice yet there was not one Flie appeared stirring oh that it might be so with us this day that not one thought might arise upon our hearts unsutable to the place and work in hand It is a thing unbefitting these great imployments to have our hearts and thoughts taken up with other businesses what have you to do here with your shops your bags your chests What have you here to do with things of this world Quid proficit si meditationes tuae in lege Dei sint ipsae in se ipsis sine lege sint Bern. in Cant. Oh make not this place an Exchange a Shop for merchandize men are not able to do business in a crowd nor you so great a business as this in a crowd of thoughts But this is the misery you are servants and slaves to the world at other times and therefore the world will master you now If you pass over your hearts to the service of the world at other times the world will make you serve it now Because you have not spirituall hearts in your temporall employments therefore have you carnall hearts in your spirituall employments The lesse of the Sabbath in the
week the more you shall find of the week in the Sabbath The lesse spirituall you are in affairs of earth the more carnall you will bee in the employments of Heaven This is certain if the world once take your heart it will take your head also I say if ever the world leaven your hearts it will also poyson your heads it is a leaven diffuseth it self through the whole man And therefore as Christ said of the leaven of the Pharisees Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees h. e. hypocrisie for if once the heart be leaven'd with that it will soure the head if the Principles are unsound then are the purposes also and performances too c. So I say here beware of the leaven of worldly-mindednesse if ever you would sanctifie God in this ordinance Beware of that this will soure the soule and make all you doe to be carnall and fleshly I tell you if you be servants to the world at other times the world will coÌ„mand and master you now Thus much shall serve for the second generall Head What is required in the time for the sanctification of this ordinance We come to the third To the sanctifying God in an Ordinance is required somthing after And That now which is required afterward is That you labour to see the fruit of this ordinance to run downe through your lives Thou exercisedst faith labour to see thy heart more established in assurance of pardon See thy graces more strengthened thy corruptions more weakned I will name onely two things which are to follow the performance of this ordinance if ever you would sanctifie God in it 1. Thankfulnesse 2. Obedience 1. Gratiae nulluÌ„ certius signum quam gratiae Aug. Thankfulnesse Returne home now as thy heart full of the benefits of the Lord so thy heart full of praises to the Lord. Angels employments are most suteable to Angels food thou hast had Angels food and let thy heart returne Angels retribution praise and thanksgiving If God doe but feed your bodies there is none I hope such beasts as will not return the retribution of praises And will you be slow and backward to it when he hath fed your souls Shall we blesse God for a Crumb and not for a Christ Other mercies are but crumbs in comparison of this rich mercy and shall our hearts savour them so much not relish these * Divitiae dantur 1. Bonis ne putentur mala 2. Malis ne putentur bona 3. Multis ne putentur magnae Other mercies he gives to his enemies wicked men may run away w th the greatest portion of belly-blessings but these hee only bestowes on his friends and shall we be unthankful for them How ever carnall men are most taken with carnal things yet sure I am those who are spirituall as they are most apprehensive of spirituall wants so the greatest layings out of their spirits in thankfulnesse is for spirituall enjoyments What 's corne and wine c. to this This is a mercie in which all other mercies are folded up the summum genus of mercy the top-mercy Quid tibi sufficit si Christus non sufficit Christum habes â—mnia habes Omne bonuÌ„ aut ipse est aut ab ipso Aug. de doct Chri. God doth eminently contain al other comforts and therefore in the want of all he can cheere the heart Hah 3.7 So Christ doth eminently contain all other mercies and in the want of all Christ enjoyed is exceeding great reward Nay all mercies are not onely folded up in him and intail'd to him but he sweetens and sanctifies every mercie Let us then return home as full of the blessing from on high so full of praises to the most high Thankfulnesse is the great grace to bee exercised in and thankfulnesse is the great grace to be exercised after and therefore while the present sense of this mercie warmes your hearts let the heat of it burst forth into thankfulnesse towards God it is the most sutable service and the most sutable time to returne it The best time to have thanfulness in our hearts is when we can look there and finde the mercy for which we praise him also The best time for praises and thankfulness in our mouths is when wee have the blessing in our hands Well then all you who are right partakers of this Ordinance summon up your hearts to return thankfulness to God And let your thankfulness carry some proportion with the mercy The mercy is great do but measure it in all the dimensions of it how high how deep how broad a mercy pardoning purging mercy and how long even to all eternity And as the mercy is great so should be the praises The more a man's apprehensions are enwidened to conceive of the vastness and greatness of the mercy the more will the affections be inlarged to praise him for it There was never man that did know the preciousness of Christ and his own need of him in respect of pardon purging and his own unworthiness to partake of so glorious a mercy but had his heart mightily inlarged to praise God for it This is that then which God expects at your hands after he hath filled you with the blessing of Heaven that you should return praises to Heaven Though hee doth not reap where he doth not sow as that idle servant charged him yet where God sowes blessings hee expects to reap praises Where there is a flood of mercy hee looks for a stream of thankfulness Oh! then let us proportion our returns to our receits let us set up monuments of praise in our hearts and lives for this great mercy Say with David Psal 103. Bless the Lord ô my soul c. 2. The second thing required after this Ordinance is obedience and fruitfulnes That now for the time to come you should apply your hearts to walk more worthy of God unto all manner of pleasing 1. That we should have our hearts further set against sin 2. That we should have our hearts further strengthned to service 1. Get your hearts now further set against sin Oh! let your souls say Hath God been so gracious as to renew and confirm my pardon and shall I again dishonour him Hath hee wiped off my former scores and shall I run on afresh to offend him Hath hee taken off my former burthen and cast it on the back of his dear Son and shall I again lay more load upon him Hath he spoken peace to me in his Ordinance and shall I again return to folly No far be it from me I have washed my feet how shall I again defile them I have put off my coat how shal I again put it on saith the Christian soul Prophane men they do by their sins as the Serpent with his poyson lay it aside when they go to drink but afterward take it up Or as men do with a garment put it off at night but put it on in the
not a vile thing to hinder disturb the Saints in those things whereby they draw neer to God 1. Either by depriving them of Ordinances and robbing them of the means 2. Or by corrupting of the Ordinances to them that they cannot injoy them in that purity which God left them In the first the bread is taken from them In the second they give them poyson with their bread both these will have a sad day of reckoning 4. See what 's the reason the Saints are so much taken with Ordinances because they draw neer to God in them they look upon Ordinances as Bridges to give them a passage to God as Boats to convey them into the bosome of Christ Vehicula Spiritus as means to bring them into more intimate communion with their Father therfore are they so much taken w th them When they go to the Word they go as one goes to hear news of a friend when they go to pray they go to talk with a friend when to read they go to reade a letter from a friend when to receive they go to sup with a friend they look upon Ordinances as those things whereby they have to do with God and therfore are ordinances so precious Indeed to them who have to do with nothing but duty in duty but prayer in prayer but hearing in hearing to them the Ordinances are dead dry and spiritless things but they who have to do with God in duty they who have communion with God in Ordinances to them Ordinances are passing sweet and precicious 5. Judge what cause there is to keep our hearts in a spirituall and holy frame wee have often to do with Ordinances and when we have to do with Ordinances we have to do with God we draw neer to him And therefore what cause to get and keep our hearts in a holy temper that we may be ever fit to close with God in them and not have our hearts like bad servants to seek when we are to use them The Apostle bids us pray continually it is not meant that wee are ever to be upon our knees ever in actuall prayer but seeing we are to pray so frequently we are to get and keep our hearts in such an habituall frame and disposition that they may be ever fit to close with God when ever wee are called out upon the duty Were wee but seldom to have to do with God you might think there were no such need of keeping our hearts in frame but seeing we are to do with him daily who is so pure and holy a God Oh what manner of persons ought we to be How exactly should we walk Jerem. 7.9.10 Will you steal and murther and come and stand before mee in this house which is called by my name saith the Lord so will you walk loosly live vainly when you are to do with so holy a God every day Oh let every man that calls upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity Let every one that holds up praying duties keep his heart in a praying frame such a Christian is not worth a pin who is only good when he is on his knees who thinks it sufficient to snatch up affections to serve the turne of a duty and then to lay them aside as soone as the duty is over hee is a Christian indeed who prays on his feet as well as on his knees whose life is nothing else but a reall prayer that if you look into his heart there is all his desires ingraven his heart ever pants and breaths the same things he prayes and if you look into his life his life speaks the same language his lips do his life is a walking prayer many men are one upon their knees another upon their feet but he is the same hee walks with the same spirit the same affections the same desires and disposition hee is the same man It is something to pray more to pray as a Christian and more when you have prayed your prayers to live your prayers nay to live those affections those dispositions wherewith you prayed to live as high as prayer It is a shame to see how we slide out of duty into the world and out of the world into duty again as if we were two contrary men one upon our knees and another on our feet And therefore you shall see men to gather up some affections some dispositions before they enter on a duty and put themselves into another frame but lay them aside as soon as ever they have done these must only serve to act a praying part when that is done then lay them aside you have no more use of them you must put on another spirit to go into the world withall Christians you have often to do with Ordinances and had therefore need to keep your hearts in an Ordinance frame hee who keeps not close to God in practice shall never keep close to God in prayer distance in life breeds distance in duty And what need of keeping up praying affections what a shame to have our lives give our lips the lye our practice be a confutation of our prayers In our prayer to be warm in our practice cold up in duty down in life Oh learn to live as high as duty thou never prayest indeed till thy practice come up as high as thy prayers till thou loves confessions and art humble thou loves petitions and art thirsty and diligent for those things thou begs till a man may reade by thy life that thou art one who desirest those things which thou hast uttered with thy lips Let this frame of spirit be in your eye to aim at and in your life to indeavour after But I am too large I intended this doctrine only for the porch or entrance to the rest To draw therefore up to the conclusion of it I. If it be so that who ever hath to do with an Ordinance hath to do with God in it hee draws neer to God Let me then exhort you 1. To a conscionable use of Ordinances 2. To conscionablenesse in the use of them 1. Let me exhort you to a conscionable use of Ordinances Be more frequent in hearing in praying in receiving c. I might say something to this last viz. Receiving The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as wee eat this bread wee shew forth the Lord's death it implies a frequent use of the Ordinance more then once or twice a year or once a quarter Indeed the opportunities might be more frequent if it were not for the coldness and deadness of our hearts In the Primitive times of the Church while the blood of Christ was warm they had the Sacrament every day wee have an uncontradicted authority that they had it every Lord's day And as men grew colder so the distances grew greater Sure were it not for the coldness and deadness of our hearts it might almost be our daily bread at least wee might injoy a more frequent use of this
affections such affections as do arise from a holy heart there is the spring Unsound professours may sometime have some flashings in their devotions as you see Herod who heard John Baptist joyfully they may have some affections but 1. They are not holy affections 2. Not such as arise from a principle a spring within there 's no root 3. They are not orderly affections they break out before knowledge before faith 4. They are not constant affections but land-flouds for a time 5. They are not transforming affections such as change the heart and therefore such affections may be exercised yet they leave a man as they found him and such a man cannot sanctifie God in an Ordinance Secondly there must not only be holy affections but such as are sutable to the Ordinance Work in hand It is possible to have holy affections them stirred up in an ordinance and yet not sanctifie God in it because these are not sutable to the Ordinance Nihil ad rem nothing to the work in hand they sute not with the present ordinance that God hath called the soul out upon as I could shew you at large Thirdly there must not only be holy affections and sutable affections but those excited and stirred up A man may have holy affections and such as are sutable to an Ordinance as the Saints have in the frame of Grace and yet not sanctifie God in an Ordinance because not excited and stirred up * 1 Tim. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signif ignâ—m sopitum ignem cineribus conditum folle aut flatu suscitare ut reardescat Passer Stir up the gift of God in thee saith the Apostle to Timothy that is excite and blow up the gifts and graces of God in thee When you are to do with God you must stir up those affections and graces which are within you And this requires a matter of pains affections are not ever at hand nor ever at command a man hath not his heart under lock and key And therefore God in mercy considering and respecting our weakness hath graciously allotted a time of preparation before he call us forth upon the performance of an Ordinance that so we might get our affections up our hearts in tune Once indeed wee reade that men were called out upon an ordinance and were straitned with time to prepare themselves according to the preparation of the Sanctuary as in Hezekiah's time 2 Chron. 30.18.19 They had habituall preparation but wanted actuall and in that case the want of time God pardoned it but it was prayed for it was sought for and sought for earnestly But we read another time that God punished the want of this actuall preparation and stirring up their graces affections yea and punished it severely with the weaknesse sicknesse death of many of the Corinthians For this cause many are sick many are weak many are fallen asleep yet were they habitually prepared 1 Cor. 11.1 God takes it for a great dishonour to him that we should come slightly on so great a worke to which all the affections we have and all the affections we can stir up are little enough Wee had need call in for all the strength of grace nay all the succours in Christ and all the supplies and aids of the Spirit to the performance of it By this you may gather what it is to sanctifie God in an Ordinance 2. How must wee sanctifie God in an Ordinance To sanctify God in an ordinance there is required something 1. Antecedent 2. CoÌ„comitant 3. Subsequent 1. Somthing Antecedent or before 2. Somthing in the time 3. Afterwards These are generals which belong to every particular OrdinaÌ„ce as I could shew you at large In hearing the Word When you come to heare the word there is somthing required before as 1. Meditation into what place into whose presence about what businesse we goe 2. Examination of 1. our sins that here we might have them slain by the sword of the Spirit in the Ministery of the word 2. Our graces that here wee might have them strengthened and nourished by the spirituall food of our soules 3. Prayer for the Minister for the Congregation our selves that a blessing may be upon 2. In the time is required 1. Reverence 2. Attention 3. Submission of spirit and humility 4. Faith 3. Afterward Prayer again which must be the Alpha and Omega 2. Meditation 3. fruitfulness and obedience So for Prayer there is required Prayer 1. Before Meditation preparation 2. In the time faith fervencie humility * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex radic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinavit aciem disposuit sutablenesse of spirit inlarged desires 3. Afterward such a deportment and demeanour as is sutable to such who call upon God as to depart from sin to apply our hearts to obedience to expect the answer and return of our Prayers Psal 5.3 In the morning I will direct my prayer * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex radic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speculando expectavit hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speculator and look up There are two military words he would not only pray but marshall up his prayers put them in array and when he had done hee would be as a Spie upon a tower to see whether he prevailed whether he got the day But to passe these come to the Ordinance we are to enter upon the Sacrament Sacrament To sanctifie God in which there is required 1. somthing before 2. somthing in the time and 3. something after 1. Something before which may be laid down in these two heads 1. Habituall 2. Actuall 1. Habituall preparation which doth consist in the whole frame of grace and sanctification It is an ordinance onely for such who are sanctified we are to have 1. A saving knowledge of God of our selves 2. lively faith 3. a true repentance 4. love 5. hunger and thirst after Christ this is a feast and no comming without stomach 6. Thankfulnesse 2. Actuall preparation and that consists in the actuall stirring up and exciting of those graces which are in you There must be a new exciting of faith a new exercise of repentance the latitude and extent whereof is for all sin but especially for those sinnes which you have committed since the last time you renewed your covenant with God in this Ordinance So a stirring up of our love affections our desires hunger thirst This is required before which because it is so largely treated upon Mr. Dike on the Sacrament Mr. Downam by many learned and godly Divines I shall purposely wave any further treaty of it referring you in this point to what they have so largely written Passing this therefore we fall upon the second which hath not been so frequently taught 2. As there is something then required before viz. Habituall and actuall preparation so secondly there is something required in the time and that is the exercise of Graces and gracions dispositions
By the way then this may discover to us where the fault is when we return home our faith never the more strengthened our hearts never the more warm'd our graces never the more nourished our corruptiōs never the more weakned It is a shrewd sign faith did not play its part in the mount It is great suspition that your faith did succumbere in conatu did faile and sink in the encounter Faith was intrusted in this imploiment to goe over to Christ for these benefits and thy faith did faile in the undertaking therefore God suspends the bestowing of these benefits because thou suspendest thy faith A man may halt after his striving with God and yet overcome as Jacob did but when a man's spirit doth halt in striving with God when we doe not strive fully with God there is little hope of prevailing Well then if thou see not the fruit and benefit thou expected to come into thy soule in the use of this Ordinance charge thy faith with it and bewaile the weaknesse of it and for the future put it to its burden let it have its full and perfect worke and thou wilt then find the comfort and fruit of it Never did faith touch Christ in any Ordinance but vertue came from him But so much for the first Grace 2. 2d Grace to be exercised A second grace which is here to be exercised in the use of this Ordinance and requisite to the sanctification of God in it is Repentance The Sacraments they are the crucifixes of Christ in which Christ is represented as crucified afresh before our eyes the bread broken doth preach unto us the breaking of Christ The wine powred forth doth preach unto us the Blood of Christ poured forth for our sinnes And who is it that can with the eye of faith look upon a broken Christ but with a broken heart a wounded Christ but with a wounded spirit a bleeding Christ but with a bleeding soule God hath made in nature the same organ for seeing and weeping And in grace hee who sees clearly weeps throughly Lam. 3.5 The eye will affect the heart The Passeover under the Law was to be eaten with bitter herbs So Christ the true Passover is here to be eaten with bitternesse of soul as it was prophesied They shal look on him whom they have pierced and shall lament and mourne first seeing and then weeping c. Zach. 12.10 There is a twofold mourning 1. Historicall 2. Spirituall 1. Historicall mourning there is a naturall tendernesse in men and women whereby their hearts doe yearn and melt to heare the relation or behold the sight of some sad story Such a one as Augustine confesseth he had when he read the sad story of Dido and yet his heart was hard he could not mourn for sin Or such a one as they had whom Christ blamed in the Gospel who lamented the cruell usage of Christ out of naturall compassion only to whom he saith O daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me Homini non est necessarium ut Christū in ipsius passione deploret sed magis ut seipsum in Christo Of this the Father speaks It is not necessary you lament his passion so much as your sinnes which have caused his passion There is a kind of naturall tenderness in men and women wihch yet is often joyned with hardnesse of heart for sinne As an Historical faith with spirituall unbelief and an Historicall love with spiritual enmity so a natural tendernesse with spirituall hardnesse of heart for sin 2. There is a spirituall mourning which ariseth from spirituall grounds and causes and tends to spirituall ends A sorrow which is caused by faith looking upon heart-melting promises or taking up heart-breaking considerations or beholding a heart-softning object by which Faith doth draw waters out of the fountaines of the soul for sin as you have it 1 Sam. 7.6 they drew water as out of a well and poured it forth before the Lord. And this is that sorrow which is here to be exercised which will melt and mellow the heart and cause it to be more fruitfull in obedience Never doth the garden of graces better grow then after such a showre of repentant tears And therefore doth God preserve these springs in the soul to water the seeds of grace and make us more fruitfull which it surely doth when they are Sun-shine-showres such showres wherein the Sun appeares Christ is not hid from the eye of faith And my brethren here are many things in this ordinance which if but looked upon with the eye of faith will open all the springs of sorrow in the soule and call forth all the waters in him Bellarnine he layes down twelve considerations to provoke sorrow as the miseries of mankind by nature the sad condition of the souls in Purgatory and such like stuffe But we need not be beholding to him for such cōsiderations as these to occasion mourning Here is enough in the Sacrament presented to the eye of faith to open all the Springs thou hast and if thou had a fountaine of teares to spend them all for sinne We will name some particulars here which draw out mournings 1. Here is a discovery of the love and sweetnesse of God in giving his Son to die for us Joh. 3.16 So God loved the world c. enough to cause us to mourne that ever wee offended Oh that God should bee more tender to us then to his owne Sonne not spare his Sonne that he might spare us give him to die that we might live poure the curse upon him that the blessing might bee poured on us Quis temperet à lachrymis O how should this affect us Who can think of this and with-hold from teares 2. Here is presented to us the sufferings and breakings of Christ enough to break our hardest hearts 1. The sufferings of Christ in se in themselves as those upon his body what breakings what woundings what scourgings what crownings piercings did he endure in his body and those in his soule What conflicts and struglings did he undergoe with the wrath of God the terrors of death the powers of darknes Oh what weight what burden what wrath did hee undergoe when his soule was heavie unto death beset with terrors as the word signifies when he drank that bitter cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vndequaque tristis valde tristis Passor Supra modum dolens Scap. Obsitus terroribus Arist that cup mingled with curses which if Man or Angell had but sipt of it would have sunk them into hell Nay it made him who was God as well as man sanctified by the Spirit supported with the Deity comforted by Angels sweat such a sweat as never man sweat drops clods of blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tanquam grumi sanguinis as the word implies 2. Consider them in Causâ as the meriting cause of all our good the procurers of all our peace salvation c. He was wounded
which examination is more generall or more speciall 1. More generall of all our sins those before and those after our effectuall calling 2. Of our Graces 1. What knowledge of God 2. What faith 3. what repentance 4. what love 5. what hunger thirst c. 2. It is more speciall 1. how the soul hath carried it self under former Sacraments in particular since the last Sacrament what good it hath gotten what more strēgth of faith what more weakning of corruption what more increase of grace what more ability to serve God and what evil it hath done all which should be set on upon the soul with the many aggravations being sins against vowes promises against covenant which doth adde much guilt to sin and double the offence 2. The soul is to examine it self how it stands for present what aptness what fitness for the duty what Sacramentall sorrow what faith to close w th God in the present offer what fitness to joyn w th its fellow-members in holy cōmunion and love what hungring and thirsting after Christ in this Ordinance what spirituall appetite what present disposition of soul to renew bonds and covenants with God in this Ordinance Of these and the like are we to examine our selves that 's the first 2. There is required Excitation of our graces that wee stir up our faith our repentance our hunger and thirst c. 1. Our faith to close with a new offer of Christ 2. Our repentance to mourn afresh our hunger and thirst after Christ tendered here These are God's rules and if observed God is sanctified and that is the second 3. You may know whether you have sanctified God in this Ordinance if you examine whether you have observed God's ends Now God's ends are many viz. 1. to glorifie God 2. to get strength against our corruptions 3. to get increases for our graces But I shall only name one set down by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 Do this in remembrance of mee Christ did a great work for us and hee is desirous it may may not be forgotten He hath taken care it should be remembred both in heaven and in earth As he remembers it in heaven it being a part of his intercession for us there to represent his blood and sufferings before God As under the Law the Priest when he had offered the sacrifice was to go with the blood before the Altar and Mercy-seat and shew it to the Lord So Christ having offered himself a sacrifice presents his blood within the vail appearing in the presence of God to intercede for us And as hee hath taken care to remember it in heaven Heb. 9.24 so he hath taken care to keep it in remembrance on earth And therfore he hath set up this ordinance to shew forth his death to put us in mind of his sufferings chargeth us to do this in remembrance of him And when we observe this end truly rightly as wee ought then do we sanctifie God in this Ordinance I say truly and rightly for every remembrance will not serve the turn 1. It must be a cordiall and hearty remembrance wee must remember him with an affected heart in Religion * Quod cor non facit noa sit what the heart doth not is not done Many remember him in a bare historicall way to recount his sorrows and yet their heart not affected It is not enough to remember Christ in the head but you must remember him in the heart words of knowledge imply affection It must be cordiall 2. It must be a gratefull and thankefull remembrance and there is great cause it is the top-mercy that which purchased all for us Look on all coming swimming in a stream of blood See upon all your mercies ingraven The price of blood and you will see great cause to be thankfull 3. It must be a mourning bleeding remembrance So to look on him pierced as to be pierced on him wounded as to be wounded c. And indeed who can look upon Christ in blood who can behold what he hath suffered and conceive himself to be the actor of all this and yet the sharer in all the fruit and benefit for though we were actors of it yet hee put us not out of his Will and Testament he did not except against us in the partaking the fruit of it who can thus behold him but must weep over Christ as the old Prophet over the other alas my brother alas my brother so alas my CHRIST alas my CHRIST 4. It must be a crucifying remembrance such a remembrance of Christ crucified as crucifies our sinfull affections our lusts and corruptions as deals by sin Pro me Dei filius jugulatus iterum me peccare dilectat as sin hath dealt by Christ kills sin as sin hath killed Christ Oh! say shall I give life to that which hath been the death of Christ shall I cherish that hath killed Christ shall I take pleasure in that hath been so bitter to Christ shall I count that light which hath been so heavie to him shall I love and bosome the knife hath killed my husband Under the Law if an Ox goared a man the Ox was to die and shall sin kill Christ and shall it not die for it such a crucifying remembrance it must be as makes us take up weapons against sin And he that thus remembers Christ observes God's end and hee who observes God's ends doth sanctifie God in his Ordinance Well then would you know whether you have sanctified God in this Ordinance see if you have observed God's order God's rules God's ends before you come and so much for the first 2. Would you know whether you have sanctified God in this ordinance see if you have exercised God's graces in the time what those are and how to be exercised I have shewed at large 3. See whether you do return home w th God's quicknings with God's inlargements w th God's inablements are you more humble more serviceable Are you more thankfull Do you find corruptions weakned your graces strengthened Doth your indeavours afterward answer your care and conscience before Is your heart set further against sin Are the wayes of God more lovely to you Are your souls knit neerer to God your spirits more inflamed with love of him These are plain demonstrations that you have sanctified God in this ordinance and that God hath sanctified it to you But now on the contrary let me tell you 1. If thou hast broken God's order and method that thou hast come hither in a graceless Christless cōdition the soul never yet awakned to see sin and be humbled for it Thou knowst what sin is in the Catechisme but dost not know what sin is upon the conscience Thou canst tell mee what faith is in the book but art not acquainted with the working of it in thy soul and what repentance is but yet a stranger to it The day is yet to come wherein thou set thy self to mourn and