they will not learne their duety in this or any other part of Gods worship It must needs much affect the heart of any one that is Christianly disposed with sorrow indignation â—o see those that professe themselves the servants of Christ know as little of him as those that are his open enemis Barbarians and Turkes know the name of Christ and so doe these but for their duety in the worship and obedience they both know much alike This and more might be said were it not in this place where knowledge doth abound Neverthelesse to deale plainely let no man flatter himselfe nor another Let us bee well advised that none of us be ignorant amongst so plentifull so easie means of knowledge A great fault it is in any in us much greater who if wee bee not better than others are and therefore worse because we ought to be better Vbi sublimior praerogativa maior est culpa saith Salvian and hee gives a good reason of it because Praeter eam deformitatem quam vitium in se habit ipso sublimitatis nomine notatur Ignorance in matter of Religion is of it selfe a notable deformity in every one that calls himselfe Christian but in the learned their profession makes it much more visible and odious Those that be free from this fault are also free from touch of this reproofe but if any may iustly blame himselfe for being ignorant of this duety let me bespeak him in Salvians words Non à mea sibi hoc lingua dici aestimet sed á conscientia sua T is not I but his owne conscience that reproves him And let such a one carry hence this lesson to his study That he that 's ignorant must needs bee wicked even because he is ignorant nor is it possible but hee shall faile in his duety whatever he goe about For the Sacrament t is plaine an ignorant receiver is an unworthy receiver because as the Apostle speakes afterwards verse 29 Hee discerneth not the Lords body he knowes not what ends and uses are to be made of this holy Sacrament We must know that we now have no altars to the unknown God no worship of a knowne God in an unknowne manner wee must understand both whom and how we worship else our service of him is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasonable service as the Apostle would have it Rom. 12.1 but a blinde ayme and brutish devotion 2. The Superstitious who use the Sacrament quite in another fashion other intents than Christ ever appointed it In this kinde those of the Romish Church have intolerably perverted this holy Institution of Christ both Priest and People There 's scarce left any shadow at all of the first Institution all 's perverted and corrupted with fond and impious abuses Never was there any device more blasphemous and more ridiculous too than that abomination of the Masse Wherein wee have a Supper for the living turned into a sacrifice for quicke and dead a Minister into a sacrificing Priest a Table into an Altar Bread and Wine into very flesh bloud and bones eating of bread into devouring of a living man a cup of wine turned to a draught of mans bloud the remembrance of Christs death into adoration of the outward elements all the simplicity of Sacramentall Actions metamorphosed into strange gesticulations crouching ducking crossing over the bread the wine the Priest the people whispering murmuring washing shifting from place to place from this to that side dipping the bread in the wine mingling the wine with water lifting up the bread over the Priests head keeping it like a Bee in a boxe carrying in procession bringing it to sicke mens bed-sides to keepe thence evill spirits carrying it into the field in warre to defend from gunshot with a world of other ceremonies trinkets and fopperies deuised without any ground in Scripture or reason as may be seene in their bookes and practice By this meanes they have turned the Sacrament into a Stage-play or Masking shew where the poore people are spectators only understanding nothing at all but feeding their eyes by gazing upon the outside of empty ceremonies and idolatrous pompe It is a thing somewhat admirable to consider whence and how so great impiety should spring from so plaine an Institution as this of the Sacrament is and how in course of time it should so farre degenerate into such a strange mixture of foolery and iniquity but as in Gentilisme the divell having drawn men from the knowledge of one pure invisible God he easily puld them into infinite errors both to frame unto themselves many gods and to conceive most absurd opinions of them so here having once perverted the simplicity and sanctity of Christs institution he hath by degrees every age adding some new tricke or other brought it at last unto that Masse of Idolatrous abominations which Gentilisme it selfe couâ—d hardly equall and Christianity but that it sees now come to passe could never have suspected the possibility of it Wee are highly to praise Almighty God that hath delivered us and this whole land from so great a corruption and that we have the Sacraments celebrated in our Churches in that pure simplicity of substance and that reverend decency of ceremonies as is agreeable to Christ his first Institution Neverthelesse we ought yet to be admonished that even we take heed of superstition that in our secret thoughts we incline not too much unto that conceit of Opus operatum Let none think the the bare outward actions and elements are able to sanctifie him or that he is the better for them and the ground he treads on for that day that if he goe fasting he hath the more if having eaten before hee hath the lesse benefit or that even the very receiving of the elements is of great vertue to a sicke man I confesse t is so to him and all others if with a pure heart and faith unfained it be rightly received onely this would be looked unto that Protestants in profession be not Papists in some part in their opinion conceiving too highly of the outward worke taking little heed to the inward vertue Against the superstitious use of this and all other parts of Gods service let us remember that rule of Christ In vaine they worship mee teachiâ—g for dâ—ctrines mens traditions If Scribes and Pharisees Papist oâ— Protestant deprave Gods ordinances or make new of their owne teaching them for doctrines whereby and wherein to worship and please God Wee speake not now of lawfull ceremonies that touch not the substance of Gods worship in so doing they teach an error and worship God in vaine 3. The Vnreformed who haply know what belongs to the Sacrament and use it not with any superstitious conceit but yet they use it without any amendment and reformation of life This kinde of profanation is of all most to be feared amongst us where knowledge of the nature of the Sacrament takes away all superstitious opinion in the use
question Yea or Nay Whence it will be easie to give a true censure of our spirituall estate how matters goe with us in regard of grace or corruption This is in few words selfe-examination the necessity of which duety will appeare unto you by consideration of a double consequent that followes one upon the neglect the other upon the practice thereof 1. The neglect of this Christian duety breeds ignorance of a mans spirituall estate a fault very easie to be run into but be yee assured of very great danger to those that take no notice of it in themselves T is true that mans heart is deceitfull above all things and t is very difficult to know it thoroughly besides that love of sinne and selfe-love makes us unwilling to see our own foule corruptions or to enquire after such vertues and graces as we know the want of them would but grieve us and we suppose withall that if we had them they would be but a burthen to us Wherefore we are apt to cast a vaile upon our understanding and take up our rest in an ignorant perswasion that all is well with us because wee list not to know what wee want Which resolution how dangerous it is will soone appeare to any that can understand what mischiefes these are namely hardnesse of heart presumptuous boldnesse in sinning continuall danger to fall from bad to worse and a fearefull preparation for all future terrors There is no Milstone or Adamant so unyeelding to the stroke of the hammer as is that heart which hath once for all taken up this conclusion All is wel with me Counsel him admonish him threaten him out of the Word Lapidi dixeris in another sense he heares you not you may hold your selfe quiet hee is well and warme what doe you disquieting him Discover unto him the danger of such courses as hee followes that if he continue therein hee runnes upon his owne eternall ruine and destruction you move him not a jot except it be to choler in which for your courtesie he 'le returne such an answer as this Sir shift for your selfe care not for mee I trust to doe well enough for all that you say to the contrary and so hee goes on presumptuously till at last he perish in his great folly Besides such a carelesse regard of ones spirituall estate throwes a man every moment upon a thousand unexpected dangers Hee that knowes not how bad he is assuredly he cannot tell how bad he shall be We walke among snares and temptations are laid for us which way soever wee turne our selves about to prevent these there needs great wisedome and watchfulnesse hee that hath neither can hee hope to escape taking When the prudent are oftentimes caught what shall become of rash and heedlesse adventurers Surely experience tells us what is the issue of such wretchlesse and ill-advised men when God in his righteous judgement shall suffer them to fall upon some fearfull temptations that fit their secret but to themselves unknowne corruptions they take fire at the first stroake and breake out into those vile impieties when even themselves aforetime could not thinke of without detestation But yet there 's a misery worse than all this when once God shall awake such a sleepy conscience and teare off that covering wherewith sloath and security had â—â—uffled and over-spread it When by some notable judgment fallen on a man God shall quicken in him the remembrance of his former iniquities or when sicknesse shall seaze on him summoning him to death and death to judgement when hee shall see his sinnes set in order before him and large rolles of inditement written against him within and without full of sinnes and woes thinke you not that a man hath then rewarded evill unto his soule by plunging himselfe into those perplexities which watchfulnesse in time would have prevented Oh what a maze is such a man in who hath so many reckonings to be made up when new and old must be reckoned for at once when so many thousand thousand debts are to be cleared whereof there is not so much as one poore farthing discharged Had it not beene wisedome to have lookt into these things betimes againe and againe to have set all reckonings to right to have gotten the debt-booke crossed the obligation cancelled and a discharge sealed up unto our consciences in the bloud of Iesus Christ This had beene a safe course and not like desperate Bankrouts to let all things runne at adventure Then might one have rejoyced in sicknesse and triumpht in death being delivered from all those terrors which utterly overwhelme those carelesse persons who in their dayes of peace and health never remembred God or themselves This and more also if more can be is the danger of this duetie of examination neglected the benefit that comes by the 2. Practice of it is on the contrary a distinct and cleare knowledge of our spirituall estate By this proofe and examination of our selves we shall know plainly whether we be in the Faith whether Christ be in us yea or no whether we be dead in sinne or alive to righteousnesse wee shall see what graces we have what we want what corruption we have overcome what doe yet overcome us what godly duties we practise what we omit where wee doe well where wee faile This will discover unto the whole temper of our soules what evil affection is strongest in us in what thing we are aptest to sinne that so wee may be the more â—eedfull to prevent a danger againe what graces are weakest in us what most usefull for us that so we may get these and strengthen those This particular distinct knowledge of our selves will bring forth these three blessed effects 1. Wakefulnesse and tendernesse of Conscience Hee that is thoroughly acquainted with the state of his body thaâ— knowes what dish is hurtfull what healthfull to him he tâ—at hath found what the danger of a surfeit is will be you may be sure wary of his diet and course of living Nature learnes us this care over a crazie body and grace will teach as much watchfulnesse over a sinfull soule Hee that hath taken thorough notice of the great distempers of his heart how quickly enticed by every temptation to practise any evill to neglect any good duties Hee that hath found how ougly and fearefull the face of sinne is when it is presented in its true shape stripped of all its lying pleasures or profits and accompanied onely with Gods hatred and curse He that hath found what it is to venter upon sinne with the losse of Gods favour the joy of the holy Ghost the peace and sweetest repose of a good conscience blame him not my Brethren if hee be affraid of sinne Doe not censure him for foolishly precise if hee often aske and inquire and doubt in many particulars of his practice not daring to hazzard himselfe where haply hee sees others goe on confidently Nay blessed is this tempter of the heart
if that of Salomon be true Blessed is hee that feareth alwayes By how much more odious is the sinne of those who in their hearts despise this tendernesse of conscience and with their tongues raile revile and curse it deeming it the signe of a silly effeminate mind to be affraid of any sinne especially of small offences But ever let those that beare the faces of men and name of Christians detest such impiety that tramples under foote with scorne and disdaine the most precious comfort of a Christians soule a Good Conscience Those men will then see their errour when God shall coole the heate of their high bloud and rebete the edge of their furious resolutions by casting them upon their beds of affliction and scourging them with the rod of his indignation Then they will confesse that a good conscience softned by grace and purged by the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ from the guilt of sinne is more worth than millions of those unlawfull pleasures wherein only they sometimes thought true contentment was to be found 2. Humility He that shall often looke his face in the glasse of the Law of Liberty which will not make him one jot fairer or fouler than he is but truly discover unto him all his deformities such a one will not be forward to fall in love with his owne beauty When he sits downe to try himselfe by this Law he findes therein all perfection of holinesse commanded but not the thousand part of this holinesse and goodnesse in himselfe He reades in the Law large Catalogues of sinnes forbidden upon paine of Gods eternall displeasure and in his owne conscience hee finds the guilt of all or most of those transgressions When he scans his best workes hee findes they fall farre short of that faith zeale sincerity and perfect charity wherein they ought to have beene performed This examination lets him see that he hath little whereof to be proud now what evâ—â— others may thinke of him he knowes so much evill and so little good by himselfe that hee cannot thinke highly and honourably of himselfe Let him be despised reviled reproched as base and vile it is no corasive to him for why he abhorres himselfe more than another can despise him and is more vile in his owne esteem than he can be in anothers reproaches Thus when he looks on his graces he sees Gods glory when on his sins his owne shame which breeds in him all humble affections of thankfulnesse to God that of bad hath made him good and carefulnesse in himselfe that of good hee may become much better 3. True Peace and Comfort in life and death Often reckoning saith the Proverbe makes long friends T is never truer than in this matter Hee that often cals himselfe to a strict account judging himselfe for his transgressions weeping over them in godly sorrow never ceasing till pardon be obtained this man alone possesseth his heart in peace and comfort Hee knowes God is at peace with him and therefore nothing can pâ—t him to much feare or trouble which makes him with much quietnesse and resolution expect the approach of all adversity of sicknesse of death of judgement Again wheras the joy of a mans heart in this life is that hee shall be saved in the life to come this can never bee sound where no examination is had upon what reasons and certaine grounds this hope is built Many have fel short of that they looked after because they expected heaven when it did not belong to them A severe triall of our selves will prevent this error and give exact notice of the truth of such graces which God hath given us as pledges of future glory that so shall our reâ—oycing in the hope of salvation be full and perfect Lastly our joâ— and peace will be by this means consâ—ant whilest through frequent examination of our hearts and watchfulnesse over our wayes wee shall prevent many sinnes that would wound our consciences and pierce our hearts thorow with many sorrowes Vse You see the duety but all this is nothing worth the knowing unlesse you will practise it The practice I confesse is hard men being loth to see that by themselves which they like not and Satan as loth men should do that which he knowes would doe them good For man t is impossible to him to perswade the heart but oh thou that Blessed Spirit of Grace which speakest to the heart of the unwilling to make them willing to every good work perswade your hearts and mine to the serious practice of this most Christian duety My beloved Brethren I cannot but be earnest in this matter because who can but see and bewaile the backwardnesse and generall neglect of us all in this point T is a shame to see the carelesnesse of most that seeke to know all things but themselves They enquire after all without them nothing within them Their mindes are as ill set as their eyes they can turne neither of them inward Speake I this of the unlearned or of the learned also I would I did not of these But t is no breach of charity to say that there are many among us who know the Histories of a thousand yeares past that yet cannot tell you the particulars of their owne lives men well acquainted with the mysteries of Arts Nature but utterly ignorant of the secrets of their owne soules How many are there amongst us that can say with David Psal. 119.59 I have thought on my waies and turned my feete unto thy testimonies Nay we have a thousand matters to thinke on all the day long the night too the weeke the yeare but who sits downe and thinkes on himselfe questioning thus with his owne heart What am I What doe I How live I Such a course I follow is it good and lawfull Such things I doe not are they my duety yea or no Is God my friend Am I his What hope have I of heaven Say I dye to morrow to day this very houre where 's my assurance I shall bee saved What Apology can I make against the accusations of Satan and my conscience Will Christ be mine Advocate when I shall stand in judgement Doe I grow in grace or doe I decay Doth my Faith my Love my Obedience my Knowledge increase or decrease Am I better this yeare than I was last What sinnes have I conquered now that held mee in combate then What graces have I obtained now that I had not then Do we thus commune with our owne hearts upon our beds or in our studies Surely when God lookes downe from heaven upon us in our severall imployments taking notice of our busie imaginations and enquiries may not hee say to us as hee spake by Ieremy to the Iewes Ier. 8 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell Yea this inquirie What have wee
as it is vers 12. Worthy is the Lambe that was slaine to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Yea for a full consort let us with every creature in heaven in earth under the earth and in the sea sing as it is in verse 13. Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever And so much also of the third grace the last followes which is 4. Love unto Christ in a holy affection of the soule carrying us with full desire to the enioying of him making us to preferre our communion with him before all things that in this world may challenge our dearest respect All those motives that stir up to Thankfulnesse provoke also unto Love the smalnes of our desert the greatnesse of the benefit the gloriousnes of the person al are here in a singular degree and for them Christ deserves our Love in the highest degree that we can possibly shew it in Hence the Church in the Canticles can find no names so fit whereby to call her Spouse Christ Iesus as these Him whom her soule loveth her Beloved and her well beloved It s admirable what pleasures she takes in describing and talking of his rare excellencies here 's her full contentment and the height of her ioy and peace that shee is able to say My welbeloved is mine and I am his Certainely my Brethren were our hearts truly spirituall had our soules tasted how good the Lord Iesus hath beene unto us were our eyes opened to see him at the right hand of God clothed with all beauties of holinesse glory and majesty it could not be but that our sinnes our pleasures all the pompe of this world would be most vile and despicable in our esteeme and nothing but Christ would appeare worthy of our Love Delight and Admiration These are those heavenly graces of chiefe marke that receive life and strength from the death of Christ remembred in this Sacrament And the effect of them all is our obedience in life and conversation that wee should serve him faithfully that hath bought us at so deare a price This is the trial of the truth of all those forenamed graces when our faith works by Love our Repentance is approved by reformation our Thankfulnesse and Love shewne in keeping of his Commandements This is also the end of the death of Christ who hath redeemed us from our vain conversation wherein wee lived in the lusts of the flesh that henceforth wee should live unto him who hath delivered us from the feare of our enemies that wee should serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse all our dayes And thus you see what it is rightly to remember Christ crucified and to shew forth the Lords death in the use of this holy Sacrament even to remember him with beleeving with penitent with thankfull with loving with obedient harts Not to remember him in this sort is to forget hâ—m not to know the vertue of his death in this manner is to bee ignorant of Christ crucified An excellent knowledge but of all most difficult to be put in practice T is an easie thing to turn the story into a tragedy to make a Scenicall representation of the death of Christ as the Papists use to doe on good-Friday or to compile a curious declamation of this subject as Popish Postillers and Preachers doe in their Lenton Sermons I discommend not eloquence in so excellent a subject words cannot be better bestowed than here yet there is an error to be feared lest the tongue onely be imployed where the heart chiefly should bee busied and there is danger also lest such high discourses prove not unlike those of Tragedians made more to breed admiration of the Poet than attention and observation of the fact Thus much I may safely say that the meditation of the death of Christ requires not so much strength of wit and invention as the exercise of all holy and zealous affections of the soule to the increase of pietie and obedience There cannot bee a greater incongruitie than to discourse of so holy a subject with an unhallowed heart to amplifie the indignity of Christs passion and yet not bee moved at all to remorse of conscience for sinne to rayle on Iudas and the Iewes and yet sweare by Christ to descant upon his Bloud and Wounds in passionate discourse and yeâ— to teare these and trample upon that inexecrable blasphemies to talke of Christ and yet not to live as a Christian to relate to others the story of his crucifying by the Iewes and in the meane while by obstinate impiety and prophanenesse to crucifie him againe unto himselfe This is far from being a Preacher and a follower of Christ to such let mee speake in Salvians words a little altered Christum legunt impudici sunt Christum audiunt inebriantâ—r Christum sequuntur rapiunt haec ergo etiam nos qui Christiani dicimur facimus What might one of Mahomeds disciples here say Ecce quales sunt qui Christum câ—lunt see the servants of the crucified God see them luxurious profane intemperate blasphemers scorners of Religion it must needs be wil he then say they haue a bad master that are such evill seruants Si enim bona discerent boni essent and Sancta à Christianis fierent si Christus sancta docuisset Thus whilst some profâ—sse themselves Christians they are a reproach unto Christ a disgrace of the Gospell and shame of all Religion Wherefore I beseech you perswade your selves of this that you never know Christ crucified aright till your hearts can bleed in sorrow for sinne as his bled for satisfaction till your Faith embrace him your soules rejoyce in him your love bee fixed on him till his death have caused the death of sinne in you till then know that you are but ignorant in this great mysterie of Christs sufferings And now you are to goe unto the Sacrament take time and care to thinke of these things so may you goe with comfort and depart thence with profit unto your soules The Apostle after hee hath declared the true institution of the Sacrament and the right end to bee observed in the celebration of it namely The perpetuall commemoration of Christs death in the words before spoken of hee goes forward in the next place to shew the great danger that men run into by perverting this holy institution and abusing of it to wrong ends purposes They commit a great sinne which drawes upon them great judgements both temporall and eternall unlesse by diligent examination of themselves the sinne be prevented and the punishment removed This the Apostle doth from the 27. vers unto the 33. verse The resolution of which words is in briefe thus They containe 1. The sinne of unworthy receiving vers 27. 2. The meanes to avoide this sinne which is due examination of ones selfe before the Sacrament vers 28. 3.
hâ—s friends they honour God and would not for a world robbe him of his glory t is not the creature but him they worship in the creature their piety is so great towards him that willingly they would alwayes have him in their mindes and what better than an image to put them in remembrance They desire much to have their weaknesse helped and a lively picture is a singular matter to stirre up devotion besides their reverence of this majesty is so much that in very modesty they will not presume into his presence but by meditation of a Saint or Angell and he that honors Gods friend doth not they hope dishonour God Thus plead they of the Romish Church and the like pretences had the ancient Idolaters among the Gentiles and Iewes thinking verily that in thus doing they had demonstrated much love towards God But doth God take it so no in his wrath and jealousie he will punish them and their posterity as haters of him for did they love him they would have kept his commandement as it is ver 6. worshipping him as himselfe had prescribed not as themselves listed And this hatred which Idolaters beare towards God is most manifest when at any time God shal send his Prophets and Ministers to charge them with his commandement and require them upon their allegiance to forsake such their courses then doth the malice and bitternesse of their hearts breake forth outragiously in all despitefull contempt and cruell usage of the Lords messengers as all the stories of the Scripture doe testifie Againe there 's no doubt but the Scribes and Pharisees thought that Christ used them very hardly and uncharitably when he told them that they allowed the deedes of their forefathers in murdering the holy Prophets of the Lord Christ if he would might see well enough that they were no such men nor so bloudy minded their doings testifie the high opinion they have of the Prophets for they build the tombes of the Prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous let their owne words be witnesse of their dislike they have of such foule facts If we say they had beene in their dayes of our fathers we would not have beene partners with them in the bloud of the Prophets No would not then t is likely a Prophet shall finde honourable entertainement among the Scribes and Pharisees if he live in their daies Now see t is a Prophet that speakes unto them that great and only Prophet whereof all others spake namely the Messias if they honour any they le sure honour him Nothing lesse the very same murderous minde their fathers bare towards the old Prophets the same doe these their children carry toward this Prince of Prophets witnesse that of Christ Ioh. 8.40 Now yee goe about to kill mee a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard from God And as much kindnesse would these men have shewed to any of the Prophets had they been then living and as eager in rebuking those vices for which Christ taxed those times Wherefore Christ knowing the ungracious temper of their hearts full of all hypocrisie and wickednesse iustly pronounceth them guiltie of their fathers fault and tells them in plaine termes that the bloud of all the Prophets shed from the foundation of the world shall bee required of that generation as you may read Luk. 11.47 seq Againe should these Pharisees and other Iewes who crucified Christ have beene told before hand how vilely and maliciously they would use the long expected Messias whom they so much honoured and desired after with what indignation thinke you would they have defied him that should thus have called their loyalty in question Wel Christ is come amongst them do they receive him lovingly No now their hote love to the Messias is turned to hatred and despight they vilifie him by base reproaches and conspire against him by all meanes possible What 's now the cause of this did not Christ manifest himselfe even unto their consciences what he was Yes but here 's that marres all 't was another manner of Messias that they lookt for a magnificent King under whom they might domineere over all the world live in state and enioy their pleasures such a one they expected such a one they lov'd as for Christ he was a poore man in shew and little hope they saw of great matters by him besides he was as they thought too too eager in reforming the monstrous abuses of the Iewish Church he was as Malachy prophesied of him like a purging fire and like Fullers sâ—pe sitting himselfe dâ—wn to trie and refine the silver yea even to purifie the sonnes of Levi and to purge them as gold and silver that he might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse Mal. 3.2.3 He fals foule upon the ambition covetousnes hypocrisie other great enormities of the Pharisees Scribes and chiefe Rulers he spares none but freely reproves every offendor and smites at every corruption with that sharp two edged sword which goeth out of his mouth This enrageth the corrupt mindes of the Iewes and quite dasheth all their imaginary love and respect which they seemed to beare to the Messias the honourable and good affection which they had conceived towards his person is turned into the very gall of bitternesse when once his person appeares accompanied with such circumstances and quallities as are utterly distastefull to â—heir false opinions and corrupt affections So that now as the Prophet Malachy had foretold so it falls out Who may abide the day of his comming and who may endure when he appeareth Mal. 3.2 These Iewes could not abide it with any patience nor can any whose harts are like unto theirs Now the cause of all this why men indeed may hate that good they seeme to love is from that perpetuall enmity which is betweene the flesh and the spirit corruption and grace A bad man that 's unregenerate may for some respects professe much love and liking of the Gospell and of Religion and hee may for the present speake as hee thinkes but in the meane while he is not aware that still there remaines in him a roote of bitternesse deeply fastned in his nature which till it be plucked up makes all religion distastefull to him There 's in him an habituall corrupt temper of his heart that stands utterly opposite to God and Goodnesse and let it bee but once stirred by the preaching and application of the Word you shall see presently thâ—t the man who made shew of much love and affection to Christ and his Gospell now boyles in fierce rage and inward malice against them his heart swels with very scorne and disdaine to be brought in obedience under the commands of the Word and now he testifies to all the world that he cares not a button for God for Christ for Prophet for Apostle for Minister for all or any of them they are none of his friends that will crosse him thus in his
done seemes only to be wanting among so many questions as are every day scanned by us Hence it comes that most of us when we are brought to the triall and required by others or our owne consciences to answer distinctly touching the estate of oâ—r soules in matters betweene God and us we shuffle and shift it off with an I thinke so I hope well I perswade my selfe all shall bee well I shall doe as well as men of my ranke but in the meane time all these hopes and good opinions goe upon no cleare and certain grounds at all Me thinkes that admonition of the Apostle Heb. 3.12 should shake us out of this lazie humour Take heede Brethren lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the liuing God Locke to it a man may bee starke naught and yet thinke himselfe good it stands us in hand to goe upon sure proofe in so weighty a businesse and not upon blinde surmises and groundlesse presumptions Here therefore let me exhort you to observe two directions 1. To take all opportunities that shall bee offered us for the exercise of this duty We are not at all times alike disposed to this there are speciall occasions that fit us for it Many times one sad accident or other turnes home our thoughts to our selves and makes us see what we are in other men The losse of a deare friend the sound of a passing-bell the sight of a dying man hath a strange vertue many times to compose a disordered heart putting it into an excellent calmenesse to attend any religious imployment Sometimes a Sermon hath set us to rights and sent us home quickned with much holy affection more than ordinary Sometimes vacation from all businesse lends many a silent and still houre Sometimes a fit of naturall melancholy and pensivenesse makes us apt for inbred speculation Sometimes a wakefull bed calls upon us to examine our hearts Many such occasions God offers if wee were wise to see them and willing to make use of them Much were gained in this and all other Christian practices by the observation of such seasonable opportunities if our folly and sloath did not robbe us of so great a benefit 2. If opportunities will not bee had of their owne offering then make some Spare an houre in a weeke or a day in a moneth for this businesse Certainly t is strange how we post over the time of this our short pilgrimage wee eate away one part sleepe away another idle away a third and of the remainder God hath by farre the least part Doe we spend two houres of foure and twenty in religious services Nay one were a faire allowance with most of us What shall we say Is not heaven worth the having or may a man so easily get thither or must God give it us when we seeke not after it Let them blush for shame of their intolerable carelesnesse who have so much or so little to doe that they never could spare day or houre for these meditations to set themselves of purpose upon a thorough examination of their owne hearts and lives T is singular profanenesse for a man that hâ—th a God to serve a Soule to save a Heaven to hope for a Hell to feare Sinnes to be avoyded Graces to be gotten yet not to find an houre spare to thinke of these weighty affaires Tell mee not thou hast a calling a study many businesses that require thy presence and diligence and thou canst not intend all Intend thou the chiefest and that 's Religion Diligence in a calling knowledge of arts skill of languages in a word Learning will never bring a man to heaven t is Religion must doe that That is good in its time and place this only absolutely necessary When love of learning and preferments tell thee t is needfull thou bee a schollar let love to God and thy soule make answer t is more needfull thou be a Christan care for that but not before this Moreover know this that convenient seasons wisely chosen and spared from civill imployments unto religious exercises never hinder but blesse all other our affaires And perswade thy selfe now of this truth which one day thou shalt not chuse but acknowledge That those daies and houres which are speâ—t in prayer in fasting in examination of thy heart and such other exercises of repentance will bring thee more true peace and comfort upon thy death â—ed than all other times of thy life besides Wherefore be wise and redeeme the season and thou that in thy busiest employments canst every weeks every day finde a spare houre for to talke with a friend to sport to doe nothing to doe evill save this waste and turne it to a better use and let God have that small part who deserves all Beloved let me heartily intreate you to reserve to your selves sometime for these purposes I will stint no man and I thinke I shall over-burden none If I should perswade each one to set apart from all businesse an houre or twaine in a week a day in a moneth for this spiritual exercise Our great negligence gives occasion of despairing that we shall never equall those rare patternes of holinesse which this and other ages have commended unto us who thought it no wearinesse every night to scan the actions of the day every weeke moneth and yeare to make survâ—y of what had been done in that time Their industry was blessed and they enioyed the fruits thereof in al abundant increase of graces and comforts and the world cannot but acknowledge it Let us follow them though wee cannot overtake them and wee also according to our endeavour may expect a blessing too in all increase of grace and peace unto our soules Thus of this duety in generall as fitting to bee used by a Christian at all convenient occasions let us come to consider of it as it is a speciall preparation before the receiving of the Sacrament when by no meanes it ought to bee neglected Whosoever will eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup must first examine himselfe This 1. Excludes from the Sacrament all such as thorough naturall or casuall impotency are not able to examine themsels as Children Fooles Madmen 2. The necessity of this practice leades us to enquire wherein this examination doth consist that every one may know how to discharge himselfe therein In generall the summe of this triall is Whether we come worthily to the Sacrament or no. Now to make us fit and worthy partakers of the Sacrament there are required in us as heretofore hath been shewed divers spirituall grace whereof whosoever is destitute he certainly profanes this holy ordinance and by unworthy receiving makes himselfe guiltie of the Death of Iesus Christ. Wherefore wee must know what those graces are and whether they be in us in truth yea or no. There are chiefly these Graces required in a worthy receiver Faith Repentance Charity touching which wee are to enquire after
discerning aright of Gods iudgements and the course of his government over all humane affaires Wherefore that man may see his error in this point God hath beene pleased by revelation from heaven to make knowne unto him the chiefe cause of such calamities as come upon States and Kingdomes professing true Religion For which purpose God raised up Prophets from time to time to put the Iewes in remenbrance of that which otherwise they would not have thought of viz. that for their abominable corruptions in Gods worship and other sinnes proceeding thence they were thus plagued These men cryed out loud enough to be heard saying as it is 2 King 17.13 Turne from your evill waies and keepe my commandements and my statutes But then as now the poore Prophets preached to little purpose they might talke till they were weary few men regarded what they said Wherefore God hath caused their Sermoâ—s and the Stories of their times to be recorded in everlasting monumenâ—s that all ages of the world may take notice of the true cause of Gods iudgements Wherein wee see that God le ts passe as scarce worth the naming all civill considerations and brings all the prosperity or adversity of Church or State unto this head viz. the Neglect or Regard had unto Religion and Iustice. The children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord they served Baal and the gods of the Nations they forsooke the Lord they walked not in his statutes these be the reasons for which matters goe ill with them as we may finde it at large expressed Iudg. 2. 2. King 17. 2. Chron. 36. Yea in this matter God gave unto them a generall rule whereby to rectifie their iudgement and ours in the like case in the 29. of Deut. Where Moses tells them that when their posterity or the stranger from a far land should see the plagues of the Iewes countrey and the diseases thereof where with the Lord should smite it they would aske after the reason of it and say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto his land what meaneth the heate of this great anger The answer followes Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which hee made with them when hee brought them forth out of the land of Egypt For they went and served other gods and worshipped them gods whom they knew not and whom hee had not given unto them And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this booke vers 14 15 16 17. According to this observation wee may judge of the state of the Christian Church ruinated in the East by Saracens and Turkes over-run in the West by Goths Vandals and other Northren nations then when pure Religion was corrupted by Sects and Heresies by superstitious abuses brought into the worship of God especially into the Sacrament more and more polluted by abominable vanitiâ—s by pride and contention among the Bishops by neglâ—gence in the inferiour Clergie by turâ—ing Religion into regular hypocrisie each one serving God after the statutes of Ahab and decrees of the house of Omâ—i I meane after the rule of his new devised order but not according to that rule prescribed in the Word whereby alone all must walke that looke for peace upon themselves and the Israell of God When thus by superstition profanenesse impiety and all filthy corruptions in doctrine and manners the name of Christian became even to be a dishonour unto Christ God dealt with them as before he had done with the Iewish Church delivering them over into the hands of cruell enemies who vexed and spoyled them on every side But what shall wee say unto Churches reformed and purged from the leaven of such corruptions may we apply this rule unto them Yea wee must even in these daies of distresse and trouble wherein God dasheth the nations of the earth together breaking them one upon another like earthen vessels Now that the Kingdomes of the earth are shaken and the Church of God persecuted and afflicted with fire sword and desolation We that are yet but passengers going on in quiet by the way cannot but behold and bewaile her sorrow which sitteth upon the ground weeping sore in the night for these miseries that are come upon her Oh that our heads were full of water and our eyes a fountaine of teares that we also could weep day and night for the slaine of the daughter of Zion But now if wee stand still and wonder and enquire How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is shee become a widow shee that was great among the Nations a Princesse among the Provinces â—ow is shee become tributary Heare what answer her selfe will make The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon my necke therefore it followes he hath made my strength to fall the Lord hath delivered mee into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up And againe The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandements Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity And againe Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me For I have grievously rebelled Yea this is it T is the sinnes of a Church that kinde a fire in her palaces Her sinnes that sharpen her enemies sword to the slaughter Her sinnes that destroy her strong Hold and make the rampart and the wall to lament and languish together Let us not here cry out upon men complaine upon Princes blame wee know not whom nor for what as if all had been well had they done or would they doe as wee have contrived it but lay we the blame where the fault is and say we That they be the sinnes of the Church that kept good things from her and brought evill upon her And be we still sighing in silence for t is the Lord hath done this even he hath done that which he had devised he hath covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast downe from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel Indeede Reformation is a glorious name a Church reformed and restored unto purity of doctrine and discipline is a glorious society But it s one thing to have Gods pure worship established by Law another thing to have it settled in mens hearts and observed in their practice The doctrine of a Church may be pure the Sacraments rightly administred the government duely ordered and yet God may be highly dishonoured by that Church when that which is well adpointed is not yet well used This is haply the Corinthians case here in the Text they did not for ought we can prove pervert the Institution of the Sacrament adding or omitting any thing materiall to the essence thereof but yet
they displeased God in the celebration of it because they observed the outward forme but with irreligious and gracelesse hearts making to themselves no spirituall benefit at all So is it with any Church wherein purity of Doctrine Sacraments and Discipline is maintained but this forme of godâ—inesse is without the power of it no fruits thereof appearing in mens obedience unto the Gospell I â—peake not this to accuse our brethren but to warne our selves They feele the smart and no doubt doe know their sinnes Our duety is to pray for them that God would speake peace to his people in their affliction and restore unto them joy of heart for the daies of mourning which they have seene Well le ts pitie them and looke wee to our selves whose priviledges and blessings are as many as theirs and our sinnes haply more Be we instant in prayer that God will pardon the deformities of our reformed Church I meane the neglect of his Worship the contempt of his Word the scorning of his Ministers the profanation of the Sacraments the despising of government the schismes and discords amongst us the profanenesse of mens lives the Infidelity Atheisme Pride Intemperance Injustice with such corruptions as disgrace Christian Religion discredit our most Christian Church dishonour God and provoke his wrath against the Land T is not the power of an enemy the conspiracy of Iesuits the malice of hell that shall endanger us if our sinnes doe not fight more powerfully against us than the force or craft of any adversary Spare then O God thy people and be mercifull to the iniquities of the remnant of thine heritage Pardon our sins and helpe us graciously So shal thy blessing alwaies continue upon the head of thine anointed thy favor upon his posterity thy peace upon this Church and prosperity upon thy people I have but one word more to say and I have done and that is Vse 2. â—or exhortation that wee would put in practice what we know touching this point Profanenesse in matters of Gods worship bring temporall and eternal punishments upon a man Apply this to that condition wherein thou art whether adversity or prosperity If affliction be upon thee on thy body thy soule thy name thy estate thy friends come to scrutiny and make search where and what thy sinne is Say with thy selfe Doe not I neglect some parts of Gods worship doe I not use others carelesly Where thou findest the fault repent of it amend it speedily and so God will remove his rod from thee and in due time make thy paths prosperous But if they be so already and thou desirest to have thy peace continued unto thee here learne the way to enjoy comforts and prevent many sorrowes Attend diligently unto the worship of God doe not slubber it over doe him service and doe it faithfully else t is no service but sloath Heare the Word but attentively and mix it with faith pray but fervently fast but unloose the bonds of wickednesse receive the Sacrament but fruitfully Doe not these things as common businesses goe not to Church as thou wouldest goe to thy chamber preach not nor heare a Sermon as thou wouldest doe an Oration pray not to God as thou wouldest speake to a man come not to the Lords Table as to an ordinary repast Put on other affections and thoughts in sacred than thou doest in civill businesses advise thy selfe before thou meddle with them in doing of them stirre up thy heart to a regard of God with whom thou hast to doe of thy soule whose well or ill-fare depends much upon these things Know that it is no light matter to mocke God to his face to come before him with the body and draw neere with the lips but turne from him in thy heart to make a shew of regarding him but indeed to sleight him Remember Salomons rule Take heed to thy â—ort c Eccles. 5.1 when thou goest to the House of God i. e. to performe any worship to him take heed to thy footing be advised whereabouts thou goest and be more neare to heare that is to obey Gods will declared unto thee in his Word than to offer the Sacrifice of fooles i. e. to observe the ceremonie and outward worship without obedience and inward grace as fooles doe who thinke by such service they please God whereas in so doing they doe evill and sorely offend him Only this spirituall service in faith and obedience is acceptable all other without this is vaine neither pleaseth God nor profits us This doing wee shall have good prosperity providing well for our comfort in this life in the escape of many evils that profanenesse would bring on us and also for our happinesse in the world to come Thus much be spoken touching the punishment of the sinne of Vnworthy receiving namely that by so doing men runne them into hazzard of temporall and eternall judgements in this 29 verse I now proceed unto the 30 verse wherein the Apostle shewes unto the Corinthians the danger of their profanation of the Sacrament by a particular instance of their present miserable condition wherein they now were by reason of such their offence What hee had spoken generally touching all unworthy Communicants that they eat and drinke damnation unto themselves he declares to be most true in a reall experiment among themselves in the words of the 30 verse For this cause many among you are weake and sicke and many sleepe They need not looke farre for a proofe let them but turne home their eies upon themselves they might see apparant marks of Gods anger against them for their sinnefull abuse of the blessed Sacrament The weake and sickly bodies the dead carkasses of so many amongst them were witnesses sufficient that God was highly displeased at them for profaning his holy Table The words fall into two parts First a Cause For this cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this matter namely a sinne before mentioned for not discerning the Lords Body in the Sacrament Secondly an effect and that is a particular punishment described 1. by the persons upon whom t is inflicted The Corinthians and that not one or two but many there were that suffered it Many among you c. 2. by the qualities and degrees of this punishment t is Bodily upon the outward man in three degrees Weaknesses Sicknesses and Death Many are weake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and many sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. are dead Of these briefly and plainly For this cause The Apostle here admonisheth them of that which of themselves they would not easily have thought of God punisheth them yet still they profane the Sacrament and why they are not aware that those plagues were sent of God for that their sin Therefore the Apostle points out unto them the true cause of all their misery For this cause saith hee are ye punished whatever else they might vainely imagine t was their abuse of the Lords
The punishment which they incurre who commit the sin and neglect the means now that is damnation or judgment vers 29. This punishment as it is temporal is amplified three waies 1. By experiment in the Church of Corinth wherein God made it appeare by judgments he inflicted upon theÌ„ how much hee was offended at the profanation of the Sacrament verse 30. 2. By the true cause of those afflictions the not-judging of thâ—mselves vers 31. 3. By the right end wherefore these judgements came upon them which was to bring them to repentance for such their abuse of Gods ordinance lest otherwise going on they fall into further condemnation vers 32. At this present I shall speake only touching the sinne of unworthy communicating at the Lords Table whereof the Apostle speakes in these words Verse 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. In this verse we have two generall parts 1. The sin it selfe unworthy receiving the Sacrament in those words Whosoeuer shall eate c. unworthily 2. The quality of this sinne t is no small fault but a bloudy offence t is to be guilty of murder and that of the best man that ever was Christ Iesus Hee shall bee guilty c. Of these in order First let us enquire what it is to eate this Bread and drinke this Cup i. e. to receive this Sacramenâ— vnworthily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnworthinesse in receiving the Sacrament may be taken in reâ—pect either of the person or of the manner of receiving Vnworthinesse of the person is not here meant for so t is apparant that no man can come worthily to the Sacrament forasmuch as the best of men cannot deserve of God the smallest blessing of this life much lesse so great a favour as to enioy the benefit of the Word and Sacraments to everlasting life Wherefore in our publique Leiturgie wee doe iustly acknowledge That we doe not presume to come to this Table trusting in our righteousnesse but in Gods great mercy and that we are not worthy so much as to gather the crummes under the Lords Table much lesse to sit thereat as a guest Vnworthinesse then is here to be taken in regard of the manner of receiving A poore man may bee unworthy to be set at a Kings table but yet he may there carry himselfe worthily i. e. in such a decent behaviour as is agreeable to the reverence and maiesty of the place in which hee is So we are unworthy to sit at this Table yet when God invites us thither wee may carry our selves worthily i. e. in such a holy disposition of our hearts and reverent demeanour in our outward actions as God requires of us in so sacred a businesse The poverty blindnesse lamenâ—sse and the like is not objected to such as come to the Marriage-feast Matth. 22. but the matter that is questioned is the want of a wedding garment Now you know that hee which makes a solemne sumptuous feast cannot but take it as an indignity and dishonour offered to him and his cheere if any be so rude as to thrust in himselfe among the rest in his ragged and vile apparrell Let us then see how we may offend in the manner of celebrating this Sacrament We shall know this by that which the Apostle reproves in these Corinthians They had many faults among them they are here taxed for dissentions quarrelsome factions amongst themselves vers 18. for prophanenes in comming to the Sacrament with as little reverence as they did to their Love-feasts nay with lesse having in those feasts first distempered themselves vers 21. for excesse in their Love-feasts and thence comming drunken to the Sacrament vers 21. lastly for pride and disdaine in despising the poorer sort that had not wherewithall to carry matters in so brave and frolicke manner as themselves vers 22. Thus they cared not with what mindes nor in wâ—aâ— manner they came to the Lords Supper making the Sacrament an occasion of debate hatred riot and luxurie which should have beene a cause of modesty peace humility sobriety and love The case was too too bad with thâ—m their disorders being so fowle that the Apostle professeth in expresse termes that this their comming together could not bee called a celebration of the Sacrament This is not saith he to eate the Lords Supper vers 20. Now what the Apostle reproves in them in regard of the forenamed particulars holds true by proportion in all communicants in regard of other the like disorders whence in the generall observe this conclusion They that celebrate this Sacâ—ament in any other manner with other mindes for other â—nds than Christ intended in his institution of it they observe it unworthily For this is a generall rule touching every part of Gods worship We must serve God noâ— as we thinke fit but as he hath appointed God must bee Iudge of his owne honour and in all matters of substaunce there is nothing befitting and aggreeable to his good liking but those things that he hatâ— commanded observed and done in that manner which he hath prescribed And therefore in this Sacrament t is not what ends and fancies we have of it but what manner exercise of Religion God hath intended by it that is acceptable If this bee neglected the Supper of the Lord is not celebrated worthily but unworthily profaned But not to stay upon generalities let us see how many waies the Sacrament is thus profaned 'T were endlesse to reckon up all particulars wherefore observe that there are generally three sorts of people who doe unworthily receive it The 1 Ignorant 2 Superstitious 3. Vnreformed in life 1. The ignorant who observe it of fashion by course of Law and custome of the Countrey because they are now at yeares of discretion and must doe as others doe but in the meane time know not a syllable what it is or whereabouts they goe Examine them they cannot tell you what a Sacrament is what the outward signes are what the graces thereby signified are what the ends and uses of a Sacrament bee If you aske them these questions they understand you no more than if you spake in an unknowne language or if they can answer you out of a Catechisme t is by rote they doe not know a â—ot the meaning of what they speake and you may perceive it plainly doe but a little vary the question from that which they finde in their bookes These when they come to the Sacrament are meerely passive in all that businesse there their bodies are there they sit and see and doe as others doe but for their mâ—ndes they cannot tell which way to set them aworke in any meditation Were I to speake to an auditory that is not learned this fault were much to be urged It deerves much pity to see abroad that some are not taught and more detestation to behold that for the greatest part