Nothing does grace a man as Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom 't is a Christians great Ornament What a pearl of price must holiness be when 't is the scope of Almighty God in all his Acts Ordinances and Providences in all his Mercies and Judgments in our Election Ephes 1.4 in our Redemption Tit. 2.14 in our Afflictions Heb. 12.10 Some Ordinances are for Conversion some are for Confirmation all are for our Sanctification This Golden Oyl comes from the two Olive Trees through the Golden pipes of his holy Institutions They say that Corn never ripens more than when the Sun is in Conjunction with the Dog-star sure am I Holiness never ripens more than when the Spirit of the Lord is in Conjunction with the Word and Sacraments When you go from this sacred Ordinance and find you are not only more for the doing of holy things but for the more holy doing of things more thankful for mercies more watchful over your hearts words and ways more spiritual in your Conversations more savory and fruitful in your Converses more conformable in every thing to the Image of your dear Redeemer When the power of this Ordinance runs through every vein of your Conversations when you trade buy and fell when you pray hear sanctifie his Day and do all in the strength of this Ordinance when you can stand at a greater distance from Sin and from the World when you can look upon all the beauty of the World as blackness and on all the fulness of it as emptiness when you can feast your selves in God whilst you are starving in the Creature when you can say in the sincerity of your Souls were all the Universe on a flame the fire does not touch my portion when you can stand upon its ruins and say triumphingly I have lost nothing or as that good man Lord Te pro omnibus prae omnibus the sauris aestimo Moller in Psal 73.25 thou knowest where all my good things are even in thee and above with thee Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee You have there the desire of Davids Soul and the Soul of his desire when thus you find it working it does you much good indeed 6 When their hearts are more humbled more deeply and thorowly humbled when they meet with such tasts of the Lords graciousness such manifestations of his rich mercy and discoveries of his free love as lays them as low as the very dust when they can say as David did 2 Sam. 7.18 19. Who am I O Lord God that thou hast brought me hitherto What shall such a poor pitiful piece of polluted clay such a map of misery be admitted to thy Table feasted at thy Board fed with the Body and Blood of the Son of God who am I that I should be embraced in his arms that he should ravish my heart with the sweet sound of his precious promises and rejoyce my drooping Soul with a well-grounded hope of his gracious pardons and of the acceptance of my person and performances I am not worthy the least crumb of bread which grows upon the earth or comes thence much less of that bread of life which came down from Heaven The condition of my Soul had been as doleful as any mans on earth had not free grace renewed me as dreadful as any damned souls in hell had not he in mercy to my Soul repriev'd me O what a poor starven Soul had mine been had not the Lord of Life refresh'd me The most genuine and natural effect which divine discoveries have upon a devout Soul is Humiliation nothing does it more kindly and that which humbles us does not hurt us when you can go from this Ordinance lothing and abhorring your selves and see more of your own nothingness as Creatures and vileness as Sinners when you can cry with Job Behold I am vile Chap. 40.4 With the poor Publican God be merciful to me a sinner I dare not lift mine eyes towards Heaven Luk. 18.13 When it makes and keeps us more humble then it doth us good indeed 7 When their peace and joy in the Lord is increased their Spiritual comforts are enlarged and their Souls are more assured of their interest in Christ and in the everlasting Covenant When they can go to Christ and say Thou art mine to the Promises and say all these are mine when they can lay hold on the blessings of the Covenant and say all these are sealed to me in this blessed Sacrament This lo this is the sweet fruit the Saints find at this holy Sacrament when their trembling Faith is turn'd into a triumphing Faith their Faith of adherence into a Faith of evidence and assurance There is a threefold fulness of Assurance a full allurance of Understanding Col. 2.2 of Hope Heb. 6.11 and of Faith Heb. 10.22 O what a sweet and precious what a rich and rare Jewel is this Grace purifies Assurance pacifies Grace brings the Soul to Heaven Assurance brings Heaven into the Soul Grace is better than Peace but Peace is sweeter than Grace Assurance is a flower of Paradise a sparkle of Glory Heaven on this side Heaven an Anchor at Sea a Shield at Land a Staff to support a Sword to defend Bread to strengthen Wine to chear and Balm to cure the Soul of man When at and by this precious Ordinance your Souls are fill'd with joy unspeakable and full of glory when those black clouds of fears and jealousies are dispersed and those bitter storms of Soul-troubles are blown over when brighter beams and clearer calms and sweeter comforts flow in upon your Souls when thus you find it then has the Sacrament been working for your good 'T is one great end of this Ordinance to seal his peoples Graces many a child of God can tell you that by this Ordinance they have arriv'd at a great measure of assurance they have come empty and gone hence full they have come with fears and doubts upon them and have gone away with abundance of joy and peace the Lord has met them at his Table has spoken peace unto their Consciences has clear'd up their Evidences for Heaven and now they can speak of the great things he has done in it and by it too for their precious Souls This Ordinance was instituted for his peoples growth in Grace and for their sense of Grace for the augmentation of it and for the manifestation of it By it Grace grows up to its full stature and just proportion 'T is for sealing too the Sacrament is a good friend to the Spirit be it spoken with reverence and the Spirit is a greater friend to the Sacrament and both are great friends to the Soul sealing it up unto the day of redemption Rom. 4.11 Ephes 4.30 As a Seal doth confirm and settle the mind of the Buyer so doth the Sacrament satisfie and assure the heart of a Believer O how
what in you is to hinder the Spirit of the Lord from doing you good But surely when you have a Spirit of Prayer and your hopes are high these are pledges to you that he hath a purpose to do you good Alexander the Great was wonderfully well pleas'd with Anaxarchus the Philosopher Plut. when he desir'd an hundred Talents of his Treasurer Apoph He does well says he in asking it and understands his friend aright who hath one both willing and able to give him so great a gift The same Author relates the like of that Kings munificence and bounty to his Favourite Perillus who askt but ten Plut. but the King gave him fifty Talents The great God allows his people to ask great things nay commands them to believe and hope for mighty things to covet earnestly the best if thus you do the Spirit of the Lord will surely do you good you shall not seek nor hope in vain Well then when you address your selves to this Ordinance remember what great things Christ hath purchas'd for you what great things are there proposed and God hath promised to you and then regulate your prayers by and raise your hopes to the riches of his merits and greatness of his mercies Some look for good by this Ordinance but what good or for what 't is good they know not or they look for that good in it which God never intended to convey by it Others have their hopes fixt on the right object their ends are right too but they have not a lively Hope In short if the Spirit of the Lord be not present the Sacrament is but a gaudy pageant 't is the spirit in the Word that causeth efficacy in Prayer that causeth prevalency in this Ordinance that causeth proficiency But then must we have an active Faith a strong and lively Hope Eighthly Lament over the chilness dullness the deadness and unpreparedness of your Hearts for this blessed Ordinance When one hath taken Physick and it doth not operate something is prescribed and used to quicken it A sincere sorrow for your former carelesness and deadness may much conduce to your future proficiency They shall come with weeping says the Prophet Jer. 31.9 Tears dropping from a mournful eye and grieving Heart are like Water dropping from the Roses very sweet fragrant and soveraign Mary stood at Christs feet weeping Luc. 7.38 Could we kneel at the Lords Table weeping and is not the humblest posture fittest for miserable sinners could we weep tears of blood for our scarlet crimson bloody sins acting her part we might hope for her portion a gracious pardon and that sealed in this Ordinance We pity weeping persons and do them good Tears melt our Hearts Psal 6.8 and though silent yet they are prevalent Orators when you are in such a melting frame occasion'd by serious meditation on your sins and Christs sufferings on his bitter passions for you and most tender affections to you then lo then 's a season for the Spirit of the Lord to do you good by this Ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says Chrysostom Weep out your eyes for the loss of lands or friends all your tears will nothing avail you but in this case they may nay will much Ninthly Go out in the power and might of the Spirit of the Lord to this Ordinance you cannot relie on men or means too little or on him too much you should depend on him though you had never tried him but having tried him you are now under greater obligations to depend on him Royal and religious is that resolution of the Prophet David Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inpoâ—â—â—tus q.d. Tuâ— unius virâ—â—â—â— situs Let us write after his Copy remember ejus est benedicere cujus est instituere Alas all our light is darkness our strength weakness and our wisdom foolishness Frustra nititur qui non innititur that man labours in vain who labours and yet relies not upon the Spirit of the Lord if the Spirit help you to pray he will also help you to speed and if he help you to prepare for and to go out in his might unto this Ordinance surely he will do you good by it I will close up this with that excellent passage of Saint Cyprian de Bapt. Solus spiritus rem sacramenti nobis confert Or that famous speech of the School-Doctors Sacramenta ex similitudine repraesentant ex institutione significant Sed ex virtute Christi sanctificant Or with that of Prosper in his Epistle to Demetrius speaking of the holy Sacraments Forma adhibetur per humani ministerii obsequium virtus autem per Divini spiritus praestatur effectum Tenthly Once more Walk uprightly and the Spirit of the Lord will do you good by this Ordinance you have his promise for it Psal 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory Grace that 's the best thing that you can have on Earth Glory that 's the long and the short of what you shall have in Heaven No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Let a thred of uprightness run thorough the whole web of your lifes and then you are sure 1 of being safe in this world Prov. 10.9 Men may kill you but they cannot hurt you 2 of being saved in the other world But of this anon Follow these few Directions and I dare be the Prophet to foretel you good by this holy Institution I proceed now unto the seventh Query Q. 7. What shall a Christian do who hath sound some good at in and by or after this precious Ordinance from the powerful workings of the spirit of the Lord I will hint a few Directions to you in answer to this Query the amplification of 'em I leave to your private Meditations They are Ten or Eleven 1. Walk Thankefully Hath it been the day of his power let it be a day for his praise you have had news from Heaven let the Heavens hear good from you Though you have not got all the good you desired yet bless God for this that you have got more than you have deserved And bless God for this too that you have a desire still to get more O despise not the day of small things Say Lord who or what am I that the Spirit of the Lord should condescend or stoop so low as to breathe upon my Soul to blow upon my Garden and cause the Spices therein to flow forth who am I that he should cause this Ordinance to work for my spiritual and eternal good when others eat and drink Damnation to themselves I will write my self an eternal debter to free Grace for 't is that that fitted me for admitted me to and benefited me by this sacred Ordinance I will ever remember that golden sentence of Saint Austin Hoc totum hominis est curare ut anima non sit ingrata Deo This is the whole business of a
Christian man To take care that his Soul be not unthankful to his God Have I received any light or life or increase of grace and peace I will remember to my dying day though 't is wrought in me yet 't was not wrought by me Non nobis Domine non nobis Not unto us Lord not unto us Because not by us Lord not by us but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts Though I cannot praise thee so much as I should yet will I praise thee as much as I can Sacramenta Judaeorum umbra Christianorum Aug Enar in Psal 37 nobis 38 At the Jewish Passover was sung the 113. and some following Psalms and this they call'd the Great Hallelujah And the Sacraments of the Jews were but shadows unto ours In every thing we must give thanks but for this especially others stand without you are admitted into the Presence-chamber of the great King They feed on husks and trash you on the hidden Manna My flesh saith Christ is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed All other food compar'd with this is cibi tantummodo umbra vana imago as Cameron speaks all shadow no substance To a worthy Receiver the choicest of mercies and blessings are here exhibited one calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Food made up all of Thanksgiving And having tasted so much nay drunk so deep of the cup of blessing does it not concern you now to sing Glory be to the Holy Ghost That praise is due to God from every Creature in the World and from every corner of the world I need not prove but 't is not comely for any but such as you Psal 33.1 'T is a garment that suites none but Saints Isa 61.3 You read there of the garment of praise The Jewish Doctors have a saying That the World subsists by three Pillars the Law the Worship of God and Thankfulness O let the high Praises of God be now and for ever in your lips and lives Hath the good Spirit of the Lord gone out before you in love and mercy Do you follow him now in praise and duty 'T is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven to enjoy God and 't is their only business in Heaven to bless God and is it not your wisdom as well as duty to be daily doing that on Earth besides which you shall have nothing to do to all Eternity in Heaven Hosanna's here and Hallelujahs hereafter 2 Walk charitably Do all the good you possibly can for the Spirit of the Lord and for the people of the Lord. I know your goodness extendeth not to God but let it the more to the Saints Yet you may plead for and vindicate his honour which is by many now laid in the dust many father their errors and blasphemies on the Spirit laying them at his door as if he were not the Spirit of Truth There are four sorts of men amongst us 1 Some who are all for Ordinances not eying at all the Spirit of the Lord for his teachings 2 Some are all for the Spirit Sans-ordinance men casting of Baptism the Ministry of the Word and this blessed Sacrament Beza in 1 Cor. 1.12 As Beza said so shall I Hoc Pestilentissimo morbo utinam nulli hodie laborarent Oh that none had this Plague-sore now 3 Others and not a few neither regard the Spirit nor men nor means nothing but mundum fundum 4 Only the sincere Christian is for all and he is the man to whom I address this counsel if you espouse not his cause who shall if in your stations as Magistrates as Ministers as Christians you plead not for it who will But walk charitably towards men that 's the duty I would press on you Has the Spirit of the Lord done you good do you now all the good you can to others shew your love to God by your love to your needy Brethren and your love to them by works of mercy Acts of charity do not impoverish but enrich Perhaps the Purse may be lighter but your Crown will be heavier Who ever heard or read of a man that liv'd charitably that died miserably Non memini me legisse malâ morte morâ—â—â— qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit Hieron Morison in his Itinirary Hierom in his Epistle to Nepotian tells us he never did nor did the royal Prophet Psal 37.25 26. One tells us of a fountain of Salt in Germany of which all the poor about it had Salt-water freely for their use but when once it was deny'd them it lost its vertue If once you harden your Hearts against or hide your faces from those pale faces and withered cheeks and maimed arms from those who have no bread to eat nor where to lay their heads well may the Spirit of the Lord suspend his influences at the next Communion and then it cannot heal nor seal nor do you good What greater incentive to shew mercy to others than a due sense of mercies received from God Do good to all as you are of ability and have opportunity but especially to the houshold of Faith 3 Walk contentedly Have you received good and much good at the Lords Table then be not so full of complaints if you have little of the worlds goods Is your grace increased have you got more assurance of your Lords love do not murmur though your Corn and Wine and other matters increase not Whilst those put gladness into your Hearts let not the want of these cause sadness to appear in your faces It is enough says Jacob Joseph is alive So say you It is enough the Spirit of the Lord is alive and hath enlivened and sealed 1 Tim. 6.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and comforted me at and by this precious Ordinance Shew us the Father says Philip and it sufficeth us The sight of God without riches or honours or lands or friends should satisfie your Souls Having food and raiment you should be content well Having food not fine fare Raiments not Ornaments and you have both nay much more viz. the Mediatory Righteousness of Christ to deck and adorn you and his precious Body and Blood to nourish you And whatever afflictions you meet with in or from the World still be contented They say whatever betides a Spaniard he will not change his pace whatever troubles betide you let no change appear in your Face Whether God give or take whether he stroke or strike Nimis delicatus es frater si hic vis gaudere cum mundo posthac regnare cum Christo Hierom. whether men hum or hiss fret not your selves shall you receive good from the hand of God What all good and no evil you are too delicate if you would have two Heavens one here and another yonder above the Clouds 4 Walk Compassionately Have you tasted there of the Lords graciousness can you tell of the great things the Spirit of the Lord hath by that Ordinance done for your Souls
Ambrose his Counsel with you Toto animo odi damna quod diligit mundus Tanquam mortuus a labe affectu illius te separa Epistolarū lib. 4. Floriano sicut sepultus nil habeas carum de saeculo tanquam defunct us omni terreno te abdica negotio contemne vivens quae post mortem habere non poteris 10 Walk watchfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uprightly As it is not enough that you be and do good for a day or two before you come to the Sacrament but your care must be to walk uprightly so it must be your care when you are gone thence to walk thus Go then and sin no more Joh. 5.14 no more so wilfully so prefumptuously To sin after a Sacrament is to sin with a witness To sin against clearest light and dearest love provokes exceedingly and yours will be found of this nature To provoke God in a Wilderness is not so bad or sad as to provoke God in a Paradise 'T was an aggravation of Eves sin to listen to the whisperings of the Serpent when placed there 't is so for you who have been sealed with the holy Spirit of promise now to listen to the delusions of that lying Spirit Enar. in Psal 29 Adam in stercore says St. Austin est cautior quam Adam in Paradiso Sacramentum est juramentum every wilful iniquity now comes little short of perjury There are some sins which the fallen Angels were never guilty of they sinned not against the Patience of God non expectavit Angelos they suffered immediately as they had sinned Nor against the tenders and offers of Grace the golden Scepter was never held out nor pardon offer'd to them Nor against the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ he died not for them if now we sin not out of weakness but out of wilfulness our sins will be found such as the Devils themselves are not guilty of What higher priviledg is or can mortal man be capable of on this side Heaven than to be feasted at the Lords Table with these Heavenly viands Now the greatness of the Priviledg adds to the greatness of the crime Ubi sublimior praerogativa ibi major culpa Salv. de Gub. Dei lib. 4 pag 128. your sins after a Sacrament cannot take Christ from you but they may take rest from you Psal 38.3 They cannot take Grace from you but they may take peace from you God may break your bones and leave you long in the dark you may never recover that comfort and assurance which you had before Wicked men have their Heaven here and their Hell hereafter and some good men have their Hell here and their Heaven hereafter Now Sirs you have been at the Lords Table you have seen what Sin cost Christ what buffetings what bruisings what woundings what bleedings and shall not this engage us to greater circumspection to our dying day having received so much good from the Spirit of the Lord shall not we watch our ways and keep our Hearts and Eyes and Tongues Obstrue quinque Fenestras i.e. quinque sensus ut luceat Domus Prov. Arab. and All with more care and diligence If Israel play the Harlot yet Judah must not transgress Having now been at such an Ordinance as this shall we again return to break his Commandments Every mercy is a motive to duty and to walk circumspectly watchfully wisely uprightly is one without dispute Eph. 5.15 Mark 13.37 Col. 4.5 Let not the increase of our mercies be the decrease of our duties Though we walk in yet let us not walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit of the Lord who by this Institution hath done us all this good Once more Walk Penitently You must renew your repentance as well after as before this Ordinance Call to remembrance the deadness of your Hearts the coldness of your Love the unactiveness of your Faith the many wandrings and distractions of your minds and spirits when about this duty There are some special seasons for the renewing of repentance As 1. When you are a dying though we must not defer it till death yet we must be sure to renew it at death We should take our fill of repentance before we take our leave of repentance thus St. Austin did he caus'd the Penitential Psalms to be fixt before him on the wall and as he lay in bed he wept and read and read and wept abundantly Intuebatur legebat jugitr ac ubertim flebat as Possidonius relates it De vita Aug. cap. 31. 2. And when you are suffering for God or from God under some great afflictions though repentance must not be limited to a time of affliction yet it must be renewed in a time of affliction for Gods end and design in and by them is not to break our backs but to break our hearts Once more 3. When you are a doing or have done any great and more solemn duty What is there nothing now you have been at this Ordinance to renew your repentance for was all so well done did corruption act so weakly and Grace so vigorously and strongly was the evil spirit so chained and restrained and did the good Spirit of the Lord so enlarge enliven and strengthen is there no need of praying over your prayers again of repenting that your repentance was no more Evangelical Did you thorowly consider as you ought your Saviors Passion in the matter and quality of it in its bitter ingredients and heightning circumstances of it or your own sins the meritorious cause of it You had some light about this in your heads but was it attended with power and efficacy upon your hearts for the clearest notions without suitable impressions will not advantage you And thus have we dispatcht the counsels which concern you Saints and also resolv'd the seventh Query If thus you walk you will much honour the Spirit of the Lord who is the great Agent in your Regeneration Illumination Conversion and in your proficiency by this sacred institution And as you are concern'd to honour the Son for what he hath done without so are you concern'd to honour the Spirit for what he hath done within You will honour this Ordinance too and advantage your selves and you will be instrumental to bring in others whose hearts are too full of disgusts and prejudices against this high and holy Institution I told you of something I had to say to sinners I could be well contented to say nothing at all had I none at all to speak to But there are two ranks or sorts of them 1. Such as peremptorily but most perniciously and erroneously assert that they are above Ordinances this or that Sans-or supra-ordinance men in what predicament to place them how to call them or how to cure them I well know not Is not the Spirit of the Lord straitened can he do his people good by this Ordinance why then is there no breaking of Bread no Sacrament of the Lords Supper
Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world In an Evangelical sense one may walk perfectly and thus Zachary and Elizabeth did See Luk. 1.6 They walked in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not sinless but blameless Sineâ—querela non sine peccato as St. Austin glosseth it in the end of his 95. Epist and since him Osiander and others 'T is a true saying of one They err egregiously who look for that in the Law which is only to be found in the Gospel for that in themselves which is only to be found in Christ and for that on Earth which is only to be had in Heaven i.e. A sinless perfection To dispatch this enquiry know that to this upright walking three things are necessary 1. A Rule is requisite a certain infallible and inflexible Rule by which we act that 's the Word 't is not only a rule of Knowledg but also a rule of Duty 2. A knowledg of this Rule and then there must be 3. An acting conformably suitably to our knowledg We must have an eye as well to the manner of our Obedience as to the matter of our Obedience For as Luther well Adverbia apud Deum praevalent verbis We must obey him as well in the spirit of the command as in the letter of it In those things which seem to make against us as in those that make for us Gen. 22.1 to the 12. v. We must not only not do that which is evil but we must do that which is good We must have respect to all his Commandments Psal 119.6 As good to none at all as not to all David fulfilled all Gods wills Act. 13.22 Gal. 3.10 3 Q. We shall now enquire after the Quae ratio of what importance and concernment is it that we thus walk It were easie to be voluminous but take hints That there is an absolute and indispensable necessity of walking sincerely uprightly that it is of great concernment we do so Appears 1. If we appeal to God under the Law there we see the Lord requires it Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect or upright 2. If we appeal to Christ under the Gospel all his commands breathe Holiness and Uprightness and his promises are to the pure and sincere in Heart Mat. 5.8 He came to save us not in our sin nor with our sin but from our sin He requires us to be holy as he is holy and we must follow the example of his life if we hope to be saved by the Merits of his Death 3. If we appeal to the practise of the Saints under both Dispensations they ever made it their business to walk uprightly Enoch and Noah and David and Josiah and Hezekiah Hear one for all Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart says good Hezekiah Isa 38.3 For the New Testament consult 2 Cor. 1.12 and 1 Thes 2.10 Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe Phil. 1.27 4. If we appeal to Conscience our own or others Conscience is a faculty or habit of the practical understanding whereby the mind of man by the discourse of Reason applys the light it hath to every particular moral act There is a Conscience convinced and awakened but not converted nor renewed Consult this and it will tell you that 't is a matter of importance to walk uprightly a Conscience upon the rack will confess it freely There is a good renewed Conscience and this will tell you there is a necessity of walking uprightly In every man God hath placed a Conscience 't is his bosom-preacher 't is a petty God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it reproves accuses checks and smites when we do evil Ask your Consciences when you are under some sore affliction or when upon your Death beds and they will bear witness to this truth that 't is your part and prudence your duty and discretion to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long To walk humbly and uprightly before God Excellent is that passage of Justin Martyr in his Defense for the Christians to Antoninus Pius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If any be found who lives not as Christ hath taught 't is a certain Argument he is not a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though with the Tongue he confess the Doctrine of Christ for not those which only profess but those who make good their profession doth Christ assure of Salvation But to ground the Point We are thus oblig'd to walk upon a sevenfold account 1. He is an upright God whom we walk before he is so in his Nature in his Attributes in his Mercy Love and Justice in his Precepts in his Promises in Threats he is so in his offers and tenders of Christ and Grace and of Pardon and eternal Salvation in Him is no iniquity no hypocrisie at all He is a God of Truth his eye is fixt upon it his heart is in love with it He disgusts and abhors all leaven of hypocrisie and vizors of piety all falseness 'T is not all you can say or do or suffer or lose that can make you precious in his eyes without this sincerity In that Psalm of Thanksgiving there is an excellent passage 2 Sam. 22.22 to the 28. I have kept the ways of the Lord. All his judgments are before me I was also upright before him For with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright David walkt before an upright God and it concern'd him the more to walk uprightly 2. We have an upright Pattern and upright Presidents to walk after The Lord Jesus is our pattern he hath left us an example 1 Pet. 2.21 and we must follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouthâ— We must look at Jesus Heb. 12.2 He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pattern not only for patience in death but for holiness and uprightness of life too for this end and purpose is his life recorded in this sacred Volume Bonos tibi adjunge quia si socius fueris conversationis eris virtutis Ambr. that all his Members might lay it as a golden Samplar before them according to which they should work Upright Presidents the godly Patriarchs the holy Prophets and Apostles pious Princes and other religious persons of whom we read in Holy Story These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examples propounded for all our imitation In every Profession there are Chieftains The Roman Warriors had their Camilli Fabricii and Scipio's The Philosophers had their Plato Aristotle and Pythagoras We have the Prophets and Apostles Man is a ductile creature led as well by the eye as by the ear we must follow them so far as they follow Christ Non
then be not supercilious and censorious but candid and ingenuous towards others who come thence without any sense of increased grace or evidences of his love and favour Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted melted in the furnace of Affliction pity should be shewed Is it not enough that God doth grieve them by the suspension of his influences but must you add unto their sorrows and why should you insult over them Are you Saints so are they Though they walk in darkness yet they are children of Light Know and do your duty pray for them and pray with them Can you go from promise to promise and say These are mine Or from Ordinance to Ordinance and say By all these the Spirit of the Lord hath done and still is doing me good Well be you thankful but be not proud nor supercilious be not high-minded but fear At the next Communion he may vail his Face from you and reveal his love to them whom now you brow-beat Psal 30.6 7. He may turn your Wine into water and their water into wine he may do them much more and you much less good at the next address you make unto the Lords Table Let not such as are high and rich in grace and peace censure them that are poor and low and do not you that are low envy them that are high but bear ye one anothers burdens rejoyce in one anothers Graces mutually promote the work of Holiness be less in censuring and more in praying Oret Apostolus pro plebe oret plebs pro Apostolo pro se omnia membra orent caput pro omnibus interpellat Aug. in Psal 38. the Pastor for the People the People for their Pastor one member for another ever remembring that Jesus Christ our merciful high Priest is pleading and interceding for us all Egregia laus non modo non satiscere sed indies proficere in melius Grot in Rev 2 19 5 Walk fruitfully Make it your business to do all the good you can Wherefore doth the Spirit of the Lord at any time or by any means do you good but only to make you better and to enable you to do better Go then and abound in the work of the Lord let your last be more than your first more for quantity better for quality Be filled with the fruits of righteousness This Ordinance concerns the Soul may be the last is the purchase of Christ is a good gale for Heaven Study then to be fruitful which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Be more vigorous in every holy duty more zealous for the advancement of Gods Glory Follow the Lord fully faithfully and chearfully Study how you may answer his expectations from you his dispensations to you and the many obligations that are upon you Hath he done more for you do you the more for him or your answer and account at the last day will be sad indeed You love to see every thing you have fruitful much more doth the Spirit of the Lord love to see you so O how happy were we yea Foelices ter amplius might it but as truly be said of us as it was of Joseph Joseph is a fruitful Bough Gen. 49.22 Naturalists say of the Pomecitron that it bears fruit at all times of the year this is the Emblem of an Evangelical Communicant As a plant differs from a stone by vegetation and a Beast differs from a plant by sense and a Man differs from a Beast by speech and reason so should a Communicant differ from other men by fruitfulness Come then and spread your branches send forth your spices as Aromatick Trees in Lebanon Christ chides a little Faith Mat. 14.31 but admires and applauds a great Faith Jer. 11.16 Joh. 15.8 Mat. 25 30 Non tantū de non servato sed de non aucto munere damnabuntur homines Profp O woman great is thy Faith Scholars are not at ease till they have taken all their Degrees though it cost them dear and why should Christians till they come to a Non ultra Our blessed Saviour did only two terrible wonders the one was the drowning of the Swine Mat. 8. and yet that was only done by his permission The other was his cursing and blasting of the barren Fig-tree and that was symbolical not done in spleen to the Tree but only to manifest his indignation against an unfruitful profession Let us view that Text Mar. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi enim erat tempus erat ficuum vel tempestivae ac maturae trant ficus Accentus enim spiritusque distinctiones negligebant veteres Mark 11.13 Seeing a Fig-tree afar off having leaves he came if haply he might find any thing thereon but when he came to it he found nothing but leaves For the time of Figs was not yet You will say was not this a cruel act or unreasonable had it been a time for Figs the blasting of it had been reasonable and just I answer the words in the original are not rightly comma'd and accented if they were they would run thus For where he was it was a time of Figs as one well observes viz. Learned Heinsius on Mark 11.13 You have been some of you at least three or four days together at the Lords Table upon this signal and special occasion besides your Communions in course every first Lords-day in the Month. You are planted in a fruitful Hill Isa 15.1 The Sun-beams of mercies Zions silver-drops have fallen on you you hear more of God and from God in one day than some thousands in the world have done in all their lives These are your enjoyments what now are your improvements your receipts are high let not your returns be low if he find you without fruit he will leave you without excuse Nay he may deal with you as with that barren Fig-tree blast and not bless you But my hopes are and my prayers shall be for you as St. Paul's were for the Philippians that your Faith and Love and all your Graces may abound Phil. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet more and more 6 Walk closely Keep close that 's my meaning to this precious Ordinance where you have so happily met with all this good from the Spirit of the Lord those sweet experiences you have had of his quickening and strengthening influences should engage you if it will not others to a more constant and diligent attendance upon him in this solemn Ordinance The Question once was Mat. 22.12 How camest thou in hither not having on the Wedding garment The Question I must invert and put it thus to you Having on the Wedding-garment how comes it now to pass that you go out Do vestures or gestures or the prayers of the Church deter or drive you hence would you not complain of us should we excommunicate or cast you out and is it well done in you thus to
of it and sorrowful for it you will find his Grace sufficient for you and himself alsufficient in you A weak Christian assisted by the Spirit of the Lord can do all things Phil. 4.13 7ly Here is comfort for you against those oppositions and temptations you may meet with from the Devil when you are at the Lords Table O that we were as careful to prepare our selves for that Ordinance as he is to prepare for us he is ever fixed and very diligent on holy days in holy places at holy duties Job 1.6 not because he loves them but because he hates us I have read of one who said he saw but one Devil in the Market for most of the buyers and sellers were his already but a Legion in the Church A Legion according to Varro is 7622 but what imploy had so many evil spirits there why to lay snares for them to hinder the operation of the Word and Sacraments and consequently the salvation of Souls Doubtless you are not without discouragements by reason of your own corruptions and his oppositions Well but your Redeemer hath not left you comfortless the Spirit of the Lord is not straitned He is a most glorious and victorious Spirit your way in this case is to set the power of this Spirit against the power of Satan when the gates of Hell and powers of Darkness press hard upon you 't is your wisdom in order to your comfort and conquest to improve this power of the Spirit of the Lord. The more you are assaulted by that evil spirit the more shall you be assisted by this good spirit He will be with you in the floods and in the flames Who and what art thou O great Mountain before this Zerubbabel 8ly Here is comfort for you as to the greatness of those mercies and blessings now by you desired and expected O says a child of God how shall I get my heart humble more quick and lively what shall I do for a broken bleeding Heart for more full assurance of the pardon of my sin and the salvation of my Soul Ah what shall poor I do for a little more light in my Understanding O that my Will were healed c. These indeed are great things they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as accompany Salvation Yet although these be very great things as to you they are not so to the Spirit of the Lord if it be marvelous in your eyes is it therefore marvelous in Gods Zach. 8.6 All things are alike easie to an Almighty Agent and this Spirit is such Exod. 14.24 a look from him in anger can lay your strongest lusts dead he can irradiate your minds with beams of Divine light and efficaciously incline overpower determine and heal your Wills He can in one word do every thing therefore be confident of this very thing viz. that as he easily can so he assuredly will He I say who hath begun a good work in you will own it and crown it and perform it until the day of Christ Job 42.2 with Phil. 1.6 9ly Here is also comfort for you in case of barrenness under former administrations perhaps you find not that power as yet over your impetuous lusts as you then and there expected no more peace of conscience Nec mibi dant sâ—â—llae lucem c. You have often been at the Lords Table and yet no assurance or no more assurance of his love and of eternal life than you had before If it be thus your present case is sad yet thus it may be your internal eternal state be good For though you have not peace yet you want not grace in the best of Saints there is a want in grace but in the worst or weakest Saint there is not a want of grace Though you are cast down yet you are not cast off you have not so much as will comfort you but you have enough to save you 'T is Heaven that is the proper place of comfort and Earth of grace 'T is the pleasure of our all-wise God to make some to weep and wait long for a smile from Heaven and thus he acts in a way of wisdom not ever in a way of punishment Know and do your own work let the most High alone with his hear what he will speak for he will speak peace unto his people the day that 's clouded now may be clear anon 't is darkest a little before the dawning of the day Remember for your comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lux fidei veritatis â—â—materia perpetuae laetitiae Orta Sparsa justi multa patiuntur antequam laetitiâ fruantur that light is sown for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart Ps 97.11 The Interval of time may be considerable between the sowing and the reaping But act you faith on the Promises acquiesce in and submit to the Will and Wisdom of the Lord for unto the Upright and they are the persons I am now addressing this discourse to I say unto the upright there ariseth light in darkness i.e. comfort in troubles remember that the Spirit of the Lord is not straitned Concerning him take three notions along with you He is 1. A free Agent as the wind bloweth when and where it lifteth so the Spirit worketh witnesseth sealeth assureth when whom himself pleaseth 2. A wise Agent and therefore will act most seasonably and opportunely when it will most conduce to his own honour and your comfort 3. A strong and mighty Agent when he begins 't is not sin nor Satan nor the World shall let him Therefore though now you mourn yet you may not murmur Groan you may but must not grumble be it never so little life light and power and peace you have arrived at I say to you as did Elibis to Job ch 34.32 should it be according to your mind is it fit you have just what you will and when you will if you will be your own carvers take heed of cutting your own fingers Withdraw not from this Ordinance but as before wait with patience and work with diligence for the Spirit of the Lord is not straitned this is a reviving Cordial in this case Antisthenes an Heathen Philosopher desired nothing of the Heathen gods so much as the Spirit of Socrates You have a more glorious Spirit this Spirit of the Lord who will in due time make you more fruitful and cheerful and give you more increase of grace more setled peace of Conscience yea an absolute mastery and victory over all your spiritual enemies Once more and I dismiss you 10ly This speaks comfort to you who persevere in prayer the seed of Jacob not in name only as were these in the Text but in deed and truth To hold on in Duty is not the practice of the most Job 27.10 but of the best 't is no easie work which is both above nature and against it This affords comfort to you 't is like the rod of myrtle in the travellers hand Pliny which makes him fresh and lively and keeps him from being weary O nourish no jealous thoughts of God if you distrust him you will desert him Remember for your encouragement and comfort that the good Spirit of the Lord is in full power and at liberty still to give a blessing by as at the first to give a being to his holy Institutions To which ever-blessed Spirit together with the Father and the Son be ascrib'd all Honour and Glory World without end .. 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