it Ye say that the Table of the Lord is contemptible the meaning is you do despise my Table and Ordinances and so now do despise me too and so ye do vilifie and contemne the Ordinances of the Lord Therefore saith the Lord in the conclusion of that Chapter vers 11. From the rising of the Sun my name it shall be known As if he should say I am uot bound to you I can have a people among whom my name shall be great For saith the Lord I am a great King If one should have asked men in those dayes what good is in your sacrifices what great glory can ye see in them the Saints can see a great deal of glory in mean outsides Now when this is wanting the name of the Lord is polluted and so the Lord driven from his Ordinances Heb. 12. 15. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil root of bitternesse springing up and many thereby be defiled When men do live in secret lusts or open proâ—nenesâ—e a man that hath a profane heart such a heart as doth contemne the portion of mercy the Lord doth offer to him who like Esau did sell his birth-right for a mâ—sse of pottage Secondly Unbrokennesse of heart in the enjoyment of Ordinances when men live not in a daily sense of the extreme need they stand in of mercy Isa. 66. 1. 2. Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my foot-stool Now observe what the Lord doth there speak To him will I look that is poor in spirit contrite such a poor soul saith the Lord will I look to and to these are opposed such as have not such hearts but do look only to the Ordinances of the Lord Now saith the Lord to such He that offereth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs neck and he that offereth incense as he that blesseth an Idol These were a people that did plead for the Temple of the Lord and had the Ordinances of the Lord according to his command but here was their wound they were not broken under the Ordinances of the Lord This you shall find the Saints have many sins and wants under the Ordinances of the Lord but little does the world know their gronings before the Lord and the Lord hath mercy for such soules as are sensible of their need they stand in of the Ordinances of the Lord. But now when men have found the Lord in an Ordinance subduing some particular sin there are other sins remaining in their hearts and they stand unremoveable in their hearts and hence are the strongest and dearest of all the rest Now I say when men having these sins and knowing these sins in their hearts and spirits when as because I cannot subdue these sins and they have attended on the Lord in the use of meanes and the Lord helps them not and because they hope to be saved at last for all these Hence they come to a truce with their sin and never go mourning to the Lord nor say the Lord hath begun to subdue some of these lusts Now Lord go on but the soul is at truce with his sâ—nnes Beloved if there be any pollution of the Ordinances of the Lord here it is that men come with unbroken hearts to the Ordinances of the Lord that never feel your need of them wounds and sores that are in your hearts that men do stand with those very sins that they think they cannot subdue and because they cannot ease themselves of them therefore they give way to them When men keep these sins with unsensible hearts of them ye do resist the holy Ghost ye feel not your need of the Lord therefore ye keep your sins and your woes you shall have for them Thirdly Where there is a spirit of unbelief that there is not a seeking to Christ Jesus to wash away the pollutions of his heart and life in his attending upon the Lord in his Ordinances Tit. 1. 15. To the unbelieving nothing is pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Exod. 30. 29. It is said Every thing that touched the Altar was clean and hence without this all is unclean When a poor soul shall come to the Lords Ordinances and prepare himself before he come and in all it hath many weaknesses yet it doth leave it self with Jesus Christ every thing that doth touch this Altar is sanctified and is not polluted But now when men shall enjoy Ordinances and make no great matter of sins in Ordinances especially if secret such is the venemous nature of sin it doth defile the earth a man doth tread on Now when men shall have these sins and know them and yet never leave themselves with Christ and lay themselves on this blessed Altar by faith they do pollute the Ordinances of the Lord Fourthly When the soul doth not so openly manifestly drive away the Lord but when men shall â—ome to the Ordinances and never come to the Lord Jesus in them now the Lord is cast off A great Prince that comes to a mans house though he be not driven out of doors yet if not attended on he accounts himself cast off The Lord Jesus Christ is in his Ordinances Ezek. 48. 35. The Lord is there the Saints they come to God in them and are carried to him by them Therefore 't is said Acts 10. 33 34. Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God and Psal. 84. 7. Every one of them in Sion appeareth before God Now the Saints and people of God when they do thus come to the Lord they find many difficulties to break through a vally of Baca. Sometimes their heart is turned from the Lord and sometimes God is turned from them so that now the Saints when they do come to the Lord in his Ordinances They go through the vallie of Baca that they may see God in Sion But now when men do never break through difficulties but give way to a sluggish heart when it is thus with a people it is certain the Lord is now cast off and ye do as good now as live without Christ in the world Amos 5. 21. faith the Lord I hate your new Moons and Sabbaths For these forty years ye never sacrificed to me vers 25. Did they not sacrifice those forty years to the Lord in the wildernesse It was the very thing they came out of Egypt for that they might sacrifice to the Lord Yet saith the Lord ye did not sacrifice to me truly here was the thing they did sacrifice but to enjoy communion with a God that they did not the Lord he saw none of that and this is the frame of many a man ye never heard a Sermon ye never broke through your difficulties to come to a God in Ordinances therefore in truth though you had them yet it is as if you never had them because ye never did enjoy the Lord in them Therefore this is that I would
a signe thou art under the bondage of thy sin Vse 5. For examination whether we do or when a people do cast off the government of the Lord and destroy his kingdome it's needfull to know the sin that we may prevent the misery and 't is certain let New-England be watchfull and make sure here to advance the Prince of peace and to keep the right and government in his hand and you shall have the blessing of God and his Ordinances peace and mercy in your times and continued to your children for his kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and of the encrease of his kingdome there is no end and on the contrary if New-England cast off the government from over them and refuse his service the Lord will then take the kingdome from you and you shall then know the want of what now ye enjoy Now because Christs government or Kingdome is 1. Inward 2. Outward in Church in State I shall let you know 1. when the inward kingdome of Christ is set up and when 't is razed down which I shall do by giving you a briefe view of the nature of it and wherein it confists and so you may the better Judge of your own hearts in this particular As Satan hath an inward kingdome in the hearts of those that are without so the Lord Jesus hath an inward kingdome in the hearts of all his Saints Col. 1. 13. Blessed be god saith the Apostle which hath translated us from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan into the kingdome of his dear sonne which is very spirituall little seen a man may be under all outward government and yet naught here and therefore attend this inward kingdome therefore consists in four things or when the whole soul submits it self to God in these four particulars 1. When the whole soul gives entertainment unto the Lord himself to come into it for if a people shall say they are under such a government and yet will not admit the Prince himself to come amongst them but keep him out of the kingdome they cast of his government and his kingdome 2. When the whole soul closeth with the whole will of the Lord for if a people shall receive a â—â—nce amongst them but he shall make 〈◊〉 wholsome Laws to governe them but will be led by their own wills and lusts they pull down his kingdome 3. When the whole soul thus closeth with the will of Christ by vertue of the power and Spirit of Christ for if a people submit to the will of their Prince but 't is not by vertue of his authority over them command of them and helps he hath given them for that end but it is by reason of some forreign power that underhand encourageth them to yield this is poor subjection 4. When the soul thus submits to Christ's will for the Lords ends denying its own wisedome or will and is led by the Lord to his end for if a people shall submit to their Prince but 't is to set up other princes he is cast off from his throne When a man shall serve God and be under his government because it is profitable or honourable it suits his own end this is poor service in the Lords account 1. I say then the soul is under the inward kingdome or goverment of Christ when the whole soul gives entertainment to the Lord of Lords the Lord himself with all his traine in and by the Gospell of grace the royall sword and Scepter of Christs kingdome for when Christ himself is thus received the kingdome of God is come to that soul and entred into that heart and hence Mark 1. 14 15. the Gospel is called the Gospel of the kingdome and when Iohn and Christ preached beleive and repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Under which word is comprehended much but principally Christ Jesus ready to enter the souls of his people and hence Iohn preached Christ. Now 't is said those that were effectually wrought upon Matt. 11. 12 that the kingdome of heaven did suffer violence and the violent take it by force so that the kingdome of God is come into the hearts of all the elect of God when the soul uses a holy violence and the Lord do's draw the heart to an entertainment of the Lord himself Many difficulties there be between them and Christ and yet they break through all This is the condition of all men by nature they are strangers to Christ and live without God and Christ in the world and Christ from them and so Satan takes possession and rules them and so men are under the kingdome of darknesse so that the devill himself possesses every naturall man as the Apostle speaks he worketh in the children of disobedience to run on so and remain so Now the Gospel of the kingdomâ— and the meanes to advance Christ in his kingdome makes a free offer of Christ himsâ—lf indeed it offers pardon grace mercy life glory but all these are in Christ himself and we possesse them by possessing and receiving of Christ himself as a poor woman hath all the wealth of the man by entertaining of the man So that the Gospell firstly and primarily offers Christ himself and faith doth pitch on Christ himself and doth open those everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in John 1. 12. 't is said So many as received him he gave power to be the sons of God 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life so that now let a man refuse or reject the Lord himself as he is thus offered in the Gospel he does refuse the kingdome of the Lord and does refuse to be under the power of the Lord. True it may be said the kingdom of God hath been nigh to him when Christ is offered in the Gospell and God sayes as it were nothing shall please me so muâ—h as this if thou dost receive me Luke 10. Go and preach to these and these Cities and if they will not receive you shake off the dust of your feâ—t and let them know the Kingdome of God hath been nigh to them then Christ comes into the soul when the whole soul takes the Lord for himself Christ and all that Christ hath Christ in a pardon and Christ in a promise at that very day the Lord gave the heart to receive him then is the kingdome of God come in that heart and with him all life peace joy and glory God Spirit and all Now the whole soul receives him when 1. The mind sees him in the glory of his grace that though it had low mean thoughts of Christ before for which it mourns yet the rising of this glorious Sun upon him he esteems all things losse for him that he may win Christ and be found in Christ I in him and He in me in Vocation and not having my own righteousnesse in justification And to feel the life of Christ and death also in sanctification And to attain
with hands A childe of God may have many 〈…〉 many excellencies 〈…〉 when they come to be 〈…〉 now they yield there and that as 〈…〉 shall either 〈…〉 question their grace Snakes will not hisse nor sting till touched a sheep will be led to the slaughter and turn the cheek to him that smites So should one poor brother do to another when he comes to him in the name of the Lord but not many that will so do but resist and oppose against all reason 3. They have a power of Communication of good one to another in way of edification according to their places in this their communion So that now 't is not only left in the hands of the Officers but of the whole Church and each Member in the Church according to his place and ability to edifie the whole Eph. 4. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned and compacted together by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part making increase of the body unto the edifying it self in love Members are not to stand like beautifull pictures in Church-windows and as costly Images in Churches that have eyes and see not eares and hear not but they are to be living stones in Gods building not only to build up themselves but one another also that so a man may not only get no hurt from communion of Churches but he may get good indeed from the same And if I mistake not here is the wound of Churches When Members seek not and indeavour not the good one of another and so have Ordinances and means of doing one another good but exercise them not or if they do receive not the good they might hereby but may say and shall say at last as he Prov. 5. 14. I was almost in all evill in the midst of the Congregation Sin prevailing and sorrows by little and little like water in a leaking ship sinking the poor bark Quest. What are those means that are left to the Saints themselves even private Members to exercise in Christian communion for men and women and so you may see when these are neglected or not improved the power of Christ in his Church is cast off so far forth Answ. 1. The first is a Spirit of dear Christ-like love one to another every one to all and all to that again being ready to expresse it self in procuring the good of others as well as its own This doth sweeten communion very much and edifies quickens and encourageth a Christian in his whole course marvelously Eph. 4. 16. Making increase of the body unto the edifying it self in love Love edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth It 's the joy of the Saints and that which makes the Saints to blesse God in heaven where take any one singly all joyntly besides honour it tender it and seek the good of it and that one blesseth God and seeks their good more than its own again and this is prophesied Zeph. 3. 9. That they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one â—â—â—sent to serve the Lord with one shoulder to help one another spiritually and outwardly where there be many griefs and burdens which depresse the spirits and make it unserviceable is removed As what is there that doth alienate the hearts of men more from God and his Church but want of love Now when mens love grows cold that a godly man is not esteemed whiles he lives nor his death lamented so much as the losse of a swine When people grow strange one to another and take distastes and prejudices when they can sit by the fire-side and censure and whisper and make offences and take offences and minds divide and hearts divide that if you ask what such a one is good for the answer is he is good for himself and good to breed brawles and divide a Church A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand therfore hereby you cast off this Kingdom Oh Christians should pray for this and mourn for want of this and study peace follow it It should be death to differ or side or make a party one against another 2. Earnest prayer for the Church all in it besides thy self and that with striving with God till an answer is given Stretcht-out prayers as they made for Peer James 5. 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for ather that you may be healed And so Iude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy saith praying in the holy Ghost This is a meanes to edifie one another when there is inlargednesse of heart to pray one for another Psalme 122. 8. For my bretâ—â—â—â— sake I 'le wish thy peace Sometimes a Christian can do others little good yet he will wrastle for him in his prayers to God One knowes not the good comes hereâ—â— if withall a man keeps a good Conscience making conscience of his wayes And 't is one of the greatest priviledges that a man hath when once he hath a share in all the prayers of the Saints as his own and it answers that Quere What is a Christian the better for the liberties of the Church Matth. 18. 19. Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven v. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midd'st of them Now when people are false herein to their brethren and to their Covenant to their God and to their own soules for there is no one prayer thou makest that shall be lost but if it attain not a blessing for others it shall return again into thy bosome When there shall be no heart to spend prayer or shed tears for them whom Christ hath shed his blood for now you cast off the Kingdome of Christ. Oh Brethren consider of it when there shall be many a soul in a Church taken by Satans temptations and held in temptations and ready to be overcome by temptations and it may bee would not be so but because thou dost not pray publick Ordinances the ministery of the word little good done thereby because thou hast no heart to pray Acts 4. 31. And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were met together and they were all filled with the holy Ghost This is the reason the hearts of thy children servants and fellow-brethren remain secure and unshaken by all the Sermons they hear nothing doth them good nothing will pierce or penetrate their adamant-like hearts because thou hast no heart to pray for them or at least not to purpose 3. Timely Exhortation when brethren are dead-hearted and heartlesse in their Christian course Heb. 3. 12 13. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but
of God and now you exalt him when he is thus set up 1 Cor. 4. 20. The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power The power of Christ Jesus is come into thy soul and the soul is under the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus when it doth lye under the mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess. 1 11 12. We pray always for you that the Lord would work and fulfill the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith in power that Christ may be glorified Yea then is Christ glorified when God omnipotent reigns over sin and unbelief when the Lord doth this not only the Kingdome of God is now come but the Kingdome of Christ in glory is come there is many a poor soul thinks Christ rules him not because he cannot do this nor that because he finds his heart unable unwilling for to submit to the will of Christ I find no strength at all saith the soul and I go to Christ and find not strength conveyed and now he thinks he is not under the Kingdom of Christ. I answer that is not the question but hath the Lord made thee willing in the day of his power when the soul doth lye under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ when the soul doth lye like wax before the Lord Jesus when the soul saith Lord there was never any change of my nature the good Lord change it and if there be any change the good Lord increase and stir up the graces of thy Spirit in my soul and do thou lead me and guide me Brethren the Kingdome of Christ is come to this soul Iohn 5. 40. You will not come to me for life He doth not say you do not quicken your selves or ye cannot come to me but will not here is their wound they will not come to Christ for life Rom. 6. 19. As yee have yeelded your members servaâ—â—s to sin and Satan so now yeeld up your selves servants to righteousnesse and to holinesse Psal. 119. 5 6. Thou hast commanded that we should keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes When a Christian is grapling with his own heart ye will never be able to overcome the unsubduednesse thereof but when ye bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would take a course with them 1. Now ye please Christ. 2. Ye take a sure course to have the will of God done he being in office for that end for Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to Israel When the soul doth look up to the Lord Jesus and lye under the power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus 3. You now make the yoke of Christ sweet and his name glorious nothing glorifies Christ so much as this when Jesus doth work in a Christian now the kingdome of Christ is come to the soul and that in power But now when men will not submit thus far to Christ 1. They can do nothing but will not come to him on whom God hath laid salvation you say you cannot understand nor edifie by the Sermons ye hear and you cannot part with your lusts Ay but now this is thy condemnation thou wilt not go to a Saviour that he may teach thee and help thee when men will not have the Lord Jesus to reign over them or 2. If men do come they will not come to him where he may be found but say I can do nothing Christ must do all and so neglect the means wherein he will be found or 3. Will submit and come in means to him but not then at the speciall time when He is to be sought and may be found viz. in time of temptation But then forget and forsake him and cry not Hosanna Lord now save now help me against this lust When temptation comes when passion and pride come do you now go to Jesus Christ When the world begins to draw thy heart away dost thou say thus Lord I have prayed this day against this sin and Lord I have no strength against it now Lord help me but here is the misery of the soul it doth not go to Christ and by this means live in complaints all their life-time 4. If lastly any thing be to be done they will do it themselves as Paul Gal. 1. 12. Not but that a Christian should put forth himself a Christian is not a dead-hearted Christian at all times but the grace of God which comes from Christ doth act the soul in a continuall dependance on Christ and where Christ acts not there Satan doth Now I say the Kingdome of God is come when the soul doth thus submit to the stream of the blesâ—ed Spirit of the Lord that the Lord may guide it Oh beloved here is the skill that poseth the Angels how to tell you so to yield your selves to Christ as that Christ may come so to abide in the stock that all your fruit may be from him So to lye under the Lord as that the stream of the Spirit of life may fall on thee so to be implanted in the Lord as to fetch life from him and bring forth fruit to him But try this course submit to the will of the Lord Jesus be nothing in thy own eyes and if the Lord do give thee any thing blesse the Lord for it if any strength against thy sin be vile in thy own eyes and try and see if ye find not the Kingdome of God the glory of Heaven come into thy soul. Oh the light life prayers you might have the heavenly conference ye will have together that it would do a mans heart good to be with such a Christian that those that are with you might say Verily God is in this man verily there is joy in heaven when the Saints keep in this frame 4. When the soul yields thus to the will of Christ for Christs ends for such is the subtill wretchednesse of mens hearts that men would have Christ glorifie himself that he may glorifie and honour them like Simon Magus that would give any money for Apostolicall gifts that he might be some body that way also Now if a man shall submit go to Christ for gifts and parts that 's to set up another King to advance a mans self and so also sin and the devill and Christ must be made a servant for this end He is now no King like a Rebell that is not content that thousands of the Kings Subjects should serve him but he will have the Prince serve him a so Every man will say this doth utterly overthrow the Kingdom of such a Prince When a man shall secretly fight against the Lord and be for himself and for the devil and sin within When a man shall make all the creatures serve him the souldiers of his army meat drink and outward comforts this is a marvellous thing Ay but when a man shall make Jesus Christ
speak so suitably to him But as soon as he is gone out again this is the complaint of the soul all is lost again now the soul it sals a mourning again It is not for the glory of God to give the soul such peace out of his Ordinances as he doth in them the soul it would not prize the Ordinances of the Lord so much yet there it is and when they come again the Lord he either gives them the same refreshings again or else there is a new spring 3. The eternall efficacy of the word and voyce of God it may be preserved in an internall spirit of prayer for the continuance of it while he hath it and for the return of it when it is lost Psalm 119. 4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently David he knew his own weakness yet he intimates with what power it came on his heart Oh that my soul were directed to keep thy statutes When the soul sees the beaâ—ty of a command and the good will of God how sweet it is and how amiable the way and work of God is Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes And so when it is gone Psal. 63. 3. My soul thirsteth after thee Lord saith David that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He doth not say that I may see thy glory and power in thy sanctuary though that might be too no but that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in the sanctuary David he did find a want of seeing him as he had done yet the vertue of it did remain in a spirit of thirsting and desire My soul thirrsteth for thee as in a dry land where no water is that I may see thee A Christian may have at some time such a glimpse in hearing the word of Gods grace of the exceeding riches of Gods grace and the love of God to him that he may be in a little heaven at that time ravished in the admiration of that mercy that ever God should look to him It is so and the word sayes so and the soul is ravished with wonderment at it yet God is gone again and the soul loses it Now the soul thinks I have lost the efficacy of Gods word but it is not so for thus it may be preserved Oh that I may see this God as I have done And all his life-time the soul may find the want of this yet it may be preserved in a spirit of prayer For whem the Lord hath given once a glimpse of his glory the soul it cannot be at rest but it breatheth for more of that mercy and presence a Christian may find his spirit marvellously refreshed at the word he may taste how good the Lord is and he may lose it again but this may be preserved in a spirit of longing after this God and presence again And I will say this Brethren A Christian may find no good by the word to his apprehension he sees the admirable blessed estate of the Saints and exceeding riches of God in Christ sees the sweetness of the waies of God goes home thinks within himself Happy they that are in this condition Blessed are they that can walk thus with God But I cannot saith the soul. I say it may find it thus when he cannot find the reall efficacy of the word as he would do he may receive the benefit of that word if the Lord do but only give him a heart to desire it Oh that the Lord would but thus manifest himself to me the soul may go away poor and hungry from the word and the Lord may yet reserve a spirit of thirsting after that good which a man desires to find and there is the efficacy of the word there As now there are two golden vessels one a man fills and it is every day dropping and he preserves it another vessel he do's not fill but with something that he hath He is every day widening of it So some Christians the Lord he 's a filling of them others the Lord he do's not fill them with such peace and joy ay but though the Lord is not filling of them he is a widening of them there is such a vertue that the Lord do's enlarge the heart with secret desires and longings after more of Gods grace and Christs The Lord he saith I intend to make this man a vessell of glory and I intend he shall have a great deal of glory and peace at the last The Lord he leaves such an impression of the word upon him as that thereby he enlargeth the heart Open thy mouth wide I will fill it 4. A Christian may have the everlasting efficacy of the word and voice of God preserved in a spirit of thankfulnesse and love to the Lord for those joys and good that it finds by the word sometimes When it feels that the sweet and savour of the word is gone a spirit of thankfulnesse and love to the word that doth remain The Lord he preserves the efficacy of the word in this way Psal. 119. 7. I shall saith David then praise thee with uprightnesse of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements The Lord he may teach his people his righteous judgements and the savour and feeling and strength of them to their feeling may be gone and yet it is preserved in a spirit of thankfulnesse and praise that ever the Lord should shew it such mercy When the Spirit is gone the spirit of love and thankfulnesse remains As now a man hath heard the word the Lord he hath effectually wrought on him and changed his heart and drawn him to himself a Christian it may be he may lose those sorrows and humiliations and the remembrance of those things yet there remaineth to his dying day this Spirit he blesseth God and wondereth at God that ever he should make the word effectuall that he should leave so many thousands in the world and cast his skirt over him and say to him Live this do's remain still Brethren the Lord do's sometimes let light into a mans mind to discover his sin now this light it do's not sensibly overcome the power of sin But now the sâ—ul blesseth God for that word which hath convinced it had I never seen my sin saith the soul I should never a sought for power against it and pardon of it and this continues now and cannot but continue here is the efficacy of the word the word of Gods grace though the flower of it be gone yet there is an eternal power of the word that the soul can say It hath come to me and helped me against these sins and the soul wonders at the Lord it should be so much as it is So again a Christian he finds marvellous refreshings and affection whiles he is a hearing when he is gone away he finds not the same but he blesseth God for those affections he finds and