wee diligently the quality of the punishment it selfe for the rule holds true very commonly that God punisheth men in the same kinde wherein they offend Whence it will be easie by the punishment to judge of the sinne If a Land be smitten with a famine of bread is it not because plenty hath bred luxury if with a famine of the Word was it not because it was entertained with disobedience and contempt if with poverty t is because riches bred vice if David defile his neighbours wife so shall Absolom deale with his owne concubines if hee murder Vriah so shall Absolom doe to Amnon and seeke to doe the same to his father Is a man vexed with disobedient children t is likely himselfe was so to his owne parents if friends be unfaithfull to thee hast not thou beene so to thine or hast thou not made flesh thine arme and put more trust in them than God Is disgrace fallen upon thee and wast thou not proud before Doe thy gifts of minde or body decay and is it not because thou art high minded unthankefull to God and scornefull of meaner men In short looke unto the punishment and consider it duely we shall commonly finde that in the same or some other kinde neerly proportionable as we have done in sinning so God hath done to us in punishing 3. Observe advisedly the inditements which at such a time thy conscience shall bring-in against thee Conscience is a faithfull Register and what ever drowsinesse may possesse it in times of peace yet so soone â—s its netled and stung with the feare of approaching judgement or the sense of present smart it growes very clamarous and will give us information touching our estate both true enough and loud enough if wee list to heare and observe what it saith If a storm be toward the sea quickly foretokens it by its working and change of colour And in corrupt bodies the least alteration of the weather breeds a distemper in them So doe all outward change whether felt or feared worke strange alterations in the soule that 's tainted with the guilt of any foule transgressions Then be sinnes that were almost forgotten all mustered up together and brought to a fresh remembrance as if done but yesterday and if wee doe attentively marke what Conscience then pleads against us wee shall heare it ring in our eares such voices as these Loe seest thou not iudgement ready now to take hold on thee for such a sinne at such a time committed And thou beest remembred once thou committedst such a secret abomination now see God punisheth thee for it openly So many yeeres agoe such a villany was done by thee now at last God hath met with thee for it Admirable is the worke of Conscience in this regard and very remarkeable in the brethren of Ioseph They had sold their brother and couâ—ened their father and all was husht up for a long time After they goe downe to Egypt they are roughly used there by their unknowne brother imprisoned as Spies no entreaties nor apologies will serve their turne Now their sinne revives and their brother Ioseph comes into their mindes they cannot keepe it in their traiterous and unmercifull usage of their poore brother swels in their consciences and bursts forth at their tongues they cannot take so much time as till they bee all in private but even in Iosephs presence they must out with it Wee have sinned against our brother c. therefore is this trouble come upon us Gen. 42.21 So Iob in his elder yeares when he fell into those great calamities though a holy and good man yet confesseth that he smarted for the sinnes of his youth Thou writest bitter things against mee and makest mee to possesse the sinnes of my youth saith hee Iob 13.26 Sinne may be soone committed but t is not so soone forgotten God remembers it and Conscience registers it and an hundred yeares after the fact done a man may heare on 't againe to his woe and griefe By these three directions well observed wee may speedily attaine the knowledge of our sinne for which at any time Gods punishing hand lies upon us that so knowing where the disease lyeth we may with speedy successe apply the medicine of Repentance and true Reformation And so much of this point I goe forward For this cause many are weake For the abuse of the Sacrament in not discerning the Lords Body God plagued them in their owne bodies with diseases and death Hence the conclusion is That The abuse of spirituall good things causeth losse of bodily and temporall good things This is agreeable to reason and equity That where the greater good is despised there men should bee punished with deprivation of that good which is lesse in worth but more in their esteeme to the end that by the want of this they might learne to have a better regard unto the other They that abuse spirituall good things will much more abuse corporall good things wherefore God at once both prevents their sinne in these by taking them away and also punisheth their sinne in those by such a deprivation of these Besides it is the nature of sinne as it infects the soule so it hurts the body and all externall good things Adams abuse of the forbidden fruit brought destruction upon his soule and death upon his body and a curse upon all â—he world which God had given him as his patrimony and inheritance· No lesse dangerous is the abuse of the commanded fruit that wee so call Iesus Christ the Tree of Life in the Sacrament They that eate it worthily feed therby both soule and body they tâ—at profanely use it bring destruction upon both Godlinesse saâ—th the Apostle hath the promises of this life and that which is to come and therefore on the contrary Vngodlinesse hath the threatnings of both My sonne let thine heart keepe my commandements saith Salomon Prov. 3.1 If he doe it they shall bring him increase of daies prosperity favour in the sight of God and man health to his navell and marrow unto his bones with abundance unto his barnes and winepresses as it followes in the next verses of that Chapter So on the other side where God is disobeyed his Word and Ordinances despised there nothing thrives well neither for body nor name nor goods but sin like a blasting winde makes all to wither and fade away like a leafe This may lesson us two things 1. That if we would have our bodies and lives to be precious in Gods account we learn our selves to make precious account of his service and holy ordinances If wee contemne the sacred Body and Bloud of Christ and make no reckoning of his death it is but just with God to give up our vile and sinnefull bodies to bee as â—ung for the earth that sicknesse should consume us and the grave have dominion over us No marvell if we be left in bodily weaknesses when we labour not to feele the strengthening power and
AN INTRODVCTION TO THE WORTHY RECEIVING THE SAcrament of the Lords SVPPER By that late learned Minister of Gods holy Word WILLIAM PEMBLE of Magdalen Hall in Oxford Published since his death by his friend Qui discordat à Christo nec manducat carnem eius nec sanguinem bibit etiamsi rei tantae Sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat De Consecrat Dist. 2. c. 65. Qui discordat Ex Aug. in liâ— Sent. c. 339. Vt quid puras dentes ventrem Crede manducasti Ibid. c. 47. Vt quid Ex Aug. tract 25 26. in Ioan. LONDON Printed by I.B. for Iames Boler and are to be sold at the signe of the Mary gold in Paâ—â—s Church-yard Anno Dâ—â— 1633. TO THE WORSHIPfull his worthy good friend JOHN BAKER Esq. at Mayfield in Sussex Grace and Peace SIr to erre in speculative Doctrines chiefly where the soveraigntie and sufficiency of the Scripture is maintained as it is with us is not so frequent nor so easie as to mistake in matters practicall Errors in doctrine are more dangerous but corruptions in practice are more often by reason that our practice flowes immediatly from more various and weake principles in us than our speculations doe Hence we see that in matters divine amongst us where the Scriptures are in force and have their due place there are few errors in the doctrine many faults in the practice For an instance wee need goe no further than the Sacrament of the Supper the doctrine whereof is by the blessing of God out of question for the Orthodoxie of it in our Church But where Satan cannot taint the Doctrine there hee will corrupt the Practice all hee can so we finde that in S. Pauls time the Practice of this Sacrament was rather growne faultie than the Doctrine a type of our dayes wherein we see the people growne carelesse remisse and prophane for the practice in the receiving of this Sacrament so verie few prepare themselves in a discerning manner In matters morall and divine contrarie to what we see in things naturall we leape from one extreame to another sine medio from superstition to prophanenesse from bad to worse Papists and wee agree that this Sacrament is not to bee given to children who cannot examine themselves we all say that to this Sacrament there is required a personall and a praeviall disposition in the receiver an opus operantis and yet wee finde our people come to the Lords Table though not children in yeares yet in understanding Nay do we not heare the very best complaine much this way their griefe is that this Sacrament doth them little good and where one complaines of his unprofitable hearing the Word many bemoane their uncomfortable receiving of this Sacrament What may bee thought the cause are they not both the verie ordinances of God Yes I know that Sacraments have a certaine voyce and that they are a kinde of visible words yet there is not that viva vox in the Sacrament administred as is in the Word preached Now this force which is in the lively voyce of the Preacher doth helpe much to qualifie the Hearer Let this then goe for a truth that amongst some other reasons of this difference one maine cause why wee say and feele that we profit lesse by this Sacrament than by the Word preached is for that as we should prepare more so wee doe prepare lesse before-band to the receiving of this Sacrament The way then to cure this disease is to prepare and fit our selves better and to that end is this booke serving rather to prepare the Communicant in the practice than to defend the doctrine of this Sacrament A good booke and in our dead and unsavourie times very needfull which I now dedicate to you to say nothing of mine owne respects for reasons taken from the deceased Author Were he alive and say hee would print this booke you are the man whose name it should beare you supported the vine that bore this and many other excellent grapes his studies had shrunke and withered even then when they were about to knit had it not beene for you and your exhibitions To tell you what great charge you bestowed on him I need not to tell the world in print is a thing you desire not onely I would men of quality would stay their hands from their excesses upoâ— unprofitable creatures and learne of you to shew their bounty in watering such plants as this was and then they neede not repent of their excesses but rather rejoyce with you for their expences And I could wish that every Gentleman of ranke could say as you can that in his time hee hath raised up an able Schollar a learned Divine a well studied Artist a skilfull Linguist and which is the soule of all a verie godly Minister Had hee lived you had enjoyed him and he you but hee is gone to enjoy the Lord and in reading of this his booke you may in some sort enjoy him And such as read this and the rest of his labours if they profit not by them let them blame themselves if they doe as I am certaine many doe next unto the Lord let them thanke you and blesse God for him and you to whom I commit both you and yours and remaine Yours in the Lord Christ RICHARD CAPEL To the Reader COurteous Reader if any other print this book according to any notes I thought good to give thee notice that this is according to the Originall under the Authors owne hand left unto me when he departed this world and therefore take this as the onely true and genuine Copy And so farewell R. CAPEL AN INTRODVCTION To the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords SVPPER MOst true is that of Salomon Pro. 19.2 Without knowledge the mind is not good He that hasteth with his feet sinneth True where the mind wants knowledge the foot will be hasty Ignorance Rashnes are inseparable companions but this is true also that Knowledge alone cannot make a man good Where the minde hath knowledge the foote may be lazie and where knowledge abounds negligence may abound too Now of the two Monoris criminis reatus est legem nescire quà m spernere as Salvian speakes and an unadvised practise comming from ignorance is farre more tolerable than wilfull disobedience convicted and condemned by knowledge There is then a necessity for practice â—o follow after knowledge and there is also an excellency wherein practice goes before knowledge as the end alwaies deserves more love and praise than the meanes The younger brother in order of Nature hath here the preheminency to be blessed above the elder which I spake not to make divisioÌ„ among brethren and set at oddes these two parts of Religion by a quarrelsome comparison but that I may have leave at this time to do as Iacob sometime did when Manasseh and Ephraim were presented unto
him by Ioseph namely to crosse my hands of purpose and contrary to my usuall course lay my right hand on the head of the yonger my left hand on the head of the elder brother I mean that whereas in the handling the nature of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper a twofold consideration offers it selfe the one concerning knowledg in the explication of the nature of the mysteries contained therein the other concerning our religious practice in the celebration thereof You will not be displeased if I first begin with practice insisting vpon such holy dueties as concerne us in going about this businesse laying aside for a while such contemplations about the nature of this Sacrament as serves only to informe our knowledge I have made choice of this course as that which is 1. mere necessary for this Auditory 2. most necessary for this subiect the Sacrament wherof we are to speake I may in charity hope that there is none among us so rudely and ignorantly bred up under such governors as Countrey or Vniversity hath afforded but that he is furnished with such a competency of knowledg as to give a reasonable account of his faith touching the doctrine of the Sacraments Yet if there be any whose ignorance in this behalfe may make them blush to such I wish an increase of godly carefulnesse in their governours that they will provide for the advancement of Religion as well as Learning in those that are under them and also a more conscionable industry in themselves to hearken unto instruction and to make use of all such means as they shall be directed unto for the attainment of knowledg in this and other points of true Religion For the Sacrament it selfe wee shall not erre in following that rule which holds true in all Divinity that Wee shall the better know the nature of secret mysteries by first making conscience to practice our knowne duety And therefore this Sacrament being instituted in the Church for the continuall exercise of many heauenly graces of the Saints much rather than for the employment of their wits in long disputes curious speculations about the nature of this holy ordinance it will bee I hope not unfit first to acquaint you how this Sacrament serues for the increase of grace in the hearts of the godly and hereafter as God shal give ability and opportunity to unfold the truth in such controverted doubts as have beene raised touching this Sacrament rather by the darknesse superstition of mens braines than from any true difficulty that can be found in the institution it selfe I come therfore in the first place to put you in minde of that which concernes our Christian practice about this Sacrament where our duety is twofold 1. A frequent celebration of this Sacrament 2. A right remembrance of Christs death set forth unto us therein Both these dueties are comprised and commended to us in those words of the institution in 1. Cor. 11. Againe Verse 24. This doe ye in remembrance of mee And Verse 25. This doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of mee Verse 26. For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this câ—p ye doe shew the Lords death till he come These words doe plainely containe those two forementioned dueties concerning the time when this Sacrament is to be celebrated and that is often and touching the maner or end of its celebration which is a perpetuall remembrance of the death of Christ. For the first that its a necessary duty which lies upon every one often to frequent this Sacrament it were only to be wished that our practice were as conformable as our consciences are generally convicted of the truth of it Yet if any man list to doubt these reasons may perswade him that will not be obstinate 1. The Commandement of Christ This doe as often as yee drinke it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here implies a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as often as yee doe it therefore doe it often not once in our age as Baptisme neuer to be repeated nor once a yeere and no more as the Passeover but many times in our age many times in a yeere according as the Saints in the Primitive Church understood the meaning of these words and not as some in these times when Sophistry hath wrangled out Diuinity would seeme to cavill that because the words runne Doe it as oft as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup therefore it is at their discretion to doe it as seldome as they please 2. Their owne necessity may perswade them if they can be sensible of their spirituall weaknesse and wants Let them looke inward and see how great need they have of many and often confirmations of their Faith renovations of their Repentance of stirring up the graces of God in the soule to adde an edge and eagernesse unto all spirituall affections after holinesse to get unto themselves the most powerfull provocations unto obedience Every one that hath grace knowes how frequently the power thereof is impaired by temptations weakned by worldly distractions even of our lawfull imployments and over-mastered by the force of sinnefull lusts so that they must needs discover a great deale of ignorance in their spirituall estate that feele not in their soules a pronenesse to affamishment as well as in their bodies at least they bewray intolerable carelesnesse that finding the emptinesse and leanenesse of their soules yet neglect to repaire often unto his holy Table whereon is set forth the Bread of life whereof when they have eaten their spirit may come againe their hearts may be strengthned their soules may bee replenished as with marrow and fatnesse Wherefore give mee leave to perswade you to the practice of so needfull a duety and withall to tell you of that fault whereof this age is extreamly guilty A very shame it is to compare the slacknesse of our dayes with the forwardnesse of those primitive times of the Church in the often celebration of this holy Sacrament Then it was administred almost euery Lords day now we are fallen from fifty times a yeere to once twice thrice or for the greatest part to foure times in the yeere It is true that as in other so in this divine institution Satan hath done much by his malitious policy to corrupt mens hearts in the observation of it When the Sacrament was administred often hee brought it into contempt by the commonnesse of it now that it is administred seldome thorough ignorance it is abused and neglected as unnecessary I may not prescribe how often the celebration therof is fit to be used our Church hath partly left it to the discretion of her Ministers partly injoyned the solemnization therof at the least three times a yeere Shee hath seene the untowardlinesse of her children who must be compelled by Law to come in unto this feast or else the Lords Table is likely to stand unfurnished of guests A strange matter that men should neede a
Law to bring them to the Sacrament One would thinke that mens consciences should herein be a Law unto themselves and that there were no necessity to have a Statute for hungry men to eate or for sicke folke to take physicke But here is the intolerable infidelity and irreligion of our times did not feare of Law and shame of the world prevaile more with many than any benefit which they perceiue is to be gotteÌ„ by frequenting the Sacrament they that now come but seldome would come never they have no appetite to this spirituall bread their taste cannot rellish this Angels food and thence the Table of the Lord is contemptible in their eyes and their very soule loatheth this bread of heaven I confesse indeed that persecution is a sharpe spurre to put men on upon the diligent practice of all religious duties and so it was in the Primitive Church that the bitternesse of afflictions gave a sweeter relish to religion Neverthelesse they must needes be ill nurtured that will doe nothing without beating and very strange it is that men should constantly wait upon the service of God when paine and disgrace terrifie them from it and then fal off to neglect it when honour peace and liberty invite them to it And what my brethren had the bloud of Christ a fresher taste in these first ages after it was newly shed had his sacrificed body a more fragrant smell inviting the Saints like birds of prey to flye from far with maruellous swiftnesse unto this dead but yet all-quickning carkasse Hath it now through tract of time lost that swetnesse wherwith hertofore it cheared both God and Man No t is we have lost our senses our faith our zeale our love Christs bloud like the Manna in the Ark putrifies not but endureth for ever to feed us also in these last ages of the world unto everlasting life That fountain which was opened in his side runs yet afresh hath an everlasting vertue to cleanse us from the leprosie of sinne and to coole the heate of a weary soule inflamed with sin and the fire of Gods wrath only if we can be sensible of our thirst and that our hearts can pant after these waterbrooks running amaine unto them for refreshing when wee are furiously chased by our iniquities following us at the heeles Wherfore my beloved brethren let us be admonished henceforward to make conscience of frequenting the Lords Table so often as by fit opportunity wee may enjoy the benefit therof lest our lazie sloathfulnesse be at last punished for a profane contempt of the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. This be spoken of the first duety in comming to the Sacrament the next followes touching that which is to bee done about the celebration of it Now this is in general A soleme commemoration of the death of Christ expressed in those words Doe this in remembrance of me and in those Yee shew forth the Lords death till he come Which words doe summarily declare what was the end and intent of Christ in instituting this Sacrament and what is the duty which he requires of euery Christian in the solemnizing thereof namely That therin we should make a perpetuall commemoration of his death and passion unto the end of the world till hee come againe to iudgement Now this remembrance of the death of Christ in the Sacrament is to be taken in a double sense 1. In opposition to the outward Elements and Ceremonies in this Sacrament 2. In relation to those spirituall graces of the soule which are to bee exercised in this commemoration In the former must be shewed upon what our hearts thoughts must be fixed in the holy Sacrament namely not on the Elements and actions of the Sacrament but on Christ and his benefits all the desires of our soules must be towards him and to the remembrance of his Name In the latter it will appeare how in what manner our soules must be fixed on Christ namely not in a bare historicall remembrance of his sufferings but in a powerfull and gracious feeling of the vertue of his death working life and holinesse in our soules Of these two points in order and of the first briefly which is this That our thoughts are not to dwel upon the outward elements and actions of the Sacrament but from them to bee raised up to the meditation of Christs sufferings and the benefits we obtaine thereby Doe this in remembrance of mee saith Christ i. e. of my death and your redemption by it not Do this for it own sake looking no further than what is visible to your eies in the outward solemnity Never was any Ceremony legall Euangelicall appointed for its own worth as if either God were pleased or mans soulâ— edified in grace by such carnall observations For God is a Spirit and will alwayes be worshipped in spirit and truth and mans soule is a Spirit of a pure and immortal substance which cannot bee nourishd and maintained in life and strength by any outward fading thing or action but only by that which is proportionable to its owne celestiall and spiritual quality Now this alone is the grace and favour of God the treasurie and store-house wherof is the person of our ever-blessed Mediator Iesus Christ unto whom the ancient church was directed in all Leviticall observations to whom these Evangelicall Sacraments doe still direct us Wherefore you are againe to be admonished those especially of the younger sort That they do attentively observe what that thing is whereabouts all their meditations are to be employed in this sacred businesse Remember that here Christ crucified is all in al in every element in every action When thou seest the Bread and Wine separated by consecration unto this holy use thinke on Christ ordained and fore-appointed by the Father from everlasting unto the accomplishment of our redemption by his bloud-shedding When thou seest the Bread broken and the Wine powred forth thinke on Christ torne and rent in his precious body with stripes and wounds pained even to the death in his most holy soule full of the wrath of God indignation of the Almighty by whom he was smitten for thy sinnes and plagued for thy transgressions When the Minister offers to thee the bread wine think on Christ given unto thee of God freely and giving himselfe unto thee if thou wilt receive him When thou receivest and eatest these elements think on Christ that living Bread that gives life unto thy soule and by his merits preserves it from eternall death Knit thy heart unto him by the band of an holy faith throw thy selfe into his armes stretched out on the Crosse to embrace thee wash thy soule in his bloud that thou maist bee cleane hide thy selfe in the holes and clefts of this rocke from the stormy tempest of Gods wrath that iâ— mâ—y not touch thee put thine hands and thy fingers in his side and the prâ—nt of the nailes and cry out with that
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
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
comfort of the Sacrament in our soules If we dishonour God in despising his Word and Sacraments and Ministers t is equall that hee should poure contempt upon us and give up our names for a reproach upon earth They only can expect that God should have a tender regard of their lives and health and credit and other good things they enjoy who have themselves a dutifull respect of his glory and doe with all thankfulnesse and good conscience receive and use the favour and meanes of grace he bestowes on them 2. This shewes the cause why many times those that professe true Religion fare worse than others in regard of so many troubles and afflictions as betide them more than others The reason is because as the spirituall good things which God bestoweth on his Church are greater than any other favours which he imparts unto other men so is their abuse of them more highly displeasing unto God than others contempt of more inferiour favours But of this I have spoken largely upon the 29. verse therefore I doe but name it now To proceed Many among you are sicke c. Many The sinne of profaning the Sacrament was not a particular private sinne of some one or few among the Corinthians but it was a publike disorder and a common fault of the greatest part Now accordingly the punishment lights not upon a few here and there one but upon Many as there were many that had sinned But yet touching the community of these judgements upon the Corinthian Church it is to be noted that they were not such iudgements as came indifferently upon the City of Corinth For then they might have replyed that these sicknesses and death came not upon them for their profanation of the Sacrament seeing they lighted as well upon the rest of the Idolatrous Citizens Wherefore as the sinne was peculiar unto the Christians that were in Corinth so also were these punishments in some speciall extraordinary manner inflicted on them whereby it appeared that God singled them out in speciall for their foule profanation of his most holy worship The practicall conclusion hence is That Common sins have common punishments When the Vlcer is spread over the whole body a Plaister is ill applied but unto one part Where God comes to cure hee fits his medicine to the disease and were hee comes to kill his consuming wrath runnes so farre as doth the over-flowing of iniquity in that place wherewith hee hath to deale If hee bee to punish a whole world after hee hath provided for the safety of his Church all the rest perish to the last man If he be to destroy a Sodome wherein there is not one righteous they shall die every mothers sonne of them This may teach us a twofold lesson 1. That if wee will escape from common plagues wee learne to live free from common sinnes Let us not partake with others in their sinnes lest wee also share with them in their punishments Flee out of the middest of Babel and deliver every man his soule be not destroyed in her iniquity saith the Prophet Ieremy Chapt. 51.8 unto the Iewes residing at Babylon in Chaldea Go out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues saith the voice from heaven unto the godly abiding in the mysticall Romish Babylon Let us now follow this admonition and withdraw our selves from amongst all ungodly persons in the world not in place for then we must goe out of the world but in our love and practice of their wicked doings that in nothing wee have fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse How shall wee doe this yee will say The best way we can follow is this Learne to mourne for common sinnes and so thou shalt bee sure to live free from them Put on that holy affection which was in David Let thine eyes runne with rivers of waters because men forsake Gods Law Make not thy selfe sport with other mens â—innes but when thou lookest on them let thine eye breake thy heart with godly sorrow for the Irreligious contempt of Gods Word and Worship the pride the excesse the oppression the swearing the drunkennesse that fills every corner of the Land If there bee any sparke of true love to the Church and State wherein thou livest if any pity of the soules of thy brethren let it grieve thy soule to see men post madly unto destruction and weepe in secret to see the measure of iniquity rising up to the brimme to the hastening of destruction upon Church and State Bee a mourner in Zion and so escape the punishment of the sinners in Zion that when feare and confusion takes hold on them thou maist be marked out to safety and deliverance Other meanes to provide for thy welfare in common calamities there is none at all As for such as will continue to be as bad as the worst and yet hope by finenesse of wit and policy to speed as well as the best let such scornfull men and mockers of Gods counsell reade with attention that excellent place Esa. 28.14 seq Where they may see such their vaine confidence pulled downe to the dust in the example of others that have likewise trusted to it and bin confounded 2. Wee learne hence what to judge of any Christian Church when once corruptions grow common and overspreading all If God begin once to take in hand to punish such a Church will it be thinke you some light touch and easie afflictioâ— Nay Flagellum mundans an over-flowing scourge is then to be expected a scourge that shall go thorough every quarter of the Church to whip out from thence those that have polluted and defiled it by their abomination in every place These Corinthians were but a poor handfull of people newly drawn out of Gentilisme in one no very great City yet see how sharply the Lord deals with them for this one abuse of the Sacrament Many of those that in all were but a few are severely punished for it What then and how sore wil be the judgements of such Churches which have flourished 〈…〉 extent aboundance oâ— peace 〈◊〉 â—ight and liberty of the Gospell so long wherein yet the fruits of Obedience worthy of so unspeakable mercies aâ—e not to be found Iudgement is already begun at the house of God and wee cannot but with bleeding hearts bewaile the wofull desolations come upon some and the utter ruine threatned unto all forraine Churches Oh my beloved brethren let us pray dayly and fervently that the Lord would now say to his destroying Angell It is sufficient Hold now thy hand That he would make warres to cease unto the ends of the earth that hee would give peace to them his people who want it that he will continue peace to us his people that yet enjoy it That the cup of his furious indignation wherof so many nations of the earth have beene made to drinke may not passe over unto us but the dregges thereof if any remaine may rather bee powred out upon the nations that know him not nor call upon his Name but amongst us for ever may his Gospell flourish upon us bee his peace and protection unto the worlds end Amen O Lord for thy Son Christs sake I come to the last words Many weak sick many sleep Here is the punishment in the three degrees of it 1. Weaknesses viz. the first languishing of the body and inclination unto diseases 2. Sicknesses the next degree when diseases had fully seazed on the body 3. Death the last degree and complement of both the former Now of the two first degrees which were the lesser evills the Apostle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multi Many were afflicted with them but of the third the greater evill namely Death he alters the word and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satis multi not a few were dead though not so many as weake and sicke From this diversity in these punishments observe we in the last place That God in punishing man for sin orders his punishments differently according to the quality of the offence and party offending Some sinnes are of deeper dye than others and require more washing to 〈◊〉 them off Some are like unto humors seâ—led in the body which require stronger potions to purge them out others be as some infirmities newly fallen upon the body which are cured by medicines of weaker ingredients As when men have made a bargaine men will haue earnest or so to confirme it so is the Sacrament to confirme the Covenant FINIS a 1 Cor. 11.21 â—2 b 1 Cor. 11.25 c Maldon in Iohn 6. d Aug de merit peccat l 1. c. 24 passiâ— alibi Tert. l. 4. adver Marcion Amb. l 3 Sacr. c â— followed by some in Bohemia Chry. praelect Chron. Russia O dorbard de Relig. Rus. e Exod. 4.8 f Hieron Paulino g Latens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. De Gub. l. 4. Ioâ— 7.17 * 1 Sam. 30.12 * See the book of Canons Sal. de Gub. l. 4. 5. Matth. 1â— 9. Mat. 23.29 c Prov. 29.27 De Gub. l. 8. Heb. 9.10 Ioh 4. * Zanch observat in con fess suam de Relig. Christiana in cap. 16. appor 10. * Ioh 3.17.18.19 2. Thes 2.12 1. Tim. 3.12 * Hos. 5.13 7.11 They call to Egypt they goe to Ashur Lam. 1. ver 1. * Vers. 14. * Vers. 18. * Vers. 20. Men sharpliest punished for those sinnes they have committed with greatest pleasure and security Psal. 119.136 Ezek. 9.4.5.6