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
to content our idle humours than ayming sincerely at his glory is a foule contempt and cannot but bring a curse upon us Yee have despised my Name saith God unto the Priests Mal. 1.6 Wherein say then In that Ye offer uncleane bread upon mine altar verse 7. Matters were come to that passe in this Prophets time that neither Priest nor People cared a â—ot how God was served Any thing they thought would content him and therefore they presumed to offer that to him which they durst not present unto their Prince or Governour the blinde the lame the torne the sicke any thing which their covetousnesse could best spare was a sacrâ—fice good enough for God Yea the whole frame of Legal Ceremonies they were utterly weary of them counting them base and contemptible and in effect nothing but an unprofitable drudgery Doth God take this well at their hands No hee curseth them for this their impiety Cursed bee the deceiver which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing The reason followes For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen Wherefore it must needs be a horrible offence in the Iewes the people of God thus to vilifie so great a maiesty when even the Gentiles themselves yeelded a more awefull reverence thereunto I shall not neede to stand long in prouing a truth so evident the time and paines will haply bee better imployed in making application of it to our selves A threefold use of this point I commend unto your consideration and practice Vse 1. First Information of our iudgement touching such evills as wee see doe befall men in this life Wee behold the best Churches in great calamities the best men sorely afflicted and we wonder that God should deale so rigorously with those that serve and worship him Wee ghesse at many causes but seldome doe we hit upon the right which here the Apostle intimates unto viz. Profanation of the ordinances of Gods worship This Irreligiousnesse in Gods service is the maine cause as of other sins so of all judgements Vnrighteousnesse against man issues from irreligion towards God and therefore in punishment we must chiefly cast our eyes that way if wee will follow the streame up unto it first fountain We commonly looke another way and put off our calamities vpon other causes If any other but the Apostle had told these Corinthians that their sicknesses and death was sent upon them â—or their profanation of the Lords Supper they would haue doubted of his opinion Many were sicke and dyed but what of that men cannot live or bee well alwayes these things come at adventure or by course of Nature t was want of care in their dyet t was the malignity of some unwholsome dish want of exercise ill temper of the body infection of the aire and such like causes have made them weake and sickly want of physicke want of looking to old age or some such matter hath brought them to their end Any thing rather than what the Apostle speakes of should be reckoned up as the cause of their present griefes But hee having a better spirit to judge of matters tells them plainly that what ever they may imagine t was for abuse of the Sacrament For this cause that sicknesses and deaths reigned amongst them When the Iewes endured so many miseries even from their first plantation in the land to their finall casting out from thence they were seldome aware of this point that their corruptions and abuses in Gods worship brought such plagues upon them If the Philistims Canaanites and other Borderers upon them doe spoile their Country tyrannize over them and oppresse them with cruell slavery as they did in the times of the Iudges they will interpret this to be nothing but an old grudge which these Nations bare against the Israelites for dis-possessing them of their Countrey for which they were hated and all occasions sought to worke revenge If the Kingdome be divided that 's nothing but Rehoboams folly and ill counsell of ill advised Courtiers If Israel make warre on Iudah or Iudah upon Israel that 's but policy to keepe downe one another lest one should encroach upon both Kingdomes If there be civill warres that 's thorough the factions of potent and ambitious States-men If a Forreiner invade them t is nothing but the pride of ambitious tyrants that cannot be content with their owne but seeke after glory and greatnesse in the ruine of other Kingdomes Yea if a Salmanasser or Nebuchadnezzar carry them away captive out of their land though they may thinke in the generall that God is not well pleased with them yet they would resolve these effects into other causes more proper as they conceive T was weaknesse in their Kings degenerating from their ancient valour want of good confederates of good counsellors of skilfull and trusty commanders of hardy souldiers they were over-borne by multitude and these or some thing like these were the cause of this misfortune but of their sinnes they thinke not of that matter Many there were no doubt who iudged better touching the successe of Civill and Ecclesiasticall affaires whose eyes God had opened to discerne the equall dependance betweene the sinnes and the punishments of the present age wherein they lived but for the generality of the State their thoughts went another way after worldly and politicke reasons Which was the cause that being so often smitten yet they returned not to God that smote them because they were ignorant of their sins for which he smote them Thence in many grievous calamities of the State they did what they could by all politick means to uphold the ruines thereof but yet there was no reformation at all of the horrible corruptions of Gods pure Religion This they looked not after as if all had beene well on that side whereas indeed the maine crakce which threatned the downefall of that glorious state was not in the roofe or sides of the building barely in the Lawes and Civill governement but in that onely strong pillar whereupon all rested viz. Religion now rent and shivered in pieces Had wee a history of those times of the Iewish state compiled by Iewish Politicians living then and relating unto us the same publicke events which wee finde recorded in Scripture it would quickly appeare by the comparison that God iudged otherwise of the causes of those things than the State then did Those stories would be like unto these written in latter ages touching Christian Common-wealths where Church and State are put asunder as having little dependance one upon another All notable events prosperous or unhappy the rising or decay of states or great men in the state c. are curiously enquired into all consells and circumstances scanned and censured but for Religion what entercourse it hath with such events there is scarce so much as a glance that way So â—linde and earthly is every man in
discerning aright of Gods iudgements and the course of his government over all humane affaires Wherefore that man may see his error in this point God hath beene pleased by revelation from heaven to make knowne unto him the chiefe cause of such calamities as come upon States and Kingdomes professing true Religion For which purpose God raised up Prophets from time to time to put the Iewes in remenbrance of that which otherwise they would not have thought of viz. that for their abominable corruptions in Gods worship and other sinnes proceeding thence they were thus plagued These men cryed out loud enough to be heard saying as it is 2 King 17.13 Turne from your evill waies and keepe my commandements and my statutes But then as now the poore Prophets preached to little purpose they might talke till they were weary few men regarded what they said Wherefore God hath caused their Sermoâ—s and the Stories of their times to be recorded in everlasting monumenâ—s that all ages of the world may take notice of the true cause of Gods iudgements Wherein wee see that God le ts passe as scarce worth the naming all civill considerations and brings all the prosperity or adversity of Church or State unto this head viz. the Neglect or Regard had unto Religion and Iustice. The children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord they served Baal and the gods of the Nations they forsooke the Lord they walked not in his statutes these be the reasons for which matters goe ill with them as we may finde it at large expressed Iudg. 2. 2. King 17. 2. Chron. 36. Yea in this matter God gave unto them a generall rule whereby to rectifie their iudgement and ours in the like case in the 29. of Deut. Where Moses tells them that when their posterity or the stranger from a far land should see the plagues of the Iewes countrey and the diseases thereof where with the Lord should smite it they would aske after the reason of it and say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto his land what meaneth the heate of this great anger The answer followes Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which hee made with them when hee brought them forth out of the land of Egypt For they went and served other gods and worshipped them gods whom they knew not and whom hee had not given unto them And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this booke vers 14 15 16 17. According to this observation wee may judge of the state of the Christian Church ruinated in the East by Saracens and Turkes over-run in the West by Goths Vandals and other Northren nations then when pure Religion was corrupted by Sects and Heresies by superstitious abuses brought into the worship of God especially into the Sacrament more and more polluted by abominable vanitiâ—s by pride and contention among the Bishops by neglâ—gence in the inferiour Clergie by turâ—ing Religion into regular hypocrisie each one serving God after the statutes of Ahab and decrees of the house of Omâ—i I meane after the rule of his new devised order but not according to that rule prescribed in the Word whereby alone all must walke that looke for peace upon themselves and the Israell of God When thus by superstition profanenesse impiety and all filthy corruptions in doctrine and manners the name of Christian became even to be a dishonour unto Christ God dealt with them as before he had done with the Iewish Church delivering them over into the hands of cruell enemies who vexed and spoyled them on every side But what shall wee say unto Churches reformed and purged from the leaven of such corruptions may we apply this rule unto them Yea wee must even in these daies of distresse and trouble wherein God dasheth the nations of the earth together breaking them one upon another like earthen vessels Now that the Kingdomes of the earth are shaken and the Church of God persecuted and afflicted with fire sword and desolation We that are yet but passengers going on in quiet by the way cannot but behold and bewaile her sorrow which sitteth upon the ground weeping sore in the night for these miseries that are come upon her Oh that our heads were full of water and our eyes a fountaine of teares that we also could weep day and night for the slaine of the daughter of Zion But now if wee stand still and wonder and enquire How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is shee become a widow shee that was great among the Nations a Princesse among the Provinces â—ow is shee become tributary Heare what answer her selfe will make The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon my necke therefore it followes he hath made my strength to fall the Lord hath delivered mee into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up And againe The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandements Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity And againe Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me For I have grievously rebelled Yea this is it T is the sinnes of a Church that kinde a fire in her palaces Her sinnes that sharpen her enemies sword to the slaughter Her sinnes that destroy her strong Hold and make the rampart and the wall to lament and languish together Let us not here cry out upon men complaine upon Princes blame wee know not whom nor for what as if all had been well had they done or would they doe as wee have contrived it but lay we the blame where the fault is and say we That they be the sinnes of the Church that kept good things from her and brought evill upon her And be we still sighing in silence for t is the Lord hath done this even he hath done that which he had devised he hath covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast downe from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel Indeede Reformation is a glorious name a Church reformed and restored unto purity of doctrine and discipline is a glorious society But it s one thing to have Gods pure worship established by Law another thing to have it settled in mens hearts and observed in their practice The doctrine of a Church may be pure the Sacraments rightly administred the government duely ordered and yet God may be highly dishonoured by that Church when that which is well adpointed is not yet well used This is haply the Corinthians case here in the Text they did not for ought we can prove pervert the Institution of the Sacrament adding or omitting any thing materiall to the essence thereof but yet