Î ÎΕΥΜΑΤ-ΑΠΟΛΟΓΙΑ OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE POWER LIBERTY OF THE SPIRIT As at first To give a Being to so still to give a Blessing by his Ordinances IN THREE SERMONS PREACHT AT Great BVDWORTH TO Some Persons of Honour and several of the Clergy then present to communicate in reference to the late ACT. By James Livesey A.M. Vicar of Budworth LONDON Printed by A. M. for Robert Clavel in Little-Britain 1674. To the Honourable Sir George Warburton Baronet Lord of Budworth Magna Aston Apleton Sutton Warburton Winnington Marthal Pulford c. And his Incomparably Accomplisht most Noble Lady Madam Diana Warburton And Right Worshipful William Tutchett Of Whitley Esq His Majesties High-Sheriff for the County Palatine of Chester And his Vertuous and worthily Honoured Consort Madam Martha Tutchett With the rest of the Gentry and others of the Congregation of Great Budworth Honourable Worshipful Worthy Sirs WHat was then though not affectionately enough presented to your attentive and judicious ears is now most humbly offered to your discerning eyes the good Spirit of the Lord hand it down into your Hearts the best receptacle of Divine Truths 'T was my work to suit the Text to that Occasion and the Sermons to the Text yours to suit your Attentions to the Sermons and His to do us all good we doing so If any shall demand why these were then Preached or are now published your Honour can satisfie the former your Worship the latter That I have mounted the Dedication so high to so many when to every individual a just volume had been an incompetent Oblation this presumption I must answer for As Artaxerxes that great Persian Monarch accepted a present of Water from a poor Labourer with a smiling countenance not having need thereof for may perhaps your Generosity these plain unpolished Sermons from one under so many Obligations to serve you The censures of the ignorant I have no reason to regard nor need I fear those of the Learned who can do much better with their Pens yet do nothing for de Straminibus non curat invidia The carelesness of many who wofully and wilfully squander away Sacrament-days without due observation hath awakened my Pen to remind them of the preciousness and usâ—fulness of this Ordinance and of their duties to their never-dying Souls Who sees not some so sick that they complain they cannot live and yet so sinful that they dare not die before another day any of us the most young or strong may be in another world though we shall live out yet surely we cannot out-live the determin'd time These serious thoughts of Death cannot bring us sooner to our graves but they should bring us nearer to our duties to a more constant and conscientious attendance on this holy Ordinance amongst the rest which is the grand design of these ensuing Pages In short the Truths in them contain'd are Gods as such embrace them the weaknesses mine how many soever I have borrowed help from others to erect this feeble Fabrick but most from the Spirit of the Lord to whose gracious conduct in your passage to Glory I shall never cease to commend you beseeching that my service be not accounted my crime The good Lord make you shining Lights in that publick Orb in which God and the King have fixt you and more illustrious Patterns of all Graces and Vertues wherein you now excell to those you converse with This shall be the breathing of his Soul who is Sirs Your ever obliged Servant J.L. Aug. 26. 1673. Besides some mistakes in pointing and a few literal the material Errata correct thus I pray ERRATA IN the Margent pag. 125. read Revel 5.8 and p. 141. after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 146. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Book pag. 10. l. 18. r. despiseth pag. 11. l. 7. r. him for hmi pag. 15. l. 23. r. pulls for puts pag. 80. l. 9. r. scan for can pag. 102. l. 17. r. might for would pag. 104. l. 4. r. Act the latter pag. 110. l. antap r. Him for them pag. 163. lin antep neglected penult observation ult in things pag. 165. l. 16. r. wills for wits THE SPIRIT of the LORD IN Power and at Liberty The first Sermon July the 13. 1673. to bless his own Institutions with the efficacy and usefulness of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper asserted in THREE SERMONS Preacht On Three Sacrament-days On Micah 2.7 O thou that art named the House of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord straitned are these his Doings Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Legi potest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus MIcah was one of them we call the small or lesser Prophets not because their Prophesies are of less authority and majesty or excellency for they were all the dictates of the Spirit of the Lord but because they are more concise and of greater brevity than the first four Ruffin in Praefat. in Hos These Prophesies Calvin conceives as now extant are but the marrow and quintessence of those Sermons by them preacht to the people of Israel and Judah Collected and reduced says Zanchy into one volum Proleg in Hos by the care of those pious Princes inspired of the Lord left by reason of their littleness they should be lost and this was done for the Churches benefit in those and succeeding Ages This Prophesie contains two solemn Sermons The former compriseth the five first and the latter the three last Chapters In the former are three things observable 1. The Sins this people stood guilty of before God and they are ingentia vitia mighty ones 2. The Judgments of God denounc'd against this people for those sins and they are ingentia supplicia doleful dreadful but most just and righteous For he is too good to do his people hurt and too just to do any people wrong remunerat ultra condignum sed punit infra Ezra 9.13 3. The Comforts interspersed on purpose to solace and support their hearts who were found faithful in these Kingdoms He foretells as is obvious to the meanest capacity both the temporal deliverance of Judah out of the Babylonish Captivity and the eternal deliverance of the Church to be gathered out of all Nations through the promised Messiah Their Sins are many so were their Judgments we shall mention three or four for no more stand in our way unto the Text. Cultum Idolorum institutum in Bethel Dan. Drus 1. Their Idolatry Chap. 1.5 this they are branded with this is the procuring cause of the Lords appearing against them in this glorious severity The Judgments threatned for this Sin you see in vers 6 7. their capital Sinners were in their capital Cities Samaria and Jerusalem but they were not too great for the great God to bring to condign punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diffluere faciam I will make Samaria as an heap of the field all the
Christian man To take care that his Soul be not unthankful to his God Have I received any light or life or increase of grace and peace I will remember to my dying day though 't is wrought in me yet 't was not wrought by me Non nobis Domine non nobis Not unto us Lord not unto us Because not by us Lord not by us but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts Though I cannot praise thee so much as I should yet will I praise thee as much as I can Sacramenta Judaeorum umbra Christianorum Aug Enar in Psal 37 nobis 38 At the Jewish Passover was sung the 113. and some following Psalms and this they call'd the Great Hallelujah And the Sacraments of the Jews were but shadows unto ours In every thing we must give thanks but for this especially others stand without you are admitted into the Presence-chamber of the great King They feed on husks and trash you on the hidden Manna My flesh saith Christ is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed All other food compar'd with this is cibi tantummodo umbra vana imago as Cameron speaks all shadow no substance To a worthy Receiver the choicest of mercies and blessings are here exhibited one calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Food made up all of Thanksgiving And having tasted so much nay drunk so deep of the cup of blessing does it not concern you now to sing Glory be to the Holy Ghost That praise is due to God from every Creature in the World and from every corner of the world I need not prove but 't is not comely for any but such as you Psal 33.1 'T is a garment that suites none but Saints Isa 61.3 You read there of the garment of praise The Jewish Doctors have a saying That the World subsists by three Pillars the Law the Worship of God and Thankfulness O let the high Praises of God be now and for ever in your lips and lives Hath the good Spirit of the Lord gone out before you in love and mercy Do you follow him now in praise and duty 'T is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven to enjoy God and 't is their only business in Heaven to bless God and is it not your wisdom as well as duty to be daily doing that on Earth besides which you shall have nothing to do to all Eternity in Heaven Hosanna's here and Hallelujahs hereafter 2 Walk charitably Do all the good you possibly can for the Spirit of the Lord and for the people of the Lord. I know your goodness extendeth not to God but let it the more to the Saints Yet you may plead for and vindicate his honour which is by many now laid in the dust many father their errors and blasphemies on the Spirit laying them at his door as if he were not the Spirit of Truth There are four sorts of men amongst us 1 Some who are all for Ordinances not eying at all the Spirit of the Lord for his teachings 2 Some are all for the Spirit Sans-ordinance men casting of Baptism the Ministry of the Word and this blessed Sacrament Beza in 1 Cor. 1.12 As Beza said so shall I Hoc Pestilentissimo morbo utinam nulli hodie laborarent Oh that none had this Plague-sore now 3 Others and not a few neither regard the Spirit nor men nor means nothing but mundum fundum 4 Only the sincere Christian is for all and he is the man to whom I address this counsel if you espouse not his cause who shall if in your stations as Magistrates as Ministers as Christians you plead not for it who will But walk charitably towards men that 's the duty I would press on you Has the Spirit of the Lord done you good do you now all the good you can to others shew your love to God by your love to your needy Brethren and your love to them by works of mercy Acts of charity do not impoverish but enrich Perhaps the Purse may be lighter but your Crown will be heavier Who ever heard or read of a man that liv'd charitably that died miserably Non memini me legisse malâ morte morâ—â—â— qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit Hieron Morison in his Itinirary Hierom in his Epistle to Nepotian tells us he never did nor did the royal Prophet Psal 37.25 26. One tells us of a fountain of Salt in Germany of which all the poor about it had Salt-water freely for their use but when once it was deny'd them it lost its vertue If once you harden your Hearts against or hide your faces from those pale faces and withered cheeks and maimed arms from those who have no bread to eat nor where to lay their heads well may the Spirit of the Lord suspend his influences at the next Communion and then it cannot heal nor seal nor do you good What greater incentive to shew mercy to others than a due sense of mercies received from God Do good to all as you are of ability and have opportunity but especially to the houshold of Faith 3 Walk contentedly Have you received good and much good at the Lords Table then be not so full of complaints if you have little of the worlds goods Is your grace increased have you got more assurance of your Lords love do not murmur though your Corn and Wine and other matters increase not Whilst those put gladness into your Hearts let not the want of these cause sadness to appear in your faces It is enough says Jacob Joseph is alive So say you It is enough the Spirit of the Lord is alive and hath enlivened and sealed 1 Tim. 6.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and comforted me at and by this precious Ordinance Shew us the Father says Philip and it sufficeth us The sight of God without riches or honours or lands or friends should satisfie your Souls Having food and raiment you should be content well Having food not fine fare Raiments not Ornaments and you have both nay much more viz. the Mediatory Righteousness of Christ to deck and adorn you and his precious Body and Blood to nourish you And whatever afflictions you meet with in or from the World still be contented They say whatever betides a Spaniard he will not change his pace whatever troubles betide you let no change appear in your Face Whether God give or take whether he stroke or strike Nimis delicatus es frater si hic vis gaudere cum mundo posthac regnare cum Christo Hierom. whether men hum or hiss fret not your selves shall you receive good from the hand of God What all good and no evil you are too delicate if you would have two Heavens one here and another yonder above the Clouds 4 Walk Compassionately Have you tasted there of the Lords graciousness can you tell of the great things the Spirit of the Lord hath by that Ordinance done for your Souls
cast out your selves Have you no need of this Ordinance if so why do you turn your backs and by your examples discourage others you should rather come and cry to others Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and feed us with the bread of life and do us good by his holy Spirit Excellent is that passage of St. Austin in his first Book de vera Relig. cap. 6. where he shews the constancy of the Godly for publick Assemblies against Conventicles a word it is you may observe of above 1200 years standing upon record sine ulla conventiculorum segregatione usque ad mortem defendentes Testimonio juvantes eam fidem quam in Ecclesia Catholica praedicari sciunt There is an Observation which some have concerning the simpathy of Plants that some plants will bear better near other Trees than when they grow alone they instance in the myrtle and the Olive Sure I am 't is true in Divinity when the Saints associate in these publique Assemblies and sit together at the Lords Table they thrive most Therefore having had such experiences of the Spirits influences in this sacred and solemn Ordinance forsake not the Assembling of your selves together but exhort one another to a more constant and conscientious attendance Heb. 10.24 26. 7 Walk chearfully Let your Hearts be wonderfully enlarged now in rejoycing in God Rejoyce in the Lord always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The Ingemination of the charge intimates three things The Necessity The Difficulty The Excellency of the Duty Joy suits no person so well as a Saint no day so well as the Sabbath no duty so well as a Sacrament no Ordinance better I am sure Has he made you fruitful then be it your care to be joyful The Rabbins have a saying Spiritus sanctus non quiescit nisi super Hilarem Heins in N. T. Has the Spirit of the Lord been doing you good this day or at any time by this Ordinance has he been as a refiners fire Non 〈◊〉 Dux gementem militem burning up the dross and making your Graces sparkle like gold in the furnace are his signatures and engraving upon your Souls Then say This is the day which the Lord hath made a good day a day of mirth and gladness we will be glad and rejoyce therein Now sing the Magnificat My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and c. None have that call none have that cause to rejoyce as you 'T is a saying too trite unless it were more true Spiritus Calvinisticus est Spiritus Melancholicus Most think they shall never have merry day if once they devote themselves to Gods service and engage though but in the duties which concern this Ordinance But your chearfulness will confute their ignorant and malicious censures you may assure them from your own experience that there is more true and solid joy and comfort to be had in and by this precious Ordinance more peace in having Communion with God and Communications from the Spirit of the Lord at his Table than in the most luscious acts of sin or those brutish pleasures the World affords Tell them the fruits of the Spirit are joy and peace Gal. 5.22 His comforts are the golden Pot and the Manna the Nectar and Ambrosia of a Saint But their pleasures are mixt with mortiferous ingredients at the best like Wine that runs dregs and whilst they have a cheerful countenance they cannot deny if they will speak all the truth but they have a corroding and chiding Conscience 8 Walk perseveringly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 119.112 Walk on in the strength of this food as Elias did of his till you come to the Mount of God be not weary of nor weary in well-doing Blood ennobles and Learning adorns but 't is perseverance in the way and worship and favour of God that crowns all Rev. 2.10 Only the through-Christian is in Gods account the true Christian The fixed Stars are few in our age many are falling Stars they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stedfast in Godliness they are like Reuben unstable as water an Element hardly kept within bounds But hold fast that which you have good things are not easily got therefore it concerns you to hold 'em fast and many good things are easily lost and therefore it is your wisdom to hold 'em fast Remember that in Heb. 10.38 If any man draw back c. Surely the good you say you have got at this Ordinance is such as you highly estimate and perhaps it cost you many tears and prayers then be the more choice of it it will sweeten your passage to the Heavenly Canaan Some notions concerning the Perseverance of the Saints were lately hinted I shall now say no more of this but leave you in the meditation of two famous Scriptures Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day 9 Walk Heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Heavenly employment calls for an Heav'nly deportment An earthly Saint is a Solecism or contradiction therefore has the Spirit of the Lord done you good by it that he might engage you to live more to him and to live more with him more for Heaven and more in Heaven Every manifestation of his love unto the Soul should raise it above the World And if you do not live much above the World you live much beneath your Principles and priviledges and beneath your selves O let your dispositions and affections your operations and communications and conversations and expectations be more Heavenly The good which God sends you in by his Spirit is to fetch your hearts up to him Grace in the heart like fire on the hearth tends sursum upwards it makes the Soul to mount or sparkle upwards in divine breathings and ejaculations The man whose heart is not in Heaven before himself comes there is never like to come there O let your thoughts and delights your hopes and comforts be above the world Be content with the worst of it but be not satisfied with the best of it for every crumb you should be thankful but with Crowns and Diadems you must not take up The more sweet you have met with at this Supper the more bitter should the world be unto you for ever after Ludov. Vives on Aug. l. 18 cap 54. Cui dulcescit Christus amarescit mundus When our blessed Saviour was a dying the whole World was in obscurity 't was midnight dark at Noon-day and the Stars were visible This Sacrament is a lively representation and solemn Commemoration of his Death when you are about it and gone from it let the world be darkness to you I will leave St.
willing is the Almighty the Soul be out of doubt of its Sanctification here and Salvation hereafter To which God of his infinite mercy for the merits of his Son by the conduct of his holy Spirit at last bring us Amen The End of the First Sermon The Second SERMON On Micah 2.7 Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned July the 20th 1673 Do not my words do good to him that walketh upright or uprightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Word spoken upon his Wheels is like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver I may say of this 'T is verbum super rotas a word in season then will the Sermon be most profitable when the subject is most seasonable The Text is like a well-drawn picture it hath an eye on every man as you will see anon I shall draw aside the curtain that so you may view it and it may view you I will waste no time in the beginning that I may want no time in the end I am shewing when this Ordinance of the Supper doth work for the Saints benefit and advantage I have hinted seven and shall now proceed methodically unto the eighth in order of which succinctly For enough is better than all 8 Then doth this Ordinance work for your good when your Souls are more corroborated and strengthned and your power is more encreased Observe it pray The Ministry of the Word begets spiritual life The Sacrament preserves and increaseth spiritual life The Word lays the Basis or Foundation of Grace the Sacrament carries on the Building The Word is instituted to implant Grace to work the truth of Grace where it is not The Sacrament is to promote the growth of it where it is The Ministry of the Word is a converting Ordinance the Sacrament is a confirming Ordinance That 's the breeding and this the feeding Ordinance If now you come to the Lords Table very weak your Graces very feeble your Faith and Love and other Graces very little If it may be said of you as it was of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.8 Thou hast but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little strength and then you go away stronger your Faith more encreased your hope more quickened your obediential and penitential resolutions more strengthned your corruptions more easily subdued temptations more easily repulsed your assections more raised and enlarged your hearts more established duties more spiritually performed the world more easily conquered and vanquished If now you find your selves more able to do to suffer for God or from God if now you are more fitted for active and passive obedience if you can go thorow all Christian duties with more alacrity and cheerfulness if you can apply the promises and live by Faith upon the Fatherly providence and faithful promises of God When thus you find it then hath this Ordinance been doing you good 9 When at and by the Sacrament your love to Jesus Christ is more enflamed when this little drop swells into an Ocean and this spark becomes a flame when it may be said of your love to God to Christ to his way day people Ordinances as is said of the Waters of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.3 4 5. that 't is still higher and higher from the ankles to the knees thence to the loins and then unpassable so in the present case Is it possible we should be such constant Guests at the Lords-Table and daily see before our eyes a crucified Christ and yet go thence with so little love to him and longings after him Can we fee so much love in his heart to us and shall we be contented with so little love in our hearts to him Per vulnera videmus viscera 'T is an heart of Adamant that will neither impendere nor rependere which will neither begin in love nor love him then who has thus begun Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us in bestowing his Son upon us We call not upon people to behold things common and ordinary Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great love Eph. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a love passing knowledg Heart-warming words indeed See Ephes 3.19 He laid down his precious life and dearest blood for us he died Nostro loco in our place and stead Nostro commodo for our benefit and good for our sin as the meritorious cause and for our good as the final cause Dan. 9.26 1 Pet. 3.18 Greater love than this can no man shew Did ever Mother love her own Child so as to wash it in her own blood thus lov'd he us Rev. 1.5 God so loved the world so How 's that so wonderfully so infinitely so but I cannot tell you how and therefore must leave it so admiring and not once attempting to express it but the Son of God can Even as the Father loved me so have I loved you Joh. 15.9 Here was the highest purest freest sweetest and choicest love that ever was in the world We conclude they love us who will speak kindly and courteously to us or a word in season for us much more if they will hazzard their lives and fortunes by espousing our cause and quarrel did not our dear Redeemer all this and more Lord now says the poor Christian thou hast laid down thy life and thereby hast manifested thy love to me Now will I part with my dearest lusts I will be their death and so shew my love to thee shall a damning lust live and a saving Christ die Shall the man die that kills my Son or Father and shall my Sin live which slays my Saviour Well if I can do no more I will do no less than love thee my dearest Lord with all my heart and might and strength The more vile thou wast made for me the dearer to my dying day shalt thou be unto me When thus it works then it does you good indeed 10 When your hearts which were before at a distance from him are by it drawn nearer to him and your desires are more drawn out after him There is a twofold distance between God and Man The one is natural as he is the Creator Man a creature He infinite Man finite this is an infinite distance The other is Moral as he is Holy and Man impure this is a greater distance than the former if we may suppose an infinito infinitius By nature we are all afar off from God n = * Non intervallo locorum sed pravitate morum by Grace through Christ we are made nigh Ephes 2.13 yet nigher we may be by much than yet we are and 't is our great business in every Ordinance to get nearer to him if you scan that famous place Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart If now we find our confidence drawn more out after him and that we can rest more upon him and trust more in him if for what our Souls want we can with an humble boldness go to him and say Lord Here is