cadendi exempluÌ„ propositum est sed si ceciderie resurgendi non sit delectatio minorum lapsus majoruÌ„ Aug. in Psal 51. Their failings indeed are recorded but for our caution not for our imitation their errors are set up not as Stars to guide us but as Rocks to warn us not as Land-marks to go by but as Sea-marks to shun by Sit casus majorum timor minorum Aliorum perditio tua sit cautio Excellent is that of Saint Ambrose Lib. 4. Ep. pag. 127. In omnibus actibus tuis imitare bonos aemulare sanctos habeto ante oculos eorum exempla c. 3. We have an upright Rule to walk by the Word of God 't is that should guide us here by that we shall be judged hereafter This is a perfect Rule 2 Tim. 3.16 17. an upright and holy Rule so is not the Light within and as for the Spirit he is our guide Rom. 8.14 not our Rule Again 4. We have an upright way to walk in the way of his Commandments this is an underfiled and an undefiling way a pure and holy and perfect and pleasant way paths of life and peace and righteousness all which call for Uprightness Si vis esse beatus esto in via immaculatus Aug. in Psal 119.1 5. We have upright Companions to walk with indeed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not so the most do walk in crooked paths but in all ages there are some who are undefiled in the way whose Hearts are sound in Gods statutes and follow the Lord fully and keep themselves from their iniquities see St. Ambrose his Epistle to Florianus ubi supra 6. We have an upright a perfect account to give of our walkings and workings Though now we live as if we had no God to serve no Souls to save no accounts at all to give yet surely we shall be call'd upon anon to give account of all Luk. 16.2 We read of the Counsel which Alcibiades gave unto Pericles whom going to visit he found busied about his accounts Why dost thou trouble thy self says he in seeking to make thy accounts rather think of some course to free thee from making any account at all Doubtless there are who do thus but the greater sorrow and shame shall they have at the last day Does not the due consideration hereof lay a mighty obligation on us to walk uprightly Nothing had so great an influence on St. Austin to recall him from and to recover him out of his sinful ways and to engage him to live an holy and upright life as Metus mortis extremi judicii the fear of Death and the day of Judgment O that we were wise then would we remember our latter end 7. The Reward we shall receive will be an upright just and perfect reward Verily there is a reward for the Righteous A sure reward Prov. 11.18 A full reward 2 Joh. 8. An everlasting reward 2 Cor. 4.17 It shall be well with the righteous their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. He is not behind with them now nor will he then They shall have Pleasures without pain Treasures without trash Riches without rust Honours without envy Crowns without cares and Life without death If the consideration of these things prevail not with us thus to walk what shall If they have no influence upon us what will Having premised these things the fourth Query comes next in order to be discussed go along with me and it shall be fully resolved 4 Q. When does this Ordinance of the Supper work for their good who thus walk An account hereof take in the Twelve following particulars Then it doth such good and much good 1 When it makes them more zealous for God for his Way and Truth and in his Worship Zeal is Amor intensus the flame of Love as Aquinas describes it 'T is ignis quidam flagrantissimi amoris Usque ad Oâ—â—â—vum graâ—am as St. Austin long before him Or if you will 't is a compound of Love and Anger a mixt affection it carries forth ones love to God and his anger against sin in the most intense degree It consists in an earnest prosecution of what is good and in a vehement detestation of what is evil O the excellency of this frame of spirit You know 't is the spirit of wine that commends it the sparkle that gives worth to the Diamond as life gives an excellency to being so vivacity in operating gives an excellency to life this is that the Lord calls for in Rom. 12.11 this he owns and crowns Numb â— 25.11 This is most prevalent with God for good Jam. 5.16 Elijah's prayer fetcht fire from Heaven because it carried fire to Heaven Grace turns a Sinner into a Saint Zeal turns a Saint into a Seraphim Much more of this you heard the other day from Revel 3.19 Be zealous therfore If when you come to this Ordinance with chill and dull and frozen affections and dead hearts and there find them wrought upon and you go thence more brisk and lively more full of love to God and hatred of sin if now you can plead the cause of God and defend the Faith with more courage and resolution if now you can suffer for God more chearfully whose dearly beloved Son you here see suffer'd so much for you if now you can perform every holy duty with more vigour and activity if you who were so remiss and cold and slothful in the business of Religion in the great concerns of God and your Souls are now more rouzed quickned excited and enlarged When thus it works then it does you good indeed 2 When their Hearts are thaw'd and melted so that they can sorrow after a godly manner in the sight and sense of sin Tears are precious things one calls 'em the Wine of Angels another the fat Sacrifice Such Sacrifices were most acceptable Levit. 3.3 4 5. The Prayers of the Saints move their Tears compell the Lord to shew mercy says Jerome Were they not very precious he would not keep a bottle for them They never run in the right channel but when they are shed for sin then only they do us good as St. Chrysostom well observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this end were they made Philosophers tell us That only reasonable and sinful Creatures can gaudere maerere rejoyce and weep To speak properly no other upon earth can If now when you come to this Ordinance your Eyes affect your Hearts so that you can inwardly grieve and outwardly weep bitterly for your sin as one that is in heaviness for his only Son or first-born If when you behold a bleeding Christ you have bleeding Hearts a broken Christ you have broken Spirits then does this Ordinance work for your good In the time of the Law the Passover was to be eaten with bitter Herbs Exod. 12.8 those Herbs were five say the Jewish Doctors The Passover was a lively Type of Christ who is our Passover
really so It was a cutting question which St. Austin put to one Quid tibi prodest vocari quod non es What will it advantage one to have a name to live if he be dead See Hâ—insius in Joh. 1.47 To pass for a Saint here and to be found amongst Sinners hereafter to be reputed an Israelite indeed and to be a Gibeonite to be named of the House of Jacob i.e. of the Church of God and to be of the House of Sodom How shall Men and Angels stand amazed at the great day when the secrets of all Hearts shall be disclosed to see some taken up to Heaven who were named the vilest of sinners and others turned into Hell who were reputed choicest Saints A form will do nothing without the power of Godliness There are two things which every man is mainly concern'd to mind 1 To be Good 2 To appear so He that is not so is lost with God and he that appears not so is lost with men Ones goodness if unknown to himself will afford him little comfort and if unknown to others it will procure him little credit Abbreviatus contractus Drus Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned Doct. 5. The Spirit of the Lord is not so straitned but he knows how to inspire and instruct his Prophets Doct. 6. The Spirit of the Lord is then straitned when proud people presume to prescribe to dictate unto his servants the Prophets what and when and to whom they shall speak and when and what not Are these his doings Hence note that Doct. 7. The ordinary way of the Lords dealing with men is in love and mercy acts of judgment are his but they are his strange not his genuine acts how full and sweet is that in Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel c. In this sacred volum where is the parallel What pathetick Interrogations puts he there unto himself q.d. Thou art upon the brink of destruction 't is but a giving thee up and thou art ruined Oh but how how shall I do it Do not my words c. Doct. 8. Note that the Word delivered and Ordinances dispensed by faithful Ministers are his Attend them then with due care and conscience with fear and reverence with faith and patience Doct. 9. From the connexion of the principal efficient and instrumental causes viz. the Spirit and the Word Such as sincerely desire to receive good from God must attend to and depend on the Spirit of the Lord in the use of Ordinances Ubi enim Ecclesia ibi spiritus ubi spiritus Dei illic est Ecclesia omnis gratia Iren. lib. 3. udvers Haereses For the Word can do nothing without the Spirit and the Spirit will do nothing ordinarily without the Word Let people talk as their deluded fancies prompt them One day they will see and say that they who are enemies to the Word are no true friends to the Spirit despising the one they do quench the other Quae Deus conjunxit c. How sweet Oh what a reviving Cordial is that precious promise to a pious Soul in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name my word and Ordinances by which I am known as a man is by his name I will come unto thee by my Spirit and I will bless thee there shall be a comfortable meeting and a Cordial closing of my Spirit with your Spirits See one for all Isa 30.20 21. Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers mark that and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee c. Do not my words do good There is a twofold word the one is verbum audibile that 's the Holy Scripture Ephes 6.17 and there is verbum visibile viz. the Sacraments they are call'd visible Sermons as Christ in that conveys himself by the ear so in these he conveys himself by the eye into the Heart Hence observe Doct. 10. That the Word and Ordinances of God are very operative and powerful The Spirit of the Lord concurring they are not only preceptive and directive but affective and effective they are the rod of his strength Psal 110.2 In a word there is a sevenfold force or power in the Word There is a Sin-subduing power it puts down strong holds casts down carnal reasonings Oh 't is mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.4 5. A Soul-humbling power it lays a proud sinner as low as Hell makes him cry out Lord I am vile what wilt thou have me to do and I will do it To be and I will endeavour to be it Act. 2.37 9.6 16.31 A Soul-cleansing power Joh. 15.3 Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken to you And chap. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth A Soul-solacing power This word of promise is my comfort in my affliction Psal 119.50 it keeps the Soul from fainting a promise like pearl in broth is cordial A Soul-quickening power No such Incentives to holy duties in the World as in the Word Psal 119.50 A Soul-searching power It ransacks and rifles the Conscience and looks into the most secret transactions of the Heart When the Sun shines into the House the Atoms are easily discerned when the Word shines into the Heart our secret lusts are easily discovered Rom. 7.7 Heb. 4.12 A Soul-healing power Psal 107.20 He sent his Word and healed them How long might a Soul sit at the foot of a Philosopher and hear his Lectures of Morality ere it should experimentally feel and find such an Heart-transforming power going along with them such a mighty change wrought by them Est quaedam verbi omnipotentia as Luther said of Prayer To him that walketh Doct. 11 D. 11. Christianity is a walk a Christians life is not a standing or sitting still every day must we do a days work and go a days journey towards our Heavenly Country Up then and be doing here is not your rest Quo brevior opportunitas co major sedulitas lose your season and you may lose your Souls opportunities are for Eternity but they are not to Eternity The Spirit will not always strive with man now Christ stands and knocks Gen. 6.3 Cant. 5.3 but he that stands stays not give him no childish no churlish answers work and walk now now if ever now for ever you may want an 1 opportunity if you slip this Esto in diebus aestatis Formica Prov. Arab. who knows what a day may bring forth if you be not present in duty God may be present in judgment may come quickly Rev. 2.5 His Judgments are often sudden and prevent mens expectations but never their deserts Lam. 4.12 Hos 10.15 Ere you can get out of bed he may let out your blood Or 2 you may want ability and not be in a capacity a sickness may come that may take away your senses your friends perhaps may be forc'd to bind you in your beds and is that a
what in you is to hinder the Spirit of the Lord from doing you good But surely when you have a Spirit of Prayer and your hopes are high these are pledges to you that he hath a purpose to do you good Alexander the Great was wonderfully well pleas'd with Anaxarchus the Philosopher Plut. when he desir'd an hundred Talents of his Treasurer Apoph He does well says he in asking it and understands his friend aright who hath one both willing and able to give him so great a gift The same Author relates the like of that Kings munificence and bounty to his Favourite Perillus who askt but ten Plut. but the King gave him fifty Talents The great God allows his people to ask great things nay commands them to believe and hope for mighty things to covet earnestly the best if thus you do the Spirit of the Lord will surely do you good you shall not seek nor hope in vain Well then when you address your selves to this Ordinance remember what great things Christ hath purchas'd for you what great things are there proposed and God hath promised to you and then regulate your prayers by and raise your hopes to the riches of his merits and greatness of his mercies Some look for good by this Ordinance but what good or for what 't is good they know not or they look for that good in it which God never intended to convey by it Others have their hopes fixt on the right object their ends are right too but they have not a lively Hope In short if the Spirit of the Lord be not present the Sacrament is but a gaudy pageant 't is the spirit in the Word that causeth efficacy in Prayer that causeth prevalency in this Ordinance that causeth proficiency But then must we have an active Faith a strong and lively Hope Eighthly Lament over the chilness dullness the deadness and unpreparedness of your Hearts for this blessed Ordinance When one hath taken Physick and it doth not operate something is prescribed and used to quicken it A sincere sorrow for your former carelesness and deadness may much conduce to your future proficiency They shall come with weeping says the Prophet Jer. 31.9 Tears dropping from a mournful eye and grieving Heart are like Water dropping from the Roses very sweet fragrant and soveraign Mary stood at Christs feet weeping Luc. 7.38 Could we kneel at the Lords Table weeping and is not the humblest posture fittest for miserable sinners could we weep tears of blood for our scarlet crimson bloody sins acting her part we might hope for her portion a gracious pardon and that sealed in this Ordinance We pity weeping persons and do them good Tears melt our Hearts Psal 6.8 and though silent yet they are prevalent Orators when you are in such a melting frame occasion'd by serious meditation on your sins and Christs sufferings on his bitter passions for you and most tender affections to you then lo then 's a season for the Spirit of the Lord to do you good by this Ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says Chrysostom Weep out your eyes for the loss of lands or friends all your tears will nothing avail you but in this case they may nay will much Ninthly Go out in the power and might of the Spirit of the Lord to this Ordinance you cannot relie on men or means too little or on him too much you should depend on him though you had never tried him but having tried him you are now under greater obligations to depend on him Royal and religious is that resolution of the Prophet David Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inpoâ—â—â—tus q.d. Tuâ— unius virâ—â—â—â— situs Let us write after his Copy remember ejus est benedicere cujus est instituere Alas all our light is darkness our strength weakness and our wisdom foolishness Frustra nititur qui non innititur that man labours in vain who labours and yet relies not upon the Spirit of the Lord if the Spirit help you to pray he will also help you to speed and if he help you to prepare for and to go out in his might unto this Ordinance surely he will do you good by it I will close up this with that excellent passage of Saint Cyprian de Bapt. Solus spiritus rem sacramenti nobis confert Or that famous speech of the School-Doctors Sacramenta ex similitudine repraesentant ex institutione significant Sed ex virtute Christi sanctificant Or with that of Prosper in his Epistle to Demetrius speaking of the holy Sacraments Forma adhibetur per humani ministerii obsequium virtus autem per Divini spiritus praestatur effectum Tenthly Once more Walk uprightly and the Spirit of the Lord will do you good by this Ordinance you have his promise for it Psal 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory Grace that 's the best thing that you can have on Earth Glory that 's the long and the short of what you shall have in Heaven No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Let a thred of uprightness run thorough the whole web of your lifes and then you are sure 1 of being safe in this world Prov. 10.9 Men may kill you but they cannot hurt you 2 of being saved in the other world But of this anon Follow these few Directions and I dare be the Prophet to foretel you good by this holy Institution I proceed now unto the seventh Query Q. 7. What shall a Christian do who hath sound some good at in and by or after this precious Ordinance from the powerful workings of the spirit of the Lord I will hint a few Directions to you in answer to this Query the amplification of 'em I leave to your private Meditations They are Ten or Eleven 1. Walk Thankefully Hath it been the day of his power let it be a day for his praise you have had news from Heaven let the Heavens hear good from you Though you have not got all the good you desired yet bless God for this that you have got more than you have deserved And bless God for this too that you have a desire still to get more O despise not the day of small things Say Lord who or what am I that the Spirit of the Lord should condescend or stoop so low as to breathe upon my Soul to blow upon my Garden and cause the Spices therein to flow forth who am I that he should cause this Ordinance to work for my spiritual and eternal good when others eat and drink Damnation to themselves I will write my self an eternal debter to free Grace for 't is that that fitted me for admitted me to and benefited me by this sacred Ordinance I will ever remember that golden sentence of Saint Austin Hoc totum hominis est curare ut anima non sit ingrata Deo This is the whole business of a
then be not supercilious and censorious but candid and ingenuous towards others who come thence without any sense of increased grace or evidences of his love and favour Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted melted in the furnace of Affliction pity should be shewed Is it not enough that God doth grieve them by the suspension of his influences but must you add unto their sorrows and why should you insult over them Are you Saints so are they Though they walk in darkness yet they are children of Light Know and do your duty pray for them and pray with them Can you go from promise to promise and say These are mine Or from Ordinance to Ordinance and say By all these the Spirit of the Lord hath done and still is doing me good Well be you thankful but be not proud nor supercilious be not high-minded but fear At the next Communion he may vail his Face from you and reveal his love to them whom now you brow-beat Psal 30.6 7. He may turn your Wine into water and their water into wine he may do them much more and you much less good at the next address you make unto the Lords Table Let not such as are high and rich in grace and peace censure them that are poor and low and do not you that are low envy them that are high but bear ye one anothers burdens rejoyce in one anothers Graces mutually promote the work of Holiness be less in censuring and more in praying Oret Apostolus pro plebe oret plebs pro Apostolo pro se omnia membra orent caput pro omnibus interpellat Aug. in Psal 38. the Pastor for the People the People for their Pastor one member for another ever remembring that Jesus Christ our merciful high Priest is pleading and interceding for us all Egregia laus non modo non satiscere sed indies proficere in melius Grot in Rev 2 19 5 Walk fruitfully Make it your business to do all the good you can Wherefore doth the Spirit of the Lord at any time or by any means do you good but only to make you better and to enable you to do better Go then and abound in the work of the Lord let your last be more than your first more for quantity better for quality Be filled with the fruits of righteousness This Ordinance concerns the Soul may be the last is the purchase of Christ is a good gale for Heaven Study then to be fruitful which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Be more vigorous in every holy duty more zealous for the advancement of Gods Glory Follow the Lord fully faithfully and chearfully Study how you may answer his expectations from you his dispensations to you and the many obligations that are upon you Hath he done more for you do you the more for him or your answer and account at the last day will be sad indeed You love to see every thing you have fruitful much more doth the Spirit of the Lord love to see you so O how happy were we yea Foelices ter amplius might it but as truly be said of us as it was of Joseph Joseph is a fruitful Bough Gen. 49.22 Naturalists say of the Pomecitron that it bears fruit at all times of the year this is the Emblem of an Evangelical Communicant As a plant differs from a stone by vegetation and a Beast differs from a plant by sense and a Man differs from a Beast by speech and reason so should a Communicant differ from other men by fruitfulness Come then and spread your branches send forth your spices as Aromatick Trees in Lebanon Christ chides a little Faith Mat. 14.31 but admires and applauds a great Faith Jer. 11.16 Joh. 15.8 Mat. 25 30 Non tantū de non servato sed de non aucto munere damnabuntur homines Profp O woman great is thy Faith Scholars are not at ease till they have taken all their Degrees though it cost them dear and why should Christians till they come to a Non ultra Our blessed Saviour did only two terrible wonders the one was the drowning of the Swine Mat. 8. and yet that was only done by his permission The other was his cursing and blasting of the barren Fig-tree and that was symbolical not done in spleen to the Tree but only to manifest his indignation against an unfruitful profession Let us view that Text Mar. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi enim erat tempus erat ficuum vel tempestivae ac maturae trant ficus Accentus enim spiritusque distinctiones negligebant veteres Mark 11.13 Seeing a Fig-tree afar off having leaves he came if haply he might find any thing thereon but when he came to it he found nothing but leaves For the time of Figs was not yet You will say was not this a cruel act or unreasonable had it been a time for Figs the blasting of it had been reasonable and just I answer the words in the original are not rightly comma'd and accented if they were they would run thus For where he was it was a time of Figs as one well observes viz. Learned Heinsius on Mark 11.13 You have been some of you at least three or four days together at the Lords Table upon this signal and special occasion besides your Communions in course every first Lords-day in the Month. You are planted in a fruitful Hill Isa 15.1 The Sun-beams of mercies Zions silver-drops have fallen on you you hear more of God and from God in one day than some thousands in the world have done in all their lives These are your enjoyments what now are your improvements your receipts are high let not your returns be low if he find you without fruit he will leave you without excuse Nay he may deal with you as with that barren Fig-tree blast and not bless you But my hopes are and my prayers shall be for you as St. Paul's were for the Philippians that your Faith and Love and all your Graces may abound Phil. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet more and more 6 Walk closely Keep close that 's my meaning to this precious Ordinance where you have so happily met with all this good from the Spirit of the Lord those sweet experiences you have had of his quickening and strengthening influences should engage you if it will not others to a more constant and diligent attendance upon him in this solemn Ordinance The Question once was Mat. 22.12 How camest thou in hither not having on the Wedding garment The Question I must invert and put it thus to you Having on the Wedding-garment how comes it now to pass that you go out Do vestures or gestures or the prayers of the Church deter or drive you hence would you not complain of us should we excommunicate or cast you out and is it well done in you thus to