Ordinance or spiritual Government must be and how they must be qualified And thirdly and lastly I have shewed ye the danger that all those are in that rush upon this Ordinance without being dutly qualified and prepared for it both of Believers in a carnal frame of Heart and Hypocrites that are in a carnal dead state of Nature But it may be queried Whether this sacred Ordinance of the Lord's Supper may not be made a Civil Test also to accommodate Civil Government for the Admittance of Members thereunto and for their Confirmation therein and for a License to sell Ale by and other secular things in this nature as well as to be a Test for all them that belong to this spiritual Government Unto this I will answer in the Negative That it is not for not one Soul that ever did or that ever shall Receive this Holy and Blessed Ordinance out of such a base secular prophane end and design to qualifie them to come into the Government or to sell Ale or any such thing but what does highly provoke God in prophaning that sacred Ordinance not discerning the Lord's Body And so they make themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord which is to Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame They do eat and drink themselves into the very same Spirit with the unbelieving Jews which they had in them when they did literally and actually and maliciously Crucifie our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ So that according to this Testeering Law there must not one Soul come into the Government but what must first go and Crucifie to himself the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame God hath commanded People to Crucifie their Lusts before they can be meet or worthy to come into this spiritual Government and partake of the Lord's Supper and all other Church-Priviledges thereunto belonging But these Penal Laws or Test commands Men to go and Crucifie their Lord and Master before ever they can be permitted to partake of the Civil Government or any of the Priviledges thereunto belonging And is not this a dreadful Law think ye and such a mystery of Iniquity as is not to be parallel'd in all its Circumstances Would it not be a dreadful thing think ye if there was a Law made That no Man should come into the Government unless he would eat so much Rats-bane as would fetch off all his hair off of his head and face and fetch off all the nails from off of his fingers and toes and lay him under a declining wasting lingring Distemper so that his Life would be but a burden unto him Why I will be bold to say That infinitely worse is this Law of encouraging Persons to eat and drink Damnation to themselves to qualifie them to come into the Government For as the blessed Ordinance of the Lord's Supper is spiritual Food and also wholesome Physick for the worthy Receivers for in the former it feeds and strengthens the new Man viz. all the Graces of the Spirit that is in him and by the latter all his Sins are subdued and mortified and his Soul purged and so kept in spiritual health And thus it becomes both Food and Physick to the true Believers this is a branch of the Tree of Life the Leaves whereof are for the healing of the Nations And so on the other hand it becomes strong Poyson to spiritual Vermine namely Hypocrites It is the worst Poyson that ever can be thought on to them As it is the greatest Mercy on the one hand unto them that Receive it worthily because then they are as sure to go to Heaven as if they were there already whether they do know it or not know it themselves so on the other hand it is the greatest Judgment under Heaven for a Person to Receive it unworthily in a carnal unconverted state because he eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body This that is the greatest Mercy to a Child of God is turned into the greatest Judgment to a carnal Hypocrite that dare be so bold as to partake of this blessed Ordinance out of any other end and design than what the Holy God in his Infinite Wisdom has appointed it unto O dear Souls Do you that have been Test-Makers and Test-Takers and Test-Givers in this sinful way and manner tremble to think what will become of your precious Souls unless you do speedily vomit up again this deadly Poyson by unfeigned Repentance and thorow Reformation God hath said by his Servant St. Paul Let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup That is he must try himself whether God by his Holy Spirit hath made him meet and worthy to partake of this holy Ordinance that he may know in himself whether he be one of the Guest that is invited unto this blessed Feast where they are not only to feast with the Lord but upon the Lord by Faith John 6.47 48 50 63. 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. And thereby are made worthy to take this spiritual Test of the Lord 's own appointment in his own way and manner and so to come into the spiritual heavenly Government and be made Members thereof For whosoever eateth and drinketh this Cup of the Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body Here it is said Whosoever that is High or Low Rich or Poor Priest or People Lord or Commoner this is the unalterable Law and Magna Charta of Heaven God is no Respecter of Persons therefore look to it you that are great Ones And Death is no Respecter of Persons also for when he cometh with his Sythe he outs down a Lord as soon as a Beggar Well thus you do hear what the Law of Heaven saith unto all these things and now let us hear what the Laws of Men saith unto it also Why the Laws of the Church of England saith quite another thing for they say tacitly and consequentially Let them be examined whether they have eat and drank their own Damnation and Crucified unto themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame and so let them come into the Government both of Church and State For whosoever whether he be a Lord or Commoner that shall come into the Government without being thus sinfully qualified does incur to himself and Family the Danger or Condemnation of 500 l. damage not discerning or taking notice that the Law of the Church of E is against him and that they shall pay it every groat on 't when she hath the Whip in her hand again and the Nation under her feet Hence we may observe That if any Persons will come into the Government duly qualified according to the Law in that case made and provided they must enter in at Hells Gate they must pawn or even deposit their very Souls that precious Jewel that is more worth
is an old trick of the Devil And thirdly and lastly binding over Persons for Worshipping God is a very ancient thing also A Persecutor is one that must abandon all moral Honesty he must do as he would not be done by he must sacrifiee his Conscience and pawn his Soul in the Hands of the Devil for he must persecute Christ Acts 9.4 5. and fight against God Acts 5.38 39. A Persecuter is one that bids Defiance to Heaven and is in open Hostility and Rebellion against the Almighty and he is striking at the Apple of God's Eye Zech. 2.8 For thus saith the Lord of Hosts after the Glory hath he sent me unto the Nations which spoised you do you hear you persecuting Spoilers of the Nation for he that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his Eye that is of God's Eye Again A Persecuter is worse than the Devil in some Respects for the Devil cannot force a man to sin he can but tempt and suggest to Sin but the Persecutor does both he tempts them to conform to a Religion or Worship that they are convinc'd in their Consciences is not right because it has none of the Sanction of God's Authority upon it and if they refuse then he does what he can to force them by Indictments and Fines and Excommunications and Plundering and Imprisoning them and the like Now this the Devil cannot do himself personally therefore they are worse then the Devil Again Fourthly A Persecutor or one that hath this Cain-like Spirit in him every time he saith the Lord's Prayer he speaks Blasphemy for he does blaspheme the Name of God the Father the first Person in order in the Blessed and Glorious Trinity for he begins it in Blasphemy for he saith Our Father which art in Heaven And the holy Word of God saith That no man can call God Father but by his Spirit for let him that taketh the Name of the Lord in his Mouth Depart from Iniquity and the Apostle saith Know ye not that the Spirit of Christ is in ye except ye be Reprobate And our Lord Jesus Christ told the old Sect of Scribes and Pharisees that were Persecuters as our New-Gospel-Sect of the same Leven are in John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do He was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth Why So all his Children departs from the Truth when they turn Persecuters they do not do as they would be done by they depart from that Truth which the very light of Nature doth teach us as well as the Word of God. Now can it ever be possible that a Child of the Devil can call God Father without being guilty of Blasphemy at the same time for he saith Our Father which art in Heaven when as his Father is the Devil so that by his Lye he does tacitly and consequentially pull God out of his Throne of Mercy and place his Father the Devil in his room upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven and puts up his Petition to the Devil instead of Praying unto God his Maker And is not this a dreadful Case Nay further in the fifth place for I have not done with ye yet When a Persecuter doth say the Lord's-Prayer he doth say Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And no Persons are so great Opposers of Christ's Gospel-Kingdom coming as the Persecuters are and none does oppose the doing of God's Will in Earth as it is in Heaven like them of a persecuting Spirit for in Heaven there God's Will is done uninterruptedly by Angels and all other Glorified Spirits there they Praise God in perfect Peace Love and Union there is no Persecuter there nor none to disturb nor make them afraid for there they are all of one Heart and of one Mind But so it cannot be done in Earth by the Persecuters who cannot sleep unless they do Mischief and they do hinder others from doing the Will of God in Earth as it is done in Heaven therefore a Persecuter cannot be sincere and in good earnest when he saith Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Therefore all they of a persecuting Spirit do but dissemble and mock God and tell him a parcel of Lies to his very Face for they do say in Words that God's Will must be done in Earth as it is in Heaven but in Works they do utterly deny it for they Dethrone the Almighty who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords as much as in them lyes And the proud Persecuters do mount God's Throne here on Earth namely the Souls and Consciences of men and say to their Souls Bow down that we may go over They do rob God of his Sovereignty and become spiritual Legislators to make Laws and give Laws unto their Fellow-creatures to Worship God by as they pretend and so do wrest the Government out of God's Hand over the Souls and Consciences of men which is peculiarly belonging to the Great and Dread Sovereign Majesty of Heaven and Earth which is to do their Father the Devil's will on Earth as it is done in Hell And not to do God's Will in Earth as it is in Heaven Again Sixthly A Persecuter as often as he saith the Lord's Prayer does in Effect Pray that God would not forgive him his Sins for he saith Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them their Trespasses against us Now a Persecuter cannot say this heartily and sincerely because that instead of praying to God he does imprecate the forest of Judgments upon himself for he saith Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them their Trespasses against us and the Persecuter did not nor yet does not forgive the Dissenters though but pretended Trespasses against them when some Persons have fallen into their hands by their Nonconformity in the matter of Worshipping of God when they have desired them to be favourable unto them and have told them if they did proceed to the Rigour of their Law they would ruine them and their Wife and Children they would not hearken unto them unless they would bow down their Soul unto them that they might go over namely to Conform so that they must Trespass against God or else they would not forgive them their pretended Trespasses against them which made the Remedy infinitely worse than the Disease and so they chose rather to lay their Bodies with the Ground and as the Street for them to go over then that they would sin against God by conforming which was passive Obedience of the right kind therefore the Persecuters do Pray that God would not forgive them their Sins for Christ hath said But if ye forgive not men their Trespasset neither will your Father forgive you your Trespasses Mat. 6.15 Now if the Persecuters did run their Hatred and Malice to the very uttermost Extent of the Persecuting Laws and further too and are now contending to keep the
than ten thousand Worlds in the hands of the Devil by eating and drinking Damnation to themselves And if our Saviour Christ does not Redeem it out of his hands again by Pardoning-Mercy in his precious Blood they will be undone and damned for ever And this is in effect to have the Government of the Nation lodged in the hands of the Devil for according to this Law none must come into it but what must first resign up the Conduct of their Souls unto Satan and so become his Subjects or rather his Bond-slaves indeed So that instead of coming into the Government in Gods way and to act for his Honour and Glory and for the good of the whole Nation to punish Sin and Iniquity and to encourage Vertue It has been made subservient to promote the Devils Kingdom and Dominion for him to Ride and Rule over Mens Consciences and so to increase his Subjects and to enlarge the Territories of the Prince of Darkness even in the Hearts of wicked Men For as our Saviour Christ has a Kingdom in the Hearts of his Saints and Servants and as a good Governour promotes and encourages that why even so on the other hand the Kingdom of Satan is encouraged by an evil Government And is not this a dreadful Judgment for any People or Nation to lie under And are not these rotten Props think ye to support and uphold a Church or People withal And is not this a sandy Foundation on which these foolish Builders do Build this House of theirs upon Matth. 7.26 27. But it may be some will say I am of the Church of England and it has been always my Principle thus to do and therefore this does not concern me but this concerns them that are of another Principle that do take it only to come into the Government to save their Bacon I confess this is a very sad deplorable thing for any that are Members of private separate Congregations that are guilty of such Hypocrisie I do not at all justifie them neither does their playing the Hypocrite justifie you it may harden you but it can never justifie you no more than an erroneous Principle will for Sin is nevertheless an Evil because that your corrupt Principle does side with it But you think you can sin Cum priviligo and it may be you will say That you never Received the Sacrament expresly upon this account but as you do use to do at other customary times of the Year or Month But I pray you give me leave to query with you a little upon this point Did you never take a Certificate for so doing to satisfie any that had power to scruple your coming into the Government or into Places of Profit and Trust that you were thus legally qualified Yes that I must confess I have done Why then that is enough for by that you do signifie that you did approve of the Project or else you did do a thing against your own Conscience and so you make your self guilty either way with the rest and if you do approve of it whether you had a Certificate or not yet notwithstanding you are guilty by Approbation in siding with them from Christ's own Words Luke 11.23 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad as he that is not against Christ is for him Luke 9.50 There must be no neutrality in this case for Christ hates a divided Heart viz. a Trimmer Rev. 3.16 17. I know thy Works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spite thee out of my mouth As a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit is the Sacrifice that God is well pleased with why even so on the contrary a divided hypocritical Heart which is that which the Sacrifice of the Wicked is always made up of is that which is an Abomination unto the Lord for God hates and abhors a divided heart But you do say you are of the Church of E. and it has been always your Opinion Therefore now in the third and last place I will try you by one of your own 39. Articles namely the 19th Article wherein it gives the Definition of a true Church viz. The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly Ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are Requisite to the same Now bring this pretended Opinion of yours to the Tryal by your own Article and all the rest of your Hypocritical practices of this nature and I am sure this Article condemns them all and like Goliah's Sword it cuts off the Neck of them all namely of your Plundering and Bribing and Imprisoning and forcing Mens Consciences which practice of yours does better suit and agree with the Congregation of Hypocrites in the 15 Job 34 35. than with the Congregation of faithful Men in the aforesaid Article Now shall any Persons even dare to make so bold with the Almighty as to plead for the continuance of such Gates of Hell as these are that have been so long endeavouring to prevail against Christ's Church though blessed be God that That is founded upon a Rock and his Promise is that they shall not prevail against it And shall any chuse rather that we should continue fast Bound still under these Chains of Darkness then to part with that Test that is against the Romanists the parting with which I cannot understand to be a sin for at the worst that can be supposed by slavish fears and jealousies it is but running the hazard of suffering by them which is very improbable if not impossible for his Majesty has taken a very good course to cure for ever that cursed old Cain-like spirit of Persecution for has he not given such a testimony against it and such a rebuke unto it as the like has never been given by any Christian Prince before Has he not most generously and freely declared unto all the World unto God Angels and Men That Conscience ought not to be Restrained in Meer Matters of Religion and that one Man ought not to Oppress another Man's Conscience that is not of the same Principle with himself For none but God ought to Rule there And that we should do as we would be done by And his Majesty hath been graciously pleased to say that his Parliament when convened may make as firm Laws as the Wisdom of the Nation can think on for the present and future security and enjoyment of our Christian and Civil Liberty And he will give it Royal Sanction What can be said more As for my own part I am very well satisfied that God is in all these things and that he has raised up his Majesty and Anointed him for this Great Work as he did Cyrus of old And that he is Acted and Guided
said Laws for Persecution sake in hopes to revenge themselves upon the Dissenters by venting their Envy and Malice against them who desires that no worse thing may come unto them then that they may all turn to be honest Men and Good Christians which while they are Persecutors they are neither therefore while the Spirit of Persecution is in them I would advise them to forbear saying the Lord's Prayer which is too Holy and Sacred a Prayer for such profligate Wretches to take into their Mouths But let him that taketh the name of God in his Mouth Depart from Iniquity for if God should forgive the Persecuters no more than they forgive the Dissenters then they must perish and be Damned for ever Therefore instead of Praying to God for pardoning Mercy they do imprecate the worst of Judgments to come upon them namely that God would not pardon them Look to it all you Persecuters for the Lord is at hand and you will be the first that will be called to the Bar to take your Tryal Luke 19.27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Ay! Christ will see the Execution done upon them himself for they are the greatest Enemies that Christ has upon the Face of God's Earth Again Seventhly Persecuters are the very Pest of a Nation or Kingdom for they separate Subjects from their Prince and from their Native Countrey and so Depopulate Kingdoms and destroy Trade and impoverish Nations and they do separate Parents from their Children and Husbands from their Wives and causes Rebellion and Wars First They do separate Subjects from their Prince and Depopulate their Kingdoms and Impoverish Nations by destroying Trade for Persecution does always drive out and drive away many of the Inhabitants of the Land into other Countries besides what they ruine and destroy at Home in nasty Goals and with Grief and Poverty for when they are persecuted at one place they fly to another And the Wiseman saith Prov. 14.28 In the Multitude of People is the King's Honour But in the want of People is the Destruction of the Prince And by this means Trade is destroyed and the Peace disturbed and the Treasure of a Nation or Kingdom is Exhausted and Dreined away which is the very Sinews and Veins and Blood ay and the Life too of the Body Politick of a Nation And that Nation that giveth Liberty is thereby Inriched for by that means they become a Drein unto those Kingdoms or Nations that do persecute For first they drein away their People which is the Honour and Glory and Strength of a King For what is a King or Kingdom without People It is like a Gentleman without Means or Wealth Secondly Those that give Liberty of Conscience they drein away the Wealth and Treasure of a Nation that does persecute which does mightily Inrich the former and Impoverish the latter and this is the very cause that makes our Eastern Neighbours stickle so much as they do against the Establishing of our Christian Liberty by a Magna Charta and that is the Reason why that East-Wind does bring over so many Locusts and Catterpillers to eat up every green thing of this our Christian Liberty Namely Their Pamphlets that are stuft with frighful Notions to Create and Foment Fears and Jealousies to infuse hard Thoughts into the Minds and Hearts of the People concerning his Majesties Intentions and Designs in giving this Liberty unto us I do not remember that ever they were so kind to the Dissenters in the late horrid Persecution as to interceed with the Church of England on their behalf to abate their Rigour O no for that Northerly Wind blew them a great deal of Corn for by this Craft or rather Cruelty of the Persecuters here they got a great deal of Wealth there as well as our Crafts-men that belongeth to Diana here and that maketh them and the other stickle as they do at this time against the Abolishment of the Penal Laws and Tests but it is my Opinion that both the one and the other might be far better Imployed in humbling themselves before the Lord for their own Sins let them both look at home let them pull the Beam out of their own Eye before they go about to pull the Mote out of their Brothers Matt. 7.5 Thou Hypocrite first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye I say again Let them both begin at home for God hath a Controversy with them both against the one for their Bloody Persecution and prophaning the Sacred Ordinance of the Lord's Supper and their grievous Oppression And God hath a Controversy against the other for Prophaning the Lord's Day and for Swearing Sacramento and for their Drunkenness and let them repent of it all and of their great Unheard-of Epicurian Abominable Gluttony and let them repent of their Whoredoms and Uncleanness and all other Abominations that is to be found amongst some of the Magistrates themselves which should be the Reformers of a Nation unto whose Care the sanctifying and keeping holy the Sabbath is committed Jer. 17.20 21. Neh. 17.18 I have been Credibly Informed That the Magistrates themselves do countenance and indulge men to work upon their own Ships to fit them to Sea on the Lord's Day and to do any other Work or to Feast and Riot on that Day without Countroul and will not God Visit for these things think ye Notwithstanding the great stickling of the North Country Gentlemen that has formerly been of another Religion Surely if Noah Daniel and Job could not prevail with the Lord to turn away Wrath from a People I cannot think that he can be very acceptable with the Lord who hath put off his Coat and grasp'd another Religion then what he was Born and Bred to Rev. 2.4 5. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent And what is said here of a Church and to a Church is applicable also to particular Persons And let him return to his first Love and not stickle so much against our present Liberty least he and all that taketh that course be found even to oppose or fight against God Mind what Counsel that honest Man Gamaliel gave to the Old Persecuting superstitious Jews in almost a parallel case Acts 8.38.39 And now I say unto you Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it least haply ye be found even to fight against God. O! that we might all repent and return to our Allegiance to God especially such as have and are yet
with them should Abolish and for ever Destroy all these Snares and Snakes that are apparently so and make better Laws for the Security of our Christian Liberty in the Room of them Eighthly and Lastly I Exhort all you of the Church of England that have been at the Sacrament formerly or latterly to Examine your selves what you went to the Lord's Table for Or if you please give me leave to ask you a few Questions 1. What was your Business at the Lord's Table 2. Pray What Condition did you go unto this Holy Ordinance in 3. Who did you expect to meet with there 4. And lastly What Benefit did you receive or expect to receive at this Holy Ordinance First What Business had you at the Sacrament Did you go there for fear of Displeasing the Parson Or Did you go there because your Neighbours should have a better Esteem of you that they should think you are a good Christian Or Did you go to satisfie the Laws of Men that binds ye so to do Or Did you go there to qualifie your selves to come into the Government Or Did you go there to satisfie and quiet a Natural Conscience What was your End and Aim in going there and partaking of that Sacred Ordinance Was it in Obedience to Christ's Command Pray do you give the Answer unto God and your own Consciences Secondly In what condition did you go unto the Lord's Table Were you born of God For this is the Children's Bread and for none else Or Did you go and rush upon this Blessed Ordinance in your Sins Were you Regenerated and born of God before ever you came there For the same Graces that fits a Person for Eternal Salvation in Glory fits him for a Right Worthy Receiving of this Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper therefore those do run a desperate Hazzard that do drive off Repentance and the getting all other Graces of the Spirit until they come to lye on their Death-bed when pale Death looks them grimly in the Face and is ready to launch them out into the Ocean of Eternity And then to expect that this Ordinance of the Lord's Supper shall bring all these Graces along with it to fit them for Heaven and Eternal Glory whenas they must have the same Graces to fit them for this Holy Ordinance which is lodged in the Kingdom of Heaven below as is to fit them for the Kingdom of Heaven above this being no Converting Ordinance For the Text in 1 Cor. 11.29 tells us plainly That he that Eateth and Drinketh Vnworthily Eateth and Drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body Therefore I beseech ye all in the Spirit of Meekness and in the fear of the Lord that are of this Opinion to consider seriously of it because Consideration is a good Hand-Maid unto Reformation for this Ordinance does not bring one dram of Grace along with it unto any Soul but unto such as have Grace in their Hearts before receiving this Ordinance It is like the pouring of Water into a Pump that standeth in a Well that hath Water in it to fetch the Water But the giving this Ordinance to any Person that hath no Grace is like the pouring of Water into a Pump that standeth in a Well that hath no Water in it It is as Water spilt upon the Ground nay it is infinitely worse But then did you ever feel the powerful Operation of the Holy Ghost dart spiritual Light into your Souls whereby you come to see that which you never see before and feel that in your selves which you never see nor felt before Have your Souls been raised out of the Grave of Unbelief Out of a carnal corrupt dead State by the mighty Power of the Spirit And has it infuled Spiritual Life into you Hath that Almighty Power that raised a dead Saviour raised thee that was a poor dead Sinner Have you ever found and felt Sin to be an intollerable Burthen unto your Souls so as you have apprehended your selves to be in a lost and undone Condition Have you ever been made sensible of the want of Christ who calleth the Burthened Weary and Heavy laden Sinner unto him for Ease and Relief And has it made you forsake all your Sins and Lusts and all other things that come in Competition with Christ to follow him fully Have you been throughly convinced that nothing could Redeem you from Wrath and Hell and Attone you to God and Purchase Eternal Life and Salvation for you but Christ and that by and through his Righteousness and Merits alone Did you cry to God and say Lord give me Christ or I die and shall be Damned and never enjoy God nor have any Benefits by his Death and Blessed All-sufficient-Merits and Copious Righteousness Had you the Kingdom of God within ye before you came into that which you apprehend to be the Kingdom of God without ye namely the Church Did you know what you were to take it for before you came to the Lord's Table And Pray What frame of Heart did you go to the Sacrament in Were your Graces in a lively Exercise Did all those sparkling Jewels that adorn the Soul of the Believer shine forth in their Vigour and Lustre which is the Trimming that belongeth to the Wedding Garment And did you see him whom your Soul loved and longed for And did you discern the Lord's Body by an Eye of Faith through the Elements And receive him by a Hand of Faith and feed upon him with the Mouth of Faith Did you go to the Table of the Lord even sick of Love to Christ And could nothing satisfie your Hungring Thirsty Soul but Communion with Christ in that Ordinance And did you Exercise saving Faith and Spiritual Light and Knowledge and godly Sorrow for your Sins which was the Cause of Christ suffering and dying And did you receive him with Praise and Thanksgiving and with a Holy Vehement Desire Thirdly Who did you expect to meet withal at the Lord's Table Did you expect to meet with a Crucified Saviour there and to have Communion with him in that Blessed Ordinance Or Did you go only to meet with the Parson and others of your Neighbours there Did you see him by an Eye of Faith that should be your Redeemer and the beloved of your Soul Or Are you wholly ignorant of what Communion with God in that Ordinance meaneth Fourthly What did you expect to receive at the Lord's Table Did you expect to receive the Bread and Wine only and to feed upon that Or Did you expect to receive Christ which is the spiritual Bread and Drink of your Souls into your Hearts and so to receive a fresh Pardon sealed unto you for all your Sins Did you go away thence with God's Broad Seal Impressed afresh upon your Souls And your Covenant-Interest with God Ratified and Confirmed unto you in the Blood of the Lamb And your Eternal Salvation made sure unto you But if on the contrary you went to that Ordinance
in a Carnal Unconverted Dead State you came away with the Guilt of all your Sins faster bound and sealed up than they were before you came there and instead of diminishing and weakning your Sins you went away with your Sins increased and strengthened Now Pray Examine your selves Do you know what these things meaneth Or Are you wholly ignorant of them as old Nicodemus was when our Blessed Saviour Preached unto him the Mysterious Doctrine of Regeneration when he thought he must Re-enter into his Mothers Womb and be born again Joh. 3.4 Are all these things Riddles and Fancies unto ye Do you know nothing of this Matter Are you a stranger to it And are you wholly ignorant of it If you are I tell you plainly that you are no fit Subjects of this Blessed Ordinance but you did come unto it and partake of it unworthily therefore I will refer you to the Apostle Paul's Censure in this Case 1 Cor. 11. If you had not your Mind savingly Enlightned nor your Will Renewed and Changed nor your Affection Rectified and set upon right Objects viz. upon God in Christ And if you had not sanctifying saving Faith fixt upon Christ the only Mediator and Redeemer of Mankind 1 Tim. 2.5 And if you did not come with your Hearts broken for Sin and from Sin and behold a Crucified Saviour with all your Sins Crucified not one spared or Indulged And if you did not come there with a New Spiritual Understanding nor the whole Man sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit But if you came to the Lord's Table ignorant of all this and in all your Sins then instead of receiving any Benefit by or from this Ordinance you do Eat and Drink Judgment or Condemnation to your selves not discerning the Lord's Body But it may be some will be so bold and hardy as to say This is very severe harsh Doctrine Why this is nothing but what I looked for and expected for it is what carnal Hypocrites and proud Persecuters do always judge of God's Holy Word and Righteous Laws and Pure Ordinances Institutions and Worship They judge that to be too strict and his Holy People to be too precise But if you will quarrel at the Severity and Strictness of this Doctrine you must quarrel with the Apostle Paul and the rest of the Apostles and Prophets Nay let me tell ye if you will quarrel with this Doctrine you must dispute the Cause with our Saviour Christ himself if you dare What dare not they do that dare to Crucifie their Maker that should be their Redeemer For the Apostle Paul delivered nothing of this severe harsh Doctrine but what he received first from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 There is his Mission and the Prophets spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 For the Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man But Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost You do find fault with the Severity of God's Laws against Sinners but you do not find fault with the Severity of your own Laws against his Saints and Servants and against your selves also For there the Severity of it will center at last for you have Laws in being which you are now contending for to have continued with us which are to force men to break and violate all these severe Laws of God as you count them and thereby to incur all the Penalties of them And who is severest the God of Mercy or you that are Men of this Cruelty There are very severe Laws made against any that should even dare to Counterfeit the King's Broad-Seal or to fix the Impress of it unto any thing which they have not His Majesty's Command and Authority for so doing it is punishable with Death by the Law for it is High Treason or if they should fix it to Blank Papers whereby Enemies might write what they please and so abuse and betray the King's Authority Why This Ordinance of the Lord's Supper is the Broad-Seal of Heaven it belongeth to the King of Kings and must not be affixed to or impressed upon any thing but what they have God's Authority for so doing Now for any Persons to take this Sacred Broad-Seal of Heaven and make it a common Seal namely to affix it to the civil State to Seal Men Commissions and Warrants for Places and Offices in the Government Civil Military and Ecclesiastical this is to make this Blessed Ordinance a common Seal 2. It is a making this Sacred Broad-Seal of Heaven a common Seal when they Seal a Licence to sell Ale with it by And Thirdly and Lastly They make this Blessed Ordinance of the Lord's Supper which is the Broad-Seal of Heaven a common Seal when at Festival Times as Christmas and Easter when whole Showles of poor ignorant Creatures comes to the Lord's Table that know not their Right-Hand from their Left in spiritual Things and have no saving Work of God wrought in their Souls by the powerful Operation of his Holy Spirit but are all it may be as ignorant as the very Parson that Exhibits it unto them These are all Blanks so they impress the Broad-Seal of Heaven upon Multitudes of Blanks so that the Evil One may come and write what he pleases after them O sad deplorable Condition for any poor Souls to be in And although you count this Doctrine severe and harsh yet no man can be ignorant of it because it is written in the Great Charter of Heaven 1 Cor. 11. He that Eateth and Drinketh unworthily Eateth and Drinketh Condemnation or Judgment to himself God hath threatned to execute severe Judgments and Punishments upon all Prophaners and Abusers of this Holy Ordinance And God hath Four Gracious Ends in threatning these Transgressions 1. It is to Deter and and Affright Sinners from violating these severe Laws as they call them that Persons should not be ignorant of them 2. God threatens because that Sinners might repent and prevent the Execution of those severe Laws 3. God threatens because he will leave the Sinner wholly without Excuse or Plea Every Mouth shall be stop'd And 4. and Lastly God threatens because the Glory of his Attribute of Justice shall appear to all the World when he Executes his Threatning upon the Guilty Impenitent Sinner every Mouth will be stop'd and all shall justifie God and say Righteous art thou O Lord and Just and Holy in all thy Ways Thus you see what a dangerous thing it is for poor ignorant carnal unconverted dead Sinners to rush upon this Ordinance Hand over Head without due Consideration of what they are going about to do But Secondly My Second and last Exhortation and Counsel shall be unto all sober Protestants both of Dissenters and others that are still hankering after the Onions and Garlick and Flesh-Pots of Egypt that are yet staying upon them that smote us And my first Exhortation unto all you shall be this namely Be not afraid to part with