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
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
cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the table of devils O Sirs there is a dreadful Cup in the hand of the Lord that is prepared for all you that have given the cup of Devils or Damnation unto others and so made the Table of the Lord the Table of Devils for them to eat and drink their own Damnation upon it What Cup you will say why look into the 75 Psal 8. For in the hand of the Lord there is a Cup and the Wine is red and full of mixture and he poureth out of the same Thus far it was to come upon God's own People to purge and refine them which is Judgment beginning at the House of God 1 Pet. 4.17 But the rest of the Cup is prepared for their persecuting Enemies Pray Mind But the Dregs thereof all the wicked of the Earth shall wring them out and drink them And in the 55. Isa 22 23. there you have this Cup again with the character of the Persons that are to drink it Thus saith thy Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thine hand the Cup of trembling Out of whose hand why out of God's Peoples hand even the Dregs of the Cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again But our Enemies say we shall drink it again and Unbelief and slavish fears saith we shall drink it again but God saith we shall not drink it again Nahum 1.9 What do ye imagine against the Lord he will make an utter end affliction shall not rise up the second time And the Kings Majesty saith we shall no more drink it again whilst he lives And God saith he will put this Cup into the hand of them that afflicted thee which have said to thy Soul Bow Down that we may go over and thou hast laid thy Body as the Ground and as the Street to them that went over this Bowing the Soul was to have them prostrate their Souls and Sacrifice their Consciences unto their Lusts to defile their Souls and Consciences by a sinful complyance by conforming to that Worship that has none of the Sanction of God upon it nor none of God's Authority for it by which they would sin against God and provoke him to Anger but they refused to do that and did chuse rather to expose their Body to lay that as the Ground and the Street to them to go over You know the Ground is trodden under foot and it is passive and the Street is common for all Passengers Why so our Body which comprehends all our outward Enjoyments was laid as the Ground and the Street for them to go over namely Estates Liberty Relations and the like all was exposed to the Cruelty and Malice of our Enemies Look back and consider whether it has not been so if you cannot tell I can tell by woful experience But we would not Bow our Souls but did rather chuse to Suffer than to Sin which was in obedience to that command of Christ to deny our selves and take up our Cross and to follow him But when was this Cup to be put into the hand of the wicked why after God had done punishing and purging his own People for their sins by them It was to succeed this laying the People of God's Bodies as the ground and as the street unto them that went over And another Character when it was to be is this When God who is Judge of all the Earth putteth down one and setteth up another as you may see in the Verse before the Cup is prepared in that Psalm 75.7 O Sirs you ought to have fed the Flock with wholesome Gospel-Food like good Shepherds you should have preached the pure Word of God faithfully and ministred the Sacraments duely according to your Nineteen Articles as I hope and do believe some did for I will not condemn all I hope some of you did separate the precious from the vile Jer. 15.19 And if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my Mouth let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them Did you do so Gentlemen Did you take forth the precious from the vile O no! But you have given the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to whole droves of the vilest of Men. Gentlemen pray be not angry with me for dealing thus plainly with you I am sure a good Man will not for I cannot sew Pillows under your Elbows for I can appeal to God That I wish you no hurt in the least degree neither will I give any worse Character of you than the holy Scriptures does infallibly give to Men that are guilty of what you are and have been guilty of And therefore if you will be angry you would do well to be angry with your own sinful Practices which have brought you and laid you under these black Characters for it is only to such I now speak and not to the upright in Heart Pray hear what our Saviour saith unto you and also of your Worship in Matth. 15.7 8 9 14. Though this was spoken unto the Jews yet it is applicable unto you that tread in their steps Tit. 1.13 14 16. And hear what the Prophet Isaiah saith Chap. 56 v. 10 11 12. and apply it His Watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are shepherds which cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his Quarter Come ye say they I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Thirdly We may learn hence what a dreadful thing these Penal Laws and Tests are It is the very Ground and Foundation for Persecution it is that which gives Being to the Spirit of Persecution this Salamander is bred in this sire of Hell it is that which gives life to the Image of the Beast Rev. 13.15 It corroborates and strengthens the hands of Persecuters who are and have been in all Ages the vilest and basest of Men Acts 7.5 But the Jews which believed not moved with Envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City in an uproar and assaulted the House of Jason and sought to bring them out to the People Why what was the matter why there had been a Conventicle at his House and missing the most part of the People v. 6 7. they took Jason the Man of the House and them which they took with him and bound them over to Answer at their Sessions I suppose hence we may observe in the first place by the way That Persecuters are the Tumult-Raisers and common Disturbers of Cities and Nations Secondly That the charging the peaceable People of God with Riots and Routs and disturbing the Peace
Friend that ever Sinful Man had And they must Pawn or Mortgage their Souls into the Hands of the Devil before they can be admitted thereunto then this Informs us of the Absolute Necessity and the Indispensible Duty for honest good Men of all sorts to come into the Goyernment and to destroy all the Works of the Devil Namely To Abolish for ever all these Sinful Laws and Tests that are against all Mens Consciences in meer Matters of Religion and let us all do as we would be done by is it ever to be imagined that men of such Vicious Profligate Lives and Ungodly Plundering Principles which cannot govern their own Consciences can be fit to govern other Peoples who stick at nothing but will Crucifie their Maker if he stands between them and Worldly Preferment Eleventhly and Lastly Is it so that Persons must Crucifie their Maker the Son of God and Pawn that Precious Jewel their Soul by Eating and Drinking their own Damnation in the Hands of the Devil Then hence we may be Informed that this old Government which is founded upon Penal Laws and Tests in meer Matters of Religion and Conscience lieth in the hands of the Wicked One namely the Prince of Darkness as the old Wicked World before the Flood did and therefore the Destruction of it in some sence will be like unto that for mind Psal 11.6 Vpon the Wicked he shall Rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest This shall be the Portion of their Cup. God Rains down a Flood of Snares of their own making upon them they have been making of them off and on about 120 years a little more or less and now God is Raining their own Snares upon them that is upon the old Government and the old Spirit of Persecution as Gods Spirit did strive with the old World and as God provided an Ark by Noah to save all his Family why even so God by his Majesty has provided an Ark for all his Good Subjects For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee in a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer for this is as the Waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the Waters of Noah should no more go over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor Rebuke thee that is for the Preservation of Gods People And here is the Destruction of the Snare-makers aluding to Noah's Flood also Isa 24.17 18 19. Fear and the Pit and the Snare are upon thee O Inhabitant of the Earth And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the Pit and he that cometh up out of the midst of the Pit shall be taken in the Snare for the Windows from on high are open and the Foundations of the Earth do shake the Earth is utterly broken down the Earth is clean dissolved the Earth is moved exceedingly Now in the 7 Gen. 11.12 there you have this 11 Psal 6. and this 24 Isa 18. taken by way of Allusion 2 Pet. 3.10 This is Metaphorically and not Literally and Properly meant nor of the End of the World for the 13 Verse may convince any man of that but this old way of Governing will pass away with a very great Noise and this Element wherein the Spirit of Persecution does live and breathe will be melted and the Generation of Persecuters must pass away this old corrupt Leven both in Church and State must be Purged out All Old things must be done away and all things must become New Psal 102.25 26. Yea all of them shall wax Old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Thus you see this old way of Government so far as it consisteth in Sinful Penal Laws and Tests lieth in the Hands of Satars and these poor deluded Souls that are contending for it for Persecutions sake are his Bond-slaves they are taken Captive at his Will and the Dissenters are in Captivity to them and these Laws also So that in Effect we are all in Captivity and them that are for this Sacramental Test by which they must Eat and Drink Damnation to themselves are in the greatest Captivity of all So that it will be a greater Mercy to them for to have all these Yokes and Snares of the Devil broken than to any other Persons whatsoever though indeed it will be a very great Mercy to the whole Nation But Secondly and Lastly I am come to an Vse of Exhortation which shall be unto two sorts of Persons The first shall be unto all them that were Sacramental Test-Makers and Test-Givers and Test-Takers The second sort of Persons that I shall direct my Exhortation and Counsel unto shall be unto all them that are for the continuing of these Penal Laws and Tests for fear of Popery prevailing upon us And these are such as are not of a persecuting Spirit You see I have searched into this desperate Wound or Plague of Leprosie and I find it to be very dangerous and contagious It is gotten into the Plaister and Stones and into the very Timber of the House and therefore under God I will prescribe a Healing Plaister and a Sovereign Antidote for the making it a perfect Cure I would not leave your Wounds open and a bleeding Now they are searched into I will not leave the worst of you without Hopes of obtaining Pardoning Mercy in the Blood of Christ First of all In the first place I Exhort you all in the Name of my Great Lord and Master By whom Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice especially you that have been Sacramental Test-Makers and Test-Givers and also Test-Takers that are guilty of Crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting him to an open Shame and Eating and Drinking your own Damnation or Condemnation to repent from the bottom of your Hearts Look upon him whom you have Crucified and Mourn over him and be in bitterness of Soul as one is in bitterness for his First-born O Sirs Be perswaded to expel the deadly Spiritual Poyson which you have swallowed down namely the Sacramental Test by Vnfained Repentance or it will kindle a Fire in you that will burn to the lowest Hell for there is a Death and Damnation too in that Cup for all the impenitent Partakers of it for as it is a Cup of Consolation and Salvation to the People of God so it is a Cup of Spiritual Poyson and Damnation to Carnal Prophane Hypocrites which are but Spiritual Vermine Secondly I Exhort you to Repent of all your ill-gotten plundered Goods and vomit them up again also by restoring it again unto them from whom you took it I mean in that way that His Majesty hath appointed under God and God hath said Ye shall do it Job 20.15 18. He hath swallowed down
think now Dear Soul Hast thou any room left to despair of the Mercies of God A second Instance is that of Persecuting Saul whom God in Infinite Mercy Pardoned and made a Preaching and Praying Apostle Paul afterward Acts 9.3 4 5 11. 1 Tim. 1.13.14 14 15. There Paul acknowledged the free Grace of God in Pardoning of him who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecuter and an Injurious Person Acts 22.4 There he confessed himself a Bloody Persecutor yet as Vile as he was all his Sins were pardoned in the Blood of Christ A third Instance of Gods free Grace and Pardoning Mercy in the Blood of Christ was that of the Cruel sturdy Jaylor Acts 16. And a fourth Instance of Gods Pardoning of most notorious Vile Sinners that was found Guilty of that filthy notorious Bed-Roll of the Sin of Sodomy and Idolatry and Whoredom and Drunkenness and Theft is in the 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. And there was Mary Magdalen a very hainous Sinner yet she was washed in the Blood of the Lamb of God that taketh away Sin and she was made a precious Saint And there was some of them very Persons that had their Hands Imbrued in Christ's Blood we read on in the Acts of the Apostles yet they were washed in Christs Blood and pardoned in his Merits and saved by his Grace Thus you see here is encouragement enough for the Vilest of Men that have been Sacramental Mystical Crucifiers of Christ and Persecuters and Whoremongers and Drunkards and Thieves and Idolaters to come unto Christ for Pardoning-Grace and Mercy And whosoever doth so come to Christ while he is upon the Mercy-Seat He hath said that He will in no wise cast out Secondly I Exuort all you that were Test Makers and Test Givers and Test Takers in this Sacramental way and manner not to flatter your selves with the hopes of ever getting that Predominating Persecuting Power again But be contented with your share and proportion of the Government with all other free Dennisons of England that have every whit as much and just Right unto it as your selves remember Covetouseess is the Root of all Evil God will not trust you with the sole Management of the Government of the Nation any longer to be a Scourge to your honest peaceable Neighbours Nahum 1.7 8 9. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him But with an overflowing flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof and Darkness shall pursue his Enemies What do ye imagine against the Lord He will make an utter end affliction shall not rise up the second time God is speaking this unto us at this time as I Humbly conceive by his Anointed Servant the Kings Majesty for he saith That he is resolved to make an utter end of all Persecuting Penal Laws and Tests whatsoever and that they shall not rise up a second time to afflict his Subjects any more And God is a pursuing his Persecuting Enemies at this time in this dark Providence and Dispensation to them by the Just Proceedings of his Gracious Majesty in calling them to an account for all the Moneys and Goods which they have taken from the Dissenters of all sorts of late years and he is giving them a Purge and a Vomit too which God hath prepared in his Word for all them that have this foul Stomach O! Sirs do not strive to be Rampant and Exalt your selves above your Neighbours and to get the Whip in your hands again for God will not trust such Unjust Stewards as you have been with so great a Betrustment But God is a calling you to an Account for your Stewardship for you may no longer be Stewards for now your Stewardship is ended as to Persecution your Account for Plundering beginneth the Robbery of the Wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do Judgment O! Sirs do not Delude your selves for it is the Just Lord that loveth Righteousness and that hateth Robbery for Burnt-Offering that does all these things Do you not see that God is calling you to an Account for your Violence done to himself for as he that Persecutes Christ's Flock Persecutes Christ himself so also they that Rob God's People Robs God himself Mal. 3.9 Ye are Cursed with a Curse for ye have Robbed me even this whole Nation This was spoken to the Jews for he that toucheth Gods People by Violence doth touch the Apple of Gods Eye by Wickedness Zech. 2.8 And God hath sent his Servant unto you that spoiled his People to call you to an Account for it O! Friends I beseech ye to Eye the Just Hand of God in all this for until then you cannot make a right Improvement of these great Providences as you ought to do and Justifie God and Condemn your selves and do not entertain hard Thoughts of his Servant which is the Instrument in his Hand by which he doth it for it is God that does all these things it is he that putteth down one and seueth up another These great things does not come by luck or chance Affliction it self does not rise up out of the Dust for if a Sparrow that is but of half a Farthing Price cannot fall to the Ground without Gods Providence Mat. 10.29 30 Much less can such wonderful great Providences and Dispensations as we have seen and yet shall further see come without the Hand of our Heavenly Fathers putting it into the King his Servants Heart to do it among us Psal 75.6 7 8 9 10. For Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another for in the Hand of the Lord there is a Cup and the Wine is Red and full of Mixture and he poureth out of the same but the Dregs thereof all the Wicked of the Earth shall wring them out and Drink them But I will dealare for ever I will Sing Praises to the God of Jacob all the Horns of the Wicked also will I cut off That is All their Persecuting Power and Strength But the People of God viz. That is all them that truly feareth God and worketh Righteousness their Horn shall be Exalted O Sirs Do not you that are of a persecuting Spirit imagine that God will ever permit you to get up unto your Old Trade of Plundering and Spoiling and making Havock of the Churches again after so great a Rebuke from Heaven for those many Heaven-daring Abominations that you are and have been Guilty of do but consider well what you have been doing For you have been Plowing Iniquity and sowing Wickedness and therefore now you must Reap Shame and Contempt For the Hand of the Lord is lifted up against the Spirit of Persecution and is falling upon
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