saving Faith the spirit using such most powerfull methods for the work of his grace which he infuseth in us by a sweet attemperation to the will not by compulsion habitus infusi being wrought per modum acquisitorum And this we have lively represented in the two Disciples of Emmaus whose hearts did burne within them at the hearing of Christ but at the breaking of bread their eyes were fully opened to know and to believe him Luke 24.30 31. Rep. Although a Man may be converted At it is not By the Sacrament it is occasionally but not intentionally a converting Ordinance Ans This being undeniably granted of our opposites the matter is upon the point yeelded for consider sincerely this It may be Peradventure a man may be converted by it and no text expresly forbids any coming to it is not this enough And it may be granted lay it well to heart no place to the contrary alleadged who doubts not but all It may bee's all occasions must be taken for our salvation But that I may wholly root out this subtility which I think the spirit of error has insinuated in the hearts of many Godly men I have three things more to say which by Gods blessing will fully do it 1. Let us cleerly know that the Sacraments and all Ordinances are primarily and properly means of grace It of conversion or confirmation For this grace we receive in the use of them is that which converts some and strengthens others Now then we come to this Sacrament as the meanes to receive Gods grace and this grace which he distributes as a most wise God works in every one as his state and need requires in the cōverted for their strength and establishment and in the unregenerate for their conversion 2. Consider what is conversion There is an outward conversion from Heathenisme to the profession of Christ we doe not stand to say the the Sacrament is such a converting Ordinance as if Christ should bid us go forth with this Sacrament and convert the Nations let this be imagined only of the word But there is an inward effectuall conversion of such as outwardly professe Christ to the truth of grace in their hearts Now how is the worke of grace or true conversion wrought through the word it selfe Not from any active power it has per se upon the Soule but per modum objecti we say and instrumentally the object is proposed or revealed that is all the word does and then it is the spirit that by illuminating the mind and a touch upon the will brings the heart to embrace the object whereby it is converted Now is it not just thus likewise in the Sacrament This Sacrament shews forth Christ Crucified according to the Covenant who is the true object of Faith and Life upon this the spirit of God draws the heart by illumination and conviction to embrace him upon those terms he here is offered insomuch that experience can witnesse that some are and have been hereby converted What difference is there imaginable betweene this conversion and at the Word What a shift is it to say it is only At and not By the Sacrament when it is instrumentall per modum objecti as the Word where I may say the same too as truly that it is more properly At than By the Word it self there being no active vertue but of the spirit in the one or the other 3. As for this device of the Sacrament being occasionally not intentionally converting There may be a principall intention and subordinate more primary or secondary ends in an Ordinance Though the word be the principall converting Ordinance we cannot deny but others may be subordinately also converting as Prayer why els doth the Church pray Turne thou u◠and we shall be turned Convert thou us and we shall be converted Now as Prayer and other means of Grace are converting and that intentionally in being used to this end So I affirm of the Sacrament unlesse you can finde in your heart to keep this pitifull shift still and say rather than this shall be you will distinguish between a converting ordinance and means of Conversion other ordinances are means of Conversion but yet the word you persist is the only intentionally that is intended converting ordinance Well goe too what then I pray To the purpose Then you will say the word shall be held forth to all as intended to convert them but the Sacrament shall not being not so intended in the Institution Be it so It followes then there must be no Ordinance administred to those that are not converted but only that which is thus an intended converting Ordinance Is this as you would have it This is the very ground on which you stand But harke ye my Friend I pray then what shall become of publick prayer other Ordinances in the Church when the Word is the onely principally intended converting Ordinance out of question By this doctrine at one dash you take away all other dutyes in our mixt congregations In what a case are you here brought what can you invent On necessity you must recant and confesse indeed that Prayer and the like duties though not principally yet in a subordinate way are converting Ordinances or means and helps of conversion and upon that account you admit all to them Now if you will doe so then is the door as full open in this subordinate way too for the Sacrament If you will not I beleeve the Sacrament will be contented to be shut out with such good company and desires to fare no better than her fellow-ordinances Rep. But unregenerate men you will say are dead in their sins and shall wee give bread to the dead men must first be living new born and converted Christians before they can feed at the Sacrament Answ As for the sense of this it is answered already as for the words and Fancy I returne accordingly If wee could conceive any bread to be such as would fetch life in a man wee should give it him when he is dead but now 〈◊〉 see Jo. 6.33 I am the bread of life sayes Christ not only I hope to confirm but give life Now Christ being offered in this Sacrament this bread is the bread of Life this cup the cup of Life able by Gods grace as well to beget Life as encrease it If we give Aqua vitae to dying men we may give Calix vitae to dead Christians to quicken and convert the unregenerate as to comfort and establish others Object 7. Judas received not the Supper for in Mat. 26.23.26 he is said to dip his hand in the dish before the administration and in 10.13.30 as soon as he received the Sop he immediately went out Besides some learned men conceive the Sauce he dipped in was the Sauce of bitter herbs in the Passeover called Cheroseth and that was therfore before the Sacrament Answ Here is a manifest mistake in the ground of the objection It is supposed St.
An humble VINDICATION Of a Free ADMISSION Unto the Lords-Supper PUBLISHED For the ease support and satisfaction of tender Consciences otherwise remediles in our mixt CONGREGATIONS As it was delivered at two Sermons upon the occasion of this solemnity in the weekely labours of Iohn Humfrey Master of Arts and Minister of Froome in Somersetshire newly revised by the Author A Priest is taken from among men and ordained for men in things pertaining to God who can reasonably bear with the ignorant and them that are out of the way for that himself also is compassed with infirmity Heb. 5.1 2. Printed for E. Blackmore at the Angell in Pauls Church-yard 1651. To the Reader Courteous Reader HAving by good providence had some gleanings of this ensuing discourse as it was delivered by the worthy Author in his own Congregation and conferring my notes with a honoured Christian I found such support and contentment to my own conscience in the sympathy of his approbation that made me very importunate to have them perfected and having at length obtained a compleat copy I could not but humbly thinke it an engagement much conducing to the glory of God to get this precious light left under a bushell in a private auditory to be set up publikely in the candlestick of the Church that the spirits of many others might be thereby disclouded from the like scruples that most sadly hinder the blessed enjoyment of this Ordinance of Christ The worke needs not the commendation of another having in it some exquisiteâ—â—tions and self-excellency enough to commend it and its compiler and although it must expect severall censures which is the common fate of the best works according to the variety of mens humours in these times yet I am perswaded by experience to an impartiall and disengaged judgement perusing it with a single eye it will afford aboundant comfort and satisfaction it being weighty spirituall and ingenious and a piece wherein if I may use the word of one more learnedly able to judge of it Mr. Humfrey has comprized the most materiall things that can be said in this business as rationally and concisely as any beside him As it has pleased God therefore pious Reader to make me instrumentall that ever this came to thy sight let me beseech these two reasonable requests of thee First That thou wilt passe no censure upon the Book or Writer before thou hast read all over weighing the whole parts together and examined them seriously by the unerring rule of the word of God Secondly Having soe done that thou wilt not suffer thy selfe to be swayed from judgeing according to the truth by any earthly respect whatsoever and then I doubt not but the Lord will suitably poure thee out a double blessing in the reading of establishment for thy judgement of peace for thy conscience which is the onely end of publishing this worke and hearty prayer of the occasioner of it I. C. An humble VINDICATION Of a Free ADMISSION Unto the Lords-Supper Marke 14.23 And they all Dranke of it I Have spoken of the Institution Nature and Ends of the Sacrament I come now to the Receivers And they all dranke of it In the 13. verse of the Chapter we find the twelve with Christ They were his whole Congregation in the 18th v. They were all sate at the Table as they did eat in the 22. Jesus took bread and gave it them and so likewise the Cup v. 23 Saying Drinke ye all of it Mat. 26.27 And they did so saith the Text They all Dranke of it all the twelve without exception from whence I gather a free Admission to this Ordinance My Brethren this is a poynt we know troubles many and I do humbly acknowledge my self the weakest of a thousand to satisfie the difficulties of others yet whereas the apprehensions many times of a playn honest meaning Christian in its pure naturalls I meane unconfounded with the judgments of others may suite better with common understandings than a more learned and elaborate disquisition I shall Sincerely lay you downe my very heart and thoughts in this thing being ready to lye down at the feet of any truly Godly Soule that either out of tenderness of Conscience or strength of Reason dare not or will not submit unto my judgement and practice in it For the managing the poynt I shall breifly lay down my meaning or state of the question give my Proofs Reasons and Answer Objections For my meaning it is honest and very plaine without reservation The Lord Jesus has a Church in the World wherein there is a visible profession of his name In this Church God has set up his Ordinances of the Word and Sacrament Of these Ordinances some are capable and some uncapable Those that are uncapable are so either by Nature as Infants and Distracted persons or by the Churches censure of Excommunication and no others For those that are capable we must rightly consider this capacity in regard of the Church or Minister in Admission of them to the Ordinance or in regard of the Communicants themselves in coming thither Now I dare not yet positively say for the peoples part that all are so capable that they may come as they list though it be a duty none is excused from because there is a solemne preparation required and many cannot seriously find in their hearts to enter or renew their Covenant with Christ whereof this is a pledge if it be not misused Yet I am humbly perswaded for the Minister and Churches part who on Gods behalfe is to offer Christ freely and so to tender the Convenant to all that will receive him there is such a universall capacity for all men indefinitely that if any come in as professing themselves ready to enter convenant with Christ desiring so to serve him in the worship of this Ordinance the former only excepted we are to encourage them saying with the Bride Revel 22.17 Whosoever is a Thirst let him come whosoever will let him come and drinke freely of these waters of Life or means of Salvation In a word I do not believe that any unlesse first excommunicated ipso jure or de facto ought to be refused the participation of this Sacrament They all Dranke of it For my proofs look into Ex. 12. we read of the Passover which is the same in signification with the Sacrament v. 3. Speak unto Israel let every man take his Lambe a Lambe for a house v. 47. All the Congregation shall observe it And v. 50. The whole people did so as the Lord commanded them Adde to this 2 Chron. 30.5 They Decreed to proclame through all Israel from Dan to Beersheba that they should come and keep the Passeover to the Lord. Here you see free Admission without exception Indeed in Num. 9.7 we find a legall pollution keeping some back for a month and no longer as it appears in the 11 verse which neverthelesse was dispensable too at the prayer of Hezekiah 2 Ch. 30.18
over in the doing My fift Reason I gather from the uniformity of the Service of God If all other worship lies in common it is an intrenchment upon the common liberty to put an enclosure upon the Sacrament Are all the commands of God universall why not doe this also if an unregenerate man cannot doe any thing that is acceptable to Christ but it turnes to sin non per se sed per pravam dispositionem subjecti and so is Damnable Pro. 28.9 and yet he is to doe his endeavour and not to be excluded neverthelesse ftom any duty why must there needs be an exclusion here upon feare of the like sin and condemnation Let our Independents answer why doe you allow a Syntax in the whole service of God besides and bring in a Quae genus of Anomalaes and Heteroclites onely at this ☞ Ordinance Let some of our Presbyterians answer how can wee admit of Children as Members of the visible Church being born of Christian parents unto Baptisme and yet turne away the parents of those Children from the Sacrament Those that have gone about to answer this had better happly have said nothing for our free course of Baptisme and a deniall of this is such a Seame-rent as will never be handsomly drawn up though stitcht together Neverthelesse in yielding the one they have granted the other My sixt Reason I lay down from my innocency in thus doing 1. I doe but my duty 2. I have no power to turn away any 3. I hope the best of all 4. I know God can turne the worst even at this ordinance if he please 5. I endeavour my utmost de jure that all come prepared 6. I humbly confesse all our sins as Hezekiah desiring true repentance and a pardon for all our omissions and so lastly I venture the issue all on God knowing that his ordinances are a sweet savour unto him whether we are saved or perish by them I might adde here more considerations very pressing from the command and good of comming from the evill of omitting this ordinance For the good of comming The Sacrament is a meanes and a pledge a means as well to receive grace as a pledge to assure us thereof Now suppose a poor soule wants grace whether shall he come but to the means of receiving it The ordinances are as the Baths there are many come to the Bath that are never the better for it yet as they are means of health they are open and free for all to come and make experience of them I conceive as much of the Sacrament and though we may scruple how an unregenerate man can receive it as a pledge yet as it is a means whereby grace is conveyed there is no difficulty For the evill of omission In the Law those that neglected Circumcision and the Passeover were to be cut off and in the Gospell Matt. 22. those that came not into the Feast were destroyed the Lord giving a reason ver 8. because they were not worthy Alas we make a scruple only of comming unworthily whereas they are most unworthy of all that come not in to the Supper we doe not finde any of the Servants durst refuse to call in all if they had left out any they might have bin worse served This one thing hath long stuck on my thoughts how shall we neglect a certain duty of administring or of comming to the Sacrament for fear of accidentall scandall or of committing an uncertain sin in the doing Is not this a kind of doing evill that good may come of it whose damnation is just Rom. 3.8 But I will say no more thus much shall suffice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not give you my Reasons by the heape but by the weight I humbly commit them to you onely with this caution that no man take occasion from hence to presume for as the Israelites that were destroyed after they passed the Sea and drank of the Rock are set for a warning to the Corinthians so are they both set for a warning to us that wee daily examine our selves and come with reverence lest we being freely admitted by Gods goodnesse perish neverthelesse with them for our own unworthinesse The Second SERMON NOw for answering Objections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two things I must premonish you 1. Whereas common notions are like dishes where the same matter dress'd but in another way or variegated in the expression receives a severall relish and esteem in the palats of ordinary judgements you must pardon me the Liberty if at any time I be forced in the Cookery of the same sence to serve you in more words than enough to any Objection 2. Whereas many Godly in these times have a prejudicate opinion against this free Admission so that whatsoever may be said is not like to remove all scruples which are so much fastened on their Consciences thinking they have holynesse on their side we are to goe unto the Throne of Grace to pray the Lord to give us his Spirit of illumination to direct us in this truth which is able alone to convince and satisfie us And for me if I deliver what is not consonant to the holy Word I desire the Lord to blot out my Sermon with my sin that none of his Little ones may be offended by it but if it be the mouth of Truth too much kept in silence delivering nothing but the very doctrine and practise of Christ himselfe and his Apostles as one of his weakest servants does heartily beleeve I hope the Lord will give a blessing on it and send it out as a light into your hearts to discover those subtilties of Sathan whereby he would obstruct your comfort in the use of this Ordinance Objection 1. This Doctrine will take away the use of the Keyes Excommunicate Excommunication and leave us no Discipline in the Church Ans Unto this by way of Concession although it has been thought these censures belonged but to the Church untill they had a Christian Magistrate I grant First That there is a power of the Keys in the Church Secondly that the exercise of this consists in Excommunication And thirdly That the want thereof in the right institution is to be bewayled But by the way of satisfaction I Answer this Objection is grounded merely on false surmises about Excommunication which being removed as the fewell from the fire it will go out of it self 1 It surmises this Church-discipline to lye in a suspension from the Sacrament as if Excommunication were but an Excommunion Let us therefore know that these Church censures are punishments upon scandalous persons after a legall conviction whereby they are debarred from Christian society in generall lest they leven others by their example for els what is it to keep a prophane person from the Sacrament but to gratifie him who never intended at least never cared to come thither But now when men will take these keyes that were made to the great Church door opening and
manu dei nobis sunc signa gratiae primo secundarie obligationis professionis nostrae Paraus in Locpraedict In the notion they are mans seals we may conceive the Sacraments Seals of Faith for Faith is the Condition of the Covenant and we seal to our Condition so that as they are conceived thus indeed they are seals of Faith because seals of the Covenant which I stand upon But as they are Gods seals for the same reason they cannot be seals of Faith but consecutivè as I said before in the effect to the Godly to yeeld what may be expressively only because God seals not imaginably to our part of the Covenant which is Faith but to his owne part which is the promise and so I call them seals of the Covenant or promise formally and not of faith Now I say cleerly though an unregenerate ☞ man cannot receive the Sacrament as a seale of his Faith yet the Church can give it as a seale of the Covenant and though it wants its due effect on him there is the right nature neverthelesse in the Administration though not a right use of it in the receiver even as at the word where there may be true preaching and the nature of the Gospell though the hearers apply it not as they ought by faith Look back to that only place Ra. 4. where it is said Circumcision is a seale Abraham is said to receive it as a seale which receiving includes Gods giving so that we must look upon the Sacraments in the nature of them as Gods seals from the very institution who else durst appoint such things to signifie such spirituall matters as they are Gods seals they are set to his own word and so can never be to a blanck while there is truth in the promise and writing in the Gospell Now then the Sacraments being Gods seals certainly in the institution nature of them if I should deny them to be mans seals at all there being not for it one tittle of Scripture I should quite remove the scruple from the hearts of men but whereas that I may not remove their care and duty too I grant though in the nature of seals they are Gods Seals Gods own seals seals of the Covenant only yet in the use of seals and effect they are to be mans seals also seals to the Condition of our part seals of faith and so I cannot I may not acquit the receivers wholly but that they come absurdly set a seale to a blanke and take the Sacrament in vaine as it is to be their seale if they come without Faith and those solemne engagements as God Requires of us though I can fully acquit the Church herein in her delivery of the signs on Gods part as we are his Embassadors because the Covenant by him stands sealed to all whomsoever and there can be no doubt of sealing to a blanke I affirme so long as the Promise or the Gospell it selfe holds in force the tenour whereof this Sacrament seals absolutely to us The tenour of it I say marke me not our interest in it for that it seals not absolutely The Sacrament is the externall seale the internall only of the Spirit can absolutely give this interest to any this outward seale is set to Gods outward copy of the Covenant that is the word now look what the word affirms the Sacrament seals and confirms according to the tenor thereof and no otherwise Now the word speaks not particularly of any mans single interest but generally it declares to all a common interest upon condition they beleeve now as this interest is exprest conditionally so the Sacrament cannot seale to it but conditionally according to that tenor is exprest or rather let me say the Sacrament seals generally so I will expresse it the truth of the Covenant freely to all engageing them unto it and the interest or benefits of the Covenant to every single person upon the terms conditions or tenor only of the Gospell I must professe this in the Embrion has layn a long time in my apprehensions and I cannot but be glad to find a piercing and godly man I take him whom the right conceiving of this alone he says converted hiâ—… and satisfied him The Covenant runs thus He that believes shall be saved adde I believe Ergo I shall be saved from which syllogisme we gather our assurance Now to which of those propositions sayes he does the Sacrament seal not to the minor as it is surmised for no Scripture sayes of any particular man he beleeves and God seals to his own word not ours Nor to the conclusion for the same reason But to the major which it absolutely seales as true to us according to the tenour of the Gospell Object 5. The Covenant belongs not to All therefore the Seals neither Answ The Covenant is sometimes taken in Scripture for those absolute promises of Gods putting his Laws in our hearts keeping us by his power to salvation and to the like purpose Heb. 8. which are proper only to his Elect and belonging to his secret will Or the Covenant is taken as it is for the tenour of the Gospell in Gods revealed will and so it runs on these terms Whosoever beleeves shall be saved and whether this belongs to all is no question It is true for our comfort whosoever comes under these conditions may have an assured trust that the absolute promises also belong to him but neverthelesse it is the conditionall Covenant or the Covenant in its conditionall capacity that is tender'd to us the word and sealed to in the Sacrament So that the Covenant is indeed of the same extent with the Gospell and the very tenour shews it universally belonging to whomsoever Now then As when I have a businesse to propose in generall to my Parish I read the Contents which when they like I propose certain Articles and say whosoever will agree to this let them come and set their hands unto it In like manner here when I have held forth the glad tydings of the Gospell I shew them the conditions of the Covenant Jesus Christ offers life to all upon these termes of Faith If you wil resolve to accept him as your Lord and Saviour to forsake sin and serve him come put your hands and seals thereunto in this Sacrament and loe here is the seal of God on his part if you doe to witnesse the certainty of salvation promised to you So that to speak sincerely if wee should propose two men one that is not in Covenant with Christ and one that is this Sacrament doth more ingenuously belong unto the first who hereby comes to do it solemnly at this time supposing now he resolves to enter covenant with him You will say the Covenant doth not belong to him What Doth it lye upon his everlasting damnation or salvation and not belong to him The benefit of the Covenant you may truly say belongs not yet to him untill he is in Covenant but
the Covenant it self is of Epidemicall concernment and so far belongs to all that it is to be tender'd freely and offer'd to them that whosoever doth receive it may have the benefit of it Rep. But what right doth this give him to the Covenant Answ As the Sacrament is a shewing forth of Christ with a tender of the Covenant in his bloud there is an open free generall right to it for all that will come in to Christ Let me beseech you mark this distinction There is a double right here observable A right of Obligation and A right of privilege For the right of Obligation in the Ministers offer of Christ freely and the peoples receiving him in his own terms I doe avouch a universall right to every Ordinance Isa 66.23 they being dutyes of worship which is of universall command and this often primitively once a week though for the right of privilege in any to enjoy the sweetnes comfort efficacy life and benefit of them I acknowledge it a prerogative belonging onely to the Saints and Elect of God Now put case a poor soule should stand in doubt of his right to this Ordinance that yet fain would come to Jesus Christ Let him say Lord my heart is humbly afraid of my unworthinesse yet seeing I come resolving to give up my Soule to thee and it is our duty to come in at this Supper This Right of Obligation shall be my warrant to bring me in and then Lord I hope thou wilt let me find the Right of Privilege too in thy due season O my God Put case again A godly heart should rise at the conceit of a wicked person receiving with him Let him think presently thus though there is a neerer Right unto my soule blessed be the mere free grace of God yet there is a right of obligation to every one I ought not to be offended with any the Lord sanctifie it to them for their conversion the knowledge of this distinction may do very much to allay the troubles of many judgments and more Consciences in this controversy Object 6. The Sacrament is not a converting Ordinance we preach to all to convert them but wâ—e may Administer onely to the regenerate to confirme them Answ Unto this Objection because it is so much urged give me leave to use some words I doe acknowledge Divines doe usually distinguish of a Sacrament of Initiation and Confirmation ingeniously attributing our new birth first to Baptisme and then our nourishment and encrease unto the Supper and so they make a converting Ordinance of the Word and Baptisme the laver and meanes of regeneration a confirming one only of this Sacrament although I take a grant of the one to be a sufficient medium to prove the other But under favour unlesse we take this only in regard of the visible Church into which 't is true Baptisme alone does incorporate us we must understand it not after a rigid form of speech and Idiome of truth but after a more solute and ingenuous conception that is it is such a notion as holds full enough to be handsomely spoken but holds not so strictly as to build arguments on it otherwise the ingenuity thereof will trip up their judgement It is a rule therefore worthy here of our knowledge that in divinity we often give an indefinite denomination to things as they are most eminently inclined as for instance in indifferent things which are indifferentia ad unum when they incline more to evill in the use than to good as many harmlesse recreations we condemne them indefinitely as evill though in some cases they are warrantable Ec. 3.4 And I may happily with right circumstances lawfully use them So whereas this Sacrament doth more emminently incline to be and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most usually confirming and more seldome converting they do aparte eminentiori denominate it indefinitely a confirming ordinance onely And indeed this is true when it is taken in respect of the same persons whom we supposing to have been converted by the Word and Baptisme already the Supper is and can be only a confirming Ordinance unto them without question But as for others who we conceive not yet converted and so humbly coming hither for conversion I doubt not as there is no Scripture to the contrary so there is no reason but as the Word and Baptisme do confirme as well as convert so may this Sacrament convert as confirme according as God gives forth his grace to the Condition of the Receivers There is therefore an error to answer directly in this Objection about the nature of the Sacrament which being as we have shewne a visible word holding forth Christ and the Covenant to the sight is converting as the Gospell doing the same to the hearing for if the Centurion believed only by seeing Christ corporally on the Crosse if the contemplation of the Creature sacrifices sight of miracles have been means to some of their religion and conversion we cannot doubt but the eyes may much more spiritually instruct us here in the melting objects of Christs passion redemption and tender mercies outwardly represented seeing we hope the working of the spirit too by virtue of an ordinance ☞ Let the World Answer Pauls argument To shew forth the death of Christ 〈◊〉 the means of Conversion The Sacrament is the shewing forth his death 1 Cor. 11.26 Therefore as it does so it is undoubtedly converting Hence I observed in the words of institution there was a Take and an Eate two words a Take for such as have not Christ a word of grace to convert those and an Eat for such as have already received him to nourish and confirme them For put case a morall man taken for a good man yet unregenerate is and cannot be refused to be admitted hither The man does his best to prepare himself and so comes do wee thinke now to such a man the Ordinance is necessarily fruitlesse and can have no worke on him then God help us Shall not his examination confession prayers meditation with all the Ministers exhortations be more solemnly conducing now to worke grace in his heart and to convert him this being the way of the spirits motions then the bare preaching of a sermon Especially seeing the word doth not only precede but accompany and is a very part too of the Sacrament Accedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum But put case further a poore soule much humbled in the sight of his sinnes that cannot yet be able to believe and close with Christ comes hither hoping to meet with this favour here well the word of reconciliation is freely opened the free mercies of Christ set forth and all this while it hath not happily this effect upon his heart yet when he comes to see the truth of all this sealed with Gods owne seale Christ freely offered and peculiarly received of him in the Sacrament his soule by all these heavenly wires is catcht taken drawn and even enforced to a