Fourthly, if all out of Christ are dead,1 learn to judge of the Ordinances of God, and the means of salvation, let us not undervalue nor over-value them; the Ordinances cannot bring life of themselves, no, not the Word, nor Sacraments; If ye are sick and send for the Minister, he cannot quicken you; the Ordinance is but a creature, and cannot give life. If we speak to the ear, and Christ speak not to the heart, it is nothing: Let your eyes therefore be fixed on Christ, beseech him to put life into you, and pray to God for a blessing on the means: the Ordinances ⟨p. 86⟩are but dead Trunks, as Pens without Ink, or Conduit-pipes without water. Learn then that God doth convey life by the Ordinances, that they themselves cannot give life, therefore do not over-value them. Yet know withal, that God doth not work but by his Ordinances; the spirit breathes not in Taverns or Play-houses, but in the Church assemblies. Act. 10.44. whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius, and his family, the Spirit fell upon them: so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them; the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit; give what is just to them, and no more; give them neither too little nor too much, do not over-value them, but yet neglect them not: neglect not the Sacrament, ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it, ye think that ye ate and drink your own damnation, 2if ye receive it unreverently; Absence from it is a sin as well as the remiss and negligent receiving of it. Sickness and death ye fear, why then do you neglect the Sacrament, why do you receive it unworthily? Whence are those Epidemical diseases amongst us? the cause of them is from hence, that ye neglect the Sacrament, that ye receive it unworthily. 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament,3 he that came not to the Passover, must be cut off from the children of Israel; the ⟨p. 87⟩same Equity remains still in the Sacrament; the cause of that was, because he was to come up with the rest, to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt, and the redemption from their bondage, he being passed over thereby: It is now the same sin to neglect the Sacrament, the Equity still remains. Are ye so strong in faith as ye need it not? To be absent from the Word, ye think it a sin:
Fourthly, if all out of Christ are dead,1 learne to judge of the Ordinances of God, and the meanes of salvation, let us not undervalue nor over-value them; the Ordinances cannot bring life of themselves, no, not the Word, nor Sacraments; If yee are sicke and send for the Minister, hee cannot quicken you; the Ordinance is but a creature, and cannot give life. If we speake to the eare, and Christ speake not to the heart, it is nothing: Let your eyes therfore be fixed on Christ, beseech him to put life into you, and pray to God for a blessing on the meanes: the Ordinances ⟨p. 86⟩are but dead Trunkes, as Pens without Inke, or Conduit-pipes without water. Learne then that God doth convey life by the Ordinances, that they themselves cannot give life, therefore doe not over-valew them. Yet know withall, that God doth not worke but by his Ordinances; the spirit breathes not in Taverns or Play-houses, but in the Church assemblies. Act. 10.44. whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius, and his family, the Spirit fell upon them: so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them; the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit; give what is just to them, and no more; give them neither too little nor too much, do not over-value them, but yet neglect them not: neglect not the Sacrament, ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it, ye think that yee ate and drink your own damnation, 2if ye receive it unreverently; Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it. Sicknesse and death yee feare, why then doe you neglect the Sacrament, why doe you receive it unworthily? Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us? the cause of them is from hence, that yee neglect the Sacrament, that yee receive it unworthily. 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you, and many sleepe. Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament,3 he that came not to the Passeover, must bee cut off from the children of Israel; the ⟨p. 87⟩same Equitie remaines still in the Sacrament; the cause of that was, because he was to come up with the rest, to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt, and the redemption from their bondage, hee being passed over thereby: It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament, the Equity still remaines. Are yee so strong in faith as ye need it not? To bee absent from the Word, yee thinke it a sinne:
- 1Use 4.Vse 4.
- 21 Cor. 11.29.
- 3Levit. 23.29.30.
