The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians…The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians…

1. When the Sacraments work no further good upon thee, thou hast profaned this Ordinance. I have told you, the Sacraments are not idle, empty things, but operative, and efficacious toward them who are worthy receivers. Christ ⟨p. 152⟩cannot be fed on, but he must nourish the soul. A man may feed upon other meats and get no nourishment, but he who feeds on this, he finds spiritual strength and nourishment. Now then, when men come hither, and return as empty as they came, as vile as before, there is no fruit can be seen in their lives and conversations; here a man may suspect the Ordinance is profaned. When men were filthy, and are filthy still, swearers, and are so still, drunkards, and remain so still; this is an evident demonstration thou hast been a profaner of this Ordinance: Indeed Gods people do not ever get the good they expect, never get the good they desire. But yet some good is gotten, some more strength of Grace, some more working out of lust, although for the present they cannot apprehend it. But the other now, they get none, they come graceless hither, ⟨p. 153⟩and go graceless away: and it must needs be so, this is no Ordinance for the working of grace in graceless persons, but for the nourishing of grace in those whom God hath wrought grace in, as I have showed at large.

1. When the Sacraments work no further good upon thee, thou hast prophaned this Ordinance. I have told you, the Sacraments are not idle, empty things, but operative, and efficacious toward them who are worthy receivers. Christ ⟨p. 152⟩cannot be fed on, but he must nourish the soul. A man may feed upon other meats and get no nourishment, but he who feeds on this, he finds spirituall strength and nourishment. Now then, when men come hither, and return as empty as they came, as vile as before, there is no fruit can be seen in their lives and conversations; here a man may suspect the Ordinance is prophaned. When men were filthy, and are filthy still, swearers, and are so still, drunkards, and remain so still; this is an evident demonstration thou hast been a prophaner of this Ordinance: Indeed Gods people do not ever get the good they expect, never get the good they desire. But yet some good is gotten, some more strength of Grace, some more working out of lust, although for the present they cannot apprehend it. But the other now, they get none, they come graceless hither,