A28622:42
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…
The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians privilege in approaching to God in ordinances, duty in his sacramental approaches, danger if he do not sanctify God in them / by Samuel Bolton ...The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians priviledge in approaching to God in ordinances, duty in his sacramentall approaches, danger if hee do not sanctifie God in them / by Samuel Bolton ...
London: printed by M. Simmons for A. Kembe, 1644
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Judge then, if it be not a vile thing, to hinder & disturb the Saints in those things whereby they draw near to God. 1. Either by depriving them of Ordinances, and robbing them of the means: 2. Or by corrupting of the Ordinances to them, that they cannot enjoy them in that purity which God left them. In the first, the bread is taken from them: In the second, they give them poison with their bread; both these will have a sad day of reckoning.
3. Judge then, if it be not a vile thing, to hinder & disturb the Saints in those things whereby they draw neer to God. 1. Either by depriving them of Ordinances, and robbing them of the means: 2. Or by corrupting of the Ordinances to them, that they cannot injoy them in that purity which God left them. In the first, the bread is taken from them: In the second, they give them poyson with their bread; both these will have a sad day of reckoning.
4. See what's the reason the Saints are so much taken with Ordinances, because they draw near to God in them; they look upon Ordinances as Bridges to give them a passage to God; as Boats to convey them into the bosom of Christ, 1as means to bring them into more intimate communion with their Father, ⟨p. 14⟩therefore are they so much taken wth them. When they go to the Word, they go as one goes to hear news of a friend; when they go to pray, they go to talk with a friend; when to read, they go to read a letter from a friend; when to receive, they go to sup with a friend: they look upon Ordinances as those things whereby they have to do with God, and therefore are ordinances so precious. Indeed to them who have to do with nothing but duty, in duty, but prayer, in prayer, but hearing, in hearing, to them the Ordinances are dead, dry, and spiritless things, but they who have to do with God in duty, they who have communion with God in Ordinances, to them Ordinances are passing sweet and precious.