A28622:59
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.
There is nothing makes the condition of the soul more desperate and unrecoverable, then the use of Ordinances in a formal and unconscionable way, when a man doth harden under means of softening. When a mans soar runs under the plaster, nay when the plaster increaseth the soar; when that which should draw us near, sets us at further distance; this man's condition is dangerous. Scarce one of many are ever wrought upon: When once a man can hear and pray, and receive, and yet retain his sin too without disturbance, all this doth not trouble him, no weapon will pierce him; no command, no threatening of the Word, no power of Ordinances can move him: this man is in great danger to die in this condition. And the use of ⟨p. 29⟩Ordinances in a formal way, brings men to such a condition. As the use of Physic in an ordinary way, doth take away the working of it; so the use of Ordinances in a formal way, doth take off the edge, and blunt the power of working on the spirit.
There is nothing makes the condition of the soule more desperate and unrecoverable, then the use of Ordinances in a formall and unconscionable way, when a man doth harden under means of softning. When a mans soar runs under the plaister, nay when the plaister increaseth the soar; when that which should draw us neere, sets us at further distance; this man's condition is dangerous. Scarce one of many are ever wrought upon: When once a man can heare and pray, and receive, and yet retaine his sinne too without disturbance, all this doth not trouble him, no weapon will pierce him; no command, no threatning of the Word, no power of Ordinances can move him: this man is in great danger to die in this condition. And the use of ⟨p. 29⟩Ordinances in a formall way, brings men to such a condition. As the use of Physick in an ordinary way, doth take away the working of it; so the use of Ordinances in a formall way, doth take off the edge, and blunt the power of working on the spirit.
Well then, let me exhort you not only to be conscionable to use, but to a conscionableness in the use of this ordinance. And this lies in two things.