A55752:723
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...
London: printed by J.T., 1658
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.
And if you could bring your hearts to this, to see all your happiness in God, and all your safety there, you would soon deny your selves in every thing else, and seek him altogether.
And now only we will add, by reason of the Sacrament which is to be administered. You that are now to 1receive, have occasion especially to make use of this; though it be a work that we have all to do, as at all other times, so especially at this time. But you will say, what is this to the Sacrament? You must know what the Sacrament is, and then you shall see how close this will come to it; Mark 16, we find these words, He that believeth 2and is baptized shall be saved, he that will not believe shall be damned. What is the meaning of that, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved? The meaning is this, saith he, if you will believe in Jesus Christ, if you will take him for your Lord and Husband; and if you will be baptized. What is Baptism? When you are baptized, you are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that is, you shall give up your selves to God altogether. You shall bear his Name, you shall be no more your own; for you are baptized into his Name, and you are called, after his Name, as the Wife is called after the Name of her Husband; so you shall be called Christians. Now when you take this Sacrament, you must do this really; for doth the Lord care for the title? no, but you must give over your selves to him really. So that when you are to be called by his Name, the meaning is, you must do it in the substance, you must give up your selves to his service indeed. That is, you must do two things in the Sacrament. First, you profess this to all the world, that whereas before you served ⟨p. 247⟩other gods, or served your selves, now you profess to all the world that you are the servants of God. So that we say, when you come to receive the Sacrament, you not only profess that you are Christians, but you bind your selves to be so really. I say in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, there are these two things done.