N01152:44
The inexcusableness of neglecting the worship of God, under a pretence of being in…
The inexcusableness of neglecting the worship of God, under a pretence of being in an unconverted condition. Showed in a sermon preached at Northampton, the 17th. Decemb. 1707. being the time of the sitting of the Inferior Court. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton. ; Imprimatur, J. Dudley.The inexcusableness of neglecting the worship of God, under a pretence of being in an unconverted condition. Shewed in a sermon preached at Northampton, the 17th. Decemb. 1707. being the time of the sitting of the Inferiour Court. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton. ; Imprimatur, J. Dudley.
printed by B. Green. Sold by Samuel Phillips, 1708
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
4. The attending of these duties are part of the External Covenant: The Covenant People of God are bound to attend Covenant duties. If any part of the External Covenant be neglected, the Covenant is broken. The Covenant that God makes with his Visible People ought to be attended, the Visible People of God have a natural power to attend those duties, & they have a legal power to attend them: they may attend them lawfully: There is no part of the external Covenant, but it may be kept by the Visible Church, therefore they have power to qualify themselves sufficiently, in order to the ⟨p. 18⟩attending of them: but if Sanctifying Grace were necessary in order to the lawful attending of them, than it would be out of their power.
The USE of this Doctrine is of Warning; That you be not afraid to attend duties of Worship, because destitute of Sanctifying Grace. Men that are destitute of Sanctifying Grace can perform no duty in an acceptable manner: but yet you must not give way to a spirit of fear, so as to neglect your duty. Men must be afraid to neglect it and not afraid to attend it: You must make haste to get Sanctifying Grace, but you must not deny God any part of his Worship, till that is done. It is a poor thing for men to be scared into Religion, but it is sad indeed for men to be scared out of Religion, & to neglect Gods Worship out of fear of God.
There be two things that make men neglect the Lords-Supper.