--------·------------------------------- ------ 3tUe 1£.orM _svupper. Chap. q . Sef<.19, ~ o. ·-'------- deadnefs, hardncfs, dulnefs , unfruitfu!nefs , t hen. two things are t~~ 1. Let fuch a one fufpdr h!mfclf. that fome Imfcamage hath been in him, either in his preparmion , to, or in his performance of the Dmy; and let him labourto finde out where the fail was; what it was that hindred the ~fficacy of that Bleffid Sacrament; and having found out what hmdred , let him judge himfelf for it, and be feriouny humbled therefore: Ifhe can but do thus, h~ needs not be overmuch difmaid,becaufe this is one fruit of the death of Chnlt , whtch was undoubtedly received in clJeSa– ,·ramcnr ; if he have not that wh1ch ?e would have, yet he hath that which wasworrh the going for: Let him conilrue thts H~<miliation as a fruit of going to the S,acramem, and be thankful for that. 2 . Let him endeavour by after-pains in prayc<r and humiliation, to quicken anda– waken the efficacy of the Sacrament: Sacra'f-fiJts, donot ai!Vr<)'J !Vork.for theprefcnr, bttt the efficacy may come 4imvards; the a(tion~ ofGod are of eternal efficacv though he put forth that eflica~y in fuch times andfe~fons as he fees good. Phyfick'cloth notal– V'ays work when 1t IS taken'· but fomettrncs afterward : Thus alfo it may be with the Sat..-ament, when aCommuntcant hu~bled for hts unprofitablcnefs in the Duty, endex– vours by after:dthgence and humthatwn, to qu1ckenand put life into it , it may work then. What lunders but 1t may be m the cafe of the L ords Supper, as in the Satramer.t •f BapttJm? the efficacy and force of Bapttfm cloth ROt prefcnrly appear , no not pre– fcntly upon the years of d,fcrctton; many a one IJvcs VtciouOy in a finful courfe, a ' Swearer, Adulterer , &c yet afterwards when God gtves a man the heart to be tou– ched with the fcnfc of fin, and he begins to beftir himfelf, to feek God by faith and re– pentance, the Lord then qutckens h1s Baptr[m, and makes it as powerful and efficacious as if it had been adminilh ed that very day: So in this cafe pofllbly a man hath been at the Lord: Table , and bath more then once been an unworthy receiver , yet ifhe fhall once come to be humbled for that unworthincfs,God will makeSacramentsfo often received unprofitably, to become efficacious unto him : lf then we have mifcarriedin our prcparatims and di{pofiti"~s, fo as we have fou~d no benefit, no comfort, yet here is a remedy and heip. Take th~s courfe by after-d1hgen~e,and after-humtlttation,to_fctch life into the Ordmance mwh1ch we were dead,and whtch was de~d unto us. SECT. 19. OfTh~nlifulncjfo, if .. good d")'. l F upon exAmin111tion we find that we were refrelhcd, had our hearts enlarged, had venue from, and communion with Chrift, then muft follow rThllnlifulnifs. 1Obedienct, t. Thankf~lnefs: Return home now, as with thy heart full of benefits ofthe Lord, fo with thy heart full ofpraifcs to the Lord: Angel& employmcnts arc moll fuitable to Angels food ; ,Shall we blefs «iod for a crwnb, and not for a Chrift ? other mercies are are but crumbs, in comparifon ofthis rich mercy; and fhall our hearts favour them fo much, and not reli!h thefe? what's corn and wiae to this? That is a mercy, in which all other mercies are folded up: Chrill: cloth eminently contain all other mercies, and in the want of all, Chrill enjoyed is exceedintgrMt re!Vard ; nay, all mercies are not only folded up in him, and entailed to him,but he fweetens and fanctilies every mercy; let us then return home, as full of the blefling from on high, fo full ofpraifcs to rhe moll: high : Th,mkfHin~fs is the great grace to be ex~rcifed in, and Thankful~cfs is the great grace to be exerctfed after ; and theref~re wh1le the prefent fenfe of th1s ll_le:cy warm~ our hearts, let the heat of it burll: forth mto Thank.fulnejfe toward God; tt ts the mcL fuitablc fervicc, and the moll: fuitable time to return it. SECT. zo: Of obedience 11ndfaithjllinifs ir1 o~<r,livcs. '1f' He feeond thing required in fuch a 'cafe, is Obedienc~. 1. G et we om· hearts . c · now fu.rtherfet againlt fin., let our fouls fay, Hath God been fo grattut<s '·' ; er.ew andcenprmmypardon,and jha/1 1 again dijhonour him? Hathhe wiped off my fotwr f'm, a~d .fo<~lll f HII qn. ~<frcjli tQ ojfmdhim? lilfth h' t~k.!n off myformtr bi..rthr., "Jid '•;r ''"" · · the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=