JL.ooktng unto jjefns. .Book I. I I ------------------ Pythagora; his school to put the bufinefs pafl:difpucing amonglt his Scholars, I am fure it IJwuld b~ much more in Chrifis School ; we will rher<foreenqmre no further rea:on fo~ it. 2 . Why an Ordinance of Chrifl:, it is this;_ becaufe all fpiritual Ordmances._Laws, Inl!icurions do hold on ChrW; tt IS nor m the l1berry of man to erect any new fpintual Ordin'ance in the Church of Chrifi. I will nor deny bur the power of man ?UYcome in . to order fuch rhings as are not proper, bur rather common to rhe Church wuh other focieties, as ro meet together in fame place, and at tome rim,, &c: a~cordmg to that rule, tCor.t , o.J let All things be done decently, and tn order; for tillS 1s·nor an mfbruuon,_ b~r onely rhe d1- ~ 4 ctare ofright reafon. But when 11 comes up to an Ordtnance, Law, Infbruuon, (•·'· )whe_n fomething more llia!l be put on the rh~ng_ then nature harh put o~ It, when by venue of tfie inllirution there;, conjoyned ro tt lame kmd of fpmrual efficacy to work upon the · foul, rhis only holds on Chrill. Hence, becaufe in the pr~aching of rhe Word, and io the admini!lr:irion of the Sacraments we expect a venue , a fptrttual efficacy , more then they lnve or can yeild in any natut al way, therefore we fay?rhefe areOrdinances ofChrift; and fo becaufe in look_!•1g umo {ef mwe expect a venue, a.fptrttual etftcacy to go along together with ir.more rhen nature can give it, therefore we -call this an Ordinance, and an Ordinance ofChrift, to difl:inguifh it from all other Ordinanc~s,Rules, Conllirutions of men whatfah~ • SECT. IlT. Vfe of Rtproof. VVEII then, is inward experimental looking unto .Tefm a choice, an high GofpelVfe i. Ordinance? how may this reprove rhoufands? howmany are there rhar ·mind not this duty? the truth is, that as the whole world firs in wicksdnefs, fa the eyes of the t Johns.19; whole world are mifphced; there's few that have acare of this choice, ofthis high GofpelOrdinance: I O>allthercfore reprove both the ungodly, and godly. . I. Forthe ungodly, not God, nor Chri.fl is in ah their tho~<ghts. Alas! they never heard Pfal,to.4. of fuch aduty as this; they cannor tell what it means to look_uuto {efm. Nor fpeak I only ofpoor Indians, and other Savages of the unchri!lian W_?rld, whofe fouls are overclouded with the blackefl: mills of irreligion that the Prince of darknefs can poffibl y inwra\' them in, who came into the world, nor knowing wherefore, and go onr ofthe world not knowing whirher, an heavie cafe, which cannot fufficieml y be bewailed with rears of blood ; BUt I fpeak of fucb 2s live wiJhin the Paradife of the Chril\ian Church, that have nothing to dill:inguifl1 them from thofe Indian mifcreanrs bur an oUtward conformity, outward fonnaliti'S, the charity of others, and their own flight imaginations; why alas! thefe are they that the Lord complains of, that they ha~e eyes, and fee nor; My people Jer.> 32. h"ve forgotten me dayeswttho~~tnumber, they have nogltgenrly futfaed me to be our of . their mmds, and that for a long time. You will fay; ·is there any fuch here? Can I taxe any of you, chat you Jhould not look. up to {efs<I ? at'e nor your eyes towards Chrill: in your praytrs, praifes, foliloguies, publike and private dmies? Nay , are nor you now in the dllty whilerI am fpeaking, and you hearing? · I anfwer, however you may deem char you do this or that; yer God reckons it as a thing r.or done in the)e refpe<'ts. -- 1, When. it's nor done to purpofe; as if.our loolz_to Chrift makes us not like Cbrift; a m~n may gtve a rhoufand glances every day towards Cbrill: , yet if there be no effe– ctual impreflion upon the heart,Chri!l takes it as if he had never looked towards him at all. 2. When it's done unwillingly. Sometimes men chink of Chrifl, bur they know not ho1~ to flJUntt; rhe Lord breaks in upon their fpirits whether they will or no, whereas th~tr own temper IS to follow, and to purfue other objects: rhus you drop into ouraffem– bltes our of ~·uflome, or faflaon, or for fame lini!ler end, and here is Chrifl: lifted up upon the pole, he ts dtfcovered in his beamies, graces, fweemdfes, excellencies, bur when you , fee lum, youfay ~ he ~-uh nofor.,u,nor comline{s, there is nobeamy rh.1t we fhoulddefire him. I(a S3.:.. Let no man decctve hunfelf; though he cafl his eyes cowards heaven all rhe day long, if If,. 5>· 3• he lovenor thiS work , he dorh nothing, he look! not at Jrji<>. 3· Whru ,'''~ n~t done according to the rule, this is not to eat thu Lords SHpper, faid' Cpr.u.,o. P~~~~to lHsCom 1tmam; no guethon they dtd ear tt, but becaufe tt was nor done after its due manner, he fmh, this u not to er<t the Lor;is Supper. iV!any think ofChri!l, and fuok.. ll,'to _lrjil! , bur becaufe their thoughts are not holy, awful , and fubje<'ting to the Spirit, in no W:t\' proporttonable to the goodnefs and glory ofthe Son of God, they look loofely, carel~~t!Y-• ~nd carnally upon him, he thertfore t'.rkons it a> not done, this is nor to look.. >m10 Jtj IIJ • C 2 4· Whtn
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=