Marshall - BT765 M37 1788

Direa. XTIT. Of SaneVcation. 265 are allo to pollute, more or lefs, all other holy things that we meddle with. Si that he confideration of our danger might fill us with fl.tvifh fear in the ufe of all other means of grace, as well as of this, were it not, that we have a great High Prieft, to bear this iniquity of our holy things, Exod. xxviii. 38. under the covert of whofe righteoufnefs we are to draw near unto God, without ilavith fear, in the fall affur- ance of faith, in this as well as in other holy ordi- nances ; and we are to rejoice in the Lord in this fpiritual featly-, as the Jews were bound to do in their folemn feafts, Deut. xvi. 14, le. There are other a- bufes of this ordinance, like to thofe of baptifm fore, mentioned, whereby it is rendered oppofite, rather than fubfervient to the life of faith. Some put it in the place of Chrift, by trufling on it as a work of righteoufnefs for the procuring of God's favour, or an ordinance fufficient to confer grace to the foul by the very work wrought. Others make it fo necelra- ry, that they account faith is not fufficient without it; and therefore they will partake of it, if they can poi-111)1y, though it be in a diforderly manner, upon their tick beds, when they are in fear of death, as their viaticum. The Papilts do horribly idolie it by their figment of tranfubitantiationiand the adoratici of their broaden god, and their facrifice of the mafs for the fins of the quick and the dead. We ought warily to conceive that the true body and blood of Chrift are given to us, with the bread and wine in a fpiritual myfterious manner, by the ubfearchable o- peration of the HolySpirit, uniting Chrift and us to- gether by faith, without any tranfubflaiiti'ation in the outward elements. 6. Prayer is to be made rife of as a means of liv- ing by faith in Chrift, according to the new mail, And it is the making our requeits with fupplication and thankfgiving That it is to be ufed fo, as an emi- nent means, appears, becaufe God resuireth it, t Thal'. v. t 7. Rom, xii 12. it iS our prieftly work,

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