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no more good than a Morfel put into a Dead Man's Mouth. Even the Word that is Preached doth not profit at all, if it be not mixed with Faith in them that hear it, Heb. 4.2. A thousand Homilies of Righteoufness are no more to fuch, than Metaphyfical Difcourfes to a Brute. In like manner, the Administration of this Sacrament, though to well-prepared Souls it be the Communication of Chrift's Body and Blood, yet it availeth not, except there be a Difpofition and Principle of Faith 'in them that Receive it. It is obfervable, that while our Saviour's Body was on Earth Locally, though a Medicinal Vertue went out of it, fo that they who did but touch the borders of his Garment, were Healed of their Difeafes, yet it did not operate effectually, without fome previous Preparation of Faith. In Matth. 15. 28. He told the Woman of Canaan, that would not be put off, before he had taken Compaffion upon her Child, O Woman, great is thy Faith; be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And when the Woman with a Bloody Iffue, had but touched his Cloaths, though fhe was afraid, for her Prefumption, being at last discovered, yet received fhe this Gracious Anfwer, Daughter, be of good Comfort; thy Faith hath made thee whole, Matth. 9. 22. On the contrary,

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you fhall find, that the Incredulity of People did, as it were, bind up the Hands of his Omnipotence, and fhut up the Bowels of Compaffion, fo that his Miracles were very few, where their Faith was very rare. A clear inftance we have in Matth. 13. in his own Country (at Nazareth) he did not many Mighty Works, because of their Unbelief, v. 58. fome indeed he did; for he Healed a few Sick Perfons who had Faith to be Healed; but St. Mark tells us, that many mighty works be could not do there. Marc. 6. 5. Now to bring down this Confideration to our prefent Bufinefs: The Body of Chrift doth ftill caft like Influences and Virtues from Heaven, and his Spirit doth Dispense them at this Sacrament; but he Difpenfeth them according to his good Pleasure ; and he is not pleased to work Miracles on fuch as do not Believe; but every one Receiveth it, according as he is Prepared by Faith. We fee the Sun darteth his Beams into the bowels of the Earth infenfibly, and maketh every Plant to Bud, and Germinate, and Shoot forth; but yet his Rays have no Power over Roots that are Dead and Rotten. And And yet there is a Natural and Irrefiftible power over things below; whereas the Influences which flow down from the Man Chrift Jefus, do not

act

act Phyfically and after an uncontroulable manner, neither is there that intrinfick Power in the Sacrament, or fuch Virtues of the Spirit going along with it, as to work upon Hearts, that are not opened to its Operations by a Lively Faith. No; the Sacrament is the outward and Ritual Means; but Faith is the Moral and inward Inftrument of bringing Chrift to the Soul, and every Man's Receipts are according as he Believes. And therefore And therefore among other things which we are to search and enquire into, we must be careful to look well into our Creed, and in the first place Examine our felves, whether we be indeed in the Faith, as St. Paul speaks, 2. Corinth. 13. 5. Meaning, that we must approve our Faith unto God, and our Confciences, and fee that it be fuch as the Gofpel requires; and our Hearts must bear us Witness, that we Believe as we should do, before we prefume to Eat of this Bread, and to Drink of this Cup.

2. NOW becaufe no Man is able to approve his Faith, or to make any Judgment of it at all, unless he doth first know, what his Faith ought to be, and how far it is required to extend; therefore I fhall proceed to the fecond thing I promifed to fhew, viz. What it is that every Communicant is obliged to Believe, that F 4 you

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you may be satisfied in your Minds, whether you are fufficiently Prepared for the Communion in this refpect. And this I shall do the rather, because many have fpoken very loosely and extravagantly upon this Theme, as if none could be a Worthy Receiver, except he be perfwaded in his Mind, that God Elected him to Salvation from all Eternity, and except he be affured that all his Sins are certainly Pardoned, and that he fhall be Abfolutely and Infallibly Saved in the day of the Lord. Which Conceits, I am confident, have ferved to deter thousands from this Admirable and Heavenly Ordinance ; who, though they had never fuch good Meanings, and honest Purposes, and were (as we may believe) Sincere in their Hearts, yet because they could not find themselves thus perfwaded, have refrained coming to the Lord's Table, to the great difquiet and prejudice of their Souls. Therefore to remove this rub out of the way, be pleased to take notice, that it is not abfolutely neceflary for a Man, before he goes to the Sacrament, to be confidently affured of his prefent Forgiveness, or his Future Felicity. We do not deny, but all Men must be affured of the Truth of God's Promife in the general. Nor do we deny, but that every one is to believe in

particular,

particular, that he himself may be Pardoned, and fhall be Happy on Condition, that he Sincerely and Honestly endeavours to observe the Precepts of the Christian Religion. We do not deny neither, but a ftrong affurance there may be in fome Eminent Members of the Church, elpecially when they come to Dye But that every one is bound before he doth Communicate, to be Abfolutely and Peremptorily affured of his Happiness, is a very Extravagant and groundless Conceit And that for these two Reasons.

1. BECAUSE the Scripture faith nothing of this or that Man's particular Condition. God hath not made any fuch Revelations in his Word; and therefore we are not bound to be affured of the thing. For the Word of God written is the Adequate Rule of our Faith: So we rightly affirm against the Romanifts, with respect to their Traditions; and fo we are to affirm against all Enthufiafts too, with reference to their Airy and Confident Opinions. The Holy Scriptures are our Guide; and what they do not fay, is not neceffary for any of us to Believe. Quod de Scripturis non habet autoritatem, eadem facilitate contemnitur, qua probatur, as St. Jerom faid; meaning, that whatfoever cannot be proved by the Authority of the Scriptures, ought

not

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