Two Sermons for the Lords Table, Title page – Introduction
TWO SERMONS, FOR THESE WHO ARE TO COME TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD.
With diverse prayers fit for the necessities of the Saincts at diverse occasions.
Carefully digested by Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD, Preacher of GODS word, at GLASGOVV.
AVGVST. de doctrina CHRIST.
Omnis res quae … non deficit dum habetur, & non datur, nondum habetur, quomodo habenda est?
I liue to die, that I may die to liue.
EDINBVRGH Printed by IOHN WR…ITTOVN. Anno DOM. 1629.
TO THE RIGHT WORTHIE CHRISTIANS THE INDWELLERS OF THE BVRGH, AND BARONIE OF GLASGOVV.
WELBELOVED in the LORD, The word of God is a treasure of knowledge: aPsal. 19 v. 7.Jt maketh wise the simple. It made David bPsal. 119. 99wiser then his teachers. Blessed is the man cPsal. 1. 2.whose delight is in Gods law, and who meditats on the same both day and night. This is the wisedome of the wise; but dProver. 12. 23.in the hearts of fooles be proclamations of folie, for they knowe not that eProver. 5. 21.the LORD pondereth all their goeings.
Happy are yee, if yee can acknowledge the day of your mercifull visitation: your God hath blessed you with many blessings: He hath done to you amongst many Cities, as Joseph did to Benjamin amongst his brethren, to whom he multiplied the number of hisfGenes. 43. 34. measses aboue theirs: But in a particular man… hee hath blessed you with the powerfull preaching of his Gospell. The Lord who in Zacharias dayes promised to make thegZach. 14. 4. Mount of Olives to cleaue, that Ierusalem hidde with hils might bee seene by all nations; hath in this land, which was Scotia, a land of darknesse, made a way to the sight of his glory, and to you in a speciall maner: I pray God yee bee thankfull, and that such favors continue.
It h…th beene Gods providence by the occasion of the French bloody warres to bring me amongst you: My soule (the Lord is my witnesse) wisheth your well: In testimonie therefore of my sincere and hearty louelove, receaue favourably these two Sermons, with some fewe prayers. Take it in good part that I present you with them.
All that is done in this envious and taxing age is lyable to censure: Many striue to stop a worke at the first stop, as though the praise of any were their prejudice: The tongues of such are armed withhPsal. 120. 4, sharpe arrowes of the mightie, and with coales of juniper.Note.
* Let such knowe that the best reproving of others is to doe better them selues.
It is my desire that yee would accept this little, and vouchsafe it a rowme of lodgeing in your favour, as being a testimonie of louelove from him, who shall alwayes prayi1. Sam. 15. …9. the Eternitie of Israell, to make his graces raine downe plentifully vponupon you, kPsal. 133. 3.as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended vponupon the mountaines of Zion, where the LORD commanded the blessings. So humbly taking my leaue, I intreate the LORD, in whom all lCol. 1. 19.fulnesse dwelleth, to replenish you withmEphes. 1. 3. all spirituall blessings in Heavenly places.
n2. Cor. 9. 10.Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower, both minister bread for your foode, and multiplie your seede sowen, and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse: Not els but humbly taking my leaue, I remaine
GLASGOVV this 5. of November 16…8. Yours ever in the Lord Mr. ZACHARI… BOYD.
TWO PREPARATIVE PREFACES TO THE SERMON OF PREPA…RATION.
THE FIRST PREFACE.
THERE be two things in this world, which cheefly should greeue the heart of man: viz, sinne and shame: The one is the mother; the other is the daughter: Sinne is ever full of shame, a shamefull thing, great with shame as a woman with child.Note. * If wee would kill the viper of …inne, the mother of shame, let vsus be ashamed of our sinnes▪ The shame wherewith a sinner is ashamed of his sinnes, killeth sinne and the shame to ensue.Note. * If we be not ashamed of our sinnes which is repentance, God shall by his judgements make vsus ashamed of our selues, which is vengeance: In the consideration of this, let vsus fall downe vponupon our kne…s with publick protestation, that to the Lord our God belongeth the righteousnesse, but to vsus open shame and confusion of face: Da…. 9. 7.Let vsus humbly confesse our sinnes into his presence, and kisse his footstoole by a humble debaseing of our soules and bodies before him,Reuel. 4. 10. before whose feete the crownes of Heaven are cast downe.
THE SECOND PREFACE.
* The fire of GOD his spirit is not a painted fire, Note.which seemeth to bee that which it is not: It ever hath some heat, though sometimes without flamme.
This day wee are come before the Lord, for to blow at the coale: Man must blow, and God will blow: Man bloweth vp the spark of grace by praying servently to God: God bloweth it vp by the powerfull preaching of the word outwardly, and by the secret motion of his spi…it inwardly. When God quickned Adam, but a dead lump of clay, scripture saith that hee breathed into his nostrils the breath of lyfe, Gen. 2. 7.and man became a living soule. Note.* If the spirit of Iesus this day breath into our hearts, he shall be vntounto our soules a quickning spirit, which is better than Adams living soule: For as that soule it was deprived of all lyfe by sinne, but where once the quickning spirit is,1. Cor. 15. 45. that soule can die no more: And seeing God his word is the instrument of lyfe and the power of God to salvation, I intreat you all earnestly to pray from your hearts, that Christ who breathed vponupon his Apostles the sweete breath of the holy GHOST would also vouchsafe in some measure to blow breath vponupon you, and mee at this time: The LORD blow into my heart and mouth the words that may saue your soules.