The First Sermon Preached to the House of Commons 17 November 1640, Preface
The Preface uſed in Preaching, before the Text was read.
THat great Apoſtle Saint Paul, when he had to doe with wiſe men, held it a point The Preface, ſhewing the reaſon of the choice of this Subject.of wiſdome to paſſe by ſome things which he would not have wayved among meaner capacities. His practiſe ſhall be now my preſident.
This honourable Aſſembly having deſigned me to beare ſo great a ſhare in this weightie Worke, I hold it my dutie to conſider, that, how weake and unworthy ſo ever I my ſelfe be, yet I am now to ſpeake to Wiſe Men, who need not ſo much to be Catechiſed touching the Nature, as to be incited and quickned to the principall Uſe of a Religious Faſt, which conſiſteth not ſolely in ſuch drawing neere to God by extraordinary Prayer and Humiliation as may produce a totall divorce from our deereſt Luſts, but alſo (and that more principally) in a particular, formall, ſolemne, entire engaging and binding of our ſelves, by an indiſſoluble Covenant, to that God whoſe face and favour we ſeeke, and implore.
And this I apprehend to be a ſubject more neceſſary, by how much this dutie appeares to be leſſe heeded and regarded by the greater number of the choyceſt Chriſtians.The Preface.
For, as it too often falls out, even among the beſt, in participating that ſacred and dreadfull Ordinance of the Lords Supper, (whereof alſo we are ſhortly to communicate) that moe labour more to diſcerne, and feed upon his bleſſed Body and Bloud, ſpiritually by faith, to make Chriſt their owne, (which muſt be done too) than actually, totally, and abſolutely (then) to devote, reſigne, and yeeld up themſelves unto him, in the act of receiving, to be his ſervants: So it doth not ſeldome happen in the exerciſe of holy Faſting, that not a few of that ſmall handfull which deſire to approach the preſence of God in trueth, are more converſant in ſearching, confeſsing, bewailing of ſinne, and in craving of mercy, (all of which are neceſſary duties) than in working up their hearts to that indiſpenſable pitch of heavenly reſolution, ſincerely to ſtrike through a religious and inviolable Covenant with their God. Whereas, without this, all their labour will be utterly loſt, their expectations fruſtrate, they take the glorious Name of God in vaine, provoke the eyes of his Glory more againſt them, cauſing him infinitely to loath and abominate both their perſons, and ſervice; nor ſhall they ever, by all their crying, and ſighing, no not by whole rivers of teares, be able to draw down an arme of Mercy from Heaven to come and ſave them.
The more effectually therefore to provoke both my ſelfe and you at this time, to the due performance of this moſt neglected (but moſt neceſſary) dutie, I have thought fit, in a very plaine and familiar way ſutable to the nature of this exerciſe (which ought to be as ſerious, as ſolemne) to worke and chafe into all our hearts the ſtrength and ſpirit of that good Word of God, which you ſhall finde written for our inſtruction in