Plea for Constant Attendance at the Lords Table, Half title – Preface
AN EARNEST PLEA FOR Constant Attendance AT THE Lord's Table, &c.
AN EARNEST PLEA FOR Constant Attendance AT THE Lord's Table.
IN A SERMON Preach'd June 4. 1696.
By T. CRƲSO.
2 Chron. 30.23.
And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days, and they kept other seven days with gladness.
London: Printed for Tho. Cockerill, Senr & Junr, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey. 1696.
THE PREFACE.
THere is no sadder Symptom of the declining state of Religion at this day in the World, than the notorious Abatement of its Vital Heat among those that seem to be Religious; the Prophetical Saying of our Lord,Mat. 24.12. That the Love of many should wax cold, being in various respects fulfilled upon us. Among other tokens of it, the little Delight which is taken in approaching to God, is certainly none of the least: His Highways are too much untrodden by some, and others go on in them only as a beaten customary Road. The most have too soon forgotten the Difficulties and Restraints which they were under a few Years ago, and discover a very slender sense of the Goodness of God in their present Liberty. There are such as envy us our External Enlargements, like those Philistines of old, who said, Behold the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 1 Sam. 14.11.But to what purpose hath God open'd such a door, if we be not inwardly enlarg'd also, when we appear before him, so as to draw water with joy out of our restored wells of salvation? Having long observed with grief and shame the remissness of multitudes in this case, I should think that I had not obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, if I had not used some Endeavours to rectify it, especially among those that are under my Immediate Care: And with that Design the following Sermon was preached (as well as several others on the like Occasion), but without the least thought of thus divulging it, till they who have the greatest power over me in such things, even wrested it out of my hands. I heartily pray, That it may answer the End of their Importunate Request, and of my Forced Compliance, by convincing and reforming the Guilty, and by confirming and quickning those that are most Innocent, in the matter which is here particularly spoken of.
June 8. 1696 T. C.