The Lords Table Not for All Comers, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
WE come now to that we mainely intended, and you know we cheifly inſiſted upon to prove: That your free admiſſion to the Lords Table is Croſſe to the holy rule, we ſhould walke by; to the practiſe and minde of the Lord and deare Saviour, and as contrary to the minde and manner of all thoſe, that are followers of Chriſt, and cannot ſtint themſelves with any degree of holineſſe, 1 John 3. 3.their Lords owne purity being their Coppy. And here we more than touched upon three things, ſpecially the Word preached, how they preſſed to that place, and liſtned to it when they came thither. Secondly, the Covenant of Gods free grace by Jeſus Chriſt bleſſed for ever. Thirdly, Faith; upon that we were the more large, all beareing upon that, being the hinge of all.
Now Sir, this is our earneſt deſire, That you with your Brethren would looke over this againe, and lay your doctrines, manner and practiſe before your people, to that Standard; for we chooſe to ſpeake in that number. And
1. Doe ye preſſe upon your people the neceſſitie of heareing? and before you admit them to the Lords Table, doe ye take time and place to ſearch them to the bottome, what they have profitted by heareing? You know hereby they are hewen, and made poliſhed Stones, and ſo fitted to be laid in the Lords building; we truſt you doe not doe as the Maſter of your Lord doth, Poliſh your people at the Lords Table. Surely they are to be made readie, as thoſe Stones were, before they ſhould have your admittance to1 Kings 6. 7. Come thither. And, to proceed, doe you aske what is that grace they muſt have before they can profit? In our zeale for the Lords Chriſt▪ yours and your peoples precious ſoules, we ſhall queſtion you in theſe grave points, and ſo returne in all thankfullneſſe your godly jealouſies touching us and our way, by putting it upon your thoughts what your way is with your people, and how with them, They with you walke therein. You know, but have you as you can, made your people know it, That preaching is the Chariot, that carrieth Chriſt all about the Nationall Church, we had almoſt ſaid the world; And the onelyonly Appointment of God in the Spirits Hand to plucke them out thence, as Lot out of Sodome. It is the Ordinance ſanctified of God for the begetting of faith in the beginning or Alpha of it; ſo in the encreaſings of it to the Omega or perfecting of the ſame: It is that, …hereby that, which is begun is perfected, and that maintained which is begun; It is that, whereby the abundant riches of Grace through Jeſus Chriſt are Conveyed unto us by Covenant (we have ſaid all)2 Tim: 1. by Covenant; life and immortality is brought to light by the Goſpell preached, the Miniſtery thereof; there is not onelyonly an unfolding of the gloriouſly excellent things of Chriſt, but there is grace given by the Spirit to beleive them. Thereby th' underſtanding (that everlaſting dore) is opned to Jeſus Chriſt, Him that is true, the true God and eternall life; Now th' underſtanding cloſes with1 Joh. 5. 20. Him, or rather He by His Spirit with the underſtanding. He is Truth: The will and affections are drawn-out to Him alſo, Oh how good is He to the Soule! what a lovely object, altogether deſires. By preaching all this is done; it is the Chariot of theCant. 5. Spirit, it is the meanes that worketh faith; which is the marriage of the Soule to Chriſt▪ uniteth the ſoule to Him, planteth it in Him, maketh it one with Him: And now ſhe begins to know the abundant riches, and glorious excellencies of Her Husband; and the way of Conveyance of all theſe unto her by Covenant; but ſtill the firſt doore that is opned to all this is the eare, and it is opned by heareing; by heareing the eare is made able to heare, we meane by the word; the Spirit boreth it, and now faith comesin and fetcheth all-in, the ſoule ſtands in need of, Chriſt and all, and all as ſure as a Covenant of God, with His people in Chriſt can make it. Hold you to this ſtill, we meane hold your people to it; faith comes by heareing, it hath the ſtamp and inſtitutionJohn 10. 17. of God upon it; and heareing by the word of God; This was the ground of the Apoſtles faith (not all the miracles they had ſeene,) John 2. 22.They Beleived the Scriptures, and the word which Jeſus had ſaid. Eph. 1. 13.The ground of the Epheſians faith alſo, In whom ye alſo truſted after that ye HEARD the word of truth, the Goſpell of our Salvation. The very end of all that is written touching Chriſt, John 20. 31.and is preached of Him, that ye might beleive &c. Cha…ge this point home, ſo your Lord Chargeth you, and examine your people about their faith in God. They will ſay, they bele…ve, Numb. 22. 18.They will ſay as Balaam did, My God, and ſo will they ſay, our God, Hoſea 8. 2we know Thee. Tit. 1. 16.Heare them now how they can make out what they ſay; Doe they know Him, whom they call theirs? here you are like to find your people as groſſely ignorant, as were their fore-fathers, of whome ye ſay, ſaith our Bleſſed Lord, That He is your God: Joh. 8. 54, 55.yet, ye have not knowne Him; We, that have accuſtomed our tongues to lying ever ſince we were borne, muſt not be credited in what we ſay, till you have heard us making out what we ſay; by giving a reaſon of the hope that is in us, for truely thus it is with us for the moſt part: We underſtand neither what we ſay, nor what we affirme in God's matters. Yea we commonly ſay, we know the Father and the Son, when we oppoſe the meanes appointed by God to convey this knowledge to us; Now you ſhall doe well to tell us, rebus ſic ſtantibus; That we are as well qualified to have Communion with Chriſt at His Table, as a Wadd of dried ſtubble, is to have Communion with a Conſuming fire, and doe no more enjoy Him there, than midnight enjoyes the Sunne. And that we doe indeed and in truth no more deſire Communion with Chriſt, the King at His Table, or in any other place, than darkneſſe can deſire Communion with light, or Beliall with Chriſt. We are groſſely ignorant of what we doe, when we approach, by your allowance, the Lords Table. It is not poſſibleFruimur Cognitis. Igno…i multa Cupido. we can enjoy that we have no knowledge off or acquaintance with; nor can our deſires move towards an unknowne object. Good Sir, ſpeake theſe things out to us (your people we meane:) We are ſomewhat the larger here, a point of ſo high concernment, being Confident alſo of this very thing, That you find your people cleane croſſe to their Rule, as your Brethren doe every where, ſlow to heare, and ſwift to ſpeake for the Lords Supper: We conceive the reaſon thereof to be this, In a heareing place they cannot heare one word, if it be the true word of God, which is pleaſing to fleſh and blood, it ſpeakes death to their luſts, if ever it ſpeakes life to their ſoules. Therefore they hate the word (a killing word) deadly, becauſe they love their luſts dearely. They will have none of that meate which endureth to everlaſting life, none of the wine of the Goſpell, but as much bread and wine as you will, and as often as you will at the Lords Table; and the reaſon of this is, becauſe thereby their luſts are fattened and cheriſhed.
2. Therefore Sir, preſſe upon your people the neceſſitie of heareing; and obſerve them well, at their coming to That place, and as narrowly their ſitting and attending there. And having done this, doe not thinke you have done all your duty, or more than the leaſt part of it: They may give you the eare, while they give the fleſh, the world, and the Devill their heart; You know, and you muſt teach them to know it: It is eaſier to heare an hundred Sermons, than to practiſe one. Therefore let them know, you will deale with them apart and alone, you will ſingle them out of the throng of the world, or National Church, and out of the crowd of the Common hearers, before you admitt them to eate and drinke at the Lords Table; They ſhall give you a perticular account of what they have gained by all their heareing.
This was the practiſe of the Lord Chriſt, when He was upon the Earth, He ſpake alone and apart with His Diſciples. And indeed the Lords people love to be ſo dealt withall alone and apart from the throng and tumult of the world, or a Nationall Church there. The Spouſe of Chriſt is modeſt, and will not come to Thee in the throng of worldly Company and employment, ſaith Bernard. Come my Beloved, ſaith the Spouſe, let us goe forth Cant. 7. 11.into the fields, and lodge in the Villages. Let us get from the Tumult of the world. The Bridegroome of His Church, loves to finde His Spouſe alone, retired into a Chamber; And ſo muſt His Paranymphs too, give the Church a meeting in ſome retired place.
3. Now becauſe this lyeth under ſo much—obloquy, we crave leave to ſpeake a little to it, in paſſage onelyonly in this place, we are not ignorant how this Aſſembling together of Gods people is reproached, if not blaſphemed thus; At your private meetings, errours and haereſies, what not, have been fomented, brooded upon and hatched. Truely this cannot be denied, it is ſo cleare and evident; The Father of lyes with his Children muſt have their meeting places too, wherein to lay their heads together, plotting and contriving (we are not ignorant of his deviſes) how they may miſchiefe if not ruine (for they levell to ſhoot ſo high) the Church of Chriſt, and build up their owne Babel; But here is your Comfort, they are Maſters neither of the meanes nor of the end: their endeavours are above their performances, as their malice is above their witt, which (for that is it's doome) drinkes-up the greateſt part of its owne poiſon, or like Gun-powder conſumes it ſelfe in the flame it hath cauſed. But ſhould not this teach us to aſſemble our ſelves together as often as we can, there to lay our heads together, and contrive the moſt Compendious way of building-up the Church of Chriſt, and our ſelves therein, the moſt contemptible parcells thereof? O it is good to be plotting for the Church and for the Truth, for this is to be plotting for eternity. O that all would meete together, here and there and every where, there to plott how to avoyd Satans plotts; Let it be our awakening that Satan is plotting; And that our time is ſhort; opportunity, the flower of time, ſhorter; our talents are many, our accounts ſtrict; our Judge Impartiall. O let us not forſake the Aſſembling our ſelves together, as the manner of ſome is.
Having taken off, as we could, (we intend more hereafter) that reproach wherewith the enemies of the Lord have reproached the foote-ſteps of His annointed-ones, we proceed to put it upon your thoughts, whether it be not your duty to give a meeting to your people in a private place, there and then to learne from them what they have gained by all their heareings? what a worke is wrought in them or upon them by the word of His grace with power? It is not what ſhew they make in words, what doe they, that you may beleive them? or how humbly doe they ſpeake, ſo as you may conceive hope there is ſincerity at the bottome? a ſparke of fire, for there is ſmoake: a little ſtrength, though but as much as a reed hath; it is in the gaineing hand. O how would he, and deſireous is he, in the uſe of meanes, to gaine more? Indeed it will be worth your labour to take time and place for the ſearching out of this: You muſt find-out their deſire after the ſyncere milke of the Word, by their growth thereby.1 Pet. 2. It is a Common ſaying amongſt us, ſhew me not the meate but the man; So ſaith the great Shepheard to His ſheepe, and ſheweth what His under-Shepheards ſhould ſay to them too, Not ſhew me the hay that I have given you, but the wooll and the milke, that is, ſhew me the fruits and effects of all your heareing; What ſupernaturall worke can you tell us off? Is the life of Grace put into the heart, by the Spirits working together with the meanes thereof, the word of His grace? Is there a thorow change, not of the actions onelyonly, but of the Nature wrought in them? The Spirit with the Word changeth the inward man with the outward, it changeth the whole frame of the ſoule, it is no halfe-change, for that is to be halfe a Chriſtian, or allmoſt, which is to be an Infidell indeed. It is no light alteration, but as the old ſtamp (theſe are excellent Preſton's words, one of the uſefulleſt Preachers in His time that was in the world) muſt be obliterate, before the new can be imprinted; and as the old building muſt be pulled downe, before you can ſet up a new; So this old nature of ours muſt be broken to peices, and new caſt and moulded, (for we are bell-mettle) before a man can be made a living man, which is done by the infuſion of Supernaturall qualities of Grace and holineſſe, ſupernaturall he ſaith; for even as the earth may bring forth graſſe, and common flowers of it ſelfe, but it muſt be plowed and ſowne before any choice herbs and plants can grow there; even ſo thoſe common natures, which we all have, may bring out things that are morally good; but before they can bring forth fruits of true righteouſneſſe we muſt be plowed and ſowen; plowed, that is, man muſt be broken in heart for all his animoſities and indignities put forth, when time was, againſt Chriſt, and the Goſpell of His Glory; for all thoſe ſlightings of Spirit he found in himſelfe of thoſe glories tendred to him in the Covenant of Gods grace, when he was full of himſele, and wanting nothing, and knew not his owne beggery and nothingneſſe, and want of all things; broken in heart for all this.
Upon thoſe heads, Sir, your examination muſt paſſe, if you doe according to the manner of Gods people; and a ſet time and place muſt be appointed for it: If you cannot goe from houſe to houſe, as Pauls manner was, and Calvins alſo, as you heard, then muſt they come to yours. Could our Voyce be heard all over the Nationall Church, all the world over, this is it we would ſay and preſſe upon the Miniſters there; You muſt give your people a meeting time and place for it, there to take an account of them what they have profitted; And you muſt not take their bare, ſay ſo, their profeſſion onelyonly, they are Beleivers, Diſciples, and Saints, beleive them not, not their owne word, bring their words and lives both to the teſt, or touchſtone of the Word, for they expect admittance to the Lords Table. This muſt be done firſt, diligent ſearch muſt be made, and evidence given-in, how fitt they are and prepared gueſts for That Table; what kinde of faith they have? whether it be active or dead? They are Cunning enough, yet perhaps not enough to deceive you, unleſſe you are willing to be deceived; you can aske them how it was wrought in them? and by what meanes in the Spirits hand? But ſtill remember them how they and their faith muſt be tryed; And let this come often into your minde, what ſelf-ſeekers and ſelf-pleaſers we are; and that ſelfpleaſing and ſelf-ſeeking is the firſt ſtone that is laid in the Hypocrite's building; Therefore if he be let alone he will flatter himſelfe to his death-bed, yea to Hell, perſwading himſelfe ſtill that he is an heire of Heaven, being borne in England and Baptized there. And indeed this will ſerve the turne to make him a member of a Nationall Church, or as you know who ſaid it, a C…tizen of the world; But if he make cleare proofe that he is a member of the True Church, you muſt take ſome paines with him in point of examination of him in theſe matters. And your hardeſt worke will be to remove that ſtone you have helped to lay, beareing him up with this conceite, that he is a Beleiver, Diſciple, a Saint, becauſe borne and baptized in a Church, remove but this ſtone, and downe falls the building. The hardeſt worke, we beleive, you have to doe, is to plucke downe, what ye have built-up; That Caſtle in the Aire raiſed-up, as high as Heaven by a falſe hope or preſumption rather; but now there is a poſſibility they may be built-up as true Beleivers, Diſciples, and Saints are, in whoſe building the firſt ſtone that is laid, is ſelf-deniall, and fleſh-crucifying.
Theſe are the points you, we hope, will treate about with them, and ſearch them in; and doe not be put off, which was hinted before, with their bare profeſſion; you know we may make a bare profeſſion, and deny Him in our workes, whom we doe profeſſe in words; and declare our ſelves abominable and diſobedient, and unto every good worke reprobate. We canTit. 1. 16. lye as faſt as we can goe, it is ſo naturall to us, for ever ſince we could goe, we have gone aſtray; and ever ſince we could ſpeake, Pſal. 58. ….we have ſpoken lyes. What mighty reaſon is there, and what enforcement unto you from hence to doe this, If you will doe your duty? give the people a meeting, we meane, thoſe that you intend to meete at the Lords Table; and hope anon to meete them in heaven; Give them a meeting that you may try upon Scripture Grounds, what alteration is made in them, what change? They were eſtranged from the womb, they were gone aſtray out of the way, are they yet reclaimed? can they ſhew for it, that they are returned? have repented unto life, and doe beleive in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Above all, put them from their vaine boaſts, and out of their fooles paradiſe, that they were borne in England and Baptized. Indeed it is a glorious outward priviledge to be borne where the Goſpell Sunne ſhineth, but if we gaine no inward glory by it, we are made twofold thereby more the Children of Hell than the Pagans are (which was ſaid before, but we are dull of heareing) O bid them beware therefore, it is for their life, which ſhall laſt as long as the long day or night of Eternity.
You remember Cecil, Lord Burt: Counſelled his Son not to build his houſe upon any impropriation; well knowing it would be built upon a ſandy foundation: Yet it did but endanger a houſe, which, built-up never ſo ſtrong, and ſettle it never ſo ſure, though upon a rocke, yet as ſure as it was builded-up, it muſt fall downe. But to build the houſe of our Confidence, and for a Miniſter to make us bold in it, upon this; That we are to be accounted Beleivers, Diſciples, and Saints, and to be admitted to the Table of the Lord, becauſe we were borne in England, this is to build upon a quickſand. If a fox goe up, Neh. 4.which was ſcornefully ſpoken of Jeruſalems wall, it ſhall even breake downe the wall of this their Confidence. It ſhall not need, though yet they ſhall meet with it, a ſtormy wind to rent it,…zr: 14. To put a cloſe to our good Counſell, and this ſecond part of our undertaking.
The Ermine, they ſay, is ſo neate a Creature, that if a puddle be on the one ſide, and dogges on the other, it will rather run into the dogges mouth there to be devoured, than into the puddle, ſo much it hates filthineſſe. And you know, who ſaid it, and as they ſaid they did, If fire were on the one hand, and ſin on the other, they would rather be conſumed than defiled. Certainly it is ſo with the people of God; doe you in theſe matters what you will, they will doe as God Commands them, they will ſeperate the precious and the vile. And they will adviſe, Counſell, and pray, you and your brethren, while they have an hand to move, or a tongue to ſpeake, that you would Conſider what you doe, and what you ought to doe in Gods houſe, as to thoſe ſacred adminiſtrations there, leaſt upon your neglect therein, you become the greateſt ſinners in the World: The ſinnes of the whole Nation, the Church, theirs become yours.
O Conſider, Qui peccata non corrigit aliena, facit ſua, He that doth not correct, or hinder the doeing of a Crime, the polluteing of the Lords Table, when he can, and it is in his hands to doe it, he is no leſſe guiltie of the Crime, than is the offender himſelfe. There is a perſon preſumes to come in his filthineſſe, The Miniſter, ſuch as he is, conſenteth to it, ſaith in effect come, and welcome; This Conſenter is as deeply guiltie as is the preſumer, you know who ſaid it. Why but this Miniſter is as full of Charity and hope too, as Mr H…: is, hee hopes well of all: Yea but whereon doth he ground his hope? no other ground but this, That perſon was borne in a Church and baptized there. So was the verieſt Rebell your ſelfe have knowne, or heard off, made longer by the neck, or ſhorter by the head, therefore this hope is like the houſe of a Spider, the beeſome of deſtruction will ſweepe it away, the man dyes and his hope with him both together, and at one inſtant, which may make us more obſervant of the words that follow, which we borrow of our Learned Reinolds.
Was a beaſt ſlaine for touching the Mount, and ſhall not a man of vile and beaſtly affections be puniſhed for touching the Table where our Lord is preſent? No; we would ſay, The vile and beaſtly Miniſter deſerveth rather of the two to be puniſhed, who admitts, alloweth, yea invites men of Beaſtly and vile affections to come to That Table where the Lord is preſent; The allowance of a thing done (which was ſaid before and cannot be too often ſaid) is as good as the Commiſſion for the doing of it, ſaid our excellent Jewell. We would adde to this the prayer of a good man. Lord deliver me from mine other mens ſinnes, which I may have made mine, if not by Command, Councell or Conſent, yet by Connivance, give me Repentance for them good Lord, and forgive them. It is a knowne ſaying, and bids you beware, for qui in conſpectu populi male vivit, quantum in ſe eſt, omnes ſe videntes interficit: He that ſinneth in the open view of the people, doth as much as in him lyes, to murther all that looke upon him, and behold him ſinning.
The application is eaſie, and ſummed up in this, the Preſumers and the Conſenters ſhall be puniſhed together, and which ſhall receive the ſoreſt puniſhment is not hard to determine: The actions of the Rulers being the Rules for the Ruled; We beſeech you all by the mercies of Chriſt, we would peſwade you by the terrour of the Lord, whoſe Stewards you are, and by the bleſſing yee expect, from, in, and upon the Miniſtery of the Goſpell, that yee would Conſider theſe things, and greater things than theſe, as the Spirit called upon, in the reading His word may ſuggeſt unto you, and fully reſolve you at this point, That your great Lord and Maſter, to Whome yee are ſhortly to give an account of your Stewardſhip, will not endure to have holy things prophaned, as if Common and uncleane.
Therefore this is our perſwaſion grounded upon the word of God, and practiſe of His people, Ye muſt appoint time and place, where and when your people may give you the meeting, there to know the ſtate of your flocke, which yee can neverPhil. 2. 19. Col. 4. 8. know at ſuch a diſtance in the publique place. You cannot there in that publique place, doe as Paul did, and as you ought to doe: You know how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his Children, (every one of you) he had them alone and apart, ſure, there is a neceſſitie of it, a Muſt for this; yea though it were according to that offer or deſire rather of your Learned Brother and Neighbour, which is, That all perſons in a Chriſtian Common-wealth, ſhould give an account of their Faith, before they marry and become parents (and why not before they are admitted to the Lords Table?) Wee profeſſe heartily, this were a notable expedient, and would helpe much for the removeing of that Barr, which hath letted and will lett, till it be removed, the admiſſion of their Infants to Baptiſme by Godly Miniſters; But wee may deſire, rather than hope, that this Courſe will be taken, That all before they marry and become Parents, ſhall give an account of their Faith: Though we conceive this Courſe ought to be taken with thoſe, who for nine Moneths have lived in uncleanneſſe, That theſe ſhould not be married the tenth monethmonth, before they had made their Repentance as publique as their offence was; For Certainly this ought not to be, That a Couple be married to day, and be made Parents tomorrow, Surely They did not give an account of their faith. This was done in the world, the Nationall Church there in a Parochiall Church, very few miles off from you, for the part hath the ſame name, with the whole, and a part in this huge, we had almoſt ſaid, monſtrous Church, is too great for ſuch ſmall things as theſe to be looked after
Indeed Sirs, ye muſt Contract and Epitomize your Church, for if this Courſe were taken, your Godly Brother preſcribes here; Notwithſtanding you muſt have your private meetings with your people.
Surely after a ſerious debate betwixt your ſelves, about theſe matters, you will finde it (we humbly conceive) your onelyonly way to Abridge and Contract your huge large volume of Beleivers, (who can ſhew no more for their faith but their Infant Baptiſme) into a little little volume (they muſt and they will goe cloſe together, they will never be looked over elſe, though every one of you had an hundred eyes) taking one of an hundred, and ten of a thouſand, and this may Comfort you in this troubleſome and vexatious worke, (ſo fleſh and blood will finde it yours and theirs) That one believer indeed, who can give a reaſon of the hope that is in him, is more excellent, than are an hundred of thoſe, who can alledge no more for the Cleanſing of their hands, and purifying their hearts, but that, when time was, their faces were ſprinkled with water. Now when ye ſhall ſet upon this worke, ye muſt, we conceive, appoint a ſet time and place to meete at.
Now becauſe there is a ſpewing Caſt upon theſe meetings, in uſe onelyonly as we conceive amongſt the Brethren of the Congregationall way, we meane all thoſe that ſeperate from the world at the Lords Table (for the word, Independant, is very unbecomeing Churches or Creatures, it was Caſt-in by the enemy and adverſary of all righteouſneſſe) we were ſaying becauſe this way, and theſe meetings lie open to much Obloquie, from that wicked one, the Father of lyes, and all His Children; as that theſe meetings are the Nurſe, or vis plaſtica, the very fomenting Cauſe of errors and hereſies; beſides it Chargeth the Holy Brethren with ſeparation, or making a ſchiſme or Rent from their Brethren, and ſo in a manner excommunicates them from their Company.
Wee intend, with Gods helpe, to ſpeake ſomething to this, but becauſe this part of our worke hath exceeded its proportion, the gravity and weight of the matters here under debate and maintenance ſo requiring, wee thinke it fitt to deferre it to the Laſt, and to cloſe with it, and our Spirits, if the Lord be pleaſed, alltogether, and all in one; for wee intend to turne-in unto you after our manner at the end of our worke.
Now in the Cloſe of this Chapter we would ſpeake to the Chriſtian Reader (whoſe eternall good is full in our eye, which makes us to bend after it night and day) in our Reinolds words; Though we may have our Miniſter's leave and free admiſſion to the Lords Table, yet let us not venter to receive ſuch ſacred things with unwaſhed hands, as matters of meere Cuſtome, faſhion, or formalitie; But let us looke unto that High Authority, That ordeined them; on that holy Mouth That Bleſſed them; on That Arme of Mercy, That exhibits them, being ever aſſured, That as Chriſt hath one hand of Bounty and Redemption, which reacheth forth life to the worthy Receivers, So hath He another of Juſtice and power ready to avenge the injuries and Contempt that ſhall be done to His owne holy Inſtitution.
A little after he ſpeakes to Miniſters and people; to Miniſters; Let not your hands againe play the Judas by delivering Him againe unto Jewiſh and ſinnefull ſoules, which will Crucifie againe unto themſelves the Lord of glory. To us the people, Let not us take His pretious blood into our hands, rather to ſhed it than to drinke it; and by Receiving the body of Chriſt unworthily, make it as the ſop was to Judas, even an Harbenger to provide roome for Satan.
Who is wiſe and he ſhall underſtand theſe things? prudent, and he ſhall know them? for the wayes of the Lord are right, and the Juſt ſhall walke in them, but the tranſgreſſors ſhall fall therein. That ye may be ſuch, we Commend you all to God; and the word of His Grace, which is able to build-you: up, and to give you an inheritance among all that are ſanctified. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt be with your Spirits. Grace be with you, AMEN.
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FINIS.
End of the text · Hezekiah Woodward, The Lords Table Not for All Comers (1656)