A Gospel Church Described, To the reader 1
TO THE …hristian and Candid Reader, Especially My Own FLOCK.
THE Following Discourse is the Substance of several Sermons Praached upon this Text, by way of Preparation for the Lord's Supper. My both in Preaching and Printing is the same, To Inform your Judgments more clearly in Doctrin of the Sacrament; And, to Cure Sinful Extreams which many are guilty of.
Some lay too much stress upon the Sacrament, …iving too highly of the Outward Work, as if …eer Receiving the Sacramental Elements, such a Vertue in them, as to Sanctifie the Re…r, and make him fitter for Death, and more and Acceptable to God then he was before is a Great Evil, and Borders too near the …sh Doctrin of Opus Operatum: This is …stitiously to Abuse God's Sacred Institutions, to make those things, Appointed by God, for our Edification and Salvation, to be the M… our Hardening and Damnation; whereas t… Soveraign Gospel Ordinances, without s… Preparation for, and a Spiritual Frame an… position of Soul in the Ʋse of them, can… Good.
2. Another sinful Extream, is, many… Well-meaning Persons are, from time to… off, by a Slavish Fear, of their own Ʋnwor… they stand Trembling, at a distance, and d… come: And yet, through Grace, feel their… tual Sicknesses, their Need of Christ to H… Bind up their Wounds; Sincerely Pant and… ger for him, both to Justifie and to Sanctify… and yet cannot see that all the VVorthi… bring to Christ, is to see our Ʋnworthiness,… willing to be saved in a Gospel-way, Isa… Mat. 11.28. Mat. 5.6. Rev. 22.17. … this may be a means of Remedying this,… Evils, is the earnest Prayer of your S… vant,
Michael Harr…