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Show clirift'r(rttitht Ordinances,fweet to a beliwm tafle: No fooner did the Gofpel begin to be preached but it breakerli our. Jnbn Baptift preacherh the Gofpel in the · wildernefs, and baptizerh, !rill/;. 3· 5· Then went Out to nirn Jmif#lem, and aU JHdea. The Multitudes rhar followed Chrifi preaching every. where confirmed the fame thing; for though it was true, that fome went for rhe loaves, forne ottt of curiof!ly; yet it is as true that O• thers went out of an earneft and zealous defire of Gods Ordinances, whomChrill diflinguifhed from or hers, opening more clearly ro them the myjleriet of rhe Kingdom ofGod, while he fpake roothers in Parablu and in darft(ayi~tgJ; and our Saviour doth tell them, Mat/;, 23. 39·. of a time, when though they at prefent grew wanton under Ordinances, they fhould fay, Bleffed if bt tb•t cometh to you in tbe name of:he Lord. Throughout the whole fiory of the Ads of the Apoftles, you have a proof of this in rhe peoples flocking roger her to hear the Apoflles ; yea through the whole flory ofrhe Church, ·Chritlians frequenting the Ordinances of God, even rheo when they could illOt enjoy rhem at a lefs haza~d than the peril of their lives, the confifcarion ofthdr Geods, &c. It was all but a demonllrarion ef this earneft defire to Gods Or· dinances which ever was and flill is in tvery good Soul. A Second Argument is, Thtir delight in Gods Ordinancu. Jn· deed wharfoever is matter of defire when we want it, is the object of ou! dtlight when we enjQy it ; unlef, upon rhe enjoyment ofit ·we find that our apprehenfions of irs goodnefs were millaken; which no Soul ever found concerning the Ordinances of God. How ami4ble are thyT~hetllaclrJ 0 Lord nfhofiJ unto mr! faith David, Pfal. 84. Pfal. r 1 9• I 03. H•w fwm arr thy words wito my tafte> yea fweetrr than buny tn my month. Whatfoever I faid before to prove, Gods peoples defires to his Ordinances, from their earnefi longing after opportunities of enjoying them, and running out after them, doth likewife in fome meafure prove this. Davidlpeak· cth much to it,Pfal. ng. 97· Ob! how Ilove tbj '•"'! it if my Me· dttatim night and day. Pfal. 19. 8. The jlatutu of tbe Lord are right, r.joycing the heart. We need no more than the daily experience of pious Souls, Oh how fweer is Srrmonto them! how_fweer is a fervent prayer .! how f weer is a Sacrament, &c. how f weer is the reading of Gods word ! how f weer is every Ord!nance,and Intli· tution ofChrifi! A third thi~g "hich evidenceth Ordinanm to be fweet 111110 the t3f/e of believer~, i<, Their lmpJtimce under the want of tbem. The · fireDgth chri.Jil jr11it in Ordin<~nm,fweet to 4 believer~ tafle. firength of this lies in this: That m~n are patient enough to be without, what they find no jweetmfi rn, nor have any ad~antage by,and it is univerfally true, that what men have no patrence to be without are to them very (weer to enJoy. Now you !hall find thi• conlla~tly verified in all the llory of the Church of God. The people of God have been very impatirnt ur.der the want of Ordinances; how fadly doth David com~lai_n in Pfal. 84. Pf'al; · 42 , &c. how fadly doth the Church complatn tn the LamrntallollJ,· How bitterly doth !he alfo complain, Pfa/.74• 7,_8, 9· that the Synagoguu of God in the land were burm up; wt jte 1101 ou~ jign1, time uno more any prophet. The Apollle Sa tnt Pet<r hath thr~. exprel! ion, I Pet. 2. 2. Ar new-born bJbet, d,fire the Jinctrr mul(,. of• tbe word that you may grow tbere6y. There is.nothing that the child is fo impatient for as for its bre~ll;a.fie~ tbJt It CJycrh, without that it will not befatiJfied. The:e IS nothrng of whrch a cht!d of ~od · is fo impatient, as to be dented the Ordma11m of God , notht~g make> him cry fo mightily to God, norhrng makes hrm complatn • fo heavily to men. T·here is yet a fcurrh thing which evidenceth the fweetnefs of them; it i5, Their Zeal for the ptmty of them. Th:re were nope<· fons fo odious to our Saviour Chrifi a5 the Pbarifon who had debaled Gods Ordinances; they had taught people, Math 15 •. 9~ to • worjhip God i• ~aiu lfaching tbt commandmmll of men: Thrs ls.hke rhc adulterating of Coin in folitiu;and !~ere is ~othrng fo od~ous ro a gracious Soul,becaufc; rndeed there .rs norhmg more odt?us to God, nothing·thar fo moveth him to Jealoufy. Wh~t Joblarth, ]ob. 6. 2 5· may be applied here, How fomblrar~ rtght w_ordr? but w{JJI doth yot~r argtting rrpro~t? The pure Ordrnances nghtly adminillred and illidly, accordmg to the rule of Ius Word, they hlve a greaZ force with an hone It heart ; . but it is not patient ?fthe adulteration of them. And the zeal of a prous Soul ,for the punty of 01dinances evidently fpeaketh its valllation and pdce ofrhem, and the fw~ernefs of them ro the Souls talle! what is fo to us, we arc nor patient that it !bould any way be co~tupte.d or debafed • . Bur J need add no more to prove what the expenence of every : Chrillian ma!IC!h good; That the Ordina~tcnofGodarefwcet to the believers talle. I fhall in the next place !hew you the reafon of it · and this will evidently appear to you if you pleafe to confider rh~ir nature llnder this double notion: I, of Sign>. 2. of facred ! l!lftt~tmentr, |
