SERM.

I.

And this I verily believe is the great reason why the devil hath such a spite at our Church, still stirring up adversaries of all sorts against it,-Papists on the one hand, and Sectaries on the other, and all, if possible, to destroy it : even because the Spirit, which is ministered in it, is so contrary to his nature, and so destructive of his kingdom, that he can never expect to domineer and tyrannise over the people of the land, so long as such a Church is settled among them, and they continue firm to it. And therefore, seeing he cannot, by all his secret plots and contrivances, totally overthrow it, he still uses the utmost of his skill and power to draw as many as he can from its communion, and so make them schismatics; that so being separated from the body, they may not partake of the Spirit that is in it, nor, by consequence, receive any benefit from this promise of our blessed Saviour to the Governors of His Catholic and Apostolic Church in all ages, "Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

The next thing I would observe unto you, from what we have now discoursed of, concerns us of the Clergy, who are entrusted with any part of the Apostolical office. For being ordained by those who succeeded the Apostles in a direct line, by the imposition of their hands upon us, we received not only power to administer the Word and Sacraments, but likewise the Spirit of Christ to accompany and influence such administrations-by whom, therefore, Christ Himself is always present with us whensoever, we are employed in the work that He hath set us. Which consideration, methinks, should strike an awe and terror into us, and make us dread the thoughts of doing the work of our Lord negligently. And therefore, whether we minister unto Him in the public Liturgy of our Church, read or preach His Holy Word, or administer His blessed Sacraments, let us all be persuaded to have an especial care that we do it, not after a careless or perfunctory manner, but with all that reverence and godly fear-with that earnestness and devotion - with that seriousness and intention of mind, as becomes those who believe that our Lord Himself is always present with us, not only to take notice of what we do, but to bless and sanctify it to the salvation of men's immortal souls.

Hence, also, it concerns us all to carry and behave ourselves at all times, to the utmost of our power, as becometh the ministers of Christ; to whom the Eternal Son of God hath vouchsafed so high an honour, as not only to employ us in His own immediate service, but likewise to reside Himself continually with us. And therefore, seeing He is pleased to honour us with His own presence, let us endeavour to honour Him too, by walking in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. Especially, let us take all the care we can to avoid whatsoever is offensive to Him, or unworthy of that high and heavenly calling in which He hath placed us. It is true the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments is not impeded by the wickedness or unworthiness of him by whom they are administered, as our Church hath rightly determined; because that depends not upon the person but the office, and Christ's promise to it. But howsoever, it behoves us, who attend continually upon [Luke 1.6.] Him, to walk in all the commandments of the Lord blameless; lest otherwise we bring a scandal upon our profession, and give too much occasion to the enemies of our Lord to blaspheme His most sacred Name: especially considering what a sad and dismal thing it would be if we, who are employed by Christ to persuade others to obey His Gospel, should not obey it ourselves, and so not save ourselves as well as those that hear us; but be instruments in God's hand to bring others to Heaven, and yet we ourselves be cast down to hell which is not only possible, but impossible to be avoided, unless we look very narrowly to ourselves. I am sure St. Paul thought so, and therefore saith, “I keep 1 Cor. 9. 27. under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." And if so great an Apostle was forced to take so much pains with himself, lest when he had preached salvation unto others, he himself should not attain it, what cause have you and I to do so? But our comfort is, that our Lord is always present with us, and therefore we can never want assistance from Him, if we be not first wanting to ourselves.

Hoping therefore, that this consideration of Christ's promise to us will have its desired effect upon us of the Clergy, I shall, in the next place, shew what use others also may,

I.

SERM. and ought to make of it: and for that end shall apply myself unto you all. Seeing therefore that our Lord hath promised to be with His Apostles and their successors to the end of the world-seeing the succession of the office Apostolical hath, without interruption, been continued in our Church to this day and seeing therefore that Christ, according to His promise, is always present by His Holy Spirit at the Word and Sacraments, as administered by our Church, to quicken, actuate, and make them effectual to the salvation of our souls: hence, in His Name, and for His Sake, and your own too, I humbly pray and beseech you all, that you would take all the opportunities you can, to meet your Lord and Saviour in the public offices of the Church, to which He hath thus promised His peculiar presence. And think it not enough to be there, but consider all the while in whose presence you are, and deport yourselves accordingly. And while we read or preach the Gospel, call upon you, exhort and pray you to observe whatsoever Christ hath commanded; still remember 2 Cor. 5. 20. the Apostle's words, that "we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." And therefore receive it, not as the word of man, but as it is, indeed, the Word of God Himself.

Above all things, take heed that you have not men's persons in admiration, so as to think the Word and Sacraments one jot the better or worse, because administered by one person rather than another. For they that do so, it is evident, regard the person more than the office; and then it is no wonder if they receive no benefit or advantage from it. For all the hopes and expectations that we have or can have, from the exercise of any Ecclesiastical office, by whomsoever performed, are grounded only upon Christ's promise to the office itself, to be present with it by His Holy Spirit; without which, all the fine words and phrases in the world can never mortify one lust, nor convert one soul to God and goodness. And therefore ye, whensoever you address yourselves to the public prayers of our Church, to hear God's Word read or preached, or to receive the Holy Sacrament, still keep the eye of your faith fixed upon Christ, as there really present, according to His promise, ready to dispense

His heavenly blessings by His Holy Spirit, working together with the ordinance, to make it accomplish the end of its institution, even your sanctification in this world and your eternal salvation in the world to come. Do but observe these few rules in all your solemn devotions, as performed by that part of the Catholic Church which, by the blessing of Almighty God, is settled amongst you; and then I dare assure you, in the Name of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ, that you will all experience the truth of what you have now heard, even that Christ is always present with His Apostles, in the discharge of their office, to the end of the world.

Moreover, from the premises duly weighed, you may all very easily observe, what reason you all have to continue steadfast in the communion of our Church, wherein the Word and Sacraments are so powerfully and effectually administered, and not to deviate from her, either into Popery on the one hand, or Schism on the other. For, as to Popery, although we do not deny but that the Apostolical succession hath been continued in the Church of Rome, yet we cannot but affirm also that they have made very bad use of it, or, rather, have most egregiously abused it: having clogged the several offices with so many superstitious ceremonies that they quench the Spirit which should enflame and quicken them, or else perform them so imperfectly and irregularly, that they are not the same that were instituted by Christ, and so not capable of having this promise fulfilled to them. I shall instance only in two, -the reading of the Scriptures, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

As for the first, the public and solemn reading of the Word of God by a minister of Christ, lawfully ordained and appointed thereunto, I look upon it as a thing of much greater consequence than it is commonly thought to be: yea, I cannot but reckon it amongst the most useful and prevalent means of grace that we do or can enjoy. For although it be our duty to read the Scriptures in private, which I hope you all do, yet none of you but may find by experience that a chapter once read in public, as before described, is of greater force, and makes deeper impressions upon you, than if you run it ten times over by yourselves.

SERM. And the reason is, because the same Spirit which indited I. the Scriptures accompanies such solemn reading of them,

and sets it home upon the hearts and consciences of them that hear it. So that, besides the majesty and authority that appears in the Scriptures themselves, as they are the very Word of God, much more than any exposition of them can be; there is likewise, at such a time, the power and efficacy of the Spirit of Christ then present, to press and enforce it upon the minds of all such as duly attend to the reading of them. But now, in the Church of Rome, all this is lost. For although they read the Scriptures indeed, yet they read them as they do their prayers, in an unknown tongue, at least to the greatest part of the congregation, and commonly to the very reader himself. By which means the people are deprived, not only of the Scriptures themselves, but likewise of the assistance of God's Spirit, which otherwise would accompany the reading of them. For as they order the matter, the Spirit of God Himself cannot make His own Word effectual to their salvation without a miracle. He must first give them the gift of tongues, and make them understand a language they never learned, before it is possible for Him to make His own Word of any use or advantage to them. For He never works upon our minds but in a way suitable to our natures, as we are rational creatures, so as first to clear up our apprehensions of the good He propounds to us, and so incline our wills to the embracement of it. But where the Word of God is propounded in an unknown tongue, it is impossible for the people to have any apprehensions of it at all, for the Spirit of God to work upon, and to clear up so as to influence the will by them. By which means the Word of God itself is made of little or no effect to those who live in the communion of that Church.

The same reason holds good also as to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as administered by the Romish Church. For the whole office belonging to it is wrapped up in a language the people do not understand, and therefore know not what the priest saith, nor whether he consecrates the Host or no; only they see him perform a great many ceremonies as unintelligible as the language he speaks, and at length he puts a wafer into their mouths. Now, what is there in all