Which covers all our sin.. Strict trial this can well endure, For it is infinitely pure, No flaw is found therein. 6 Thou when on earth the sick didst heat, 7 Believers by thee are belov'd; SONG XXXIII. CHRIST's great SUFFERINGS bring great BENEFIT 10 us. 1 The Lamb silent stood, While men shed his blood! Himself he gave freely to be our soul's food, Crown'd was he with thorn, Us'd with spite and scorn, Yet patiently bore it, to save the forlorn. 2 Exposed he stands, With nail'd feet and hands, Deep pierc'd, long bleeding, to pay law's demands. In saving lost sinners from sinking to hell. On mount Calvary, Sore press'd he did utter his last bitter cry. Squeez'd blood from each pore, Great was his soul's torture that made him to roar. 4 His wounds bring us peace, His pains give us ease, From sin's pow'r and bondage they give us release. Christ straying souls sought, From Satan's vile slav'ry their freedom he wrought. 5 Lord thy love's divine. It doth kindle mine, O let it cause me in all graces to shine. When they life derive From thy wounds, the fountain that makes them alive. 6 I'm sinful and vile, My heart's full of guile, It will be free mercy if thou on me smile. My soul's feeble cries, Receive a lost sinner that to thy blood flies. The thunders of Sinai the Lamb's blood doth quell. One smile of thy face, One word to me spoken will fill me with peace. A a APPENDIX. CONTAINING, 1. A LECTURE on 1 Cor. xi. 17, to the end. II. A PREPARATION SERMON from Jos. iii. 5, III. An ACTION SERMON from Cant. ii. 4. A LECTURE ON 1 COR. XI. 17. TO THE END, CONCERNING THE INSTITUTION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. Verse 17. Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse. 18. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and 1 partly believe it. 19. For there must be also heresies, among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. IN this passage the apostle takes occasion to reprove the great disorders and abuses crept in among them in administrating and partaking of the Lord's supper, which (as the ancients tell us) was commonly administered with a love feast annexed to it, which gave occasion to the scandalous disorders here reprehended. Verse 17. We have the manner of his introducing the charge, Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not, &c. Which shews his willingness to commend them so far as he could. But such scandalous disorders as they were guilty of in so sacred an institution, he could not pass without a sharp reproof.. Why? they inverted the very end and design of the ordinance, which was intended to make them better, or to promote their spiritual interests, but it really made the worse. Wherefore he says, they Came together not for the better, but the worse. Observe 1. That Christ's ordinances, if they do not make us better, they are apt to make us worse. If they do us no good, they may do us harm; if they do not melt and mend, they will harden; and that corruptions will be confirmed in us, if the proper means do not work a cure of them. 2. It concerns us all to enquire into the success of ordinances and solemn meetings. O'tis sad, if our meetings tend to the increase of our sin, instead of the increase of our grace. Let us earnestly deprecate this. Verse 18. For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear there be divisions among you, &c. They fell into divisions, sects, parties, and factions, in their celebrating of this ordinance; they fell a quarrelling one with another about meats and drinks in the love feasts, or about the order of their down sitting, or the time when they should begin, or did not stay till they all came up. The whole church did not join together, but they eat it separately; there was also uncharitableness, alienation of affections, discord and contentions among them, which very much marred their edification, and success of the gospel. Quest. Seeing schisms are mentioned here, what is meant thereby? Who are guilty of schism, and who are schismatics? Ans. In Scripture the word is variously taken: 1. 'Tis taken for a difference in opinions and sentiments about some points, when there is no heat of contention, or breach of communion. Such a division or schism was among the Pharisees, about Christ's curing the blind man, John ix. 16. 'tis said, There was a division among them, originally chidma. And such schisms may be among orthodox divines about lesser points, and yet managed without giving offence. 2. The general sense of the word is, a dividing and breaking off from communion of the church in public ordinances, without cause; like those Heb. x. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. And in this sense the ancients take schism as distinguished from heresy. Augustine saith, Schismaticos facit non diversu fides, sed communionis disrupta societas. 3. In this place, and commonly in other places of Scripture, as 1 Cor. i. 10. ii. 4. and xii. 25. the word chidma is taken for uncharitable contentions, and divisive practices among the professors of the gospel, without breaking off from the communion of the church; when people are chargeable with uncharitable contentions and discords, and alienation of affections from their brethren; for here they came together, and yet were schismatics. Observe. That may be schism where there is no separation of communion. Persons may attend ordinances together, and sit at the Lord's table, and yet be schismatics in Scripture sense, by reason of their uncharitable contentions, and alienation of affections: Whereas Christians may separate from each others communion, and yet be charitable one towards another; and this is not so much schism in Scripture sense, as to be uncharitable and contentious. The apostle had a report of these divisions, which he did the more easily believe. because he knew there be hoved not only to be divisions but heresies also, that is, false doctrines, more dangerous than schisms; for here. sies are corrupt opinions, which strike at the fundamen tals of Christianity and all sound religion. Heresy, according to the modern sense of the word, is an error in the fundamentals of religion maintained with obstinacy; though we cannot say the word necessarily imports such a strong sense in this place, heresy and schism sometimes being synonymous terms. Observe 1. We have no cause to wonder that there should be breaches of Christian love in the church, when we know such offences will come as shall make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. Quest. How says the apostle, Heresies must come? What necessity is there for them? Ans. There is no necessity of force upon any man to broach them, any further than his own corruption, pride, vain glory, envy, or contentious spirit, or Satan's temptation prompts him to it. But the event is certain, because of God's decree permitting them, who by his wisdom orders them for wise ends, that they Who are approved may be made manifest, by their constant adhering to the truth against all the temptations of seducers. Observe 2. A time of temptation and seduction is a time of trial and discovery, who are sincere and constant adherers to the truths and ways of God, and who not. Observe 3. It is a pleasure to God to see the faith and constancy of his upright ones discovered to the world. Observe 4. The wisdom of God can make the errors and wickedness of others a foil to the piety and integrity of the saints. |