Godliness Our Glory

_2 Tim. 3:5_Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power of it; from such turn away.

This duty which is commended to us in these words will well fall in with our general scope; which we have told you was to shew you

First, What we are out of Christ.

Secondly, What we have by him, and how we are ingrafted into him.

And thirdly, What we are to do for him.

Now we have told you that you are to labor for faith, and love, and good works, which we have already finished.

But men are apt to have a form, a shew, and appearance of all this, whenas they have not the life and power. Therefore that you may not be deceived, we have thought good to add this to all the rest, take heed how you content your selves in having a form of godlinesse only, without the power of it.

The Apostle in this place as you may see intends to describe the diseases of the latter times, which are the times into which we are fallen. And you may see in the former part of the Chapter how many the diseases of the soul are: so that the diseases of the body, as many as they are, do hardly exceed the diseases of the inward man. He tells them that in the latter times there should be men that should be lovers of themselves, coveteous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusars, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traytors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God. And then he puts this as the last of all, having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it.

There is something in that why he puts it down last: for when men hear themselves accused of all those things formerly named by the Apostle, perhaps they will be ready to answer, We hope we are not so bad, I hope we serve God, I hope we are worshippers of God as well as others, I hope we are not Athiests. Says the Apostle, deceive not your selves in that. I deny not says he, but that notwithstanding all these diseases which are all mortal diseases, you may yet have a form of godlinesse, but it is such a form as is disjoyned from the power of it: therefore even that he puts among the rest, having a form of godlinesse, but denying the power of it.

It is true, this form is good, his meaning is not to reject that; for wherever there is the power of godliness there is also the form; that you must take for granted, it is impossible that they should be disjoyned. Wherever there is true gold, there will be a yellownesse, there will be all the qualities of gold: though many times you have counterfeit pieces, that carry the color having not the true qualities of the mettal. So here the Apostles intent is not to reject the form: but all the scope of the Apostle, and the main matter which he drives at is, that men should not have the form without the power, and life, having a form of godliness, but have denyed the power of it.

The first point that we will commend to you out of these words (for you see they need not much explication, they are very plain) it is this, (before we come to that which is the main) that

It is Godliness which is required by God, and that is onelyacceptable to him.

You see that lieth in the front of the text, and first offereth it self to our view. For when the question is about the form, and the power of godliness, it must needs be taken for granted, that godliness is a thing required by God of every man. The very light of nature will teach a man so much that, there must be godliness. Now when we come to consider what this godliness is, then there comes in a second consideration, not a form of it, but the power. So we will begin with that first, that godliness is here required of every man. It is godliness which is not in the form but in the power.

So then here, first of all we must consider, that nature is not enough but there must be godliness. Nature is not enough, that is, natural vertues, for God has caused, nature to bring forth many excellent vertues which are the common gifts of the holy Ghost, as they are called. For there is a natural patience, a natural weakness, a natural temperance. Some men by nature are more sober, more temperate, more abstenious from inordinate and loose courses: but it is not this that will be accepted with God. It is true indeed these, are very beautiful, and aimable in their kind, considered in their own sphear. As you know the flower that the grass beareth has a beauty in it, and all natural vertues, are like the flower of the grass; that is, nature is but flesh, and this flesh has a flower growing upon it, and that flower has a beauty and excellency in it, indeed it is a flower of Gods own making: but yet God does not accept this as a thing wherein he delighteth: because these natural vertues they neither come from him, that is, not from his sanctifying spirit; neither do they look to him, and therefore it must be godliness and not nature.

Secondly, It must be godliness, and not moral vertues, for that goes a step beyond nature; natural vertues are bred and born with us: but moral vertues are something more: for they are begotten, or acquired in us, by practise and education, and the engraving of the moral Law concurring together. And these have an excellency much beyond natural vertues, and they are very fair in the eyes of men; but abhominable in the sight of God: because these moral vertues have no respect to him, therefore the Lord has no respect to them. therefore I say, as it must be godliness, and not nature; so it must be godliness, and not moral vertues,

But yet you must go one step further, it must be godliness; and not only the actions of Religion and worship which may be exhibited and offered to God, and yet may proceed from self-love, and may tend to a mans self, as making himself the utmost end of it. For you must know that a man may go far in the duties of godliness, and in the outward actions of Religion; and yet I say all that he does may proceed from self-love, and he may make himself the utmost end of all. That is, when a man considers that God is the governor of the world, that he alone has the keyes of hell, and of death, the power of salvation and damnation, and of all good and evil in this life, which are but degrees and stairs which lead to those two ends hereafter. A man when he considers this, may out of the strength of natural wisdom, do much for God, and to God, and yet for all this, not have this true godliness here required.

For even as a man may be very obsequious to another, and very observant of him, upon whom he depends, from whom he looks for some good thing, or in whose power it is to do him mischief, and hurt. So when a man looks upon God as the great governour of the world, who is able to do him good or hurt; he may do many duties of his service and worship, he may be exact in the performance of many things, and yet for all this not make God his utmost end: but useth him only as a bridge to carry him over to his own end, which I say a man may naturally do. Therefore godliness is none of these three; not natural vertues, not moral vertues; no nor a great degree of the actions of Religion, which a man may perform, and yet not be truly godly. I say it is none of these, for in all these, the creature may be turned upon his own hinges; it may be moved out of its own principle, it may look to it self in all these; and see an excellencie, and happiness in it self, within its own compass, within its own circle.

Whereas true godliness, empties a man of himself, and teaches him to seek God, and to magnifie him in all things, to look at him in all things. For you must know that godliness is a grace, not begotten by nature, nor acquired by practise, but infused by God which does habituate the soul, and all the faculties of it to turn to and fro, as the will of God shall direct it, and that for his sake. And it does it after this manner.

First, it takes a man off from his own bottom, and makes a man see that there is nothing in himself. Again, it pitcheth a man upon a higher end then nature can reach to. And when it has done these two, the third will easily follow, it makes a man follow God, and seek God in all things, for you must know that so long as a man depends upon himself, so long as he is bottomed upon himself, so long as he seeks his happiness within himself, so long he will look to himself, and no further. Therefore for a man to look to God altogether, he must first be taken off from himself, and he must be pitched upon God.

So that godlinesse has another Alpha and Omega then either nature or moral vertues have. It has a higher well-head then nature, and consequently, it looks higher, and runs higher then nature with all its strength. After this manner does godliness teach a man to look to God, and to follow God in all things. It is the nature of every man living to look to himself, and that constantly, till he find something better then himself to rest upon. Now godliness enlighteneth a man, and teaches him to know, that his good is contained in God, more then in himself, therefore he is willing, no longer to depend upon himself, and to seek himself, and to place his happiness upon himself, but in God. And then he is resolved to follow God in all things.

This is the property of godliness; this is a godly man. As we use to say in our common speech that, such a man is a Lutheran, because he followes Luther in all things: so such a man is an Aristotilian, because he followes Aristotle: such a man followes his Prince, or such a great man, and therefore so we term him by such a name: so I say, he is a godly man that looks to God in all things, that resolves to follow him, to set him up, to magnifie him, that goes by the rule that he has appointed, he is properly a godly man. Therefore the word here used will help in us the describing of godliness.

The word translated godliness, in the Original, signifieth to honor, or to worship, or to prize, or to esteem much. So that a godly man is he that prizeth God much, or esteemeth him much, that extols him, and magnifieth him in his apprehension. This therefore in a word is to be a godly man, to exalt God as God in his heart. There are two things in that.

You must do it in your hearts, otherwise the Lord regards it not. It is true, men give him generally an outward worship only, but does he look to that? does he regard your presenting your selves before him in the congregation? It is good that it should be so; but is it that which he chiefly regards? No; it is the inward reverence of the heart that he looks to.

And again, you must Exalt him as God in your hearts. You will say, What is that? It consists in these Two things.

First, He that will do that, must be utterly emptied of himself; that is, he must see no beauty, nor excellency, nor goodness in himself, he must make nothing of himself, think of himself as a man not worth the looking after. And not so only, but he must see also an emptinesse of all power and ability to help himself. And this does not bring the creature upon his knees only, but it layes him flat upon the ground with his face in the dust, and viles him in his own eyes.

When a man shall see that he is not able to sustain himself, together with the sight of the worthlessness that is in him, not having any thing to move another to do it. I say this is one thing, wherein this exalting of God consisteth. When a man sees neither any beauty, or excellency in himself, nor any power or ability to help himself, nothing to deserve help nor ability to afford himself any help. But this is for the first thing, wherein the exalting of God as God does consist.

There is a second thing, and that is to see (on the other side) all fulnesse in God, to see in him all excellency and beauty, and all goodnesse, and all power and strength, and out of that to magnifie him, to extoll him in your hearts, to set him high as he is God, to love him above all. In a word, to look upon him as being all in all things, to answer our being nothing in every thing. These two must concur together to make up godlinesse, to enable us to exalt God as God in our hearts, to be fully convinced that there is nothing but emptinesse in our selves, and withall to see all fulness in God; for so long as a man sees any thing in himself, so long as he thinks that there is either excellency in himself, or strength and power in him, so long he will lean upon himself, and trust himself, and proportionably, he will draw his heart from the Lord. And again on the other side, in what measure a man sees an emptiness in himself, and a fulnesse in God, in that measure he will withdraw his heart from himself, and every creature, and pitch it upon the Lord. By this time then you see what this godliness is which is here commended to us.

And now I have declared to you what it is, to win your hearts to a more full assent to this, that nothing but godliness is accepted; we will shew you some reasons for it: For a man will ask this. What is the reason that God delights not in nature, or natural vertues, or in moral habits? Why does he not delight in these? Why will he accept of nothing but godliness?

First, there is this reason for it, because the Lord loves nothing but that which is like himself; as indeed no man does, nor no creature. No man loves any thing but that which has a likeness, a consimilitude with something within himself. For all love you know comes from similitude, all delight comes from likeness.

Therefore the things that have no similitude with us, we neither love nor delight in them. Now therefore when God looks upon man, and sees his own Image upon him; when he sees that stamp upon a man, he loves it, and delights in it, for it is like himself. But now whatever is from nature, whatever is but moral vertues, it is but from the earth, and is earthly, it is but from the flesh, and it is fleshly. But that which is supernatural, that which is infused into us from God, that Image of his which is stamped upon us, is from Heaven, and is heavenly; it is from the Spirit, and it is spiritual. Now God that is a Spirit, and is holy, he loves that which is spiritual and holy, he loves his own Image wherever he finds it. Now godliness is only heavenly; for all other beauties that seem so gaudy to us, are but from the earth, and are the beauty of the flesh, therefore the Lord delights not in them: the Lord loves it not with the love of complacency, so as to be well pleased with it. That is one reason.

Secondly, the reason why the Lord does love nothing but godliness, that he loves none of the rest, so as to delight in them: for there is a kind of love that he gives them, as you know our Saviour Christ looked on the young man in the Gospel, and loved him: but I say he does not delight in them, he loves them not with that special and peculiar love, because all these ornaments they do but beautifie the creature in it self. Now no creature may rejoyce in it self, or boast in it self, no creature may magnifie it self, which it would do if it might find an excellency in it self. Therefore the Lord will have the creature to find no excellency in it self, and therefore he does not magnifie these things, he sets no price upon them. And the Lord would have the creature to know so much, he only magnifies and esteems that which draws the creature from it self, makes the creature his; therefore he prizeth and esteemeth only the emptying graces. You shall see the Scripture does not magnifie those moral vertues that Aristotle, and Plutarch, and Seneca, and the rest of those Heathens magnified. For the scope of the Scripture looks another way, and magnifieth those emptying graces most. As faith (for instance) which emptyeth the creature of it self, and makes a man to see nothing in himself, not to trust in himself, but teaches a man to look for all from God, therefore the Scripture magnifieth faith, O woman great is your faith! that is, this is the thing that only makes you amiable; this is it that makes me set a high price upon you. And so in that speech to the Centurion, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. It was that which set Jacob in that high esteem with God, that which got him that title of honour to be called Israel, it was his faith. And why is it, but because the Lord regards that only in the creature which makes a man his, which draws a man nearer to him, and more out of himself? Now this godliness does; for it makes a man to see nothing in himself, but all in God, and therefore to follow God altogether, to seek God altogether.

Now all other ornaments, all natural and moral vertues do beautifie and adorn the creature within himself, they make a man to see something within himself, now no creature is to do this; no not the creature when it was in the flower of all its bravery. When Adam and the Angels would begin to look on something in themselves, and forget God, and to think that they were some body, and would stand upon their own bottom, then they fell. For the creature of it self is as a glass without a bottom, if you set it down it breaks, for it has nothing to sustain it, but as long as a man holds it in his hand, so long it is safe. Such a thing is every creature in it self. Angels and men, they are without a bottom when the Lord does not hold them in his own hand, when they will go about to stand of themselves, they fall and break, and that was the cause of the fall of the Angels, and the fall of Adam, and of all of us in him, viz. selfdependance.

Our repairing again, the restoring of the creature, must be by learning to be altogether Gods, to magnifie God, to look to God, and to look to him altogether: for that is indeed only prized and magnified by him. And this is the second reason therefore godliness is only accepted by God; because it teaches a man only to mind him, to look to him, to draw near to him; it makes a man altogether his, and not his own.

We will add one more, the Lord regards only godliness and nothing else, because it gives him all the glory. Now only the Lord may seek his own glory, because he has no other end beyond himself. Every creature you know is made for a further end, and therefore is bound to seek something above it self, even as it stands subordinate to that. Every man is subordinate; a man in the Common-wealth must seek the good of that. Every man is subordinate to God, therefore he must seek the glory of God; for the subordination will so carry it. But now the Lord, he has none above himself, therefore he may and does seek his own glory; now nothing gives glory to God but godliness.

In 1 Cor. 11. The man is the glory of God, and the womanis the glory of the man. The meaning of it is this; look how the woman is the glory of the man, so is the man the glory of God, that is, a man must have nothing in himself, for then he would have some glory to himself, but he must be wholly the Lords, he must be wholly fashioned and accommodated to him, (as the woman to the Husband) for then he is the Lords glory. Even as a picture, you know it has nothing of it self but all from the Painter, therefore the picture is the glory of the Painter, we use to phrase it so, because it has all from him; we call it the glory of the Painter, because it shews his glory. And so a woman has all from the man, and she should seek to imitate him, because she is the glory of the man, she is to have no power of her own. Therefore that is to be observed, which is said, ver. 3. that thehead of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man. That is, Christ is the head of every man, as the man is the head of the woman. Now because the man is the head of the woman, the woman is to have no power upon her head, that is, no ensign of power; this is to be subject to the man. After the same manner Christ is every mans head, that is, no man is to have any power of his own, he is to do nothing of himself, or for himself, but to do all for Christ, to be perfectly subject to him, even as the creature to the creature, even as the clay to the Potter; for Christ is the head of the man, and God says, he is Christs head. That is, Christ as he was the Son of God, and the Mediator, he looked to God, and was altogether subject to him.

Therefore I say it is that the Lord looks at, nothing but godliness, because godliness gives him glory, all the rest gives glory to the creature but not to the Lord. So much shall serve for the reasons. We will come to make some use of it. You see now what godliness is, and the reasons why the Lord accepts nothing but godliness, why nothing is pleasing to him but godliness.

First, Then let us make this use of it, let us not content our selves then with any thing that nature has wrought in us; let us not content our selves with moral vertues: let us not content our selves with common care of worshiping of God, nor with all the outward actions and shewes of Religion only, for all this is not acceptable to God, as you see: but let us labor for this which is called true Godliness; this is all in all. Therefore you shall find that the Apostle Saint Peter, 2 Pet. 1. he exhorts you to this that we are now about, Says he add to your faith vertue, to your vertue knowledge, to your knowledge temperance, to your temperance patience, and to your patience godliness. Mark, what is his meaning in this? surely this, As if he should say, when you here me speak to you of patience, and temperance, &c. and that all these are goodly vertues, you must add godliness to all, or else they are nothing worth, the Lord will not regard them; that is, you must look to God in them all, there must be more then nature in you, you must reach at an higher end then nature can, and therefore content not your selves with any of these.

But you will say, what do you cast away nature and civility? are these nothing worth these moral vertues?

No; my brethren this is not my meaning, they are of very much worth as we said before, Jesus Christ looked upon the young man and loved him. There was that in him which was truly aimable within its compass, and sphear. But it is one thing to be lovely to salvation, and another thing to be aimable in its own degree and kind. Therefore we do not say we cast away these, they are very necessary, God has placed them there himself: but as we have said heretofore, Godliness does make use of all these: these are like the stream, and the wind that must carry along the ship. If it were not for these natural powers and vertues, we should not be able to do the duties of godliness. Only this we say, there must be some what superadded to it, that godliness must sit at the stern, and turn the rudder, and rule the compass, and guide the scope of the ship to the right haven.

So that I say godliness does not take away nature but addeth to it. As you know your riders of horses; when a rider comes to a horse full of mettle; he does not take away that mettle, he does not extinguish it, but he endeavours to improve it, in a right way, he fashons it, and brings it under, and makes it of use for the rider. Even so Godliness, when it comes to a man, if it find much mettle in a man, many excellent vertues which nature has planted in him: many moral vertues which customs, and education has edded to it: Godliness it casts not away these, but orders them, and breakes them, and subdues them, and makes them serviceable to God, and man.

So does the Physician when he comes to his patient, he does not overthrow all the humours in the body, and extinguish them, but only he corrects them, only he adds to those that are defective, and takes down those that are excessive, and composeth, and helps them into a right frame. Even so does godliness with nature, it composeth, and ordereth, and addeth to nature, it elevates nature, it puts a higher end upon it, it adds a spiritualness to it. As for example, nature has made a man to love himself, to love his Children. It is natural affection that has taught a man to grieve for that which is evil, and obnoxious to himself, when it is upon a man. Godliness now does but make a right use of this. When nature has digged a fountain of tears, godliness does but turn the stream the right way. When nature has put such a principle in us as love, godlinesse comes and teaches us to love this, and that for God, and from God.

Therefore our exhortation is, that you would but add godliness to all these. You will say, what is that? That is, learn to be emptied of your selves, to cast away all these as St. Paul did, to reckon them as dross and dung, that you may be found in Christ. As you must do this for justification, so you must do it in matter of sanctification: for you must know this, that when Christ comes to dwell in a man, that man must no longer live to himself, and for himself, but to the Lord, and for the Lord. Now every man, the less he lives to himself, and in himself, the more he will live to Christ, and in Christ. Therefore I say, the thing we would exhort you to is this, that you would contend with your selves, and reason the matter seriously, why a man should no more look to himself, but to God altogether. For a man is a reasonable creature, and it is certain, that till a man see reason why he should not look to himself, he will do it: but let him be perswaded, it is best for me to look no more to my self, to stand no more upon my own bottom, but it is safest for me to seek the Lord. I say this reasoning with our selves, so as to be convinced of it, will bring us to serve God altogether.

For when you are come to this once, to see that it is only God in whom all your happiness is, you will no longer look to your selves. Therefore you must learn to consider well of those speeches, God is only wise, and only good, and only excellent; consider well of them. We think that he is wise, that he is good, but not only wise, and only good, the more you do this, the more godly you grow; the more you are out of conceit with your selves, the more you grow into a high opinion of God, to set up him, the more the Lord dwells in your hearts: for you must know, there are degrees of Gods dwelling in a mans heart. As a vessel, the more it is emptied of that which was in it, the more it admits of other liquor that is poured into it. As it is in a house, another man may dwell in it, but I may keep a room in it; but when there is no In-mate in the house, then a man is said to dwell in it plentifully, to be altogether in it, to be the Lord of every room. So it is when God comes to dwell in the heart of a man; so far as a man bears rule in his own heart, & keeps possession there himself, so much less is God there. And so much less as he is in himself, so much less as he rules in himself, so much more plentifully does God dwell there, because God rules most when a man does subject himself to him altogether, that is, when he does nothing but his work, when he considers what it is that the Lord would have him to do in every thing. When a man resigns up himself to God, he resigns up his affections and all, to be ruled and regulated according to his will, to act according to his pleasure. When a man is to speak any thing, he will be still looking what warrant he has from the Lord, and so when he is to do any thing.

Oh my Brethren, that we could do but this. As men when they serve great Kings and Princes, when they see that their making or marring depends upon them; whatever may displease them, that they will curiously and carefully look to avoid, and what may please them, they will exactly observe. Is not the Lord, the great King of heaven and earth? should we not look on him altogether? This is without exception, no man shall erre in this.

In following a man, a man may hurt himself, he may be led into by-wayes, that may turn to his disadvantage; but in following God it is not so. Take the wisest man that is, yet he is subject to some error, but the Lord he is righteous altogether, his wayes are perfect. Therefore if a man would take that resolution to himself; Well, I will look upon my self no more, nor to any creature, but I will deny my self altogether, and look to God, and see what he will have me to do, whether I sink or swim, whatever becomes of me: this is the wisest man, and the happiest man; and this is the property of godliness. And as you do this the more, so the more you are godly men. And the root of all this is, when a man makes no account of himself, and sees God in all: for a man will have a ground for what he does.

And if you could bring your hearts to this, to see all your happiness in God, and all your safety there, you would soon deny your selves in every thing else, and seek him altogether.

And now only we will add, by reason of the Sacrament which is to be administred. You that are now to receive, have occasion especially to make use of this; though it be a work that we have all to do, as at all other times, so especially at this time. But you will say, what is this to the Sacrament? You must know what the Sacrament is, and then you shall see how close this will come to it; Mark 16, we find these words, He that believethand is baptized shall be saved, he that will not believe shall be damned. What is the meaning of that, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved? The meaning is this, says he, if you will believe in Jesus Christ, if you will take him for your Lord and Husband; and if you will be baptized. What is Baptism? When you are baptized, you are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that is, you shall give up your selves to God altogether. You shall bear his Name, you shall be no more your own; for you are baptized into his Name, and you are called, after his Name, as the Wife is called after the Name of her Husband; so you shall be called Christians. Now when you take this Sacrament, you must do this really; for does the Lord care for the title? no, but you must give over your selves to him really. So that when you are to be called by his Name, the meaning is, you must do it in the substance, you must give up your selves to his service indeed. That is, you must do two things in the Sacrament. First, you profess this to all the world, that whereas before you served other gods, or served your selves, now you profess to all the world that you are the servants of God. So that we say, when you come to receive the Sacrament, you not only profess that you are Christians, but you bind your selves to be so really. I say in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, there are these two things done.

First, the Lord engageth himself to you, I will be your Master, I will be your General, I will be your Husband, And again, you engage your selves to him, that he shall be your Lord, and you his people, that he shall be your Master, your General, and you will be his servants and his followers. This is done every time you receive the Sacrament; the Lord renews his Covenant with you, it is done at your first coming in, at your first ingrafting into the Church by Baptism: but the Lords Covenant is renewed in this Sacrament: therefore that you may not forget it, he says, Take this is my body; that is, take this as a sign of it, that I have given my self for you: and when you take it, it is a sign that you give your selves up to the Lord. So that think with your selves therefore, when you come to the Sacrament, you profess your selves to be Christians, godly men, that is, men that will serve God, and serve Christ altogether. This Sacrament I say, it is but a renewing of the Covenant, for that is the end of it, it is but the celebrating of the nuptials anew. As sometimes you know men will keep their marriage-day a Festival yearly. So we do in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; as Ionathan and David, they had made an oath together before, but they renewed it again and again, that they might be strengthened and confirmed in one anothers love. So this is your worthy receiving of this Sacrament, to strengthen your former Covenant with God. Therefore it is good when you are to receive, to think how much since the last time, your hearts are estranged from God; how much you have forgotten God. He is your Lord, your Master, you must be his servants: therefore renew it now, and bring your hearts back again. This is indeed the very renewing of the Covenant, and a drawing near to God; and it gives strength to you, and makes the union more firm; that is, the more that we are perswaded that he is our Husband, and that we have married our selves to him, the greater is the strength of affection. And you shall find it by experience, every grace is strengthened and enlarged by this, and every sin is abated, and mortified, and subdued; This is done in the eating of his flesh, and the drinking of his blood. So that every Sacrament day a man renews his assurance, he reneweth his union with God in Christ: this is properly feeding upon Christ, you are strengthened by it, your hearts are more established in well doing, there is more joy, and more peace, your faith is increased, which encreaseth every grace; you are more weaned from the world. As when the heart of the wife draweth near to the Husband, it is more weaned and alienated from strangers. This I say is to eat the flesh of Christ, and to drink his blood: when withal you add a right application of all that Christ has done, for the enabling of you to the duties of godliness.