that though thou art sorry for thy sins by which thou hast broken thy Covenant of Baptisme and purposest to do so no more and therefore canst look back to thy Baptisme with comfort yet thou failest again and again And therefore thy God of mercy hath pleased to give thee leave to come and renew thy covenant again and again in the Supper of the Lord and if thou purposest to deal faithfully with God as thou renewest thy covenant with God so God renews his Covenant with thee Therefore it is called a seal to conclude this Covenant betwixt God and thee Again Joh. 3.16 in the Sacrament is confirmed thy faith in the promise when thou art of years to judge what thou hast done and doest God makes a gracious promise in the Covenant of the Gospel that if thou beleeve in Christ thou shalt be saved Oh how hard is it for thee to grapple with thy unbeleeving heart When thou lookest to Gods love and Christs merits thou art cheered but when thou lookest to thy own unworthinesse thy faith flags and faints Therefore thy good God doth send his Ambassadour 2 Cor. 5.20 with bread and wine to confirm thy faith and assure thee that as sure as thou hast this bread and this wine given unto thee so surely God will make good thy salvation to thee if thou beleevest in his Christ Lastly the Sacrament as a seal doth convey Jesus Christ and all his benefits to thee so as thou maist say I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Look as houses and lands may be conveyed unto thee by a sealed writing and though thou never see either house or land yet in a court of Record thou maist have it made thine if it be within the Kings dominions So Christ by his promise and seal is made thine and though thou see him not according to the flesh yet thou hast communion with the body and bloud of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 by the court of Record in the Scriptures in the kingdome of the great King of heaven and earth The manner of this conveyance is sacramentall that is as a signe and seal For it doth not convey Christ as I can convey money to thy purse or hand or as cloaths to thy back by naturall instruments but as Sacraments can convey him that is they can signifie the conveyance of Christ and seal it unto thee by the covenant and ordinance of God Vse Therefore let me charge thee my good childe to prize this truth as a seal upon thy heart and a signet upon thy right hand Wert thou not most miserable if thou wert not in covenant with God If he did not take thee into speciall protection as thy God If thou didst not engage thy self to be one of his people who have illumination forgivenesse sanctification and perseverance All this God doth assure thee of in the seal of the Sacrament Would'st thou not account thy self in a sad condition if God had made thee a promise of salvation by Christ and when thou art beaten off by the sin of thy heart thou hadst no confirmation of it from the God of truth yet this is confirmed by the seal of the Sacrament Would it not adde to thy saddest thoughts If thou hadst many promises of comfort by Christ and yet hadst no performances Behold the seale of the Sacrament doth convey Christ unto thy soul by faith Is it not registred in the Records of heaven that this bread is my body Luk. 22. 1 Cor. 11. this wine is my bloud as Christ hath witnessed Hadst thou but a cut finger thou couldst not have the vertue of the salve to cure it except thou hadst the plaister of the salve it self nor canst thou have the merits of Christ except thou hast Christ himself though not in a carnall way Use the Sacrament as a signe to signifie but let it be a signe and not the proper thing signified Use it as a seal yet let it be but a seal to assure a possession of what thou hast though thou seest it not Get possession of Christ and it is enough In the mean time turn thou this doctrine into practice and plead with God from the Sacrament Good father let these signes signifie powerfully thy love to my soul Let these seals be a sweet conclusion of the covenant of Grace betwixt thee and me be a confirmation to my doubting faith and be a conveyance of Christ to me that he may live in my soul by faith and confound sinne more and more and quicken me to all Grace to thy Glory Now cast thy eye backward and tell me seeing thou must have faith or else thou canst not be saved by Christ Q. Who must work faith in thy heart A. The Holy Ghost Q. Why must he work it A. Because it is an infinite comfort against the infinite horrour of my sin Q. Where must it be wrought A. In my heart Q. Why saist thou so A. To put a difference betwixt the faith in the head and the faith in the heart Q. How must it be wrought in thee A. By the outward preaching of the Gospel Q. How many wayes is faith encreased A. Two wayes Q. Which is the first A. By the preaching of the Gospel Q. Why is faith encreased thus A. Because the oftner we hear the word of promise the more we will beleeve it Q. What is the second A. By receiving the Sacraments Q. Why is faith confirmed by them A. Because they are seals to assure Gods promises Q. What are Sacraments A. Signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith Q. What is the righteousnes of faith A. The meriting obedience of Christ rested on by faith Q. Why are the Sacraments called signes A. Because they signifie something unto us Q. What doth the water in Baptisme signifie A. The bloud merit and spirit of Christ Q. What doth laying on of the water signifie A. My death and buriall with Christ Q. What doth the running or wiping off of the water signifie A. My rising with Christ to a new life Q. What doth washing or cleansing signifie A. Forgivenesse of my sins Q. What doth the bread signifie A. The body of Christ Q. What doth the wine signifie A. The bloud of Christ Q. What doth the breaking of the bread signifie A. The suffering of Christ upon the crosse Q. What doth the powring out of the wine signifie A. The shedding of Christs bloud upon the crosse Q. What doth the Ministers presenting them to thee signifie A. God the Fathers offering his sonne to me Q. What doth thy receiving them signifie A. The faith of the Gospel Q. Why are they called seals A. Because they do conclude confirm and convey Q. What is concluded A. A Covenant betwixt God and me Q. What is that Covenant A. That God will be my God and I will be one of his people Q. What is confirmed in the Sacrament A. Faith in the promise Q. What is that promise A. That if
understandest of what I have said Tell me Q. Who must deliver thee from the curse of the Law A. Jesus Christ onely Q. Why is he called Jesus A. Because he saves his people from their sins Q. How many wayes doth he save thee A. Three by ransome by rescue by mortification Q. How by ransome A. By laying down his life for me Q. How by rescue A. By delivering me by strong hand Q. How by mortification A. By killing of sin in me Q. What means doth he use A. The Word of God Sacraments and Prayer Q. Why is he called Christ A. Because he is anointed Q. What is his anointing A. His having the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily Q. Why was Christ anointed A. That he might be a Prophet Priest and King Q. Why was he a Prophet A. To reveale his Fathers will to me Q. Why was he a Priest A. To offer himselfe in sacrifice and make intercession for me Q. Why was he a King A. To rule over me and over-rule my enemies Q. How is Christ a Lord A. By possessing me as his own Q. Why was Christ a Lord A. To maintaine his right in me and to call me to accounts Q. What is this Jesus Christ our Lord A. The Sonne of God made man Q. Why must the Sonne of God be thy Saviour A. Because he might give me what I wanted Q. Why must thy Saviour be a man not a woman A. Because man is the more noble sacrifice Q. Did this God and man sonne suffer for thee A. Yes he suffered the sorrows of death for me Q. What were these sorrows A. The sight of my sinnes and the sense of his fathers wrath Remember my child how farre thou art gone Thou wast made to serve God thou shouldst serve him as he hath commanded thou breakest all the commandements and so lyest under the curse of the Law Jesus Christ came into the world to deliver thee from this curse This Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God and though he were the Sonne of God yet becoming thy surety he suffered the sorrows of death to satisfie God and discharge thee It may seeme strange that the Sonne of God who is immortall should dye Tell me therefore 24. Q. Seeing Christ was God how could he dye A. He was God and man As he was God he died not but as man he died for my sinnes and rose againe for my Justification Here thou tellest me of the natures of thy Saviour How it could be that Christ could die and of the use he made of them for thy good As to his natures he was God and man as to his uses he used his humane nature to dye for thee and his Divine nature to rise againe for thy Justification First he was God and man Man he was certainly for in his whole course and carriage Phil. 2.8 he was found in fashion as a man not in appearance onely for as is here demonstrative of the truth of his humane nature As John saith Joh. 1.14 we saw his glory as the Glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God that is his glory was the glory of the true Sonne of God so in fashion as a man that is a true man Therefore Paul saith we have one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Matth. 1.2 who is therefore often called the sonne of man the sonne of Abraham the sonne of David yea Heb. 2.16 the seed of Abraham according to the flesh He was as surely God For when he was given to us to be a Child a a Sonne his name is the mightie God Esa 9.6 Jer. 23.6 Rom. 9.5 and Jehovah our righteousnesse and over all God blessed for ever And John saith that this essentiall word of the Father who was with God was God Joh. 1.1 even from eternitie before and when God made the beginning of time Secondly As man Christ died Christ made excellent uses of these natures for thee of his Manhood he made this use to dye for thee For Christ suffered for thee in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 1 Pet. 2.24 and bare thy sinnes in his own body on the tree If the Sunne shine upon the body of a tree which thou hast a purpose to cut down thou canst cut the tree but thou canst not cut the shine of the Sunne that is united unto it and shines upon the gashes and dints thou makest in the bark heart sap and root So when Christ God and man was united for thee the unsuffering Divine nature could not suffer but the body of his flesh and blood that suffered and dyed for thee Man had sinned and man must dye It is not equall that another nature should suffer for man's sinne Therefore verily he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham that he might taste death Heb. 2.9 10. and be made a perfect Captaine of thy salvation through suffering Of his Godhead he made this use As God Christ rose againe Rom. 4.25 Rom. 1.4 to rise againe for thy Justification For he mightily declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead He was to deliver thee from a world of evil and to bring thee to a world of good things The guilt of sinne the wrath of God the power of hell the fear of death were to be wrought from thee by him The pardon of sinne the power from sinne the Inheritance of heaven were to be settled upon thee by him How could he ever have done any or all of these for thee if his Divine nature had not influence into his sufferings to bring thee the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 26. Phil. 3.9 Let him have done all this for thee thou couldst never have been justified if he had not declared himselfe to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead This settles the merits of his death upon thee and assures thee that they are accepted by his father for thy discharge because death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. but he comes triumphantly out of the prison of the grave whither thy sins had cast him Christ bare a double person for thee the person of a suretie Heb. 7.22 1 Joh. 2.1 and the person of an advocate What he doth for thee for the discharging thy debt and for the settlement of a full satisfaction upon thee as a suretie that he doth in thy roome and it stands in the Law of God and man as a discharge of thy score what he doth as an Advocate in appearing for thee pleading for thee and satisfying all offices in thy roome that is interpreted as thy act thou must stand to it and challenge it as thy own When thou seest therfore Christ dying a satisfying death for thee and rising a discharged resurrection for thee from further imprisonment thou hast a full quietus est or assurance that
must seek the things that are above above sin grace above the world the church above earth heaven Rom. 8.1 but I am by faith grafted into the similitude of his resurrection He that is in Christ hath no condemnation which shall touch him but I am in Christ by faith because I live not after the flesh but after the spirit This faith can do wonders pacifie God with the bloud of Christ shed above a thousand six hundred years ago purifie thy heart open the windowes of heaven and triumph over death and hel Rest not therfore before thou finde it in thy soul and if thou canst not finde rest unto thy soul with the resting of a strong man yet comfort thy heart that thou doest it with the resting of a childe and labour in the use of Gods means and by experience of his love to encrease it more and more Now look back a little and let me see what thou hast profited Q. How many natures had Christ A. Two he was God and man Q. Why was he a man A. Because man had sinned and man must give satisfaction Q. Why was he a God A. Because by his sufferings he might bring in the righteousnesse which is of God Q. What use did he make of his humane nature A. To dye for my sinnes Q. What use did he make of his divine nature A. To rise again for my justification Q. Can the rising of Christ justifie thee A. Yes by certifying me that my surety hath payed all my debts Q. But who shall have the benefit of Christs death A. Those only who have a lively faith Q. Why so A. Because faith onely is the eye foot hand and mouth of the soul for enjoying of Christ Q. What then is this faith A. A resting of my soul upon Christ for salvation Q. Why must thou rest upon Christ for salvation A. Because he is Gods ordinance to keep me out of hell Thus have I led thee along my child from thy creation to thy misery and frō thy misery to thy deliverance When thou wast made thou sinnedst against thy creation when thou hadst sinned thou layest under the curse when thou layst thus miserable Christ came to save thee he came to save in the fine only beleevers and thou hast now heard what this faith is But now thou maist say Joh. 4. the well is deep and there is no body to draw I cannot tell how to reach this faith therefore tell me 27. Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart by the preaching of the Gospel In this thou saist right also Faith is one of the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 and it was the Lord Act. 16.14 who opened the heart of Lydia and made her attend to the preaching of Paul Joh. 6.44 and drawes us unto Christ and that he doth it by the preaching of the Gospell may appear to thee in what Paul saith to the Romans and to the Galathians Rom. 10.14 15. To the first he saith they cannot beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and they cannot hear without a preacher and they cannot preach now unlesse they be sent to preach the glad tydings of good things Gal. 3.2 Act. 11.14 To the second he saith that they received the spirit of the hearing of faith Hence Peter tels that God gave him a Commission to tell Cornelius words that is to preach the Gospel whereby he and his wife should be saved It is not man that can work in thy heart were he as an Angel from heaven He may tell thee the whole history of the Gospel and all the promises of salvation by Christ and thou wilt be never the nearer to powerfull believing But if the holy Ghost bring home the word of Christ to the soul he will write it there Heb. 8. and so seal it home that he will make an impression of faith upon thy soul And in truth it must be the holy Ghost that must do it For Faith is an infinite comfort against an infinite horrour of sinne Nothing should deeper wound thee then sinne and thy sins in respect of thy self are infinite in guilt and number Who can comfort against this but an infinite God who can rebuke thy unbeleeving heart Besides will it not seem contrary to thy reason that thou shouldest be made wise by another mans wisdome righteous 1 Cor. 1.30 by another mans righteousnesse holy by another mans sanctification and persevering by another mans full redemption But let the holy Ghost bring the Word to thy heart and convince thee that Christ was thy surety and so one person with thee doing and suffering in thy room and for thee then wilt thou beleeve that Christ is not another person but one with thee and so his riches are thine Agaiu thou saist that the Holy Ghost works faith in thy heart Rō 10.10 for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse This must put a difference betwixt the faith in the head and faith in the heart Wicked men and devils have the faith in the head where they know and assent to the truth of the Gospel and they are said to tremble Jam. 2. because they have no share and part in it But good people onely have faith in the heart whereby they savingly rest upon Christ as a wife upon an husband for protection provision and pleading their cause even to their perfection in the body of Christ Vse Therefore my childe depend not upon thy own strength nor upon the wisdome of flesh and bloud for the attaining of this faith neither think it an easie worke as they do that lay the weight of their salvation upon an easie possibility of believing at their latter end but submit thy self to the holy Ghost Eph. 3. who onely can strengthen thee in the inner man and work Jesus Christ to dwell in thy heart by faith This will argue a goodnesse in thy soul if when thou comest to hear the Gospel preached and so often as thou doest it then pray to God for Christs sake that the spirit of God may accompany the word according to his covenant Esa 59.21 to work faith in thy heart that Christ may be one with thee and thou with Christ And because thou maist have a faith in the head by connexion and not a faith of the heart by true conversion unto Jesus Christ pray also that by the word thou maist not onely submit to the truth of the Gospel but receive it into thy soul so as thou maist be changed into the image of Christ thy husband and be called a true Christian I remember I have read of one in the primitive Church who being examined what he was he answered a Christian What is thy name he answered Christian What is thy profession he answered Christian What life leadest thou he answered Christian What are thy thoughts words and deeds he still answered
I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Q. What is conveyed in the Sacrament A. Christ with all his benefits Q. How can the Sacrament convey CHRIST unto thee A. Sacramentally Q. How is that A. As a sign and seal Thus have I by Gods blessing brought thee from thy creation to thy fall from thy fall to thy curse from thy curse to thy deliverance by Christ from thy deliverance to the settlement of it upon thee by faith and from thence to the means working encreasing and confirming Now proceed and tell me 30. Q. How many Sacraments there are A. Two onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Here thou tellest me the number The number of the Sacraments and what they are in particular 1 Cor. 10.2 2 3 4. and names of the Sacraments The number there are but two For thou findest but two ordained by Christ and where Paul speaks of purpose of them he names onely two under those that went before them yea two are aboundantly sufficient for their end one to signe and seal our engrafting into Christ that is Baptisme and another to signe and seal our growing in Christ that is the Supper of the Lord yea lastly the true nature and use of a Sacrament agrees onely to these two for onely these two are signes and seales of a thing signified and sealed having a word of commandement and a word of promise to all beleevers Act. 10. Matth. 28. Rom. 6. Their names are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Baptisme is a washing with water consecrated by the word and prayer by a Minister in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ The Lords Supper is bread Matth. 26.26 Luk. 22.19 20. 1 Cor. 11. and wine consecrated and broken by a Minister given received eaten and drunk by the Church to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Thus maist thou conceive these two Vse Therefore my childe see the wonderfull love of God to thee who would not onely have the fellowship of Christ bestowed upon thee but will signifie and seal it unto thee also Doest thou doubt of thy union with Christ Thou hast it by covenant in Gods promise thou hast it by application in the exercise of thy faith about saving Christ and thou hast it sacramentally by signe and seal in Baptisme Doest thou doubt that God wil not provide for thee a feast of fat things Esa 27. Luk. 15. and fined wines even that fattest Calf to nourish and feed thee to eternall life because thou hast been a wicked prodigal sinning against the covenant of Baptisme Do but thou condemn and alter thy course and renew thy covenant and then thou hast Gods promise for it in the covenant the settlement of it upon thee by faith and thy assurance of it in the Lords Supper To make it more plain tell me 31. Q. What benefit hast thou by baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sins if I repenting do beleeve according to the Covenant in baptisme This is an excellent benefit indeed The benefit of Baptism if thou rightly understand it and do make use of it accordingly Thou hast a new estate in Christ Gal. 2â— 7. Rom. 6.3 4 5. for in baptisme thou doest put on Christ and art planted into his death and resurrection Thou hast the forgivenesse of thy sins for Peter saith be baptized for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 and Ananias said to Paul arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes yet know that thy baptisme doth not this as the bloud of Christ by way of expiation and attonement not as the Holy Ghost by an infinite power How in baptisme is the forgiveness of sins but onely as a Sacrament and that three wayes First by signification for as the water doth wash thy body Heb. 10.22 so Christ's bloud being sprinkled upon thy conscience by faith doth wash thee from thy sins Secondly by the receit of Beleevers As if a Prince made a Proclamation that he that can bring in the head of a traytour shall have a thousand pounds so soon as he hath this head he sees his thousand pound and is confident upon the word of the Prince so a beleever when he heares this proclamation of God Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 2.38 for the forgivenesse of sinnes when he sees and feels his repentance and hath notice of his baptisme he is confident for the forgiveness of his sins upon the word of God Thirdly by the Covenant of God God strikes a Covenant with his people upon this condition that if they beleeve they shall have their sinnes forgiven He gives his seal for it that certainly he will be as good as his word When the Christian sees his faith he builds upon this covenant and sayes surely God hath forgiven my sins Indeed it is the bloud of Christ that deserves thy forgivenesse the Father that pronounceth it and the Holy Ghost that effectually applies but Baptisme by Gods covenant doth signifie and seal it unto thee Use This may be either comfortable or terrible to thee to consider It is terrible if thou keep not the condition of the covenant that is if thou repenting beleeve not Mat. 3.11 Thou must make thy Baptisme a baptisme of repentance to amendment of life Mar. 1.4 Mar. 16.16 and God will make it to be a baptisme for remission of sinnes Thou must beleeve and be baptized and then thou shalt be saved Thou shalt not be made partaker of these benefits without observing the condition Act. 2. Indeed God accounts thee a federall beleever when thou wast an infant and wast baptized as he accompted the Jewish children when they received the signe of circumcision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 But as it was accounted uncircumcision to them if they kept it not when they came to years of discretion because he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2. neither is that circumcision which is litteral but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is not of the letter but of the spirit so thy baptisme shall be accounted nothing if with a penitent heart thou doest not when thou comest to years of discretion beleeve according to the covenant But if thou doest out of conscience bethink thy self of thy covenant get into this new estate wherein thou maist be baptized into Christs death and resurrection then what a sweet comfort to thee is it to see thy assurance of the forgivenesse of thy sins Be sure therefore that thou have faith working by charity to the author of faith by obedience to the word of faith by hearing and the houshold of faith by love and then thou maist look back with joy to thy baptisme and say surely my good God hath given me forgivenesse of sins For it is not laying
on of water that doth forgive thy sins nor doing of it in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost but it is God that doth it for the merits of Christ and by the assistance of the holy Ghost and sealeth it to thee in the covenant of Baptisme if thou keep it according to the measure of grace given 32. Q. What benefit hast thou by the Supper of the Lord A. The body and bloud of Christ verily and indeed taken and received by my beleeving soul Mark this comfortable benefit by the Lords Supper The benefit of the Lords Supper Thy body receives the bread and wine Thy soul receives the body and bloud of Christ by beleeving God offers him in a promise this is my body this is my bloud and thou canst not receive a thing in a promise but by beleeving it If I promise to give thee houses and lands and seal a conveyance of them to thee thou canst not receive it but by beleeving my words and conveyance so it is with thee in this Sacrament Christ in respect of his bodily presence is in heaven for they are not to receive him Act. 3.21 till the time of the restitution of all things yet in the Sacrament we have his body and bloud taken and received As a maried woman hath her husband one flesh and heart with her though he be a thousand miles off Prov. 2. by vertue of the Covenant of God which they made so by vertue of the covenant and promise of God in the Sacrament though Christ be in heaven and thou upon the earth thou hast his body and bloud A man may be present in a place or to a place In a place as thou art here with me To a place as Paul was absent in body 1 Cor. 5. but present in spirit to the Corinthians that is by his Apostolicall spirit power and authority So is Christs body and bloud present to the receivers of the Sacrament faithfully When the Sun shines full upon our window we say that the Sun is come into the house yet it is not the Sun but the shining of it so we say that Christs body and bloud is in the Sacrament yet it is not Christs body and bloud carnally bloudily but the Rayes of his person and merits to the comfort of thy soul Every thing is received by us as it is perceived of us Thou receivest a colour by the eye because that perceives it Thou receivest a sound by the ear because that perceives it Thou receivest a scent by the nose because that perceives it Thou receivest savourie things by the taste because that perceives it Thou receivest the Revolution of the heavens by the understanding because that perceives it but thou receivest Christ in the Sacrament none of these wayes Thou seest him not feelest him not tastest him not hearest him not smellest him not understandest not how bread and wine both before in 1 Cor. 10.16 1 Cor. 11.27 28. and after consecration can be the naturall or glorified body and bloud of Jesus Christ and yet be bread and wine yet set thy faith on work upon Gods promise and thou canst truly receive Christ because thou perceivest him by faith and no otherwise He is given to thee as he may satisfie thee that desires him but thou desirest him to satisfie not a corporal but a spirituall hunger Joh. 6.35 36.62.64 Joh. 6.63 He is given as he may do the good but it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Ob. If thou think that though his naturall flesh profits nothing yet his glorified flesh would Sol. Christ tels thee that it is his naturall body that comforts thee in the Sacrament not his glorified for Christ saith this is my body which is broken for thee this is my bloud which is shed for thee and I am sure that his glorified body was not thus dealt withall Ob. If thou ask me why the bread and wine consecrated in the Sacrament should then be called the body and bloud of Christ Sol. I tell thee it is not because it is properly so but first because of the Sacramentall union between the signe and the thing signified by Gods pact and covenant If thou receive the signe faithfully 1 Cor. 10.16 thou shalt have a reall communion with Christ by promise Next because of the change of the bread and wine from common to holy use Though there be not a substantiall change of them yet is there a change in use in name and in honour In use it is not used as common bread and wine but as the Supper of the Lord. In name during the time it is not called bread and wine but the body and bloud of Christ In honour It is used by the faithfull to give a reall communion with Christs body and bloud Use Therefore my dear childe make speciall use of this sweet benefit Who would not joy in such a communion Who would not be glad when he comes unto it Who except fools or mad men would not cashier all wicked society for this with Christ Nay if thou love thy soul and thy Christ the Saviour of it thou must abandon it As David said Away from me ye wicked Psal 119. I will keep the commandements of my God so thou must say away ye wicked I will have communion with the body and bloud of Christ Be of his minde that thought one dayes fellowship with Christ to be more worth then all the world But remember that thy soul must be a beleeving soul or else thou wilt never draw water out of this well suck honie out of this Rock There are thousands in the Church who presume to come to the Sacrament and think they may have fellowship with Christ yet keep their old sins their old fellowship also who never look what faith they have to carrie Christ home But what ever they do be thou sure to follow Gods will and my counsell about it forsake all and follow Christ If thou say that thou maist come to the Sacrament long enough before thou be assured that thou doest take and receive the bodie and bloud of Christ I le tell thee that I have observed two wayes whereby thou maist get some comfortable witnesse in thy soul of it First by the Spirit of Christ His bodie and bloud were never dis-united from his divine nature How we may be assured that we receive Christ in the Sacrament Ezek. 1.21 Therefore where his body and bloud goes his spirit goes along with it As the Prophet saith the spirit of the horses were in the wheels so the spirit of Christ is in his body and bloud to make them act for thy good Doest thou then finde his spirit Mark what Paul saith where the spirit of Christ is there is a killing vertue to subdue the flesh Rom. 8.9 10 11. and a quickning vertue to raise you from the death of sinne to the life of grace If it
discharge thy heart from all desire of revenge and canst thou be content to be nothing for Christ Art thou willing to perform all offices of charity in working reconciliation betwixt neighbour and neighbour and communicating to the necessities of the Church If it be thus with thee thou hast that Charity which is fit for the Sacrament Now look backward and let me see what thou hast profited Seeing there are but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Tell me Q. What is Baptisme A. A washing with water consecrated by him that hath authority to preach in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ Q. What is the Lords Supper A. Bread and wine consecrated broken and given by a Minister received eaten and drunk by Gods people to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Q. What comfort do you receive by Baptisme A. A confirmation of my new estate above what I had by nature Q. What gottest thou in this new estate A. The forgivenesse of my sins Q. How can Baptisme forgive thy sinnes A. As a signe and seal Sacramentally Q. How is that A. With reference to the covenant when I make it a baptisme of Repentance to amendment of life God makes a baptisme for forgivenesse of sinnes Q. Why then should'st thou be baptized before thou repentest and beleevest A. Because I am while I am in Infancie a beleever in state though not in manifested act Q. How doth that appear A. By the promise which GOD makes to beleevers and their seed Q. Was not this made onely to the Jewes A. No but to them also that were a farre off even to so many as God shall call Q. What followes hereupon A. That if Jewes children had right to circumcision which was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith so have the children of Christians to Baptisme which is no more though more clearly Q. What comfort doest thou receive by the Lords Supper A. A reall communion of the body and bloud of Christ Q. How canst thou do that seeing Christ is in heaven A. By vertue of the covenant of God with my beleeving soul Q. How doth God offer Christ unto thy soul A. In a promise Q. How doth thy soul receive him A. By beleeving Gods promise Q. How must thou prepare thy soul to receive Christ in the Sacrament A. By examining my self Q. What is it to examine thy self A. To commune with my heart by asking my soul questions how fit it is Q. What must thou examine thy self of A. Whether I have a fit desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity Q. Why must thou have desire A. Because God filleth the hungry with good things Q. What must thy desire be grounded on A. Upon the knowledge of my God my sinne my Christ and the doctrine and use of the Sacraments Q. What must thou desire A. To renew my Covenant with God Q. Why must thou have repentance A. Because there can be no communion betwixt light and darknesse Q. What must be the ground of thy repentance A. An assurance that I have broke my covenant in Baptisme Q. How doest thou know thy repentance A. By sorrow for my sinne and a conscionable care to doe the will of Christ with all my strength Q. Why must thou have faith A. Because the Lords Supper is appointed to encrease and confirme faith Q. What must be the ground of thy faith A. The offer of Christs body and bloud in the Lords Supper Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast faith A. If my heart close with Christs promise and I rest upon him for salvation with confidence and rejoycing Q. Hast thou a license to rest upon Christ thus A. Yes if I am weary and heavy laden under the burthen of sinne Q. Why must thou have thankfulnes A. Because the end of the sacrament is a thankful remembrance of Christs death Q. What must be the ground of thy thankfulnesse A. A speciall love to God for this high favour Q. How knowest thou whether thou art thankfull A. If I speake of this mercy to others praise God himself for it and submit unto him in all things Q. Why must thou have charitie A. Because we that are partakers of one bread are one bread and one body Q. What must be the ground of thy charitie A. The Communion of Saints and samenesse of nature Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast charitie A. If my heart be pacified from all desire of revenge and I be willing to live in love with all especially with the houshold of faith and communicate to their necessities Thou must remember now my good child how farre we are gone I have learned thee to know God and thy self Thou hast seen thy creation thy fall thy curse thy remedy by our Lord Jesus Christ Thou hast seen that Christ must become thine by faith I have discovered how faith is begotten in thee and how it is encreased namely by the word of God and Sacraments I have shewed thee the nature the number and the use of the Sacraments from God I have shewed thee how thou shouldst use them for thy comfort and especially how thou must prepare thy self for the Lords Supper so as thou mayst carry Christ home with thee from thence There is but one thing more wherein I desire to informe thy childish understanding in and that is prayer Tell me then 34. Q. Is not prayer an excellent means to make thy faith grow A. Yes It is a speciall means appointed of God Mark this truth Prayer is an excellent means to encrease faith The word of God and Sacraments are sweet means But how these will be made effectuall without thy prayer thou canst not tell Christ saith Matth. 7.7 Aske and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you All these phrases presse upon thee prayer for the enjoying of any blessing Act. 4.31 When the Disciples had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost God answered them extraordinarily to confirm them upon their prayers And therefore when the Apostles found their faith weake for the forgiving of wrongs Luk. 17.5 they prayed Lord encrease our faith Gods promises goe along with power Psal 145.19 Psal 34.15.17 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him His eares are open to their cry Therefore David looks upon God with confidence and saith Psal 4.3 The Lord will heare when I call And thou canst not wonder that prayer should be such a powerfull means to encrease thy faith For it moves God to be mindfull of us amid a thousand vexations When Christ was on the crosse and vexed from heaven and earth yet when the good thiefe prayed Christ he answered This day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Yea prayer doth in a manner binde God and therefore when Moses prayed God said Now Moses let
by the preaching of the Gospell 28 Q. How is this faith confirmed in thee A. By hearing the same Gospell preached and using the Sacraments 29 Q. What are Sacraments A. They are signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith 30 Q. How many Sacraments are there A. Two onely Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Q. What benefit hast thou by Baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sinnes if I repenting do believe according to the Covenant of Baptisme 32 Q. What benefit hast thou by the Lords supper A. The body and bloud of Christ verily and indeed taken and received by my believing soul 33 Q. How must thou reverently prepare for this Sacrament A. I must examine my self whether I have desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity fit for the Lords table 34 Q. Is not prayer an excellent means also to make thy faith grow A. Yes it is a speciall means appointed by God 36 Q. What is prayer A. A religious moving of our souls to God to draw us into communion with him against sin for grace and all blessings 37 Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer 38 Q. What is the enterance into this prayer A. Our Father which art in heaven 39 Q. What is the first petition A. Hallowed be thy Name 40 Q. What is the second A. Thy Kingdome come 41 Q. What is the third petition A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven 42 Q. What is the fourth Petition A. Give us this day our daily bread 43 Q. What is the fift petition A. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us 44 Q. What is the sixt A. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill 45 Q. What is the conclusion of this prayer A. For thine is the Kingdome the power and the Glory for ever Amen A briefer Catechisme to be opened at first Question GIve me the summe of Religion in one sentence A. A sinner being justified by faith is bound to live a godly life Here consider three things 1 Thy danger A sinner therefore subject to the miseries of this world and that to come 2 Thy deliverance Being justified by faith and therefore in Christ by the Covenant of grace for forgivenesse and all other things promised 3 Thy duty Is bound to live a godly life and therefore from Christ bound in the Sacraments to faith working by love Or more fully thus Q. Give me the summe of Religion in four words A. My Generation Degeneration Regeneration and Glorification Here thou must consider 1 What thou art from God A creature brought into the world from thy parents 2 What thou art in and from Adam A sinner subject unto all miseries even to the nether-most hell 3 What thou art in Christ A new creature delivered from the curses of the law that thou maist embrace the blessings of the Gospell 4 What thou art from Christ walkin a new course till thou comest unto Glory Or the words of Scripture thus Q. Tell me what is thy Religion A. 1 It is the faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godlines Tit. 1.1 2 It is my holding fast of the form of sound words which I have heard in faith and love 2 Tim. 1.13 3 It is all things pertaining to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.6 4 It is the knowledge and service of God 2 Chron. 28.9 5 It is faith working hy love Gal. 5.6 None of these descriptions are contrary either to other but subordinate and provided you comprehend under them what is necessarily to be believed and to be practised all is well TO His much Honoured Patronesse the Lady HONORIA NORTON of Southwick in Hantshire All happinesse here and here-after MAdam I must make my Apology before I say a word more I present a Catechism unto you who are able to instruct others and a mothers Catechism for her children when you have no children of your own under your instruction now This may seem strange to them that know not you to be to me a great encourager to this little work to them that are ignorant of your affections to a common good You have had experience of the power and profit of it in your family and in the Congregation over which you care and you will have me do some little good by it as you think to others that may see and use it The blessing of God be upon it and their blessing fall upon you if they receive good by it who have bin the main cause under God of my setting it forth I confesse that I have thus many yeares last past been solicited by many well minded people who have had the benefit of my private exercises to have let this unpolished birth to walk into many houses But being loath to hold out a little candle to a quick-sighted age or to prevent the more elaborate endeavours of my learned brethren I have shut it up rather in my head where it stuck by judgment and frequency then under my pen which is not so happy as my tongue in this kinde But now being overcome by your Ladyships entreating-commands and commanding favours I can hold it a prisoner no longer I let it loose from my head and heart to my pen and paper and from thence to every English soul to be either embraced or rejected according to present fansie If it prove un-successefull I 'le bear the blame who as an old man being ready to deny my self a being in this world have a little learned to deny my self in this and suffer words of diminution But if it prove acceptable to Christs Church and profitable to his meanest Members you Madam shall have the thanks and credit under whose wings it hath found leisure to be born I know that you will be cōmending it to some of your friends if not out of self-worth yet out of a conceit and expectation of some such like thing But I beseech you be wary To praise that which deserves it not may speak well of your affections but discommend your judgment and I would not have you engage where it may be a prejudice to you in the issue Indeed this little Treatise is a Catechism And whereas preaching is a speaking unto men to instruction 1 Cor. 14.3 Luk. 1.4 Act. 2. Mat. 22.37 Joh. 3.16 edification and comfort Catechising is a speaking to men for instruction mainly preaching is a dilating of one member of religion into a body Catechising is the contracting of the whole into a a sum Preaching is for all sorts Catechising for the yong and ignorant this may commend the work if the workman were answerable and as a Master-builder did lay the foundation But I know not how it fals out this Treatise is much in a little and that little derived from the capacitie of a mother to the
Psal 139.12 13. and hidden lusts A man that made a work can easily espie the least fault that another makes in it so God can see all the disorders that Satan and thy wicked heart hath wrought in thee and this must make thee walke in feare of offending such a God and with a resolution to doe all things to the honour of him that made thee Every man that makes a thing doth desire to have the comfort and credit of it much more doth God who made man for himselfe Prov. 16.4 as well as all things else Vse Therefore Whether thou eate or drink 1 Cor. 10.31 or what ever thou doe doe all to the glory of thy God Doe to his glory in thought word and deed do to his glory in disposing thy selfe in all the occurrences of this life Thou mayst make other comfortable reflexions upon thy soule from this point if thou weigh the Texts in the margine Psal 149.2 Psal 119.73 Psal 100.1 2 3. Job 30.13.15 but I leave them to thy own meditations as God shall quicken thy heart with a love to the good word of God Tell me next 2. Q. Who Redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ Mark my good child Christ Redeemed us 1 Tim. 2.6 It is Christ that gave himselfe a ransome for us even the ransome of his blood by which he hath redeemed us out of all the world Apoc. 5.9 To redeeme is to buy thee again when thou wert lost in thy enemies hands Thou wert lost by the sinne of Adam As thou seest when a Carp is taken by a Fishers hooke or net and dieth thousands of spawnes in his belly are caught and die with him so was it with thee and all mankind We were all in that one man in his first transgression Therefore Blessed Paul saith Rom. 5.12 14. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne and passed upon all men even over those that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression for that all have sinned When thou wast in this cursed condition with all mankind Christ came and bought thee again Joh. 10.11 by laying down his life for thee Vse Remember this and make such use of it as Paul would have the Corinthians Ye are not your own 1 Cor. 6.19 20. for ye are bought with a prize therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods If you buy any thing you expect the comfort of it whether it be for the health of your body or of your soule Thinke but the same of Christ and you will be willing to live to him that died for you 2 Cor. 5.15 and rose again Tell me next 3. Q. Who sanctified thee A. The holy Ghost Mark here The holy Ghost doth sanctifie us If I should aske thee What it is to be sanctified it is to be made holy But when I aske thee who sanctified thee it is to make thee holy and this is the worke of the holy Ghost Therefore Paul telles the Corinthians when they were changed in their state That they were sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Now the holy Ghost doth sanctifie thee by taking away of sinne and giving of grace As if thou wert to give entertainment to a great and good friend thou wouldst first sweep out the dust and brush down the cobwebs and then lay out thy carpets cushions and other ornaments so the holy Ghost takes the besome of destruction the hammer Jer. 23.29 and fire of the word and sweeps out thy raigning sinnes by Repentance and the spirit of Judgement Esa 4.4 Gal. 5.22 23. Eph. 3.17 1 Cor. 3.16 and then brings in the graces of the Spirit to make thee an holy Temple for Christ to dwell in by faith All this the holy Ghost works by the Word Sacraments and Prayer By the Word for Christ prayeth Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth By the Sacraments for Paul saith Eph. 5.26 That he sanctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water by the word and that We being many are one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 for we are all made partakers of one bread Implying that in the Lords Supper we are sealed up into the body of Christ and we cannot be properly without holinesse By Prayer for Christ saith that if we aske the Father he will give us his spirit Vse Therefore my deare child ply the holy Ghost in this way wherein thou art sanctified and shalt encrease it more and more 2 Cor. 7.1 till thou grow to or perfect thy holinesse in the feare of the Lord. If there were but one Mart or Market where all necessary commodities were to be had thou wouldst ply that upon all urgent occasions so must thou deale with the Word Sacraments and Prayer if thou wouldst have the holy Ghost shine upon thee in the beautie of holinesse Tell me next because thou namest the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost even these three 4. Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God Goe to Jordan and thou shalt see the heavens opened There are three persons Matth. 3.16 17. whence the Father sent a voice from heaven the Sonne baptized and the Holy Ghost descending like a Dove to make up three persons Reflect upon thy own Baptisme and thou shalt behold thy admittance into the Church in the name of the Father Matth. 28.19 and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost to make up three persons again Consider our witnesses and thou shalt finde that we have three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word 1 Joh. 5.7 and the Holy Ghost and that these three are one For though there are three names or persons in the Godhead Yet is there but one God 1 Cor. 8.5 6. and though there be many that are called Gods and Lords yet to us Christians there is but one God This heavenly mystery may be shadowed unto thee a little in a fiered coale There is the substance of the coale the light of the coale and the heat of the coale and yet but one fiered coale So soone as ever the coale is fiered there are these three the substance of the coale the light and heat of it So in the same Divine Essence though in a more transcendent way is there the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Yea it may be shadowed in thy selfe So soone as ever thou art borne into this world thou art a creature to God a childe to thy Parents and a subject to thy King and yet art thou but one So so soone as ever as God is that is from all eternitie he is Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet but one God Vse This will help thee mightily in cleaving to the Scriptures and in all thy devout prayers to God Art thou tempted to question the truth of
saist He is that Almightie one and so he is for God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.1 I am God Almightie and Jeremy calles him Jer. 32.18 19. The great and mightie God great in Counsell and mightie in strength Almightie is one mightie to doe all or one that is all-sufficient for all things in himselfe and for us This Almightinesse or All-sufficiency stands in his skill in his will and in his power He is Almightie in skill to know all things Almightie in will to will all things that are good and Almightie in power to doe all things according to his will Were he not Almightie all these waies he could not be self-sufficiently blessed in himselfe neither could he be almightily sufficient for us Were he not Almightie in skill he could not almightily will according to an almightie knowledge Were he not Almightie in will he could not almightily doe according to an almightie knowledge and will Were he not Almightie in power were he never so Almightie in skill and will he could not be an all-sufficient worker for his own and our blessednesse But when these three things meet his knowing all things his willing all things good and doing all things according to his will nothing can lye between him and his own blessednesse nothing can hinder us from our blessednesse in him if we lye in his rode Vse The serious thought of this should my child humble direct and comfort thee It should humble thee under the mightie hand of God Power breeds feare and fear humilitie God made his power known to Job in the wind horse earth-quake and Leviathan Job 42.6 And then he abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes Act. 12. As when the men of Tyrus and Sidon heard that Herod would wage warre with them they knowing that they were nourished with the Kings bread feared his power so when thou hearest of this Almightinesse thou must not so much feare them that kill the body Matth. 10. as feare him that is able to cast body and soule into hell if thou approach not to him with due obedience Againe thou must be directed from hence to labour to feele this Almightie power of God in thy body and soule for thy sanctification and salvation Paul prayes for the Ephesians Eph. 1.19 20. that they may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that beleeve according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead And how is this Surely onely by feeling that as God raised up Christ so by their fellowship in and with them he doth raise up them from the death of sinne to the life of grace The good Lord grant that it may be thus with thee that as the power of that Almightie one did raise up the Lord Jesus so thou maist find thy selfe raised in and from him to such a new life as may appeare before God with acceptance Lastly thou maist have singular comfort also from this meditation in any adversitie that may come upon thee For this Almightie one can change thy vile body Phil. 3. and make it like unto his glorious body according to the mightie power by which he is able to subdue all things unto himself What though by affliction thy face be withered with weeping thy body crusted like a potsheard and burnt to ashes yet this Almightie one is able to raise thee up in the latter day Joh. 6. and to make those eyes of thine to see thy Redeemer Job 19. when thou shalt arise for thy selfe to the glory of Gods grace and thy everlasting comfort Next here thou tellest me how God hath manifested his Almightinesse God made all things By making and governing of all things That this Almightie God made all things doth appeare in Genesis Gen. 1. and 2.4 5. Esa 44.24 and God saith by Esay I am the Lord that maketh all things that doth stretch forth the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe To make all things is to give all things their being God gives the heavens to be the earth to be and all creatures in heaven and earth their severall beings And doe but weigh that it cannot be otherwise For the world was neither made by chance nor by nature Not by chance For as thou maiest see an excellent order in every thing and chance is an enemy to order so maist thou discerne set purpose in every thing All creatures have every thing provided of purpose to perfect them An eye hath a colour an eare a sound a palate a tastable thing and a smell savours yea brute beasts have fodder and man hath heaven and earth of purpose for body and soul Neither is it made by nature For then as nothing could be done above nature the contrary whereof thou maist perceive in the very butter-flies painted wings and the little gnats trunk which can pierce and draw bloud thorough a tough horses skin so could nothing be done against nature but thou maist observe the contrary Josh 10. for the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Ajalon in the daies of Joshuah and the Sun went ten degrees backward as was to be seene on the diall of Ahaz yea thou readest of an Eclipse of the Sun at the death of Christ when the Moon was at the full which was quite against nature If therefore the world was neither made by chance nor by nature thou mayst justly conclude that the Almightie God made all things Vse Therefore my deare child learn how to use and feare to abuse We must use all the creatures from God any of Gods creatures Thou must aske Gods leave to use any of them we hold all in God and from God and have no freedom to use them but as we have leave from him Godlesse people account every creature within their power their own and because they have a creatures right and a civill right by the laws and compacts of men they think they have an absolute right without dependance Therefore they never looke to God but say with Nabal shall I take my meat 1 Sam. 25. and my bread and my drinke which I have provided for my servants and give it unto strangers whom I know not from whence they come or whither they go But it must be otherwise with thee Thou hast the use of the Sun Moon and Stars heaven earth and all their furniture God made them all therefore thou must not dreame of an absolute right but humbly pray that thou mayst have libertie to use them under God without which thou canst have no sound comfort Besides We must not abuse any of the creatures thou must feare to abuse any of them because they are the good creatures of God Wilt thou dare to abuse the Kings stuffe or furniture of his house or those provisions which he hath made for his servants How then wilt thou dare
ancient excellency reverent deportment and to powerfull excellency feare and testification of it by obedience in the Lord and for the Lords sake Vse Therefore my good child admire the wisdome of God here who for the well ordering of the world hath settled the Chaire of state and put every one within his traces If ever thou be a Father or Mother any of these wayes pray to thy God that thou carry thy selfe so as honour from others may willingly flow to thee Thou seest many who are Fathers and Mothers all these wayes who carry themselves unworthy of such honour This moves many young men to contemne the Aged many children to despise their Parents many of no gifts to contemne those that have many and many underlings to neglect those that are in authoritie both to their sinne and misery Again as thou art an Inferiour give all due honour to all Paternitie and motherhood Rise up before the hoarhead and honour the persons of the Aged Acknowledge all the gifts and graces of others and make use of them for thy good Be subject to the higher powers not for feare of wrath but for conscience sake Be subject unto thy parents and when they cannot provide for themselves doe thou thy best to provide for them and then if thou have not a penny thou shalt have a pound if thou live not long in this world which is not good enough for thee thou shalt live for ever at Gods right hand where there is fulnesse of pleasures for evermore which God grant unto thee 14. Q. What is the sixth Commandement A. Thou shalt not kill When God had set the world in order in the former Commandement What is required in the sixth commandement and made some high and some low some superiours and some inferiours that so his providence might be the more beautified in the sight of men he comes next to give men in charge things according to the price of them And because nothing is so precious as life for the Devil sees Job 2. that skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life therefore he first gives in charge the preservation of life This is that which God requires in this law the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours life And because man hath a double life the life of the soule and the life of the body God would have thee have a care of both lives in thy selfe and others There is a difference betwixt killing and murder there may be a lawfull killing but no lawfull murdering for murder is an unlawfull hurting of the life of selfe or others But for killing though thou must never kill thy selfe yet may there be a lawfull killing of others when these foure things meet a just Cause a just Power a just order and a just Mind A just cause as God saith He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed Gen. 9. a just power as God saith Rom. 13. not the private man but the Magistrate beareth not the sword for nought a just order as that Jew said John 11. Our law judgeth no man before he be heard therefore there must be conviction and triall before condemnation and a just mind which doth it not out of revenge but out of love of justice for though Jehu did execute Gods Justice upon the house of Ahab yet because he did it with his owne revengefull heart God saith Hos 1. I will visit the blood of Jezrael upon the house of Jehu Thus thou seest there is a difference twixt killing and murder yet because God would have thee see how precious life is before him he saith Thou shalt not kill Thou must not kill the soule either of thy selfe or others by yeelding or perswading to any sinne or else by giving a scandall whereby thy brother may be moved to fall Sinne is that alone which murders soules Thou must not kill the body either of thy selfe or others This wicked murder doth rise by Envy and carnall Anger it doth rancle by Hatred and Malice it breaks out in the Countenance by scornfull disdainfull and furious lookes in the Body by pointing of the finger or turning the back by way of disgrace It is executed by wilfull hurting of limbes liberties or life when body and soule are parted by an unjust hand Vse Therefore my deare child take heed that thy heart be not made a slaughter-house and then thy hand will never be made a murderer It is fearefull to see what murderings of soules and bodies there are in the world Ministers murder soules either by stabbing them with false doctrine or by starving them for want of teaching One Christian murders the soule of another by perswading and encouraging or exampling to a thousand sinnes And for mens bodies what envy hatred malice what scornes diminutions and disrespects what hurting of limbes liberties and lives doe abound to the sadding of those whose hearts God would not have sadded But let not thy soule enter into their secrets Possesse thy selfe in mercy and love Be thou able to look upon an enemy without anger to behold his prosperitie without envy and to beare his wrongs without desire of revenge Keep thy soule without sinne raigning and doe what thou canst to keep others also and what thou canst not doe in answer to this command mourne for it sadly and seriously and fly to Jesus Christ to heale thee that thou mayst be better 15. Q. What is the seventh Commandement A. Thou shalt not commit adultery Exod. 20.14 What is required in the seventh Commandement The next precious thing among men is Honesty If God would have men live surely he would have them live honestly therefore so soone as ever he had commanded that men should live and not be killed presently he adds that they must live honestly It is better that men were dead then that they should live adulterers therefore saith God Thou shalt not commit adultery Here God requires the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours Chastity Adultery properly is the polluting and defiling of another mans bed when men commit folly and wickednesse with another mans wife but because this is odious to God as a seminary of corruption both to the Church Common-wealth and Family therefore he comprehends all other uncleannesses under this head There is an inward and outward uncleannesse The inward is a wanton nature lustfull thoughts violent burnings delight in them and serving their tyranny The outward uncleannesse is either in Preparation or in Practise Men and women are prepared for lust by Drunkennesse Gluttony Idlenesse and Wanton apparell Men and women practise it by wanton eies filthy speech unseemly gestures and these bring forth fornication ravishing adultery incest unnaturall sinnes which I am loath to name unto thee much lesse describe Yet all these God comprehends under Adultery And that thou mayst not thinke that thou art exempted from this law God speakes to every particular
person in this word Thou thou child thou man thou woman Vse Therefore my child stirre up thy strength to keepe thy vessel in holinesse and honour What miserable pollutions are among men in eyes as they that had their eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2. in speech as Judah to Thamar Gen. 38. Let me lye with thee in gestures Jer. 5. 2 Sam. 13. as they that neighed after their neighbours wives By fornication as Amnon by adultery Joh. 8. Gen. 49. as the woman taken in adultery by incest as Reuben and that incestuous man 1 Cor. 5. Rom. 1. 1 Cor. 6. and by unnaturall sinnes How doe men and women provide for it by Drunkennesse Gluttony Wanton apparell and Idlenesse Oh let thy heart bleed to thinke of these sins committed in secret and watch over thy nature crush thy thoughts quench thy burnings with the bloud of Christ rested on by faith that lust never come to delight or tyranny 16. Q. What is the eighth Commandement Exod. 20.15 What is required in the eighth commandement A. Thou shalt not steale The next precious thing among men is goods See carefully that first we must live next we must live honestly next honest persons must live by honest means they must not steale Here God requires the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours goods God would have every man have his owne and that we might maintaine a just possession to our selves and others there God saith to every man woman and child Thou shalt not steale To Steale strictly taken here is closely to convey away the goods of thy neighbor without his privity but it is to be extended to all unlawfull depriving thy selfe or others of their goods All men condemn open theft and the sword of a Magistrate doth reach to such theft therefore God is pleased to use that word which signifieth close theft and under that to comprehend all This theft ariseth from a distrust of Gods providence it increaseth by love of money covetousnesse and the crafty invention of a thousand deceits and couzenages to bring in but it breaks out both against thy selfe and others Thou mayst be a thiefe to thy selfe by penuriousnesse prodigality and idlenesse If thou refuse to take the comfort of what God hath given thee or dost prodigally lash out in a day what would serve a weeke or art idle and slothfull to get what God offers in the ordinary course of his providence thou art a thiefe to thy selfe Thou mayst be a thiefe to others by sinnes of commission or omission If thou trust in wrong or robbery by deceiving any man woman or child in bargaining either by word or deed or by secret or open deceiving them of their goods to the hurt of Church Common-wealth or Family If when thy selfe or thy neighbor are wronged in their goods thou do not discover and punish and rescue when thou canst and cause restitution to be made if thou be able thou art a thiefe before God Vse Therefore my child doe thou give every man his right in that proper state which God hath cast upon him Our good God hath allotted to every man his owne and therefore he hath appointed buying and selling letting and hiring borrowing and lending and hath given bounds to every one He would have this justly preserved that thou Rom. 13.7 Luk. 3.14 Luk. 1.75 and all men might have just maintenance by just getting keeping and spending If thou erre from this course the rack of conscience will so pursue thee that thou wilt not have peace in any thing thou doest enjoy 17. Q. What is the ninth Commandement A. Exod. 20.16 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour This is the fourth precious thing would have in a well ordered world What is required in the ninth Commandement First he orders the world into severall ranks of Governours and governed Next he would have a care of life Next he would have men live honestly Next he would have honest men maintained by honest meanes and here that men may have their honour in the fifth Commandement their life in the sixth Commandement their honesty in the seventh Commandement and their goods in the eighth Commandement he would have truth If falshood may prevaile men shall neither have their goods nor their honesty nor their life nor their honour Therefore God requires in this Commandement The preservation of our owne and our neighbours truth God is pleased to look upon that order which he hath set in the world that some are in the throne to be honoured and some at the footstoole to honour He saw that much disorder and sinne would arise about mans life his honesty his goods and his good name therefore he commands that all falshood be banished and that Justice be carried by allegations and proofes according to truth Witnesse may be given either by word Josh 24.22 Job 16.8 when the tongue speaks it or by work when some doing or suffering speaks it False witnesse is when it is not agreeable to the thing spoken of to the minde of him that speaketh it or to the end of speaking it that is Justice and Charity To beare false witnesse is either to receive speake or doe any thing that may prejudice charitable truth Against thy neighbour is concerning thy neighbour in Gods language whether it be for him or against him And this thou mayst happen to doe in the root of false witnesse and in the fruit of it The root and foundation of false witnesse may sometimes be uncharitablenesse to the person thou witnessest against or flattery and partialitie to the person thou witnessest for sometimes suspition of worse then thy neighbour deserves but alwayes an inclination to hunt after that which is thy neighbours This will breed a digging deepe to hide the truth a judgeing uncharitably and an augmentation of the report making a little to be a great deale more The fruit of it is when we doe not maintaine the truth of things and persons but fall into many sinnes both against truth and against truth and charity Thou mayst sinne against truth simply by falshood in speech by denying the truth by betraying the truth and by counterfeit and fained actions Thou mayst sinne against truth and charity both publiquely and privately Publiquely in the person of a Judge or Arbitratour when thou nourishest strife among neighbours by delaying sentence beleeving the oathes of wicked lyers or by passing rash or unjust judgements In the person of the Jurie when thou findest not according to the truth In the person of the Plaintife when thou accusest falsly In the person of the Defendent when thou accusest thy selfe unnecessarily or colourest or deniest a bad cause In the person of a Lawyer when thou pleadest knowne bad causes or any cause before thou understand it In the person of a witnesse when thou doest pervert truth conceale truth or testifie falshood and in the person of a Register when
Christian He had so digested Christ into his soul by faith that he could speak nothing but Christian So let it be with thee This can faith do and it is wonderfull in our eyes Tell me next 28. Q. How is this faith confirmed and made stronger in thee A. By hearing the same Gospel preached and using the sacraments Here thou knowest the means which confirm thy faith and truly there is not a readier way to do it under God The Thessalonians heard the Gospel preached unto them 1 Thes 3.20 2 Thes 1.3 Prov. 4.18 and though at first there was something lacking in their faith yet as they heard the Gospel their faith grew exceedingly as just men their path was as the shining light which shined more and more unto the perfect day And for the sacraments it cannot seem strange that they should confirm thy faith For if I make a promise unto thee that I will give thee ten twenty thirty forty pounds if thou think me to be in earnest and to be able and willing to give it unto thee the oftener I promise it the more thou wilt beleeve it but if I set my hand and seal to it then thou art sure of it and maist sue me for it Such is the case betwixt God and thy soul He promises to give thee salvation by Jesus Christ if thou beleevest The oftener thi promise repeated the more thou beleevest But when God hath set it under his hand and seal in the word of God and sacraments now thou hast cause to beleeve it more and maist humbly sue him for it at the throne of Grace Vse Therefore my childe remember this Thou wilt presse after assurances and confirmations in every thing for thy body and estate why not for thy soul Thou would'st be sure of houses lands portion and health do what thou canst to be sure of salvation by Christ And because this is the way to hear the Gospel often that the word of grace may dwell richly in thee Col. 3. and to receive the sacraments as thou lovest the comfort of thy soul neglect them not Hear in season and hear out of season and as oft as thou canst ply the seals of Gods love that thy faith may be encreased If thou still doubtest whether yet thou shalt be saved or no God loves the importunity of his children Go to the throne of Grace and implead God Blessed God hast not thou promised that if I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Hast not thou sent thy Ambassadours to tender this promise again Hast thou not set thy hand and seal to it in the word and sacraments Hast thou not made my heart go out of it self to rest upon thy blessed sonne onely Oh why do I languish in doubting despairs Why do I begin to sink for want of hold on my Saviour How long Lord how long Let the light of thy countenance shine upon me and I shall have peace Thus I have cleared to thee the means to beget and encrease faith and because the Sacraments are one therefore tell me 29. Q. What are Sacraments A. They are signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith Here thou layest down the nature of Sacraments The nature of the sacraments By the righteousnesse of faith thou must understand that righteousnesse which thou hast by the Covenant of the Gospel that is the meritorious obedience of Christ for thee as thy surety rested upon by faith And the Sacraments Rom. 4.11 are signes and seals of this righteousnesse of faith They are signes because they signifie something unto thee Thou knowest that a picture or similitude upon a poste at an Inn or Ale-house house dore is called a signe because it signifies that thou maist have meat drink and lodging there for thy mony so is the Sacrament called a signe because it signifies something unto thee When thou seest the bread and wine set apart on the Lords table for this speciall service it signifies that God the father hath set apart and sealed Jesus Christ for thy salvation Joh. 6. The bread signifies the body of Christ The wine signifies the bloud of Christ The breaking of the bread signifies the suffering of Christ upon the crosse The powring out of the wine signifies the shedding of Christs bloud upon the crosse The Minister presenting these unto thee signifies God the Father whose Ambassadour he is offering unto thee his sonne for thy salvation and thy receiving of it into thy hand and mouth signifies thy faith by which thou makest Christ and his merit thy own Thus by these signes thou discernest the Lords body and bloud 1 Cor. 11. without which thou catest judgement to thy self which is damnable without repentance will in the issue prove thy damnation So in the other Sacrament of Baptisme water signifies the bloud merit and spirit of Christ laying on of the water as well as dipping and plunging signifies thy death and buriall with Christ Rom. 6. washing and cleansing signifies forgivenesse of sinnes and wiping off the water as well as rising out of it signifies our rising with Christ to a new holy and cleansed estate Sacraments are also seals As Abraham was said to have received the signe of Circumsion Rom. 4.11 as the seal of the righteousnesse of faith so doest thou receive our Sacraments Now thou knowest the use of seals among men When men make a bargain and set their hands and seals unto it then the bargain is concluded When men make a promise and set their hands and seals unto it then their promise is confirmed we have just cause to beleeve it When men convey houses and lands either to other and set their hands and seals to an instrument drawn to that end then those houses and land upon delivery are conveyed and therefore it is called a conveyance For such like reasons the Sacraments are called seals because they do conclude confirm and convey In the Sacrament there is a Covenant or bargain betwixt God Heb. 8.6 and thee Christ is called the Mediatour of a better Covenant Heb. 8.10 By this Covenant God promiseth that he will be to us a God even our God and we shall be to him a people Jer. 31.33 even his people By vertue of this he gives the forgivenesse of sinnes Jer. 32.40 Heb. 8.10 11 12. illumination sanctification experimentall knowledge and perseverance in the wayes of grace This blessing and blessed covenant is concluded in the Sacraments In Baptisme thou publikely enterest into this covenant Rom. 4.17 and that God who calleth things that are not as if they were is pleased to call thee a beleever not so much by vertue of thy parents faith as by vertue of his covenant to Abraham and his seed according to the flesh Act. 2.36 and according to the spirit which makes parents and their children one and in one covenant In the Lords Supper thou publikely renewest thy covenant Conscience tels thee
be thus with thee let thy soul comfort it self that thou doest take the body and bloud of Christ Next 1 Joh. 1.6 7. thou shalt know it by thy course in this world For saith John If we walk not in darknesse then we have fellowship with Christ and the bloud of Jesus Christ the righteous cleanseth us from all sinne Therefore if thou doest not walk in the darknesse of sinne and errour but labourest to know and do Christs will then thou takest and receivest the body and bloud of Christ Thus I have shewed thee the numbe◠names and benefits of the two Sacraments 1 Cor. 11.29 But now because they that eat and drink the Lords Supper unworthily do eat and drink judgement to themselves therefore tell me 33. Q. How must thou reverently prepare thy self to receive this Sacrament A. I must examine my self whether I have desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity fit for the Sacrament Mark here Preparation to the Lords Supper God requires not any actuall preparation of thine before thou comest to Baptisme in thy Infancie If thou wert converted or convinced from Heathenisme Judaisme or Turcisme unto Christianity then must thou be prepared at least with a profession of actuall faith as Simon Magus Act. 8. Act. 10. Matth. 3. Matth. 28. Mar. 16. Act. 2. and thus thou must understand all those places of Scripture which set down confession of sinne or teaching or beleeving before Baptism But now thou art born in a Christian Church of Christian parents at least in outward covenant with God and art rightly baptized in thy Infancie and God requires no such preparation He looks upon his own covenant and promise which concerns not onely the Jew◠and their children Act. 2.38.39 but all that are afarre off even so many as the Lord our God shall call to the profession of Christianity and he looks to our parents professing Christianity as to the Jews former profession of Judaisme but he looks not upon thy personall preparation further then he disposeth thee himself either by sowing seeds of faith in thy soul which may sprout forth afterwards or by calling thee a beleever by vertue of his covenant with thee Matth. 18.6 Mar. 9.42 Yet when thou comest to the Lords Supper God doth require an actuall preparation This preparation thou saist must be by examination Preparation must be by examination 1 Cor. 11.28 Thou saist thou must examine thy self This Paul enjoyned the Corinthians to redresse the wicked abuses which had crept into the Lords Supper and this is as necessary for thee Thou wilt finde thy heart mainly apt to judge too well of thy self yea there is many a trayterous sinne in thy bosome which steals thy heart from thee and spoils thy fellowship with Christ Besides this thou lookest for comfort when thou comest to the Sacrament and all thy comfort depends upon thy disposition before hand As it is with a tree if it be well rooted the rain fals and the Sun shines upon it and the more it growes and flourisheth but if it be plucked up by the roots the more the rain fals and the Sun shines upon it the more it rots So is it with thy body and soul if thou art well stated in Grace the more Christ in the Sacrament shines upon thee the more thou flourishest but if thou be dead at heart and plucked up by the roots the more he shines upon thee the more thou rottest and perishest This examining thy self is asking thy soul questions What examinationis Thou lookest into the Word and searchest for qualifications which God requires to make Christians fit communicants Thou doest in the presence of God apply them to thy soul that thou maist passe censure accordingly and therefore that this work may be done thoroughly thou settest some time apart for this work that so thou maist rise or fall to thy self Psal 4.4 David said to Sauls Courtiers commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be 〈◊〉 that is when you have set your selves apart from all the businesses of the world and be quiet then talk with your souls And David himself when he found turmoil in his soul cals his soul to a reckoning Psal 42 43. why art thou so heavy O my soul Why art thou so disquieted within me So must thou before thou come to the Lords Supper As if thou should'st say O my soul now thou should'st go to the Supper of the great King Matth. 22. If thou go without thy wedding garment thou wilt be convinced made speechlesse and hear at last that fearfull sentence binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse where there shall be everlasting weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth tell me therefore art thou fit to go to it Hast thou such qualifications as Christs requires Try my soul look unto the word see what it sayes of this businesse apply it impartially to thy self that thou maist be humbled or cheerful according to severall states c. But about what must thou examine thy soul Thou tellest me that thou must do it about Desire Repentance Faith Desire Thankfulnesse and Charity fit for the Sacrament First thou must examine the fitnesse of thy desire Luk. 22.15 As Christ said with desire have I desired to eat the Passeover with you so must thou desire to eat the Lords supper Christ doth invite such unto his feast Hoe if any man thirst let him come Esa 55.1 Joh. 7.37 Others come as unworthy guests but these have Christs hearty welcome Christs bowels are moved over such As he had compassion towards them that had continued with him Mat. 15.32 and had nothing to eat so hath he over the thirsty He fils the hungry with good things Luk. 1.33 These desires fill up the gap where other graces are wanting For 2 Cor. 8.12 if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not Vse Therefore my childe before thou come to the Lords Supper get these desires fit for the Sacrament Let them not be grounded upon the commandement of superiours onely nor upon old custom nor upon the fashion and practice of others nor upon a superstitious conceit of the work wrought that that will be for thy souls health but from an humble willingnesse to renew thy Covenant with God and to have a vertuous communion with Christ Thy covenant was publikely strook with God in Baptisme but thou hast all along dealt falsely with God concerning it Therefore now thou must earnestly desire it And that thou maist do it aright thou must examine thy knowledge of God the great covenant-maker the knowledge of thy sinne the great covenant-breaker the knowledge of Christ the great covenant-founder and the knowledge of the nature and use of the Sacrament the great covenant-confirmer Thou wilt not desire any thing but according to the knowledge
errours Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes Where is considered 1 A disease about which 2 1 A concession we have many errours 2 A confession we cannot know them yet we may know more then we do by meanes propounded in the Sermon 2 A remedy flying to God by prayer About which 2 1 The Object secret sinnes which are 1 Demonstrated by the severall eyes 1 Of God 2 Of the world 3 Of a mans own conscience 2 Discovered by five meanes applied in the Sermon 2 The act or work against them prayer confessing their pollution as well as of other sinnes Matth. 13.45 46. The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly pearles who when he had found a pearle of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it Whence is discovered 1 The worth of the Gospell which is valued 1 By the place where it is In the Kingdome of Heaven 2 By the person that trades for it A Merchant-man 3 By the commodities of it Pearles a pearle of great price 4 By his invincible diligence about it he seeks till he finde it 2 What a good Christian will bid for it He sels all that he hath which is demonstrated 1 Negatively what he doth not sell 2 Positively what he doth sell for the enjoyment of Christ this pearle Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Where is discoursed 1 Davids confession of God 1 For soveraignty to be his Lord 2 For the signe of it Thou hast redeemed me 3 For his veracity God of truth 2 David's profession for himselfe where he presents 1 The nature of his soul a spirit 2 The Castle of his soul into thy hands 3 The Care for his soul I commit it unto thee The summe of all is 1 Secret sinnes discovered 2 Christ exalted among men 3 The Soul secured To his Worthy and Noble Friends 1 Mrs ELIZABETH NORTON wife to Colonel NORTON Esquire 2 Mrs KATHERINE MAY wife to JAMES MAY Esquire 3 Mrs HONORIA ELIOT wife to JOHN ELIOT Esquire 4 Mrs MARY NORTON All daughters to the Noble Lady Honoria Norton of Southwick in Hantshire my much honoured Patronesse Robert Abbot doth dedicate these three ensuing Sermons as a testimony of my dearest respects to that Noble Family and doth humbly pray for their souls and bodies happinesses to Eternall Glory MY Noble Friends God hath joyned you together by bloud and marriage and I durst not separate one from the other It is all your goods I ayme at and therefore I resolved not to make one beholding to another for a gift but all to bee thankefull to that Noble Mother who set me on work On my part I can do nothing that may deserve a publike eye but if others think otherwise I cannot help it If they tell me that I have a talent I have known that a long time If they tell me it may profit by way of preaching I must put that to the successe which Gods blessing will give it If they tell me it may profit by writing here onely I stick I am altogether ignorant what I can do in this kinde I have nothing to direct me but others opinions and desires and if they be no sure Cards and Compasses to sail by into this censuring world I may suffer shipwrack Howsoever it fall out I must now take my Lot and if with Jonas I be cast into the Sea it is because I have obeyed and not because I have rebelled It is possible for a man to know when he is called to do any work though it be a work of hazard He is called surely when he hath a voice from heaven to designe him as Paul had and when he hath a particular instinct of spirit as many worthies in the first ages and when he hath the prophesies go of him as Timothy had and when he hath the approbation and imposition of hands of the Eldership as ordinary servants of Christ for the benefit of the Church Pastours and Teachers have or lastly when he hath the engagement of the hearts of Gods people attending upon his dispensing of the mysteries of grace and pressing the publike use of what he doth more privately As I have had long ago and ever since some comfortable approbation at and since the imposition of hands so have I had some closing of the hearts of the godly for the bringing into the publike of what I have done in this service in the private This I have accounted an invitation to do something by the pen as well as in the Pulpit As I would not be so running out as to make all my diviner thoughts visible to the Sunne because there are many that can do it better so would I not be so bound up as to be unwilling to profit some in this way though others may think it not worth the looking on That which is as gold to some may be as brasse to others and that which is as silver to some is as lead to others and yet variety of spirits may be helped according to various touches and impressions of fancies judgements conceptions and opinions from the spirit of Christ I therefore being emboldened to do something in this kinde was not long to study to whose hands to present it first and thence to have it derived to all English hands and hearts that we are willing to receive it To you therefore my noble friends is it come onely craving your acceptance according to the worth of the matter not of the person that exhibits it unto you I am a poor old man clogged with many infirmities who have been tossed and bandied up and down in the world who yet want nothing but a fuller measure of Jesus Christ to dwell in my soul by faith I have learned you the fountains of secret sinnes and the means how to discover them in your selves that it may bow you before the God of heaven to make you fit to hold Jesus Christ It must be an hollow vessel which must hold water and an hollowed heart that must lye under the fountain of David for sin and for uncleannesse to carry away the water of life to the soul I have taught you the worth of the Glorious Gospel that you may be willing to hunt after Christ and when you have found him to part with all that is yours for his embracements And because your precious souls are in much danger in these distracted dayes both by prosperity and adversity I have learned you from the best assurance office in the world to secure your souls that while you enjoy them you may have faith while you have faith you may have Christ and while you have Christ you may have the love of God for your eternall good I must confesse that if ever Christian souls were in danger they are in danger now We are faln into the last and perillous dayes wherein while the Drum and Canon are the best musick and
unclean soul The property of sin is to make a blot which is so running an infection that it makes you prone to fall into the same sinne a second time And the effects of sin are such staines and pollutions such blots and spots which stick to our persons goods and all utensils even to heaven it self and therefore all creatures groan under the burthen of vanity that they must be purged by fire Rom. 8. 2 Pet. 3. If you say though it be a pollution yet it is easily washable I would not have you deceived for then Christ should never have been sent Who by himself purged our sinnes Heb. 1.3 Psal 51.2 nor David would have prayed wash me thoroughly from my sinnes nor would Peter have wept so bitterly nor would Mary Magdalen have taken such paines with her teares and locks at Christs feet If Abanah and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus would have deeded it for Naamans Leprosie he would not have been sent to Jordan nor should high meanes and such strong pains have been used for the cleansing of sinne if a lesser matter would have fetched it off Ob. But be it so you will say of other sins yet what is that to secret sins Sol. Much everv way They have all the same nature A man is a man though he be hid among the bushes as Adam A man is a man though he lye secretly among the stuffe as Saul Yea a childe is a man in kinde though in stature he be not so So is it with sinne and therefore secret sinnes are pollutions as well as others Use Therefore as you love your souls forget not Davids sinnes Oh cleanse me from my secret sinnes The very thought of it may make you tremble when you finde your souls under greater guilt and the very thought must make you carefull to brush off the least rubbish What ugly creatures are we by sinne Job was so full of scabs and sores that he was scarce known to his friends and odious to his wife So is every sinner in the sight of God who is a God of pure eyes and cannot endure to behold iniquitie Therefore say you as Peter to Christ Joh. 13. Lord not onely my feet but my head and hands But alas you will say my sins open and secret have been of so long continuance that they will not out Be not deceived it is God that must do the work not with sope and niter but with Christs bloud Christs bloud must do it by way of expiation the holy spirit by way of immediate application faith by way of instrumentall application and holinesse and righteousnesse by way of infusion repression and mortification God can make our garments white by the bloud of the Lamb. He that could create all things of nothing can create clean hearts and hands against all the world Only be sure that you cast your selves upon God for the purity of your souls against all sinnes whatsoever open and secret God will not cleanse one except you be weary of are willing to cleanse all One favoured sinne is like a dead flye which corrupts the whole boxe of ointment Have you souls to cleanse Have you a Saviour to cleanse them by his bloud spirit and word Engage your Saviour to this work and put the whole work to this Saviour in his way or else you shew but little care of your souls Remember what one said well of old thou hast two eyes if one be out the other will help thee to see two ears if one be stopt the other will help thee to hear two hands if one be cut off the other will help thee to work two feet if one be lame the other will help thee to walk but thou hast but one Soul lose that and lose all let that lye rotting in sinne thou lettest all thou hast lye rotting Take heed be not so desperately prodigal Let this day be the last day of thy presumptuous sinning put thy soul upon God both against open and secret sinnes and for these last go in his way of righteousnesse and holinesse and cry out unto him Lord cleanse me from my secret Faults Amen CHRIST EXALTED amongst men OR A Sermon preached in Covent Garden upon MATTH 13.45 46. 45. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking goodly pearls 46. Who when he had found a pearl of great prize he went and sold all that he had and bought it THis is a Parable and it lies in a goodly bed of many others The whole Scripture is like a garden particular places are like a quarter in which are many choice beds for rarest flowers and this Text is one among the rest This Chapter speaks under fimilitudes many excellent things concerning the Gospel of Christ Jesus The intertainment of the Gospel in the parable of the seed sowne in four sorts of ground whereof there is but one good The opposition of the Gospel in the parable of the tares sowed among the good corne The power of the Gospel in the parables of the Musterd-seed and leaven And the prize of the Gospel in the treasure hid and this of the Merchant man You therefore now good Christians are to attend from hence unto the prize of the Gospel about which I le commend but two considerables 1. The worth of the Gospel 2. What a good man will bid for it The worth of the Gospel is here valued four wayes 1. By the place where it is In the kingdome of heaven not of the world 2. By the person that trades for it A Merchant man no base begger 3. By the commodities of it Pearles of great prize no rattles nor babies 4. By his Invinceable diligence about it He seeks it till he finds it no slothfull sluggishnesse It being thus valued the good man will bid highly for it for he sells all he hath to buy it Thus you have it in summe I will not crumble out this bread of life and trouble you with intricate particulars but winde up all in the two propounded heads First That the Gospel is of great worth and to make good this The Gospel is of a great worth let us look to the four valuations of it and first by the place where it is in the kingdom of heaven This represents unto us the Church of Christ The place of the Gospel Dan. 4.39 God hath a three-fold kingdome of Power of which it is said his kingdom is from generation to generation that is the power and soveraignty which he exerciseth over all of Glory of which it is said Matth. 19.33 A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven that is into that estate over which God ruleth by unmoveable Glory and of Grace wherein Christ doth rule graciously by his word and spirit that is his Church and of this he speaketh here This is the place in which this Merchant trades And in truth this is called the kingdom of heaven in six respects In respect of
flye into all the parts of his soul and body Rom. 10. There is his royall seat for man beleeveth with the heart and thence he commands all your parts and powers Rom. 6. to be weapons of righteousnesse unto holinesse Lock him up any where else and as it fell out with the corn that was sowed in the high-way and stony ground Matth. 13. the Fowls of the ayr will pick him from you or hee will spring awhile and withdraw when he should do you most good But if you lock him up there out of your belly shall flow living waters Joh. 7.38 Joh. 4.13 14. for you shall have in you a well of water springing up into everlasting life which shall make you never to thirst after any earthly pearl or vanity Use 3 Thirdly forget not where your pearl lies There is not a Christian amongst you but will say that he and she hath this pearl Christ But surely if ye have him ye forget where he lies If he lye in the tongue alas ye spit him out at every word by your lies oathes blasphemies idle yea and wicked speeches If he lye in your hands Esa 5â— you throw him away by smiting with the fist of iniquity and all injuriousnesse If he lye in your heads you blow him out with imaginary covetousnesse pride and uncleannesse If he lye in your stomacks you vomit him up with gluttony and drunkennesse Oh remember where he lyes ye will hug him with all reverence and observance He should lye in your hearts to rule your whole man and then you will say 1 Cor. 6. shall I take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an harlot Shall I take the head the hand the tongue the mouth the foot of Christ and make them the earthly members of pride luxury riot whoredome oppression wrong or robbery God forbid You shall lose nothing by remembring where the pearl Christ is in you yea you shall gain this that either for love of him you will not or for fear of him you dare not abuse any of your members to sinne Thus we have valued the worth of the Gospel The invincible diligence of the Merchant-man about it by the commodity which is traded for Now lastly value it by the invincible diligence of the Merchant man about it He seeks and never leaves seeking till he finde it Our pearl Christ is not found of every eye but of the seeking and searching eye Mark that he seeks Col. 3.3 and seeks till he finde Paul saith that our life is hid with Christ in God therefore every eye cannot finde him Indeed it is hid Who would have looked for life in such an out-side as Christ had In respect of state he had no form nor beauty Esa 53.2 and when we should see him there was no comelinesse that we should desire him He was a poor womans sonne Mark 6. Matth. 11. and a Carpenter he was called a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners a Samaritan Joh. 8. one that had a Divell and did his great works by Beelzebub he was accounted one not worthy to live and dealt with all accordingly even to the cursed death of the Crosse Must it not be a searching eye that must finde the pearl here Who could finde glory in his shame life in his death righteousnesse in his condemnation ransome in his captivity innocency in his slanders and wisedome in silence but the seeking Merchant-man Christ is to be found in the preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 1. for we preach Christ the wisedome of God and the power of God But look upon it and upon them that preach it and tell me what you can see In preaching you see the foolishnesse of preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 28. to them that perish especially when it comes not with excellency of speech 1 Cor. 2.1.4 and wisedome nor with the enticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power In them that preach what can you see but at the best a treasure in earthen Vessels laden with infirmities 2 Cor. 4.7 Here none can finde Christ neither but a seeking and searching eye Such an eye can meet with all the Arm of the Lord Esa 53.1 Rom. 1.16 1 Thes 2. the power of God to salvation and the words not of men except when they are such by self-fansies but as they are indeed the words of God and so seeking they finde Christ the pearl Christ again is to be found in the Sacraments when ye go thither what do ye finde Water Bread and Wine Poor things to look upon But a seeking and a searching eye thorough these elements looks to the promises Acts 2.38 repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the holy Ghosts gift and this is my body this is my bloud and so it having Christ offered in a promise doth carry away Christ by faith It is plain that had not the wise Merchant a seeking and searching eye he could never finde out the pearl Christ Therefore Good Christians be you perswaded seriously to trade for the eye-salve Apoc. 3.17 18. Christ perswades Laodicea to trade with him for this commodity Have ye not this you will be as blinde as Agar Gen. 21. who had a well of water before her and she could not see it But have you this it is no lesse then the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 or the supernaturall light of faith by the Gospel by which the soul being enlightened sees things that neither eye hath seen ear hath heard nor the heart of man is able to conceive This gives you the light of the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6 in the face of Jesus Christ Ob. Oh whether must I trade for this you will say Sol. Even to Christ The depth saith it is not in me man saith it is not in me but in Christ are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Col. 2.3 Esa 25.7 2 Cor. 3.16 He will swallow up the veil of the face and will turn the heart to the Lord that the veyl may be taken away Christ onely can do this Ob. But doth he require nothing at my hands for the setling of this eye-salve upon me Sol. Yes he requires submission to the word of Christ that may dwell richly in you in all wisdome Col. 3.16 2 Tim. 3.15 If you know the Scriptures they will perfect your sight that you may finde Christ in all his wayes Therefore as the Psalmist said of the Scriptures in his time open my eyes Psa 119.18 that I may see the wonders of thy Law so do you say of a more full Scripture now Remember the Prophet Elisha's prayer for his servant I pray thee open his eyes that he may see 2 King 6.17 so pray for thy self Lord that I may receive my sight that when I seek according to