to life with an 100. more Now he who hath evidence of all these within himselfe how sweetly may he sit at the Sacrament not onely with Saints rejoycing in their mutuall welfare but even with Angels So much for Reasons 3. Generall The Vses Now I conclude with the uses of the Doctrine Vse 1 First let it be terrour to all that dare abuse the Supper by comming to it without this Sacramentall grace of love Branch 1. Of Terrour And to terrefie them by degrees they come in the fore-ranke that cloke their treachery and villany both in their owne hearts and against others under this ordinance Iesuites establish their trayterousnesse against Princes States and Common-wâ—alths by this meanes and digge deepe to hide their counsells from God and man As Iacobs sonnes used the pretent of circumcision Gen. 34.19 1 King â—1 9. Matth. 26.26 and Iudas covered his treason by the Passâ—over Iezabel hers with fasting with impudent faces being yet full of murther and Treason but in stead of secrecy he exposed himselfe to a desperate conscience that could not repent that so hee might goe to his worke without checke or feeling and so his eating the sop was costly So shall the Sacrament be to all such as under their receiving it do hide their griping usury unmercifulnesse For who thinke they will judge us such in the second Table seeing us to be so devout in the Sacrament Doe yee not see say they how folke balke the Sacrament when they are come to it But alas wee goe through stitch with it It is true so yee doe if that were the worst if yee were as ready to be purged of your rancor and malice Then I would say yee had put on a breastplate indeede of proofe But now yee are armed with a paper defence which conscience and the wrath of God will shoot through one day â—am 4.8 Clense your hearts yee sinners and purge your hands yee hollowly minded Lay away your colours and plucke off these mufflers of uncharitablenesse Psal 26.6 and so yee are allowed to compasse the Altar of God with washen hands and in innocency of love Agree with your Adversary not onely man but the Lord quickly soder not nor equivocate but deale sincerely Empty out all filth and turne the bottome upward that yee may bee the children of him who as an innocent Lambe shed his blood for enemies that you might not know any save his This feast of the Lambe will bee a costly feast to you that want nay cast off this lappe of the wedding garment from you Branch 2 Secondly terrour againe to all who basely blanch over their owne conscience by seeking a kind of peace and good will betweene themselves and their enemies just before the Sacrament Not for true reconciliation as if they desired that but to keepe in the Sacrament from comming out at their nostrills Oh yee wretches yee defile your selves wilfully in the things yee know Not much unlike that Iew who being under feare of breaking the Sabboth in taking ship and yet willing to goe hired a Turke to thrust him into the ship mocking his conscience Who hath taught you thus to paint the outside of your rotteâ— Tombes of hollow love with such varnish knowing the inside to bee as it is For no sooner is the Sacrament over but yee returne to your vomit to your former jarres and quarells and so weare your sinne as a marke upon your faces for all to see and for the Lord in wrath to curse you saying Never grow love from such rootes or trees of bitternesse any more such as proclaime their sinne as Sodome Branch 3 Thirdly terrour to all such who although their lives swarme with the sinnes of selfe-love rage envy talebearing and unpeaceablenesse yea grinding the face of the poore c. yet they dare wipe off all crummes from their mouth and come to the Sacrament Nay some are so empty of this heart of love that with him in S. Iames they dare dally with love Iam. 2 16. and say to the needy Be warmed cloathed and fedde yet themselves give them nothing Others there are of a currish and Naballish disposition that their oyle of love is not sufficient for their owne Lampes but most chorlishly deprive even such of their due who are of their owne flesh as drunkards c. Oh monsters how dare yee lift up your head before the master of this feast and crucifie againe him that dyed for such traytors as your selves How dwelleth Sacramentall love in such Oh be scared from thus adventuring any further Come no more O yee fearefull spotts of assemblies Iude 12 into the holy place in which Châ—ists body and blood are offered least as dogges yee catch at them and bane your selves Act. 8.22 Pray if possible that these wickednesses may bee forgiven you Branch 4 Fourthly all such ungodly youths men or maydes whose practise is in Citties and great townes to turne the day of the Sacrament into a Sacrifice to Bacchus and spend five or six houres of the Sabboth in junketting Chambering and wantonnesse tossing of pots eating of deinty belly cheere playing at stooleball barley breake dancing and such base behaviours If yee aske them why Oh say they we have receaved too day this is a merry day with us But if a Turke saw yee in this your holy day worke what manner of God would they thinke yee serve And this is a more woefull blindnesse because sometime both Minister and cheefe of their parish not to speake of their governours encourage them to it and have no sence of any sinne but thinke it a very fine way to make youth love well together Oh yee profane creatures Doe yee despise Gods holy bands to bring in your owne rotten packthred and doe yee turne his sacred ordinances into such scurfe If ignorance and base custome be the cause Gal. 6.7 be informed if profanenesse bee also terrified God will not be mocked To conclude the whole use seeke the remedy of all this There is hope if yee bee not hardned seeke to know your enmity with the Lord himselfe and get his love to be shed into your soules which may constreyne you to love his people and so come to the Supper and welcome Despise not this my counsell Vse 2 Reproofe Secondly let it be reproofe even to Gods owne Servants and likewise admonition to search their hearts and lives for all this sowre leaven of false love and venom which many of them dare suffer to clogge them from Sacrament to Sacrament Though perhaps they keepe the sore sweet and so that it festereth not yet they are very carelesse in casting out that bitter roote which daily springeth up and defiles them through their pronenesse to fall to it Oh! true love is a jewell indeede not every Merchants portion nor easily preserved when it is gotten Loth I grant we are to be noted for so unsociable and lovelesse ones that
thing to such an apt use is the very life bloud and marrow of a Sacrament There is no doubt but as the Scripture teacheth a Christian wise man will picke out holines out of each resemblance an housewife that is godly will not boult out her flower from the bran but her heart will carrie her to our Saviours words Satan hath desired to winnow you Luke 22 31. c. An Husbandman will not use his Fanne or Floore to dresse or cast his corne in but he will muse of that finall separation of the drosse from the Wheate But there is great odds betweene a voluntary act of our owne devotion and an obedience to a Sacramentall charge As the Text saith Luke 4. Luke 4.27 There were many Leapers in Elisha's time and many Widdowes but not many to whom hee was sent So the world yea the world is full of resemblances but not of such as Christ hath set his stampe upon to bee Sacramentall The setting of a young child before the Disciples and the washing of their feete with his owne hands were Christs acts still at this day apishly followed by the Pope but neither appointed to be Sacramentall but onely naturall resemblances to an holy heart which hath a gift to make use thereof of a spirituall grace of humility Appropriation then especially stands in â—â—is determining of the Elements to such an use by the word and ordinance Vse 1 Ere we proceede this first point may be of speciall use 1. To blesse the Lord as for the releefe of our stupor by outward Elements so especially for the aptnes thereof chusing such as without any more adoe might easily acquaint us with such holy things of which before And to teach us to beg of his Majesty heavenly hearts which might be capable of his meaning herein Vse 2 Secondly this must keepe us within holy bounds as concerning our devising and setting up to our selves resemblances of holy things as Crucifixes the Image of the blessed humility of Christ to behold and worship Who allowed us these The Sacraments serve as a Supersedeas from all such inventions All Popish trash of forged Sacraments heere falles to ground Vse 3 Lastly let us learne to familiarize with Gods Sacraments in the point of the institution of Resembling the Lord Iesus Let us not be dull and blockish in appropriating them to their use but learne still to climbe up by them to heaven If the minde be at Yorke instantly at the naming of the Citty when yet the body is an 100. miles distant and no sooner doth a woman heare her husbands name but shee is present with him though he be in a farre Countrey by the velocity speed of the Apprehension stirred up by such a relation Oh! how dull and slow of heart are they who in the midst not of artificiall humane or naturall but divine appropriations are so carnall and heavy that scarsely the Sacrament will ingender one lively representation of the Lord Iesus to nourish us cheere us But as we come so wee sit and so depart as Strangers and Idiots as if Christ and we were devided as farre as heaven and earth The causes of which are these 2 Causes of our dulnesse herein eyther that wee are not those new Creatures in whom God hath renewed the powers of understanding and affection and therefore want the discourse and the spirit of relation in a word want the operation of a new Creature which is faith stirring the soule to a lively meditation of Christ by the word the ordinance and promise of God and then what wonder if Sacraments which should bee the most active meanes become all a-mort dead and dumbe with us and wee being held and taken in all our lims at once like numbâ—â—alsie-ones can neyther stirre hand or foote towards Christ or else wee abuse the gift of faith and the power of the new creature by disabling our selves and disinuring our soules from this worke and disguising that image of God in us which serves to carry us to God by setting it upon trash world profit pleasure ease and sensuality till it seeme tedious unto us to set it upon holy thoughts in the Sacrament Caveat thereto To prevent this it were good counsell to trade our spirits to heavenly things even by earthly occasions as well without as within the Sacraments He shall not finde his spirits so flat loy and lazy in meeting with Sacramentall Christ who inures his dead heart daily to an holy nimblenesse in comparing earthly things with heavenly Hee that cannot see a Pismire but hee will thinke of providence Prov. 6.6 not a garish harlot dressing herselfe for an adulterous wretch but will taxe himselfe for his lesse loving Christ shee that cannot lay a leaven Matth. 13.33 but thinkes of the kingdome of Christ and in a word hath a gift to be heavenly and to turne ordinary properties of the creature or common occasions to holy meditation he shall not have his heart in another world when the Lord presents unto him the Lord Iesus by Sacramentall resemblances And thus much for the first The second part of the forme of Sacraments is union The second part of forme Vnion Which yet comes nearer than the former as more closely conveying exhibiting the Lord Iesus to the soule Yet wee must know the former makes way to this the aptnesse and speciall application of signes to this use helpes much the minde to conceive but this is the more immediate object of faith to fasten upon Christ that the Sacraments are no longer the bread of the Lord but bread the Lord wine the Lord and water the Lord. And this Sacramentall union is an act of Gods ordeining Spirit and Authority by vertue whereof the Lord Iesus in all his merits and efficacy is not onely resembled and presented by apt likenesse to the minde but really made one with the Elements that by them and with them he might be carried into the soule inseparably for assurance of union and Communion with God Hence it is that the Scripture speakes in such a phrase This is my body This is my blood of the New Testament Luk. 22 19. 1 Cor. 5 7. Ioh. 6 32. yea in the Old Testament Christ is our Passeover The Rocke was Christ I am that Manna which descended c. All which phrases denote a realnesse and union with the Elements true and unfaigned And indeede all divine unions are Reall All unions reall although they differ in their severall kinds yet by vertue of the ordinance and the power of him that hath so made them they are no shaddowes of empty things no dumbe Pageants as we may see in other unions Sorts of them There is an intellectuall union in nature betweene the mind and object in which respect we say the mind is all things meaning in and by this comprehension and union The object and the mind are one by vertue of this power of God
signifie and intimate a spirituall and a spirituall be represented by a carnall yet each distinct in their nature the Sacramentalnesse perishes simbolicalnesse and resemblance being wholly extinct by mixture and confusion of things united Then secondly of materialnesse 2. Materialnesse For if we admit such an union as is transubstantiate which indeed is no union of two in one but an excluding and swallowing up of one by another what shall remaine of the Element behind If they answer the accidents of them This being premised that its impossible accidents can subsist without their subject I answer meerenesse of accidents take away materialnesse or corporalnesse and therefore disanull as much the substance of a Sacrament as if wee should hould that the Elements could swallow up the things signified But secondly the end of a Sacrament will easily admit such an union of things as whereby the Lord Iesus and all his good things may bee conveyed to the soule really this being as much as a Sacrament serves for and concurring equally and fully with the scope and purpose of it whatsoever is more is superfluous And therefore resisting that end must needs be a false and erronious union not from God Vse 3 The use of this whole doctrine is manifold It is first instruction to teach us what must discerne and judge of this Sacramentall union what nature it is of Surely not Popery not flesh and blood for they being destitute of the Spirit of this union cannot comprehend it It s a Riddle which onely hee can conceive who plougheth with the Lords Heifer Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 2. which onely conceives it Carnall men cannot judge of spirituall things because spiritually discerned If wee would know eyther what this union is not to wit popish and carnall and locall or what it is to wit reall yet spirituall then judge what eyther the nature of the things united or the scope of a Sacrament will admit and there rest goe no further If then it seeme strange how a thing may be as truly reall spiritually as carnally seeke the Spirit of God who is the knitter of this knot and that will teach thee that the power of the word which appointed light to be and it was and the evening and the morning to be a day and it was and man to be and he was did also ordaine the Body and Blood of Christ to be really one with the Elements without locallnesse or mixture and therefore so they are Vse 2 Secondly looke what difference there is in the things united in the point of their Sacramentall union the same difference and distance must bee observed by the Communicants in point of partaking them To wit that still the severall nature of these things be preserved entire and yet by the one carnall thing the other which is spirituall be bettered and enlarged Touching the first the soule the spirit the faith of the receiver looke at the spirit of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus crucified The hand the eye the mouth of the receiver looke at the Elements onely Doe not thinke then that the carnall part can meddle with the spirituall nor the spirituall with the carnal as it is so but the outward man sees touches tasts and digests the outward the spirituall beholds tastes and enjoyes the spirituall each must keepe his owne bounds If I would discerne an outward thing in the Sacrament I must use my sence my touch my tast and if these convince it to bee carnall so it is Againe if I would discerne a spirituall thing there I must consult with my inward man and the inner sence of faith and thereby I must pronounce an inner thing to be present If I want eyes and sence I can perceive no outward thing If I want faith in my soule I can perceive no spirituall thing each thing or object must bee perceived by the proper instrument belonging to it To the end I may perceive there bee true Materialls in the Sacrament and not onely bare accidents without a substance the outward sense is triall sufficient sight touch and taste will not easily erre about their owne objects as our Saviour tells his Disciples Looke upon and handle me for a spirit hath no object of Touch Luke 24 39. flesh blood and bones as ye see me have Againe if the question be of a spirituall being or body and blood of Christ let sense and teeth goe there faith and the Spirit of Christ must convince it if that feele the beames warmth and see the light and tast the influence issuing therefrom then certainly they are there for the Spirit cannot bee deceived about her owne object Onely this I adde Neither of these can be severed from other for by the externall the Lord hath appointed to convey the spirituall and not without them and in that relation of each to other even the meanest ought to be honoured and the outward sense ought to bee so busied about the objects of sence as thereby to helpe succour and strengthen the weakenesse of faith in the object that is spirituall More of this in the Act of Receiving Vse 3 Thirdly therefore this Doctrine of Sacramentall Vnion confutes this Dotage of Popish Transubstantiation The Papists not content with the vnion we speake off cast oyle into the flame and maintaine a conversion and confusion of Christ and the Elements by a corporall presence and realnesse And as one once demanded by Boner whether Christ was not blood and bone in the Sacrament made him a merry answere let me so disgrace Popery that yet I may speake with reverence yes my Lord I thinke not so only but that there he is boots and spurs and all Meaning that such is Popish excesse and ridiculousnesse in this that it deserves to be esteemed in the Church as a laughing stocke And sure it is as themselves also say they receive not from God a Sacrament of Vnion but offer up to him a sacrifice of their owne for propitiation I say the Papists by this foppery under colour of magnifying the Sacrament doe quite destroy it Marke then what I sayd before Vnion still must be conceived according to her kind not corporall but mysticall and by ordinance As then its a truth except the Elements and the Lord Iesus were one no bad receiver could be guilty of eating his owne condemnation so yet if this vnion be conceived as transubstantiall it is impossible it should be Sacramentall For Sacramentall union still is symbolicall which its impossible to conceive in things changed into a naturall samenesse and substance As wee know in common speech we say No like thing is the same because a like thing is like to another Identity then in Christ and the Elements disanulls Sacramentall union and therefore the Sacrament it selfe This error of theirs as it came from the forge of carnall reason first and the savor of the kitchin How popish errour grew so it received varnish from the erronious conceiving of
the purenesse of God whose deputie hee is Much lesse to adventure with a mouth defiled with oathes rayling contention ribaldry with hands defiled with uncleane covetous acts with a body members guilty of incontinent intemperate lusts of drunkennesse lasciviousnesse ill companionship or the like scandales to approach the prâ—â—ence of God and his people Let holy outward acts be celebrated with sutablenesse of outward members For certaine it is as the honour is great which the Lord puts upon his Ministers in this kinde to seale the grace of his Covenant by his Sacrament to the people so the sacriledge of unholy and audacious dealers with these Ordinances is doubly dangerous If the people in their unworthy receivings be damnable how much more the Minister who defiles not himselfe onely in corrupt receiving but the Lord himselfe as farre as hee can by profane administration The second person is the Congregation who also are bound to answerable acts in accepting and embracing the offer of God in the Minister Of which also in speciall wee shall treate in the two next Chapters there it shall be sufficient to signifie that as all acts Sacramentall are as essentiall to Sacraments as the materials themselves so the want of Sacramentall receiving disannuls the Sacrament as well as the want of offering So that the people also have their parts to act herein Theirs are these legacies to them they belong They are therefore with all holy preparation of themselves and theirs Exod. 12.4 by prayer to offer themselves to the Lord in the Congregation presenting themselves soules bodies with such comely chaste reverend and holy thoughts affections and behavior as may testifie them to be meete guests of such actions before in and after the actions demeaning themselves so as they may sanctifie the Lord thereby and not pollute his name who draweth so neere them in these mysteries yet this I adde as in the former that although such carriage is that which the Lord commands and will severely be râ—venged of the contrary yet if through the sinne of man and decay of Gods Order such shall be admitted as doe contradict this rule that we doe not thinke this eye-sore and defect to disanull the Sacrament But with mourning and heavie hearts both for the sinne and sacriledge of such receivers and givers of the Sacraments to looke up above both and with so much the more serious preparing and sanctifying of our selves to come to the Lord beleeving that the prophanesse of the vile shall not hinder the faith of the well prepared sithence we come into the presence of that God of piercing eyes who can pierce betweene the joints and marrow and both behold the humblenesse of beleeving soules Heb. 4 12. to reward them and discerne the impudencie of the contrary to accurse them and yet not thereby to prejudice the comfort and hope of them that are truly prepared and abhorre to come in their sinnes And of this Chapter also thus much which I have divided from thâ—â—ormer though concerning the same description because I saw that Chapter to grow somewhat larger than the rest CHAP. V. Of Baptisme the Description of it opened and the use thereof annexed HAving thus treated of a Sacrament in generall wee come to the particular Sacraments of the Gospell and first of Baptisme For although our chiefe scope be the Supper yet because the other is much unknowne and therefore neglected we will take it in our way to some consideration Three things on it First by shewing what â—ue performance is required to it Secondly what the grace of it is Thirdly what the use of the Doctrine and all these in one Description whose parts all be examined Baptisme then is the first Sacrament of the Gospell What it is consisting of Water which is Sacramentally Christ or wherein by water duely applied not only the presented partie is made a member of the visible Church but also sealed up to an Invisible union with Christ and thereby interessed in all those benefits of his which concerne the being of regeneration By calling it the first Sacrament I point at the precedencie and order of Baptisme The which al those names of Baptisme The first branch both in Scripture and elsewhere doe approove It s the seede of the Church as the other is of food It issued first out of the side of our Lord Iesus upon the Crosse It s the creating instrument of God to produce and forme the Lord Iesus to a new creature and to regeneration in the soule Tit. 3 5. It s called our Vnion with Christ our marriage Ring our militarie Presse-money our Matriculation Cognizance and Character of Christ our emplanting or engrafting into him and his Body Rom. 6 3. 1 Cor. 10.2 our Ship our Arke our red Sea our putting on of Christ For as all those goe before our Nourishment Communion Cohabitation Service fruit Manna or foode from Heaven so this Sacrament must goe before the other Breeding begetting and bringing out of the wombe doth not more naturally goe before the feeding of the Infant by the mothers breasts than this wombe of the youth of the Church Psal 100.3 goes before the breasts and milke thereof the Church being no drie Nurse but a Mother of her owne the sonnes and daughters of her owne wombe Vse 1 Which convinceth thousands of their preposterous sacriledge in that they prâ—sse in upon the Church for her pappes and nourishment when yet they are bastards and no youth of her body no sonnes of her love or desires And therefore she abhorres them and hath drie breasts for them whom she never bare The Lord Iesus abhorres to be food where he hath not beene seede flesh and bloud indeede to feede whom he was never seed to beget Let all who desire to taste of the sealing power of the second Sacrament to nourish them as Saints first proove the sealing power of the former Sacrament to beget and make you Saints Doe not impute such folly to the Lord Iesus as to give the milke of his breasts to still-borne ones or to set them into his stocke who are rotten and dead twigges 1 Pet. 3.21 as if the bare outward washing of the flesh were sufficient to regenerate and give title to nourishment This is to dissemble with God the Church and our soules and to turne both Sacraments to our perdition Beware al such mockers least the Lord be froward with them that fight against the God of Order least in stead of finding nourishment before breeding as they rob God of his Order so they meete with wrath and judgement before mercie and salvation yea least God accurse their single emptinesse of Christ with such a double barrennesse as will admit no conception or birth Vse 2 And Secondly it taxes the confused devotion of such as would not be baptized till death having yet enjoyed the Supper usually all their life As if the Lord were not able to grant and
have beene planted together with him into the likenesse of his death we shall also be to the likenesse of his resurrection And note this further that as the holy Ghost expresses the meriting causes diversly now by one then by another part of his mediation so sometime he applyes that his merit to one frâ—it sometime to another yet so that by one merit we understand all and by one effect of it all the rest Take a Text 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto baptisme now saveth us not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience in the resurrection of Iesus Christ Marke the resurrection of Christ being the compleatnesse of his satisfaction and the declaring of it is made here the meriting cause of the grace of Baptisme But by it all the satisfaction is meant And the effect of this Baptisme is called The answer of a good conscience which is the peace and security of it properly issuing from pardon of sinne and guilt yet in and by this all are meant both justification and sanctification The selfe same phrase is used Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10 22. Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodyes washed with pure water that is with peace For this blood Hebrewes 12. cryeth better things than that of Abel The phrase of sprinkling compares Baptisme to the Israelites sprinkling their doore posts with the blood of the Lambe If they had not done it Exod. 12 22. they had beene in danger of slaying by the Angel But having done it Heb. 10.24 their heart was at quiet and peace through the promise So baptisme is a better sprinkling of a better blood upon a better object to a farre better peace even peace of conscience as being passed from death to life By all these places not unmeet to be conferred together we see that whole Christ crucified Christ in water Christ in our Regeneration Christ in our union and by it all his benefits are the extent of the grace of baptisme And that the Minister standing in Gods stead applying water to the Baptised doth by it apply the power of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit accompanying the same to create a new birth of Grace and life in the soule The which worke of the Spirit I shall more revive in the first use of this point Vse 1 This use is exhortation to all that bring or behold children brought and offred to the Lord in his Sacrament of Baptisme to lay in by faith for the Spirit of Christ in the water whereby the Lord would vouchsafe to thy child and renew to thy selfe if ever truly converted the Lord Iesus for regeneration and the new creature To this end doe two things First 2. Things 1. Behold the truth of the word Behold the truth of this offer of the Lord Iesus in the water by the helpe of the word and not so onely but what the word of Regeneration can worke of it selfe in the soule and therefore much more can further it by the Sacrament Secondly by and through this Word apply the merit and power of the Sacrament to thy soule in particular For the former know although a Sacrament be above a word yet it is so by a word and with it and not else Behold not a Sacrament without a word for then thou seest a meare empty vanishing Element Behold it in word and thou sest no lesse than Christ in the water true regeneration offred thee Take all those Texts I cited before looke up to God by prayer to see the truth of them Ephe. 4 22. as they are in Iesus to rivet every of them in speciall into thy spirit that so thou maist feele a bottome to thy faith out of a word Labour to see what makes this word so powerfull even the truth of a promiser the merit of a satisfyer who died shed his blood was buried and rose againe by the power of God that he might fill a promise with efficacy and perswade thy heart that seeing all that he suffered was for thee to make himselfe thine in remission of sinnes and renewing of the holy Ghost therefore the promise that offers this to thee in the Sacrament is sound and effectuall Reade and ponder that place I named Ephe. 5.26 Ephe. 5.26 Washing of water by the word And so be resolved if the word of a true God tell thee That he will wash thy soule by Christ in the Sacrament it shall be so it cannot be otherwise and if he have said Christ in the water water is spirituall birth regeneration renewing purging burying in the grave with Christ rising up with Christ then so it is This word will give a bottome to thy feete to stand upon while thou reachest out with thine hand to take Christ so that thou shalt not stagger Consider that the same word which hath held Christ and water in so strong an union can also hold thee upon sure ground Alas mens going to worke without a word marres the power of Baptisme and causeth the soule to be present with any object more than with Christ in the water It goes with the Spirit Further bee assured this word of Christ in his promise of the Sacrament never goes alone The truth of it alway is annexed to the Spirit of Christ in the water All the word is full of this tells us the Spirit is that which assists the Sacrament The Spirit quickneth 1 Ioh. 5.6 water profits nothing alone It is the Spirit which must joyne with the word with water and unto Christ to both in the soule or else the things of the Sacrament are as farre off as heaven and earth But the Spirit of Christ crucified water and blood meeting with the Sacrament fetches out all the power of Christ into the soule and makes the promise of blessing effectuall Hence it is that nothing is so common in Scripture as the Spirits concurring with Baptisme Matthew 3. Matth. 3.11 Hee shall baptise with the holy Ghost and fire Tit. 3.5 Water of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit 3 5. As it attended Christs baptisme so it must ours if it bee efficacious else not These two things being forelaid bring forth thy faith in the word Spirit of the Sacrament both for thy child and thy self These two things brin faith for begetting or reviving of Christ to regeneration And as the hand puts on the apparell upon the body yea as thou beholdest the Minister to dip thy child in water so concurre with him by faith and behold God the Father putting the Lord Iesus upon thy soule and the soule of thy childe for pardon peace joy confidence security grace and holinesse and fasten upon the Word and draw thereby the Spirit of Baptisme to helpe and satisfie thy soule with Christ in all these As thou wouldest put on a garment upon thy naked body How this 1 By the stripping
for the present enlarges it selfe further and gives the soule a taste of that eternall joy which it shall possesse hereafter when it shall put off this corruption and earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands Secondly the Spirit of sealing hath fulnesse of faith in it It s therefore compared to full sayles of wind Heb. 10 22 which carrie the ship an end Is it so with thee Art thou free in good measure from a life of sence from judging things of God by the outsides Canst thou rest in this that although thou neither hearest voyce from heaven nor seeest shape yet there is a Sun within the clouds There is a God and all the fidelity truth and love is still in the promises which ever was without shaddow of turning Art thou by this faith carried above those feares doubts distempers Rom. 5 2 3 4. which when the coast was mistie thou wert annoyed with Walkest thou now with cleerer comfort joy and perswasion of Gods love providence promises Is thy heart as the Arke above the rockes Gen. 7.10 Is it farre otherwise with thee in the frequencie the dismalnesse of thy unbeleefe than formerly Are thy buffetings temptations lusts well blowne over Then hold and nourish this fruit in thee knowing it is no common thing But Oh Lord where is the man to whom I speake this Thirdly nourish thy liberty Was it wont to be an usuall thing to thee to be clogged with the weight of sinne Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 vexed with the fiery darts of Satan and his noysome buffetings tossed with strong lusts Was the worke of God irkesome painefull to thee hardly drawn to it soone unsetled How is it now 2 Cor. 3.17 The Spirit of sealing is a free Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is a Spirit where he is there is libertie Dost thou now walke in and out with the Lord as a sonne in the house Luke 1 6. well provided for Rid off thy old chaines enlarged to runne the Commandements of God with chearefulnesse Hast thou freedome from thy old feare Psal 119.32 Hath the Lord both overthrowne the court of sinne and bad conscience and all the officers of it Canst thou meete the Bayliffe securely Canst thou as a free man Gal. 5.1 looke upon Satan hell death without horror Nourish it and be thankefull for it Fourthly Hast thou the boldnesse of the Spirit of adoption Canst thou come to the Lord in prayer with holy confidence Is thy slavish heart gone Rom. 8 15. Verse 26. Zach. 12.10 Darest thou call God Father by good proofe and triall Doth the Spirit of God teach thee to pray Doth it purge out thine owne spirit of selfe of gifts of forme and teach thee to pray wisely with feeling and groaning under thy corruptions seeking more mortification of heart and spirit Art thou so fervent and frequent as one that knowes his welcome Canst thou lay in daily for thy selfe and others Blesse God for thy portion and prise it So fifthly Hast thou the spirit of holines purenes If thou be sealed by the assuring Spirit thou are sealed by the holy Spirit of God How doth it appeare Is there love of purenes and holines a loathing of all falsehood and profanes in thee Hast thou gotten a pure title unto Deut. 33.16 Tit. 1.15 and use of all ordinances blessings and administrations of God towards thee Art thou able to say To the pure all things are pure Dost thou grow more fruitful and plentifull in holines all holy means meditation fasting conference holy duties compassiâ—n mercy love pietie sobernes holy graces 2 Pet. 1.5 8. 2 Pet. 3 ult 1 Cor. 15 ult as faith hope patience Dost thou adde grace to grace so as thou maist not be unprofitable but grow be rooted and setled still then I say nourish these I assure thee this world is not for such matters blesse him that hath called thee out of it in the strength of this seale of Baptisme walke on as Elia did to the mount of God 1 King 19 8. Ephes 4 30. Grieve not this sweet Spirit by any lusts or roote of bitternesse keepe the world under the girdle of this Spirit provoke him not to forsake thee but having felt his sweetnesse let him not depart from thee till hee have conducted thee into the land of righteousnes And know if this Spirit be given thee thou keepest a costly thing which not all they have who yet beleeve in this measure deceave not thy selfe about it and if thou have it nourish it carefully For as the traveller who hath nothing to lose is carelesse of theeves so know thou that hast such a charge hadst need be jealous least Satan the world and thy evill selfe rob thee of thy treasure Ephe. 6.18 And this be said of this 3. generall also of the end of Baptisme and so of the whole doctrine and use of Baptisme the more largely because I shall touch it no more as I purpose to doe the other Oh! how is it to be lamented that the knowledge and use of it is no more understood by our Ministers and people CHAP. VI Of the Supper of the Lord. The description and parts of it And first of the Sacramentall Acts of it I Come now to the Doctrine and discourse of the Supper of the Lord wherein as I foresee that those things which do peculiarly concerne the handling of it will take up much more roome than the former of Baptisme as being the Sacrament of growen ones and therefore having in it more life for present administration and use than the other of Infants So also I see much labour is spared me in this latter because of those generals which unavoydably have been handled in the former I say so far as those things do agree to the Supper subjects only being changed So far then as ought hath beene toucht before of the Order the Constitution the Acts Grace or Sealing of Baptisme which may sute and agree with this of the Supper let none looke for the Repetition of it onely in such grounds I will content my selfe to point to the speciall application in few words and dwell the longer upon things peculiarly proper to the Supper And those are these three The Acts to be performed The distinct grace offred in it The speciall end of it which stands in the sealing power and the object wherabout it s occupied Description of it The Supper of the Lord then to describe it first is the second Sacrament of the Gospell consisting of Iesus Christ exhibited in the Bread and Wine wherein by certeine Acts duly perfourmed about the Elements whole christ-Christ-body and Blood is conveyed to the Soule for the sealing up of her Growth and encrease in the Grace of the Covenant 1 Branch of the order Vse First I point in a word at the order In the first Sacrament I noted the impudency of such as will invert Gods order Now in
wonders you have felt him on your feete your shooes not waxing old worne him upon your backes your apparrell not tearing and shall the Lord be still a stranger So I may say heere you grope him Act. 17 27 touch and tast and see him in Sacramentall bread and doe yee remaine distrustfull Objection But they seeme not to have any such power in them Answer They are I confesse as the craggy hill which Ionathan and his Armorbearer went up upon all foure when they were to goe fight against the Philistims We know what Ionathan said to his servant Bee of good courage 1 Sam. 14 1â— if God give us a signe that our journey is from him we shall prevaile So I say this hill is craggy and there is small likelinesse of overcomming if we looke to carnall reason But seeing these Elements or rather the Lord in them say to us Come up be wee of good cheere beleeve and goe up the Lord is with us and hath given us a signe that we shall prevaile as unlikely things as these may seeme to resemble and convey Christ our nourishment unto us Secondly as touching the aptnesse of Bread and wine to exhibit the nourishment of our Lord Iesus 2. Aptnesse wee may consider how like to himselfe the Lord Iesus is both in his word and seales rather ayming graciously at the most easie peculiar way to let in Christ than dealing in some darke course little to the purpose for our good He knew it was no easy thing for flesh and blood to be subdued to the Sacrament of Christ our nourishment therefore he offers him most aptly and fitly unto us that like might carry us to like As he saith 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speake one word in the Church to understanding and edifying than 1000. in a strange language So 1 Cor 14 19 the Lord had rather give us one or two signes of our spirituall refreshing with propriety and facility than a 1000. with darkenesse And why because hee knowes they are mysteries which he offereth both in word and Sacraments If then he should speake to us in strange phrases a farre off or offer us Sacraments of things intricate and obscure how should wee conceive him when a darke thing is opened by a darker 1 Cor. 14 8. If the Trumpet give an uncertaine sound who shall prepare to the battell Sacraments are Gods legacies If then wise men would not leave legacies unapt to their children as Bookes to an Idiot or shop and tooles to a Student but wife and apt gifts according to the use of such as are to enjoy them how much more the Lord Vse The use is to confute Popish preaching and Sacraments in point of their obscurity Alas farre are they from Crucifying Christ plainely before the people by manifest ripping up of the mystery of godlinesse â— Tim. 3 ult Christ incarnate crucified and ascended to be the life and support of his Church Rather they maintaine this principle That ignorance is the mother of devotion and wrap Christ againe in his swathe bands of darkenesse that no man may conceive him yea when they have so handled the matter that the people are carryed furthest from Christ both in doctrine and seales then are they quietest and their hearts most at peace A signe that Sathan the God of this world dwelles among them and keepes all locked up in peace 2 Cor. 4 4. mindes consciences and affections so that the light of Christ might not enter but rather all profanenesse Idolatry might beare sway As for the aptnesse of nourishing Elements what shew is there left in their Sacrament of their Altar either in the matter which they have taken in part from the people or in their administration which stands in Heathenish obscurities and rites of no significancy or in their scope which is to give God a sacrifice not to take from him any nourishment Therefore let us abhorre them and both blesse God that hee hath not quite suffered us to be drowned in their darkenesse beseech him to purge us more and more in these ordinances and especially grow more capable by them for if these Glasses will not helpe us we are not dimme but blinde I proceede to the third the simplicity of them 3. simplicity We see by what homely naked Elements the Lord Iesus resembles this spirituall nourishment not by costly bread spiced and delicate nor by compound and costly drinkes such as some nations Turkish and others use at this day such as might better sute with the palate than ought else nor yet with costly state of Celebration but homely bread and common wine yea and that when the bellies of the Disciples had beene filled To the hungry and thirsty meate and drinke is welcome for it selfe But our Saviour offring these to full stomacks would have them to know that other things were by him intended The use is to confute all Popish bravery in the administration of this Sacrament their apish ceremonies and trickes used to set forth Gods materialls as if hee were too simple for them Oh! They must have so many pompors Rites of Altars Adoration Circumgestation as if Gods naked Elements were base things Nay their cursed transubstantiation as it offends in other higher respects especially in turning a base creature into the similitude of God and so destroyes all Sacramentall relation so also against this in speciall that it destroyes the plaine homelinesse of Gods invention thinking that except bread and wine turne flesh and blood their goodly Idoll is disparaged An abuse properly to be taxed in this place for in the other Sacrament they maintaine no such Transelementation of common water into the water or blood of Christ Vse 2 Secondly it should teach all true receivers of this Sacrament to take order against a carnall heart in their comming to or taking of this Sacrrment Let our hearts be to all carnall receiving as the stomacks of the Disciples now were to bread and wine whereof they were filled Come to the Lord as one weary of thy sensuall appetites and objects Bring not the thoughts of thy trade money belly pleasures thither Its an holy thing of the highest nature which the Lord offers thee If thou shouldst behold all precious outward objects of gold and silvet and Iewels to melt and run downe the streets how base they would be Thinke here when thou commest to this Sacrament and seest the Lord Iesus offered under such bare poore creatures that God sets him above all outward glorie of the earth and would shew thee his glorious grace in the true lustre thereof so that no base thing should eclipse it Bee then or strive to be as Christ would have thee wholly spirituall Col. 3 1. and set thy affections upon thy treasure where Christ sits looke not upon the outside behold not the ragges and cloathes of Christ risen Luk. 24.5 but heare the Angell saying Behold he is risen he is not here
Iesus his nourishment to thy soule in renewed grace Spirit of prayer of uprightnesse watchfulnesse bearing the Crosse well issues from thy renewing of faith in his reconciliation and forgivenesse If thou have lost thy peace by an ill conscience beware thou come not first to the Sacrament to fetch strength to returne to thy former course of walking with God till first thy pardon and peace be renewed that were to soder not to mend thy breach yea it were to dawbe with untempered morter Christ is first broken as a satisfier of wrath and then as a nourisher of a poore emptie soule Touching the second Learne to apply the Lord Iesus broken in the Sacrament for thee in a confident manner 2 Act. If hee have beene really thine broken for thy renewed pardon yea the oftner the better lay thy soule in the clift of this Rocke Exod. 33 32. get thy selfe into his wounds and lie in his sides and thence shalt thou draw nourishment to sustaine thee whence thou drewest strengh to make thy peace This broken Christ his bloud his powring out containes both thy peace and thy grace and by an inseparable union of the Spirit is given for both Lesse than the bloud of Christ dead upon the Crosse could not save thee and lesse than it can not restore any grace of his Spirit decaied in thee as the Spirit of prayer watching sobernesse heavenlinesse of heart But if the Sacrament have revived the one feare not the other will follow There is a knot of unions in Sacramentall broken Christ get one and get both faith will teach thee how to get both and doth sweetly claspe with Christ for welfare in both Touching the substance of which I speake lesse here because I shall handle it in the second generall head of the grace offered in this Sacrament Vse Onely this one thing I adde here that the broken body and bloud powred out of Christ is offered thee in this Supper to nourish thy faith in Christ crucified afflicted wounded for thee that hereby thou mightst draw strength from his Passion to suffer and overcome in him or for him whatsoever the Lord shall thinke good to lay upon thee whatsoever then thy Crosse be especially if bitter wearisome unusuall darke and tedious to be borne come to the fountaine of patience and victory the Lord Iesus broken for thee Hee hath overcome the chiefe dint of all crosses in taking the fire wrath and sting of sinne out of thy conscience and this is one maine helpe to settle a restlesse heart under deepe affliction that Christ broken hath taken away guilt and brought pardon and peace And secondly having so done hee hath overcome the force of the Crosse and hath brought patience selfe-deniall calmenesse humblenesse under the same into thee so that in him thou shalt be upholden endure and beare thy yoke not murmour not thinke long not use shifts but by the promise sealed by the Sacrament beleeve the Lord will in due season give thee beauty for ashes Esay 61 3. and the sweet fruit of righteousnesse and patience more sweet than the trouble was grievous These the Sacrament doth confirme and settle the soule in daily if Christ broken bee wisely applied and put on by faith To conclude all I say if the Lord Iesus Sacramentall be a broken Christ for all uses Vse 6 Sixthly how cursed is the condition of all such receivers as are yet to seeke of him in any benefit of his Sacrifice and Crosse Oh! how fearefull is the Sacrament to all such as never understood the Doctrine of Christ broken How shall they be the better for the Supper Oh! what terror should it worke in such consciences as can not by experience speake one word to their soule of the benefit of Christ in either Surely if the Lord Iesus broken were never given them no other benefit of his Adoption or Sanctification either in grace and glory can be theirs And by consequent that fulnesse of Christ which here is exhibited to the faithfull to save and refresh them becomes by their unbeleefe as unfruitfull to their soules as if Christ had never dyed nor Sacrament ever beene offered them For they are still the same neither good day mends them nor bad payres them for any pardon or grace that ever Christ broken could yet helpe them withall But for the third Act thus much Now the fourth and last ministeriall act of the Supper The fourth Act. The distributing is the distribution of it to the people with a charging them to receive it as from God For its expresly added that our Saviour having taken blessed and broken the Elements did give them himselfe to his Disciples He called them not about him and suffered them to serve themselves of them but dealt out both Bread and Cup to each of them and susteyning a double person both of the divider and of the thing divided charged them each and all to receive and apply them as the offer of God And to say truth to what end served the former acts save for this last Touching the severall distribution of Christ I doe not thinke that he did severally give it to the person of each disciple immediately but that reaching out the severall morsells he gave personally to them who were nearest and so by them he conveyed it to the remotest sitter till all were served And this he did not onely in the bread but in the Cup also as Saint Luke doth particularly mention and so the other 1 Cor. 11.21 Luk. 22.20 and Paul 1 Cor. 11. expresseth Now in this last act I consider two things Two things heere First personall Secondly peculiar application of the Sacrament For the former he would intimate thus much 1. For personall application that the Minister in his reaching out the Elements to each receiver is the hand of the Father applying the Christ of the whole Church to such a man and such a woman in person And as each communicant susteines a double person eyther of membership as hee is belonging to the whole body or of person as he is to answer for himsefe to God so in the former respect he communicates no other Christ than the Christ and head of the body and so calls God our Father and Christ our Christ seeing he hath no right to any Christ save in the Communion of Saints By vertue of which he approves himselfe to be a true member of the body clayming no right to Christ otherwise than the Christ of his whole militant Church But in the second respect as each person or beleeving receiver stands in his owne place and receaves speciall grace for himselfe so hee calls God my Father and Christ my Christ and therefore comes not to receive any implicite Christ Iohn 10.28 or as the Church receives him but comes to receive him for himselfe in person for his owne pardon assurance peace support and so his owne as no mans else Each Christian hath
worke or else all shee hath in her is in vaine the principle of life shee hath will not worke will not helpe except it be jogged by the Spirit that gave it as the hand that stirres the saw to quicken the operations of life no meanes no diet can nourish without this 5. Takes measure of all her wants in speciall And so I might bee endlesse For this spirit doth by a promise offer the Lord Iesus to the soule as one that knowes all her wants takes measure of her defects as one should doe of a body for apparell to make it fit and sutable So doth Christ provide all nourishment apt nourishment for every part against each corruption temptation affliction for every duty for marriage for liberty for company for Sabbaths hearing and ordinances yea to draw to an end the Spirit by the promise doth stirre up first sight of Christ her nourishment 6. Workes application of the promise secondly affections after him thirdly an hand to reach him take him put him on apply him faith to digest and draw from him whatsoever he offers her freely cheerefully confidently sensibly Faith carries her into the streame of his welfare the floods as Iob speakes of his butter and honey and venturing upon his word takes him as he offers himselfe and not by a base and trecherous heart putting him off with his store and plenty as if it were too good for her to receive Conclusion Now then to end this point if the Spirit can thus worke the heart to imbrace Christ by a promise how much more by the Sacrament of the Supper in which I may truely say the Lord Iesus is brought forth in his likenesse eminently even in the instruments and immediate manner of nourishing all Christ whole in respect of his obedience and death pardon and holinesse as a diamond not to be broken and yet broken also upon the Crosse divided into portions as the meete morsells of each poore receiver that needs his flesh and blood True bread to be her staffe of life and wine to be the cherisher of her spirits Oh! the bringing forth of these flagons in so sensible a manner to affect all her soule and to overthrow infidelity must needs be a more effectuall instrument of the Spirit to perswade her that Christ is all in all unto her for her support in grace and holinesse than eyther the word alone or any other ordinance The Lord having in speciall set the Supper apart neyther to bee a breeder at all of grace as the word preached is nor to be a nourisher in an ordinary manner as other publique or private meanes in each of which Christ conveyes himselfe his communion to the soule but an ordinance onely tending to nourish serving for the nonce and to no other purpose and therefore having no other scope must needes be most effectuall for the end it serves for Each thing is most prevalent in her owne predominancy and Element If then the spirit so can worke by the promise alone how much more by the Sacrament which represents that which it offers under the shaddow of the signes and tells the soule Ioh. 20 27. Behold the print of the nayles behold my side behold my selfe heere is my body heere is my blood given for thee shed for thee Verse 28. Be not unfaithfull bue faithfull Sooner shall bread and wine cease to nourish thy body than my flesh and blood to nourish thy soule to eternall life The conclusion is the Spirit doth more eminently convince the soule by the Supper of her nourishment by Christ than it can by the Word alone for as much as the Sacrament with the Word is above the Word The third and last question remaines 3. Quest Wherein Sacramentall Christ for our nourishment stands Answer twofold The first The object expressed many wayes wherein Sacramentall nourishment consists The meaning of which question is double The first concernes the parts of it The second the degrees of it The first lookes at the object how many wayes Christ is the nourishment of his The second rather lookes at the influence it selfe of what kinde or measure it is Touching the first As I sayd before of Baptisme that it affords to the soule Christ to be her seede in all respects of true being and regeneration so now I say the Supper offers him to the soule in each of those particulars for welbeing I have oft thought of two Texts which will expresse the difference That of Paul Ephe. 1.3 Ephe. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things by Christ doth note unto us the grace of Baptisme as all the Chapter following prooves in which the distinct essence of those blessings consists There is another in 2 Pet. Chap. 1 Vers 3. 2 Pet 1.3 His divine power ministring to us all things for life and godlinesse hee meanes not the being of those things but daily supply and increase influence from the Spirit of Christ to uphold the soule in them which hath them and this denotes the grace of the Supper Now if wee marke wee shall see the Scriptures speake of this nourishing grace of Christ sundry wayes Psal 84. Psal 84.11 Psal 37.4 He shall deny them no good thing Delight in the Lord he shall give thee thy hearts desire Doe but think what it is which of all other thou wouldst have finde out thy want and the Lord shall be thy supply noting that how infinite so ever the needs and decayes of the soule are God hath supply enough in Christ for them This is most generall Sometime the holy Ghost shortly knits up particulars as in the same Psalme The Lord shall afford light and defence to his By light including all such good things as wee call positive graces as pardon peace ability to duties c. By defence all privative grace as prevention of evill strength against enemies assaults of Sathan world flesh streights and crosses Sometimes hee is more large â— Cor. 1.30 saying that Christ is made to us wisedome to make us more and more understanding in the truths of God and direction to live accordingly righteousnesse to know our selves justified by better and surer evidence Sanctification to grow holier more mortified daily abler to walke with God in the course of our conversation Redemption to uphold us in all our troubles with more humblenesse patience faith and experience and to helpe us against all enemies till we be fully delivered from all Especially by applying it to the graces of Baptisme But as I take it the most convenient way to expresse the extent of this Grace will be to apply the Supper to all and each branch of the grace of Baptisme Breefely then marke Doth Baptisme give us an estate in Iustification Adoption Reconciliation Redemption Then the Supper confirms nourishes them Objection Heere by the way a doubt may be soone made and is as soone answered
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
encrease in every true Receiver especially being assisted with other helpes inward and outward the mercies and blessings of God which as Talents are put to advantage for Gods glory The third degree Stablenesse in grace The third is stablenesse in grace Wee see that mens bodies in time by continuance of health and groth come to a pitch to a measure of groth This is a third prospering It is not with the soule as with the body which ceaseth to grow when it is at her pitch or declines rather when it is growne to her full point What it is But herein a pitch of bodily groth resembles spirituall that as the man growne to his full period enjoyes as it were himselfe and all his former yeares which he hath lived becomes now of a growing a growne man is come now to his best to his full strength ability and sufficiencie for service so is it with a Christian He growes in Christ to the measure and fulnesse of him Ephe. 4.13 Eph. 4.13 So that whereas before in his beginnings and proceedings hee found much ignorance in minde much error in judgement much infirmity in spirit much to seeke of direction and wisdome in his course Also much unsetled wearisome off and on up and downe in holy practise many combats and conflicts with his bubbling rebellious inconstant treacherous withdrawing spirit lo now it s otherwise now he is growne to some stay setling ripenesse and experience in Gods matters Heb. 5. Heb. 5. ult more exercised in his spirituall senses to put a difference betweene good and evill persons and things not so blinde as formerly but light in the Lord judicious observative sober in affections staide in minde and resolution Ephe. 5 16. 1 Iohn 2.13 Act. 11.27 1 Cor. 7.35 Ephes 4.12 having his heart at better bay and more awe for teachable subjection to God more firme in purpose of heart to cleave to God without disstraction 1 Cor. 7.35 not easily carried away by each Doctrine and dice-play of men not mistaking truths not slighting them not partially affecting them but moulded in them fashioned by them and keeping his fashion as a man would doe of his apparell against each noveltie So also constant setled rooted and stable 1 Cor. 15. last reade it not ungrounded in the foundation not to seeke when Satan buffets but knowing his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 2.11 and also strong to resist couragious in the use of the Armour and so persevering in his course This is that which Paul Ephe. 3. cals Christ dwelling in the soule by faith as the Inhabitant who keepes in his owne Christ Sacramentall doth this Epes 3.17 is not as a Stranger or a Sojorner who comes and goes but a Ledger one that holds his abode and delights in his dwelling Oh! this is a great degree of Christs infusion and influence into the soule when he pitches there settles and dwels there for what else is the stablenesse of the soule in grace save Christs dwelling in it by his grace and is no flittet thence And this third degrâ—e of nourishment the Lord workes in all his who have attained the former two They come to be as the Scholler riveted into his Rules or the tradesman in the myrie of his occupation not to seeke of it It is the promise of Christ to all his that they shall grow up thus in the body not by any vertue of their owne but by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus their nourishment And to this end especially they cleave to this Sacrament and improve the promise of it This is my body This is my bloud even to settle the soule by the frequent receiving of it upon the Lord Iesus for stablenesse strength courage that they may enjoy the Lord Iesus in all the Sacraments they have received and retaine the power of all the Ordinances they have used all the graces they have growne in all the duties they have done afflictions they have endured examples they have seene workes and governement of God which they have marked I say that from all these the Lord would bring such an holy experience of heart resolution of purpose setling of spirit upon the Lord his threats commands and promises as not doubting but they are firme and sure Matth. 7 ult and therefore a rocke and foundation sufficient to rely upon in all windes stormes and weathers whatsoever This I say is that third degree of Christ our nourishment which each communicant lookes for at the Supper The fourth degree Fruitfulnesse in grace 1 Cor. 15. ult What it is The fourth and last is fruitfulnesse in grace See 1 Cor. 15 ult where the Apostle joynes these two last branches Be yee unmooveable and setled alway abounding in the worke of the Lord. Wee see it in plants and men The plants must be well spread and rooted in the earth before they can grow fruitfull at least in plenty A little roote will not nourish large branches and boughes Sometime the root is so bare and fleet that it will scarce furnish the tree with leaves but a large deepe root hath many strings and little suckers which worke for the tree and feede her with nourishment so that the roote abiding deepe aod fast in the earth the fruit is plentifull Wee know nature is never more fruitfull in the active principle of generation than when the strength of the body is well confirmed So then this is the last step of spirituall prosperitie when this fourth is added to the three former to wit fruitfulnesse in a good course And it is the perfection of that influence and communion which we here enjoy in the Lord Iesus our nourishment That meate indeede and drinke indeede is this abundance and fruitfulnesse When out of the abundance of the heart the tongue is fruitfull in uttering the hands in working the feete in walking the members in service the whole tree in bringing forth fruits of righteousnesse Esay 61 3. calles such accepted and beloved of the Lord as we esteeme exceedingly of bearing trees especially if yearely and plentifully It is from the roote of the Lord Iesus that the soule doth grow thus fruitfull The indwelling of Christ is the abundance of influence the lesse of Christ the soule hath the lesse sap and fruit the nearer the communion the greater the influence The greater the treasure is from which a man draweth the richer the supply We say It s sweet to take from a great heape An heape wil serve for all uses a poore unstockt man is easily perceived in his wares the small store and choise therof hee that hath little mony to lay out is bare in his household attire family diet scarse hath for necessitie but nothing for delight and plenty So is it with a man that is no prosperer in grace hath only froÌ„ hand to mouth he cannot verifie our Saviour his specch That out of the abundance of the heart he bringeth good things abundantly but
have ever beleeved the promise and found favour with God then I say the grace of God within you shall stirre up your soules to an unfaigned humiliation and brokennesse and shall recover you to a sight of his promise The Spirit of God shall not suffer you to runne from God with such full bent of heart but your checks and cumbats working with the experience of mercy and former pardons shall revive the seede of God within you So that yee shall not wholly shake off the spirit of regeneration The grace of your Baptisme shall be as a second boord after shipwracke to recover you and shall send you to the Supper with hope of regayning that light and comfort which your revolts have darkened and eclipsed else should the Sacrament be of no power to succour distressed consciences in their relapses But this I adde such shall finde it hard to binde up their breaches and wish they had never revolted Vse 4 Fourthly let this be an rise of Instruction about that one particular of Christ our nourishment in redemption a doctrine seldome pressed in the Sacrament and therefore I will take some paines to presse it The Supper of the Lord offers to all beleevers a portion of Communion with Christ in his Afflictions And as baptisme is our prest-mony to bind us to Christ in all estates to bee his souldiers as well as servants to our end so the Supper confirmeth us in the grace of our Baptisme Therefore know that its not for nothing that we receive Christ crucified both body and blood under bread and wine to put us in minde of taking up our crosse dayly making it our dayly bread That we drinke at this Supper as its wine of refreshing so it is a Cup of blood and the wine of the indignation of the Lord upon his Sonne Esay 63.2.3 Esay 63.2 3. And although Christ dranâ—e the dregges and trod the wine-presse threof to free us from the guilt and curse of it yet not from suffering for Christ The Sacrament is a badge of our conâ—ormity with Christ or at least of our renued courage in his afflictions Phi. 3. Christs cup was so bitter that he praied oft Father take it away So must thou looke for the like that if God should compasse thee about and hedge in thy way Phil. 3 12. adde sorrow to sorrow and make thee a Marah of a Nahomi remooving thee on the suddaine farre from prosperity Oh! Ruth 1 20. thou mayest say The Lord Iesus hath dranke of this cup unto me The extreame bitternesse and anguish of it he hath taken off if thou be his thou mayest say Blessed be God this Sacrament offers me a discharge from sinne curse Satan hell and Death I know the hardest have shot the gulfe of these yet still there remaines a relique of bitternes for thee to drinke to frame thee to the love selfe-deniall patience and victory of thy Master 2 Cor. 5 ult Esay 53.12 and much more to bee content to beare as hee did He bare for no sinne of his owne but thine onely and he bare that he might helpe thee to beare and in all thy afflictions be troubled that he might take the sting and venome of them away and make them tollerable Do not then greet the Lord unkindly and treacherously when the crosse comes as if the Lord had sent it in wrath to cut thee off to take away thy right Lam. 3. and to cast downe thy soule out of her place No although the Crosse may seeme darke uncouth Lam. 3 35. and to have such sad circumstances in it as for the present thou seest not how to winde out of But remember thou receivest the Sacrament no ofter than the Lord Iesus offers himselfe to thee in the heaviest bitterest and most unspeakeable crosse that ever was borne What gall was not mingled with his drinke Mat. 36.46 48. Wherein was he afflicted save in that which was most precious even the love of his Father and for what save for sinne that was more irkesome to him than death If the Lord then crosse thee so not in some petty filip of a finger but in a tedious sort even in what is most pretious consider the Lord hath done it that hee might make thee partaker of his holinesse Heb. 12. conformed to him in his meeke yeelding to his Fathers will to the contempt of the world nay of thy vile and proud heart to selfe-deniall in all blessings to mortification of thy ranke lusts yea hee doth it that thou mightest put thy mouth in the dust and be low when he will have thee so that rottennesse might enter into thy bones and thou mightest have peace in the day of trouble Be then under it as he was whose cup thou dost drinke of and shew what strength thy oft drinking of it hath put into thee Be sensible of Gods stroke in a moderation neither too much nor too litttle Labour to suffer the will of God let it clense thy soule and purge that scurfe which it was sent for and trust God and pray that he would deliver thee from that thou fearest Heb. 5.5 waite for the good of it the whilest and for release of it in due time not consulting with flesh how or how farre or when but trusting him with it who hath infinite wayes above thy reach to effect it If the Martyres could endure their bodies to bee burnt to ashes gladly upon this ground how much more thou who never enduredst the firy triall nor yet the anger of God in thy smaller trouble If he have removed that by his agony bloody sweat and desertion what else save sweat conformity to thy head remaines for thee Let it then be instruction to thee to draw more and more strength from the Sacrament to enable and susteine thee in thy bearing of it Alas we come for the staffe of bread and the wine of rejoycing to fit us to obey But not for the helping us to eate the bread of affliction and to beare the cup of indignation aright as Micah 7 9. Mica 7 9. Oh! what a stranger it is But of this so much CHAP. VIII Touching the Sacramentall Acts of the People and so the third Generall of the Description viz. The End of the Supper NOw my promise made at the end of the 6 Chapter requires that I come to the Sacramentall Acts of the People The which I will handle as the use of Exhortation from the doctrine of the former Chaper falling fitly inâ—o the streame thereof Fiftly then is Christ Sacramental our nourishment Then let all his People obey his charge first to take this body and blood of his to them secondly to eate and drinke them Touching the former I meane this receive and beleeve that this flesh and blood of his is given thee for thy particular nourishment All the former uses presuppose this obey in this and all the rest shall follow duely For the better conceaving of this
Act of taking note 1 Take that it stands in relation to a gift offered in the Sacrament And the gift is Christ and his benefits 2 Things in it Now to take them is to doe these two things First to concurre with the giver in the offer of this nourishment Secondly 1 Concurrence to apply and make it our gaine for the purpose which it serves for The former of these hath two branches according to the nature of the offer made in the Sacrament the former is concurrence of consent the latter of obedience in both stands faith That this may bee conceived marke that the Lord offers this gift either by promise or by charge The former is the ground of the latter and therefore the soule concurres with him in both duely consents to his promise without cavilling obeyes his charge without rebelling takes by both Partly in consent in 6 partice Touching the former first let it appeare how God offers and promises Christ Sacramentall and then it will easily appeare how freely faith consents The promise is conceived thus This is my body that is given for you This is the new Testament and the cup of it in my blood shed for you In this conceive these sixe especialls which in a short view to see will both revive and profit the Reader breefely 1. 1 The excellency of the offer The excellencie of the gift 2. The fulnesse 3. The aptnesse 4. The propriety 5. The graciousnesse 6 The manner of exhibiting and these will shew how faith consents First the Lord saith This is my body and blood that is my nourishment meate indeed drinke indeede not earthly fading mortall but heavenly eternall hee which eates it shall hunger no more he who drinketh it shall thirst no more it s the Lord Iesus from heaven heavenly What saith faith I consent Lord the reason is strong I take thee Secondly the fulnesse 2 The fulnesse of it This my food is no scant and halfe diet it s my flesh and my blood that is my selfe in my Satisfaction and Efficacie and my whole selfe no part excepted the whole Diamond unbroken and with my selfe all that I can afford all my graces to nourish the whole soule in each part for each defect for full encrease not a particular gift to the mind as knowledge or to the heart as patience but all Christ and all his grace for the perfecting of the whole man in his measure What saith faith She consents its royall Oh Lord I yeeld and take it 3. The Aptnesse of it Thirdly the aptnesse The Lord offers thee not meate and drinke which thou art uncapable of as if whole loaves or flagons should be offered thee too heavie and grosse for thy receiving But its apt prepared for thee meat layd unto thee in morsells in a cup a meet draught for thee a body given and broken A cup of the new Testament in my blood What saith faith I consent Lord I doe take it as prepared for mee Fourthly propriety 4. The propciety of it The Lord addeth It s given for you shed for you for you in person and for your wants and uses in especiall So broken and shed as if no other but you were regarded in it yea though given for the sinnes of the world yet specially for you and your nourishment What saith faith She consents Lord I leave not my portion for another to take I take my owne my selfe Fifthly graciousnesse Lord it s a Nourishment given 5. The graciousnesse of it Offered to you what is freer than gift It s not urged extorted by force on your part although if yee went from sea to sea to get it it were cheape on the price but freely and of mine owne accord given when it could not be expected with a most plaine beteaming heart meaning as I speake not to deceive nor defraud What doth faith Lord farre be it from me to warpe from thy meaning I enquire no further I consent and take it Lastly the manner of exhibiting it 6. The manner of exhibition I offer it thee under signes of bread and wine the staffe of life and cheere of the spirits It is no other nourishment than I offred thee in my Promise That offered me as thy pardon peace and strength so doth my Supper The manner of exhibiting is diverse but my offer is one and the nourishment is the same onely heere I offer it in a more familiar and apt manner to releeve thy infidelity let not that which I offer thee for the better in the more effectuall manner proove for the worser and be weaker in efficacy What saith faith She answers Thy way is best I consent I take it in the way thou offerest it Thus wee see how faith concurs with the promise and consents to it Vpon the Promise depends the charge For marke The 2. Act Obedience of faith the Lord addes Take it therefore eate and drinke it Why because it s so qualified for thee and so necessary that thou canst not take it but thou shalt prosper and be happy thou canst not refuse it but thou must needs pine and perish Therefore I who by promise have thus drawne thee doe also by my Authority Command thee I know many thinges as excellent and weighty as they are yet are not esteemed because they are unknowne Therefore I who know them better than thou doe require and charge thee upon thy Allegiance Take eate and drinke this my body and blood that thou mayest prosper and fare well What doth faith She obeyes the command and saith I doe so Lord I take them as thou commandest I concurre with thy command as with thy promise Thus wee see the first worke of faith to concurre with the offer of Christ her nourishment Thus much for that The use of it ere we come to the second is threefold first The Vses 1. of distinction or difference betweene a true Taker of the Sacrament and a false a beleeving one and an unbeleeving It s worth our noting because every foole will be prating and say he hath taken the Sacrament to day Oh its high holiday with him His garments are all white But oh foole what taking is thine Onely of the Elements onely the worke wrought If this will commend thee to God for a true taker it s well else all is lost But oh wretch Thou art a taker indeed but a Theefe thou takest that which is none of thine by sacriledge Thou takest not by concurrence with a promise Thou neither consentest to that nor obeyest the charge thou runnest not with God but out-runnest him preventest him and snatchest his nourishment from him as a dogge which hee hath given onely to children And this I will proove Thou hast neither a consenting eye of faith to see what the Lord gives thee nor yet a consenting heart to be affected with it nor yet a consenting hand to receive it more than sense convinceth thee
shalt eate this meat and drinke this drinke indeede never to decay True apprehension of the Promise first will cause it Say then thus Lord thou saydst seeke my face in the supper thou saydst come take eate What meanest thou but this that I should concurre with thee and bee of like mind consenting to thee that thou dealest plainely and speakest as thou meanest without hooke or crooke Oh Lord what should let me I am convinced that if thou hadst not meant well thy selfe and Christ might have spared infinite labour Therefore I consent Thou sayst take as freely as I offer be to mee as I am to thee play not the traytor 2 Cor. 6 11 12. Be enlarged to mee for I am enlarged Oh Lord so I am I beleeve I dare not distrust and descant and play the slave with thee but see cause why thy word should bee esteemed as pure true faithfull as thy selfe is I am the cause of my owne sorrow could I be to thee as thou to my soule my people as thy people my thoughts affections as thine Oh how happy I will strive for it So for obedience say as Peter Luke 5 5. At thy command I will let downe I will take thy Sacrament Alas what villany were it to thinke thou shouldst seeke thy good in it and not mine should not I creepe and crouch for it rather than urge thee to command mee Nay should not I feare that if I disobey thee in thy charge thou wilt threaten mee with condemnation for not discerning thy meaning Oh! I obey with all gladnesse Give power to doe as thou bidst and I will doe what thou wilt And to end this point deny thy selfe and come in the sence of thy utter perishing to the Lord for this grace of the Supper Come to the Lord with that speech which the Israelites were bid to come to the feast of the Lord Deut. 26. verse 5. A perishing Syrian was my Father So come with a soule in love with his dainties and like to sterve for want of them The drowning man hath the most Taking hand of all the most catching fastening hand of all 2 or 3 of his fingers will take more hold than an whole hand of one that is well enough bee it never such a paulsey-hand trembling and shaking yet if a taking hand it is the hand which Christ calls to his body and blood The latter work of faith 2 Branch Application of faith is the application of the grace offered unto thy soule for the gaine thereof When thou hast beleeved the promise once doe as hee who hath bought and payde for his bargaine incorporate thy selfe into the benefit of it and apply it to thy selfe Take the Lord Iesus thy nourishment so as he may in truth really nourish and doe thee good in all thy whole soule in all the powers of it in thy whole body and all the members and in all thy whole course of each part and service thereof See it bee well with thee in all that thou prosper in all and blesse God for faith when thou feelest her carrying from this body and blood of Christ Layd out by a similitude in 4. Branches into every faculty and member of thee Faith in relation to Christ in the supper may bee compared to the Nourishing soule and her naturall faculties in man and that in foure particulars 1 Faith Sacramentall resembles the stomacke in the body The stomack we know so takes the nourishment 1. By the stomacke as that it unites it to it selfe and alters it in the property that it may become her owne and beginne to loose it owne forme that it may put on a new Till the stomacke have thus held closed and digested the meate lo it may bee voyded up againe This is the first worke Faith takes the Lord Iesus and closes with him puts him into the stomacke of the soule digests him there unites him to it selfe suffers him not to depart away from her as he came but holds him makes him hers and alters him in some degree for her owne Nourishment When the hand takes Bread flesh drinke to put it in the mouth lo its true meate in it selfe but not the bodies as yet but if the stomacke have once layd it in close lo it ceases to be bread and flesh and beginnes to bee the stomackes and to undergoe a due change that it may afterwards bee the bodies food The Ivy doth not so close with the tree or the Misle to the Appletree for her owne end altering the juyce for her owne use as faith Sacramentall alters Christs body blood makes it another turnes it into matter prepared for her selfe Faith truely saith by vertue of the ordinance and Spirit of the same loe This body is mine my meate I lay claime to it this blood is mine All the grace of the Sacrament is mine I clare not leave it behind mee for it s given for mee as meate for the body And as the stomacke closes with meat as her owne so doth faith with the Lord Iesus for why By as due right this nourishment is hers Secondly faith is like the naturall Appetite in the body 2 By Naturall Appetire wee know such is the Nature of that facultie in the healthy and stirring that there is alway a passage from the stomack to the veynes and so the appetite is cleare the stomacke kept cleane and fit for continuall Attraction of new nourishment So is faith in the soule it holds the soule in such perpetuall holy motion and passage of old nourishment that it is alway healthy and empty and open to receive in new Perpetuall expence of nourishment prepares her appetite to new refreshing The soule that is desirous of meat by starts and fitts is clogged and makes not away with the former but when the use of nature hath conveyed one meale away and spent the strength of one lo the veines grow very attractive and pinch the stomacke to covet more and to bee in perpetuall appetite Faith is the stirring work-man or hous-wife in the soule never surfited with humors or clogged so with distempers but that shee retaines some sweete appetite after new refreshing Otherwise Christ yesterday to day and for ever would grow fulsome and wearisome with her but by this meanes the appetite is in continuall health and temper ever sending forth supply for new dueties occasions of the heat and life and therfore ever capable of new nourishment with delight Hence it is that though the meat bee not much which shee takes yet she thrives merveilously and a little in an haile stomack goes a great way how much more then when hunger makes her feed fully Thirdly faith is like the great carrying veine in the body 3 By the carrying veyne from the liver the fountaine of blood and nourishment and to the smal veins in the extremities of the members For as the one derives the blood into each part by a proprietie of nature
naturall acts of applying G. SAcraments are Glasses to resemble Christ in Page 56 Growne ones must looke backe to their Baptisme Page 80. 100 Grace of Baptisme what 83. the handling of it Page 84. 85 The Grace of the Supper is whole Christ for spirituall nourishment of them that live in him Page 146 Spirituall growth is a second degree of soule prosperity or nourishment by the Supper 156. how Christ doth this Page 157 H. HOlinesse and hope of glory fruits of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirituall Health of the soule the first part of prospering by the Supper 115. what it is ib. I. INfants the object of Baptisme 78. yet not onely they ib. Baptisme of Infants proved 78. ib. and reasons for it 79. against Anabaptists Infants how capable of the grace of Baptisme 79 ibid. not by faith ibid. Idolatry prevented by the ordaining of Sacraments Page 33 Imparting our selves vid. Communicating L. LIberty from the Spirit of bondage one fruit of the sealing Spirit Page 103 M. MAtter of Sacraments must be sensible and corporall and why Page 32 Sacraments serve to be Memorials Page 56 Matter of Sacraments adulterated by Papists or disanulled Page 33 34 Minister a necessary person for Sacraments 65. His calling and person must be sutable Page 65 66. Ministeriall acts about Sacraments many Page 68 Ministers duty in Baptisme manifold and what Page 76 Matter of the Supper Bread and Wine 10. It is sensible ib. Ministers must bee reverend and holy in Taking Blessing Breaking Dividing the Sacrament vid. Breaking c. The Minister honourable for his undâ—r stewardship dealing out the portion to Gods family Page 143. N. NEcessity of teaching the doctrine of Sacraments threefold Page 5 Number of Sacra small Page 6 New Sacraments clearer fewer and effectualler than old from p. 13. to 19. Young Novices must make use of their Baptisme Page 99 Christs Body and Blood for Nourishment of a Beleever is the grace of the Sacrament 146. and how in six particulars Page 147 Christ in the Supper becomes Nourishment in all respects as Baptismâ— becomes seed Page 152 153 Christ our nourishment stands in foure parts of spirituall prosperity Page 154 Christ the Nourishment of the Beleevers a feareful Terror to al unbeleevers Page 163 Triall of the soule about Christ her Nourishment in five things Page 165 167 O. OLd Sacraments were curses to many through error See prefa Old Sacraments darke wherein and why Page 15. 16 Old Sacraments more in way of resemblances and why Page 17 Old Sacraments weaker than new and wherein Page 18 19 P. PVblikenesse of Sacraments Page 7 Popish colours for abasing the Sacraments of the old Testament 11 12. their colours answered Page 13 Papists see not the distinct use of our two Sacraments but confound them Page 26 Propriety of Elements twofold Page 38 Papists ill judges of Sacramentall union and why Page 46 47 Sacraments are pledges and seales of Gods truth and covenant The point opened 57. 58. Also of our fidelity to him Page 61. ibid. Popery abuses the Sacrament to prophane ends Page 63 Persons occupied about Sacramental acts who Page 65 Person of a scandalous Minister weakens but disanuls not the Sacrament Page 67 Parents duty in Baptisme what Page 74 Popish darknesse in the signes of the Supper and in the doctrine of it Page 110 Popish bravery of Sacraments confuted Page 111 Perpetuity of the Supper Page 118 Prayer the first part of consecration of Supper elements 119. and why 120. ib. what it containes ibid. Personalnesse and Peculiarnesse two causes of distribution of Supper Page 137 Popish denying the cup wicked Page 140 Peace and joy confidence one marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirit of Prayer another marke ibid. People must cling to the Supper for their owne portion Page 144 R. RElapsers or revolters must make use of their former Baptism Page 101 Receiving of the Supper vid. Taking S. NAme of Sacrament how used Page 1 Season of Sacraments Page 8 Sacraments to be applied according to our necessities Page 26 Substance of a Sacrament what The description of it Page 28 Simplicity and meannesse of Sacraments for two causes 35. first for generality then for safety ibid. it should excite in us spiritualnes Page 36. ib. and 37 Gods security by Sacraments is best of all Page 60 Sealing power of Sacraments vid. Pledges The Spirit of Christ is the inward Baptist what it doth See preface Selfe-deniall or stripping of our selves requisite for applying Baptisme Page 89 Spirit of Christ the true steward to feed the hungry soule See preface Markes of the sealing Spirit of Baptisme Page 102 103 104. What the Supper of the Lord is Page 105 Order of the Supper Page 106. ib. The Sensiblenesse of bread and wine in the Supper vid. Matter of Supper Simplicity of the Supper-elements Page 11 Teaching spirituallnesse ead Separation of the Elements the first part of Taking 114. Setling the Elements to their use the second part of Taking ead Christ our Steward to be magnified in the Supper for his provision Page 141 The Supper is to the promise as the assumption to the proposition Page 142 Christ in the Supper exhibited as nourishment more fully than in the promise onely that in 6. respects Page 149 Stablenesse and setlednesse in grace is a third degree of soule prosperity by the Supper and how Page 258 159 A view of that order which the Spirit useth in Sacramentall sealing of the soule in foure branches Page 194 195 Sealing power of the Sacraments a terror to unbeleevers Page 197 Sealing power of the supper to be mainly sought by the good Receavers Page 198 T. TRansubstantiation confuted Page 48 How it grew Page 49 and Page 108 Taking of the Bread and Wine the first act of the Minister Page 114. 117 Thanksgiving a second part of Christs consecrating supper elements Page 125 Why Page 125. ib. 126 127 Taking the supper aright an act of the Receiver concurring with the offer of the supper in all the properties of it Page 173 174 All lets of Taking Christ by faith in the supper to be abhorred Page 184 V. VNion a maine part of Sacramentall being 42. the sorts of union Page 43 Vnion Sacramentall is not corporall but reall 45 46. and mysticall ibid Vnion Sacramentall inferres no confusion of the signes with the grace Page 47 Vnion is appointed for familiarising Christ with us Page 49 The wofulnesse of Vnbeleefe in not taking Christ in the supper Page 176 W. APplying our selves to the word necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 90 Wisedome of God in uniting all Christ in each Sacrament Page 133 Weaknesse of our nature the occasion of ordaining Sacraments Page 33 Weake ones must not deny Christ in his supper to be their nourishment Page 168 Little sence of weakenesse in Receivers hinders the worke of the sealing spirit Page 198 FINIS THE SECOND PART OF THE TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS Wherein the Doctrine of our
delight in the inner man prevent falls restore ye being fallen and cause ye to grow in grace more than ever Which if you had once tasted who should drive ye from the Sacrament Or should ye come to Church meaning to receive and to yet depart without it or which is worse give advantage to the divell and the world to set upon you the more fiercely by occasion of this defiling your selves No surely but be confirmed in comming the oftner the welcomer Vse 5 Fifthly and especially make we this Doctrine Examination a rule of triall to us about our Sacramentall repentance I have laid downe 3. grounds in this Chapter which might serve for this use to a carefull heart Likewise in the triall of our estate Chapt. 2. at the end I have said somewhat which sorteth well with this Point Yet least I should leave the Reader unsatisfied let me here helpe somewhat toward setting this triall on worke I will cull out some few leaving the Reader to apply the rest Triall 1 And first trie thy selfe by this marke Thou knowest the Sacrament is a reall setting before thine eyes the body and bloud of Christ slain and crucified Zach. 12.10 Now it was prophecied by Zachary that repentant soules should see him whom they have pierced and mourne How is it then with thee Dost thou mourne to see the Lord Iesus pierced at the Sacrament Dost thou as well take thought for him as for thy selfe Is thy heart broken to thinke how thy pride hollownesse and selfe-love have shed his precious bloud and beene the speare to pierce him I mean not that thou shouldst whip thy self for the cruelty of the Priests and Scribes as Papists doe themselves being as bad but that the cost of thy redemption doth abase thee and thy sinne humble thee even to hells brinke in thy owne sence And doth it deepely affect thee that thy sinne caused the Lord to lay such loade upon his Sonne Doth it make thy sinne truly irkesome to thee And darest thou not the second time crucifie Christ to thy selfe But rather carriest all thy beloved darlings to his Crosse that they may there lose their life and heart bloud sacrificing them in an holy recompence unto him Rom. 12. â— It is a good signe Triall 2 Secondly art thou willing by any meanes to be informed of thy sinnes not onely morrall but also spirituall those that doe most defile thy spirit and vexe the Spirit of grace Ephe 4.30 Is that Ministry most welcome to thee which carrieth in the spirit to search the depth of thy heart When thou canst overtake thy subtill heart and find out the turnings and trickes of it the farre fetch'd devices of it to keepe thee in such a course as maintaines selfe and fleshly ease destroying selfe-deniall and sincerity canst thou rejoyce as one that findeth spoiles Is it thy secret prayer that the Lord would set the righteous to smite thee Psal 141.5 And countest thou him a deere friend that will reprove thee Yea when thou mightest carrie a sinne slily and none the wiser hast thou one within thee that will give thee no peace till it be cast out And is secret sinne as base as open unto thee A blessed signe Triall 3 Thirdly is the uprightnesse of others the servants of God more highly esteemed by thee than thine owne yea than the opinion of others though they thinke never so highly of thee Feelest thou no bottome in other mens praises when thy heart tells thee they esteeme too well of thee And dost thou desire they might thinke of thee as thou art 1 Cor. 4.3 that they might as well pray as praise God for thee as being privy that the greatest part of thy vertues are not the least part of thy corruptions Dost thou still see an excellencie in the members of Christ above thine owne And some such base stuffe in thy selfe as oft causes thy best graces to be in lesse account Rom. 7.24 mourning that thou canst not reach that measure in tendernesse jealozie of heart plainenesse and truth which thou seest in others It s a good signe Triall 4 Fourthly canst thou yet acknowledge that good which God hath done for thee with true enlargednesse of heart and without swelling Canst thou joyne humilitie with thanksgiving without prejudice to each other And although thou feelest when evill is present as pride selfe yet thou darest not bite on Gods glory in thy obedience because there will goe some scurffe of thine in the streame But thy heart prayeth Lord let mee shine still and honour thee but dash all shining upon my selfe and getting up into thy saddle by mine owne stirrops It is a signe of a wise and holy seeking Gods ends and that thine heart is cleane Triall 5 Fifthly dost thou love righteousnesse it selfe as righteousnesse be the thing and subject of never so small a nature And dost thou hate sinne as sinne be it never so little in thine eye Is the one precious to thee for that pure natures sake which it resembles and the other loathsome 2 Thess 5.22 because it is opposite to it It is a good signe Triall 6 Sixthly when thou feelest thy heart touch'd for thy sinne and humbled in prayer darest thou not stay there but proceedest to renounce it as seriously Or rather doth not thy tongue goe before thy heart So that when occasion is offered it seemes sweeter and welcomer than when there was none As Peter vowed to sticke to his Master when there was nothing to trie him but when there was Mat. 26 23.56 then to sticke to him was too hard and heavy to him If it be thus thou knowest not thine owne spirit Take an ensample Thou professest that thou darest not be unrighteous but it falles out that thou art convinced of some bad dealing now thou art willed to renounce it that is to make such a satisfaction as thou hast damnified not being thine owne judge but as they who are wise thinke best If thou be as free in renouncing when either shame by open confession or losse by restitution lies upon it it is a good signe else thine heart playâ—s bootie Triall 7 Seventhly are the sinnes of others the sorrowes of the Church as sensible bitter and laid to heart by thee Psal 119.136 as thy own And canst thou drown both other joyes and sorrows of thine owne in these And accordingly to thy affections so are thy prayers endeavours procurements for the peace of the Church and against her miseries and those that cause it And canst thou forget thy selfe and thy businesse for this purpose It is well Triall 8 Eightly dost thou rejoyce alway to be crossing thy selfe in those succors and supports of thy sinne which thy corruption suggests to thee if grace did not gainesay As for example findest thou thy selfe eager of base gain And when it tickles thy spirit canst thou in the chiefe of that sweetnes cut off thy hand and foote
we are willing to get it at the best sure it is we love to get nothing at the worst which may bee come by at the best Now then the Sacraments exhibite Christ as I may say at his best And as Pharaoh's daughter is invited to come behold Salomon when he was clothed with all those costly ornaments and glory where with his mother made him glad on his crowninng day so doe the Sacraments offer Christ a greater obiect than Salomon even in his best Grace in the richest and royallest robe of his righteousnesse in the best of his Peace ioy and contentation which God can bestow him in Whose heart should not then esteeme him at this best of his with best iudgment and affection Not by foolish or Popish comparison of one ordinance with another But by considering that each ordinance with another is better than another alone and so the Sacrament with a word is above the word alone because it containes the word and hath more besides in it even Christ at his best in the fulnesse length depth and all treasures of breeding and nourishing grace not onely in himselfe but made over to my soule by the Father grace for grace to mee my Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Alas deere friends What were the knowledge of this Lord Iesus as he is only the second person in Trinity and the eternall Word of the Father If the depth of that mystery contained in Heb. 1 3. To wit that Christ is the brightnes of the Fathers glory and the ingraven forme of his person were fully understood by a man as who doubts but such knowledge were excellent yet alas it falls short of that excellent knowledge which Paul speakes of Phil. 3 Of Christ Iesus my Lord who hath given himselfe for me loved me by which the world is crucified to me and I to it this onely is that to which all other is dung and drosse Nay further put case I knew him as the true Mediator in all three offices and namely the true onely Priest and satisfier for the sinnes of the world Were this that excellent knowledge of all other except he were crucified also in the eye and to the spirituall gaine of my soule as my Lord and God and as my satisfaction and the treader of the wine-presse of the fierce wrath of God Esay 63.1 that the anger of God might be pacified to me No verily Nay lastly put case this knowledge of Iesus Christ my satisfier could possibly bee severed from the knowledge of him my Sanctifier also and that Christ my birth could bee divided from Christ my Nourishment my support health growth and fruitfulnesse could this knowledge be counted the most excellent Were it not a rending rather of one peece of Christs garment from another yea a pulling of one especiall part of him from my soule and breaking of so precious a Diamond in peices What excellent things then must those be which present the Lord Iesus in all these three the beauty of his person the benefit of his satisfaction and the grace of his Sanctification and that to mee with seazin and delivery That offer him as I sayd at his best This doe the Sacraments and therefore of how great esteeme should they be in the Church of Christ I confesse if I presented Christ to thy view good Reader in those darke Sacraments of the Old Testament or no otherwise than Iohn Baptist could I should bring thee a burgaine at the worst hand For although Christ were in them also yet with such poore convincement that I may safely say The body of receivers who beheld the covenant of the Law as a covenant of workes and Righteousnesse thereby did receive the Sacraments as a curse rather than a blessing upon themselves and bred worse blood in themselves thereby than before they had For why They renouncing the right covenant of righteousnesse whereof they were seales as it is sayd that Abraham received circumcision as a seale of it and mistaking the law as if it required a possible obedience from them to merit life what did they but curse themselves and say Cursed be he who thinkes he can abide in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them And not being able to doe them but deluding themselves and taking the Sacrament upon it what did they in effect but seale up that curse to themselves and their seede But lo in the Sacraments of the Ghospell is offered thee a better ministration of the spirit of the Lord Iesus in the seales of that righteousnesse which comes by faith and therefore a curse is turned into a blessing For as the covenant is which thou commest in so is the seale which thou receivest both are blessed and thou comming in faith unto them receivest from God blessing under seale so that hee hath blessed thee and thou shalt bee blessed And is not this the Lord Iesus at his best Moreover if I presented thee onely Iewish Sacraments what great thing should I offer thee Surely Christ in a darke corner circumcision in a private family the Passeover in an houshold by it selfe But lo I present Christ unto thee not with a veile before his face which is obscure but in a Mirror with open face transforming thee from glory to glory I say a Christ Sacramentall not offered by a Priest to God in a Masse and in a corner of the Church with a boy to mumble an answere but in the open view of his Church and assemblies of his Saints Looke not heere for Popish Anabaptisticall Brownisticall or Scismaticall Sacraments huddled up by a false Church in their houses barnes or corners though I taxe not corners where the Church is present as the Martyres were in woods but in the midst of his people where Christ the Lord of Sacraments is present with his owne met in his name even in the beauty of his holinesse So that as he suffered not in a corner of heaven or earth but upon an hill before his Church and refused not the world to bee witnesses and was lift up as the Serpent in the wildernes in the publike view of his people so that thou professest to bee a dove of his flocke and one of the youth of his wombe Psal 110. Mayst fly to his loover and windowes and come into his Temple with frequency as the dew falls upon the grasse saying How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts My flesh longeth and my feete desire to see and stand in the courts of thine house Even in the chambers of my Mother and in the Garden of thy spices even there give me thy love There let thy Northwind of Prayer and blessing blow thy savour into my nostrills that after thine ointments powred out there the Daughters my followthe And is not this Christ at the best But to proceed a little in this argument for I have locked my selfe out of the hall therefore must stand a while in my porch rather
than no where what better proofe of the Lord Iesus at his best than this that he is offered to thee in no lesse mysticall union for the end of a more mysticall one I meane as united to poore bread and wine that he might also unite himselfe in the whole grace of his Sacrifice to thy soule and body What better und easier conveiance couldst thou wish than this for so feeble and weake a spirit as thine is When once that people which followed Christ sitting upon an Asse Colt and riding as a King to Ierusalem cryed Hosanna and sayd Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Thinke we not that they saw Christ at the best Why did they else except they had beheld his spiritual Kingdome cut downe Palmes and strew them in the way stripping themselves of their garments to set him thereon Surely they were not so offended at the meanenesse of his palfrey and basenesse of the outside but they saw in this his riding a cleere representation of his glorious grace and the Maiesty of his person So shouldst thou in this union of Christ with base crummes of bread or drops of wine behold a more spirituall presence of Christ who careth not for such creatures but for thy soule and being farre from stumbling at the basenesse of the Asse or Elements raise up thy soule to a more heavenly sense of the Lord Iesus comming into thy heart and spirit bringing thee to God and uniting thee to the fountaine of thy blessednesse in a farre closer manner than ever Adam was And is not this union the Lord Iesus at his best yes verily From this Sacramentall union proceeds that exhibitive nature of Sacraments carrying the Lord Iesus into the soule of all the elect that communicate For to what end is union Sacramentall save that the Sacraments being thus possessed of the Lord Iesus mystically in them might exhibite to all and effectually carry into the bosomes of the elect the power of this Lord Iesus and convey as Vessells channelles and Pipes that grace which they containe I doe not meane that by vertue of the worke wrought or by the force of Divine institution there is any naturall holinesse put into them or magicall power of inchantment to take hold of the soule No in no wise for how many thousands are there both young and old who after the enjoying of the Sacraments doe put most woefull barres in their owne way that the power of Sacramentall union might never come at them So that when the Covenant comes to bee dispenced unto them they fare as persons utterly disabled to receive it Nay neither dare I thinke that by vertue hereof it s of absolute necessity that all Elect Infants must receive conversion of grace just in the act of their Baptizing for what were this but to ascribe more to the Seale than to the Covenant yea to invert their order and to ascribe greater power to an ordinance under which they walke 20 30 40. yeeres carelesly without discovery of any grace at all rather than to the lively power of the Covenant preached and working from that time forth an apparant change So that although in charity I am bound to thinke no other save that all such as receive Sacraments duely concurre with the grace of the Spirit for future improvement Yet to tye the Lords hands behind him and to make the Lord of Sacraments to become their underling as if hee had put himselfe out of Authority and office wholly to be subject to his Sacrament what indignity were it for the ordainer No not so But so farre so often and where it shall seeme good to himselfe to make use of his Sacrament for the good of his Elect for whose good they serve there doubtlesse these Ordinances doe both present and conferre the grace which is put into them Else to what end should they have it except they might convey it Now summe up all and answere Is not the exhibitive power of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus at his best Is not a reall tender better than a bare signe or a promise onely without performance He that promiseth an hundred pounds to lend or give to his poore friend and presently tenders the money that he might be before hand doth he not lend or give at the best Nay more than this not the Sacraments onely are thus exhibitive of Christ to the soule But by vertue of the union I have spoken of the Lord Iesus himselfe is there present where his institution is duely observed to be the Baptizer of his members and to be the steward and nourisher of his family that is to bestow himselfe upon the soule Touching Baptisme first true it is That our Lord Iesus himselfe never baptised any outwardly howbeit as then so much more now being ascended he it is who in the outward Baptisme of the Minister doth give gifts unto men and doth still baptise all his with the holy Ghost and fire A poore sinfull man doth what he can doe but further he cannot goe He dives the infant into holdes it in and receives it out againe from the water baptising it in the name of the sacred Trinity But this our great Baptist he is all in all for the doing of the worke It is he who casts in the salt of his divine healing power into corrupt and of themselves accursed creatures and Element and element he removes the curse death and barrennes of the waters utterly unable to engender he takes off their base uncomelinesse he darts and plants in them the efficacy of his owne death and resurrection both for merit of pardon and of holines he sanctifies clenses them that they may become hallowed and purging instruments And as a planter takes the sien of the Apple-tree and pitches it into a Crabtree stock so the Lord Iesus takes the pretious sien of his owne Righteousnesse the Power of his owne death and grave the strength of his resurrection and exalting and pitches both into water so that water becomes Christ-water Christs death and life so that the soule is washt with the one as the body with the other The soule by faith in the covenant feele her descent into the water to become a spirit of diving her into the laver and blood and grave of the Lord Iesus her being under the water to become the spirit brooding and fructifying the water to become a seede of life abiding in the wombe of the soule to regenerate it to the life of Christ Her arising up from the water to become a spirit of Resurrection as Peter excellently speakes 1 Epist cap. 3. verse 21. and a baptising of the soule with the activity and raising of her up with Christ from her death grave basenesse and misery unto immortality and glory Yea in all three the soule feeles the power of a new and omnipotent creation of her to God ingrafting her in God never to be pulled from him any more as at first And as the
spirit whereby the Lord offered up himselfe was so is the power of the same spirit to the soule begetting and renewing it Eternall also so that the never dying power of baptisme keepes the branch of the vine thus one put in to abide for ever ingrafted and planted into the person of Emanuell so that himselfe the stocke shall as soone wither as the soule which by faith is in him shall perish No more baptisings shall neede than one because Christ ever liveth in the soule and recovereth her by his unrestrained influence from all her swouning decayes and wanzings to her former integrity no more Barkes are required after shipwracke save this one Now if Christ himselfe in person not the poore Minister with all his acts onely be the true Baptist can it be otherwise but Baptisme must needes be the Lord Iesus at the best Lastly to adde one word also of the Supper The sinfull tongue and hands I say not of a wicked Masse Priest but even the best consecrater of the Sacrament that lives cannot blesse sufficiently But the Lord Iesus our steward he is the Administer of it completely he is the true consecrater yea the foode and feeder of the Soules of his owne with his pretious body and blood unto eternity None whom the Father hath given him to be his living ones can decay pine or wither under his hand while he lives to make them Provision He told his Desciples he would eate and drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine till hee dranke it in the kingdome meaning till he spiritually without mouth or hands did present himselfe with his Church Sacâ—amentally there to feede them But in that sence he promised to drinke it with them to the worlds end He it is then who as the Master of the feast and the feast also welcometh provideth for and encourageth his guests to eate good things and to delight in fatnesse He it is who not onely in the Ministers person still consecrateth but by his might and strength derives all his blood spirit marrow and nourishment into the bones and veines of his poore members by his union with the elements whereby he saveth and sustayneth all his true borne ones that cry after his brest and succour he cannot suffer them to lacke And as himselfe in divers phrases expresseth he feedes them in his Pastures leades them to the waters he cherisheth them as his spouse nourisheth them as his branches and by him as the doore they goe in and out finding pasture For he hath made himselfe one with bread and wine that man not living by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God may in and by these Elements draw a secret foyson and increase to the soule and be therein susteined with faith and the fruits as after in the Treatise God willing I shall more fully declare He whose flesh once eaten is immortall yet offers himselfe often for the releefe of daily defects And is not this the Lord Iesus at his best in this Sacrament also Endlesse it were to recite all which might convince thee of this excellency of Christ Sacramentall Who would not confesse that friend to shew his love at the best who should most draw neare to him in his greatest troubles And is not Christ Sacramentall for the nonce To what end then doth he offer thee his blood and bid thâ—e drinke it save to conforme thee to a sweete meekenesse of spirit in suffering and to a fellowship in all his Afflictions with confidence of overcomming in his strength Againe if a man should promise to doe thee a kindnesse wouldst thou not interpret his kindnesse at the best if it lay in such a kind as should supply thy peculiar want What kindnesse is counted of like that which is most seâ—sonable That which releeves not some defect may be thought superfluous Even so is Christ Sacramentall a releefe of each soules personall peculiar diseases wants decayes distempers Like to the man of Baalshalisha 2 King 4.42 who brought loaves of Corne and presents to the Prophet when there was a necessity of famine and a multitude to bee fed But I end in a word Wherein can it more cleerely appeare that the Lord Iesus is offered thee in the Sacrament at his best than in his blessed fulnesse If thou shouldest visite thy friends house tell mee when shouldst thou most thinke thou camest at the best than in the middest of a feast So I say heere The Sacrament is the Kings feast at the marriage of his Sonne The feast of the hills the feast of God and heaven a full feast of all refined wines fat and delicate things If Gods ordinarie be so good is not his feast of Christ Christ at his best Wherein thy soule may fill it selfe for the present and for afterwards with choice Deinties as the Aramites campe and the fulnesse thereof filled the leapers But now what is the upshot of all Oh! sad mourning That we are at our worst when Christ is best Oh mourne that after 70. yeeres liberty of the word and Sacraments in the Church yet by the sinne of man such mysteries as these should lye by disesteemed because unacknowledged True it is as once it was a deepe conceit with the Iew that his Messia must neede be some speciall person But when the true Messia indeed came they knew not what to make of him he was a strange wonder unto them So now it deepely dwells in most men that in the Sacrament some mysticall thing lyes hidden but when they come to it they receive they know not what The cause is their carnality and sensualnesse which is offended at the spiritualnesse of them which makes them alleadge oh they are darke matters and for great Divines not for such as they to meddle withall And thus in time corrupt ease breeding error that errour growes to proove religion and as at first men thought them difficult so at length it s their best devotion to rest in blind and superstitious reverence of a thing unknowne As those Athenians who set up an Altar to the unknowable God blind devotion being the meere falling short of faith If this disease had infected popery onely it had beene well â—uâ— this Popish leaven of carnall Sacraments which sowred the first reformation with a consubstantiate Christ hath tainted us with as dangerous an error even to rest in a carnall devotion and the opus operatum of a devout blinde receiving counting it the top of religion Alas poore soules To what purpose doe we so crake and boast of our Sacraments of the Gospel that they are above those of the old Testament in al respects as indeede thy are when as its cleare by good experience that setting aside some places enlightned by the word our Sacraments to the body of our people are as dimme and dumbe representers of a Christ already crucified as to the Iew they were darke pretendings of the Messiah to come Oh! How woefull
the doctrine use of Sacraments effectually in the Church A thing very much neglected for the most part The which needfulnesse may appeare by this that it serves to prevent a threefold inconvenience The first is woefull ignorance Three causes of teaching the doctrine First Ignorance Scarse any one point of Doctrine there is in all Religion in which people are blinder than in the true nature and use of the Sacraments They thinke that because Sacraments are given as glasses to behold Christ in therefore they are cleare enough of themselves But as the clearest Crystall glasse can shew no face while it is locked up in a cofer or the backside onely looked upon So till the Sacraments are brought forth and opened their light is smoothred Parables were used by our Saviour to cleere doctrine Meth. 13.44 howbeit they were riddles to the Disciples themselves till expounded And sure its a question whether the want of Instruction about the Sacraments make the people so ignorant of them or their ignorance causeth the Ministers labours so unprofitable by the confirmed custome thereof in the people Secondly to prevent superstition in some Pope-holy persons Secondly Superstition who are so leavened with superstition that they thinke the Sacraments are holy things even by the work wrought without any relation to the Covenant not knowing them to be the New Testament of Châ—ist in his blood Luke 22 19. Also they thinke that the Easter Sacrament is holier than others That its too presumptuous for them to come to them often because they are so holy Such matters must bee seldome used least they waxe common and many such Popish dreggs abide in their hearts Thirdly and especially to prevent unpreparednesse 3. Vnpreparednesse Generally our nature is awck to this worke even the better sort need a helpe and manuduction to it and as for others though well disposed yet for lacke of helpe in this kinde they do necessitate unto themselves a great rashnesse unreverence unfitnesse to this duty growing to a custome in doubtfull and unfruitfull receiving Of the use hereof more in the second Treatise in the point of knowledge Sacramentall Circumst 4 The fourth Circumstance is their Number Number There were never more than two in the Church of the old Testament neither hath the New any further liberty So many and no more the Lord hath bequeathed to his Church Onely 2. Sacraments And those two are not Sacraments of some speciall graces but of whole Christ our wisedome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnes sanctification and redemption in one word of the grace of God either for the sealing of the reall being of it and the begetting of it in us or the nourishing of it One Christ is still the body of the Sacraments God hath not clogged his Church with multitude of Sacraments least hee should divert his people too much by outward objects from holy things Scarse one of many is fit to profit by Sacraments but to cleave to the barke of them leaving the substance Here therefore that is verified God neither is wanting in necessaries nor exceeds in superfluities So much and no more as may serve for our good he hath thought good to bestow choosing rather to supply number by power efficacy and extension than to clogge us with too many It was that which the Lord shunned even while that world of Ceremonies lasted much more now in these dayes wherein he calles for spirituall worship Why so few hee yeelds two for releefe of our infidelity but no more for prevention of our curiosity wil-worship and sensuality Against Popish Sacraments It came not from the Lord to ordaine one Sacrament for the Clergie as Orders a second for the Lâ—â—y alone as Marriage a third for Catechised ones as Confirmation a fourth for sicke ones as Vnction a fift for lapsed ones as Penance these are no Scripture but tradition Sacraments and by like reason if once we transgresse Gods bounds wee might devise one Sacrament for the King and his Nobles a second for learned ones a third for ancient ones a fourth for yonger ones for strong or for weake c. But the Lord hath allowed in these two all Christ eyther to breed grace in the soule or to nourish it He hath not given us Sacraments of humility of patience of selfe deniall of mercy and the like but in Baptisme and the Supper he hath ordained one Christ to breed faith and to nourish it to beget sanctification patience love and to confirme them to seale up the covenant of Grace in both to all sorts Prince people rich poore old young learned idiots weake and strong so that as few as there are yet the Lord inlarging them to so manifold supplies and uses we have more cause to blesse him for not oppressing us with a burden than to accuse him for defectivenesse towards us To teach us seeeing wee have so few The Vse to emproove them well and cleave fast to the fruit and the power thereof and by faith to draw out the strength thereof in both those regards for which God gave them But to praise God especially for ridding of us from that Popish yoke of Sacraments before named as most repugnant to Gods ends and to Christian liberty yea as bringing in a yoke upon the necke of the Church most intollerable to beare Many things breed distraction few things cause more union If a man have but one or two children his love is more united If a citie have but one or two Bulwarkes they will apply them throughly So let us Circumst 5 The fifth Circumstance concernes the publiquenesse Publiknesse of Sacraments Sacraments are Legacies of Christ to his Church and Pledges of Communion of Saints therefore to be the acts of an Assembly lawfully met As Paul speakes of the censures Sacraments must be publique When yee are therefore met together 1 Cor. 5.4 1 Cor. 5.4 with my Spirit Let such a one be given to Satan even so he speakes of the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.20 1 Cor. 11.20 When ye are therfore come together c. Noting the solemne publiquenesse of them when they may be so enjoyed Christ hath appointed them as markes of Communion therfore the Church Acts 2. 4. Acts 2 and 4. is said To abide together in mutuall fellowship of breaking bread and prayer So that each member must fetch his or her speciall portion of Christs Sacraments from the communion of Saints Therefore let us abhor Popish Masse-Priests who with their boyes or Clerkes offer up three or foure private Masses in three or foure corners of the Church at once as we deny them the name of this Sacrament so wee say like Sacrament like Celebration both are abhominable Vse 2 Also let this keepe us in humility and love both towards our selves and the Church For not we hold the roote but the roote us If the eye be bold and say I neede not the
were no Sacraments for that which sealeth not up grace can bee no Sacrament signes onely are no Sacraments Error 1 This errour thy run into Ground 1 partly from a profane undervaluing of the ordinance of preaching which being the meane of conviction and conversion they abhorre as threatning ruine to their carnall kingdome and so ascribe all the honour to the Sacraments especially of the Altar as conferring grace of it selfe to good and bad and making for their owne endes Ground 2 Partly by a willing mistake of the Fathers writings who vilify the Iewish Sacrament that they might magnifie the Evangelicall And this they did in imitation it may be of Saint Paul who sometime as 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3. doth abase the Legall Ministrie under the Evangelicall yet he doth it not to disgrace thâ—ir Ordinances but that he might confute the Iewes of his age who by their overprizing the Legall set Christ and his Ministry at nought But such feare the Fathers had none for few ever dreamt that the old Sacraments excelled the new and therefore their excessive hyperboles of the one and the extinuations of the other they proove an occasion to our Adversaries to justifie their errours by them Error 2 Sutable whereto is the conceit of such as thinke that the old Sacraments did pardon sinne but not conferre grace meaning holinesse as who say that the grace of Pardon is lesse than the grace of Holinesse Error 3 This errour some of the Schoolemen were of Others imagine that the Iewes had them for Characters onely to enter them into the number of outward members and to distinguish them from Heathens as men would set their marks upon their cattel to discerne them from other mens But these conceites are contrary to the Scriptures Their colours answered Iohn 6 31 54. True it is the Papists have colours of Reason out of the word for themselves For say they Christ tells the Iewes That their Fathers had eaten Manna in the Wildernesse and were dead But he that eates my flesh and drinks my bloud shall live for ever I answer This shewes that the Sacraments of the Gospell have more efficacie than the other or rather that those Iewes abused those Sacraments and therefore perished but not that those Sacraments were onely shadowes and no substance For all their bodies fell not in the Wildernesse and under the Gospell Paul affirmeth the same of the bad Receivers 1 Cor. 11 29. That they eate and drink their own damnation Therefore our Saviour compares not the Sacraments but the Receivers and that in their likenesse one to another urging the Iewes to a more spirituall receiving of Christ than their Fathers received Manna Again they say Paul calls the old Sacraments beggerly and sterven Elements Gal. 4 9. But wee must know he speakes of them as now abolished not of themselves or else of their opposition to Christ as they held the Embracers of them from the substance of the same which is Christ Nay moreover Bellarmine so vilifies the Baptisme of Iohn that he saith it was no Sacrament but onely a preparative to it For saith he Iohn himselfe said Math. 3 11. I Baptise you with water but Christ shall Baptise you with the Holy Ghost But that text compares not two Baptismes but two Baptizers with each other He saith not his Baptisme was none but thâ—t the Baptisme of Christ should be attended with greater power than his because it should attend a more powerfull preaching of the Mysteries of the Gospell But yet the substance was one in the Baptisme of Iohn and Christ Iohn Baptized to remission of sinne as well as Christ else Christs Baptisme by Iohn was no Sacrament and there must have been another institution of it after which was not and the Baptisme of the Apostles in Christs life time was no Sacrament because as yet the Holy Ghost and Fire was not falne upon them all which are ridiculous Yet I cannot forget one objection which is common to them with the Anabaptists taken out of Acts 19 15. Acts 19 15. where its said that those twelve disciples at Ephesus who had beene Baptised into the Baptisme of Iohn were againe Baptized into the Name of Christ Which I confesse in shew exceedeth all other Objections Many answers are framed by sundry men some thinking their Baptisme of Iohn to have beene received by some that had no calling to doe it others say That by Baptizing into Christ is onely meant a receiving of the Holy Ghost But the true answer is that which Beza confesseth himselfe to have received from that noble and learned man Marnixius that is that those words in the fifth verse are not the words of Luke as if he related that Paul baptized them the second time but the continued words of Paul saying That forasmuch as Iohn did not baptize save onely into the Name of Christ and such as heard him were really baptized already into Christ therefore there should be no neede of rebaptizing them Only he would lay hands upon them that they might receive the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost which Iohns Baptisme could not helpe them with A most acute and no lesse true and full answer Wee therefore abhorre these errors Conclus opposing to them the cleare Text of Scripture Paul saith of circumcision Rom. 4 11. it was the seale of the righteousnesse of faith Than which what can be sayd more effectuall of Baptisme And in 1 Cor. 10.1.2.3.4 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3. he tells the Iewes that those in the Wildernesse had the same Sacraments which they had Which is plaine by the argument of the Apostle which is to convince them of certaine grosse sinnes as Rebellion Vncleanenesse Lust Now whereas they might have alledged We are under greater priviledges than they he prevents them thus Nay they had the same with you The red sea was their baptisme the like was the cloud which directed them and their Manna and water out of the rocke was to them the same spirituall meate and drinke which you have If then they escaped not punishment of such enormities looke not you to escape Many other Texts might be urged all to evince this truth that the old and new Sacraments for substance and signification are one even as their sacrifices were one in substance and sense with Christ crucified The Lord being very carefull that as his Church should never lacke the best helpes to heaven so they should not have new and divers in substance but the selfe same that they might know the way to God and heaven was still one and the same and so goe on in their course comfortably without feare or staggering I conclude then that for substance there is one Christ one faith reconciliation redemption sanctification and eternall life the old and new Sacraments were one The second their Differences in thtee things First Clearenesse But secondly the old and new differ exceedingly notwithstanding this their
was as weake in the grace thereof Act. 2. end and the sealing power of it The Gospel hath more fulnesse of seede and begets more unto God than the Law could doe and therefore Baptisme is a farre fuller Sacrament to confirme the soule in her new birth than the other was So for nourishment The Gospel exceeds by many degrees the ministery of the Law in Point of her building up and nourishing the soule in the grace of the new birth the Gospel hath filled the brests of the Church with farre more milke and stored her with farre more provision than the old Testament could doe For thereby the Spirit is powred our upon all flesh Ioel 2.28 Esa 44 3. Looke what difference there was betweene them and us for the fulnesse of bodily food that in a sort may bee said for spirituall fulnesse How many Creatures for kind or for Circumstance as in case of blood or strangled might not they touth the Hog the Conie the Hare and many other both beast and foule tame and wilde which to us are cleane and sanctified How much more doth the Lord afford us fuller feede of the Sacrament of the Supper than their passeover Even as a feast exceeds an ordinary Therefore Paul calls theirs a ministry of the letter ours of the Spirit not because they had not the Spirit but in comparison of the fulnesse and power of ours The new more effectuall Now for us our Sacraments are farre more effectual The very change of the old into new argued the excellenter efficacy of them As the traine of a Prince personally riding in progresse is richer than an Herald or Harbinger The Sabbath wee know was changed at the resurrection to honour it So the Sacraments at his annointing to his office and at his passion to magnifie them How should they so doe if their Trayne were not greater I meane if the spirit of Christ and his sealing perswading setling comforting pacifying power were not greater Also except that blessed traine of his Graces more glorious and plentifull as humility heavenly-mindednesse patience hope love zeale ability to walke with God more closely to discharge our callings more fruitfully to suffer more willingly to live by faith more setledly and the like gifts of Christ Sacramentall attended them Hence is that of Austin so common Our Sacraments saith he are in efficacie greater than theirs in profite more gainefull in performance more easie and in number fewer Beside ours in their understanding are most sublime in observation most pure and in signification most excellent They lived in the Porch of Sacraments we in the Parlour Let us take heede least as they in their age when no Nation under heaven enjoyed any Sacraments save themselves were so puffed up by their priviledge that they disdained all as Dogges in respect of themselves cleaving onely to the barke of these Ordinances without any seeking after the Spirit and power of them and so opened a way to Gods wrath to bring into their steed the Gentiles who alwayes thirsted after them so let us feare least wee stand so much upon our dignitie above theirs that in the meane time there shall be found even among us baptized ones and communicants far more blinde prophane carelesse than the Iewe was yea and some of us who goe for better be found as formall barren as far from the Covenant as estranged from forgivenesse and as destitute of the life and sealing power of Baptisme and the Supper as they of their Circumcision and Passeover If it be so our dignitie shall so lift us up to heaven that it shall throw us downe to hell and I will not only say the Lord will not be pleased with us as with them 1 Cor. 10.5 1 Cor. 10 5. but as it is Heb. 2.2.3 Heb. 2.2.3 by how much more powerfull grace is put into his Sacraments and by how much more eminent waies and ordinances hee hath honoured us by so much the more shall our condemnation for our unbeleeefe be more fearefull than theirs who had so dimme a Covenant and so weake Seales in comparison of us Rather let us labour to enjoy the priviledge of our priviledge above them in carrying about us that evidence of faith and that peace of conscience and that joy of soule which our Sacraments seale up to us that wee may be as much better than they as our Sacraments excell theirs in efficacy and then that kingdome of Christ within us as well as that without us shall be a kingdome not of words onely and signes but of power also And so much of the former generall of this Chapter Agreement and difference of the 2. new Sacraments Touching the latter how farre Baptisme and the Supper doe differ or agree briefely understand that as they agree in Circumstances concerning Sacraments in generall so also in the definition of a Sacrament wherein as specialls contained under one Kind they communicate They are both ancient and within three yeares one as ancient as the other they are both alike publique as being equall legacies of the Church militant they have both one founder although the one by mediate Commission as Baptisme by Iohn the Baptist by extraordinary calling the other immediatly by Christ himselfe they both agree in the Name Necessity of a Sacrament Againe whatsoever is true of the definition of a Sacrament is equally true of both these as in the next Chapter shall more fully appeare For why In both the Lord conveyes spirituall grace by visible resemblances set apart by himselfe and furnisht with power to that end But in a word that I would say of their mutuall agreement Their Agreement is this First they both agree in the offer and representation of whole Christ joyntly and undividedly to the soule Touching the first 1 In the joynt offer of Christ Know that when we call the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacrament of entry and ingrafting of us into the body of Christ and of begetting us to Christ yet wee divide not Christ imputed from Christ inherent wee must not thinke Baptisme gives us an estate in Christ for justification onely for it estates us in Christ wholly both for wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption though justification makes us truly the Lords yet because the Sacrament conferres whole Christ therefore it conferres him as God offers and the soule needs him that is both for justification and sanctification Christ our pardon and Christ our life for without both equally ours all Christ is not ours A speciall point to be noted for the better understanding of the act of faith in applying Imputation and Sanctification both at once to the soule of which point I treat elsewhere So againe the Sacrament of the Supper conveyes Christ to the soule wholy and undividedly Practicall Catechisme not onely for the encrease of our Sanctification but our Iustification also Part 3. Article 2. For although Iustification as it is a benefit of Christ
God Reason 2 Secondly If the Lord onely found out his Sonne to be the foundation of this Covenant meant him sent him made him enabled him to ratifie it by the bloud of the Covenant accepted all this offers it seconds and assists it by his owne Spirit to make it effectuall Who can doubt that he onely is the Author of these Seales whereby this effectualnesse is convei'd Reason 3 Thirdly If he onely be the Author of blessing the word of promise to breede faith in the Covenant which is the lesser Who but hee shall breed the assurance of faith and the reflexion thereof upon the soule that it may know it selfe to beleeve Now how is this done ordinarily save by the seales If hee then be the Author of the lesser efficacie who but hee is the Author of the greater by the sealing Ordinance Reason 4 Fourthly If no externall blessing accompanying the Covenant for so the Lord was wont to perswade obedience Deut. 7. and Chap. 32. Deut. 7 32. Hos 2. Ezek. 33 c. can come from any other Author save the Lord as the blessings of raine dew plenty health long life successe Deut. 5.29 Deut. 5 29. and the like who shall dare usurpe the authority of Seales and Sacraments which are the most eminent annexes to the Covenant of all other Reason 5 Fifthly If the Lord Iesus himselfe was the onely stablisher of the Testament and Covenant by his death and bloud for without death no Legacy is of valour then who but himselfe shall make Sacraments which are in effect nothing else save the power of his life and death Reason 6 Sixthly If the Lord onely can authorise divers signes for the Sacraments as supr Chap. 2. if he onely can abrogate old ones if he one day shall abolish all old and new their nature and use as past use who but himselfe shall frame Sacraments It resting in one and the same power to make Lawes and to abolish them I conclude then that God alone is the Author of a Sacrament Conclus As indeed the Scripture doth witnesse The Lord only Gen. 17. Gen. 17. appointed Circumcision The same Lord Exod. 12. Exod. 12. ordained his Passeover the Lord extraordinarily gave commission from heaven to Iohn to appoint Baptisme Luke 3 1 2 3. Luke 22 18. and the Lord Iesus with his owne sacred presence and hands ordained the Supper before his death Seeing after his Resurrection he could not being partly an act of humiliation and so all Sacraments were given by the Lord in their severall kindes for their severall uses as in the next points shall appeare And to say the truth if it be once granted that the Lord is not the sole ordainer of Sacraments what a wide doore must of necessitie be set open for both usurping Ordainers and counterfeit Sacraments Where should the period be or why should not hundreths as well as three or five be admitted to the heape Vse 1 For use therefore hereof this teacheth us to abhorre all Sacraments which have not God and Christ for their ordainer If they cannot shew their pedigree in the Lords Genealogy Nehem. 7 63. nor be bookt in his Records nor have his stampe set upon them Math. 22 21. we say of them as our Saviour of the Penny Give unto Caesar that which is his So give to the Pope his Vnction throw him backe his Sacramentall Orders and Penance wee abhorre whatsoever savors not of God as copper coine Yea and we loath whatsoever of Gods first ordaining they by their abuse have corrupted namely as corrupted and seeing God and Christ never gave us a Sacrifice for a Sacrament wee abhorre to meddle with it as a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead and for their Baptisme we loath it also as administred by them as an horrrible defiling of Gods Ordinance professing to depart from their Sacraments both for their new inventions and for their adulteratings of the old and bidde them take them as their owne for now they have used them thus they are no longer Gods As for their distinction of Apostolicall and Divine we take what they grant if they be not Divine although an Angell from heaven did ordaine them wee should abhorre them How much more when their Pope or their Clergy or the body of their defiled Church For were their Church a chaste Spouse shee durst as well forsweare her husband as cast off subjection in embracing his Sacraments and usurping power to appoint other which is so farre beside her commission that she may as safely devise a new Covenant Scripture and Doctrine as doe it Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth us to esteeme so much the better of Gods Coyne as wee scorne the base stuffe of Popery Gods stampe upon the Sacrament should make it honourable and precious in our eyes If some civill ordinance hath honour in it because God hath put it upon it if marriage be so solemne if the Crowne of an earthly King be so sacred how holy is his Sacrament He who profanes it by sacrilegious adding detracting or profaning either by superstition or unprepared use shall finde God will not hold him guiltesse for taking his Name in vaine Wee delight when wee have any curious thing of a choise workeman to say It is a Picture of such a ones drawing It is a Musicall Lesson of such a ones setting a Watch of such a ones making How should Gods Master-peeces than affect us Not to over-prize them to keepe them in Pixes and under Canopies of gold but to preserve them in their spirituall integrity Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach us to behold them not in their outside but as they are in Gods ordination not the outside of a man which we see but the soule which is not seene is the man so not the outward thing but Gods Ordinance in it is the Sacrament Of which more in due place Vse 4 But Fourthly and especially seeing God is the Author of Sacraments let us be â—uled by him in the right manner of receiving them Looke what Iosia 2 King 21 23. 2 King 21 23. said to the people Keepe the Passeover to the Lord your God according to all that is in the Booke of the Covenant so heere I say Receive to the Lord be ruled by him in Preparation in action and the fruite of both It s onely in him that ordaines to order also and prescribe the due manner of using them Take we this item with us before wee come to the Doctrine of right receiving that it may set a spurre in our sides to quicken us to due preparation and using of them for he who gave them to his Church will most severely punish all ignoraâ—â— rash unbeleeving unrepentant uncharitable indifferent commers to his Sacraments and every such one stands to Gods Tribunal as we shall heare in due place Vse 5 Lastly let this point teach us to whom to goe for the spirituall life of faith
and the grace of love for the great worke of receiving-Its in him the first principle of life who made them to bestow them Renounce thy selfe thy own sence wil-worship devotion religion It s no moralitie to receive well no act of ours It s a most spirituall act about an object of divine excellencie the relation of a Sacrament the end of it the manner of partaking it require a new bottome and the casting out of our owne till God have stript us of our selves flesh and bloud shall never feele any subsisting of Sacraments they will vanish Onely a word of promise and a seale of the Spirit added to it by and from a God of boundlesse mercie can breede faith to become as reall an evidence and convincing the soule that there is Christ Pardon and Grace to be gotten as ever Pharisee felt false bottome in his owne work wrought carnall and outward devotion and farre greater And this note The Lord is not so to be counted the ordainer of Sacraments as if he had put all his power over unto them to conferre grace to all sorts No no he holds the bridle still in his owne hand if he blesse they shall be blessed if not accursed and all to teach us to seeke him for the grace of his Ordinance to abhorre our selves to pray for the Spirit of the Promise to make the seale effectuall else all is empty and bottomlesse The second thing is the matter of a Sacrament In the which point two branches offer themselves to be considered Secondly Matter Two things First Necessitie First The necessitie of it Secondly The simplicitie Touching the former Elements must be sensible I meane no absolute necessitie but such as the sutablenesse to providence to the impotencie of our nature requireth Such is the wofull blindnesse and dulnesse of our understanding and unbeleefe of our hearts to conceive or apply to our selves the Mystery of Christ that except the Lord should suffer men to vanish wholly in this their wretchednesse hee must of necessitie steppe out of his spirituall â—â—â—rse and temper himselfe to our infirmity declaring spirituall things by carnall And hee doth by this meanes condescend to us First Our weakenesse requires it least we should be offended with the hard things of his kingdome but might even see touch taste them and by speaking to all these sences at once hee might convey the savor and faith of them and in them familiarly to us He doth catch us as it were by this wise crafte which though it bewray much dulnesse in us yet no lesse deepe wisedome and love in God And this course hee hath taken in all times past with his Church for when any promise charge threat or act of his hath passed to corrupt man hee hath beene faine to second it with some signe and outward warrant to the sence to confirme them in the truth of it who were Actors or beholders thereof When the Lord sent Moses as a Saviour to Israel and to Pharaoh Exod. 32. and 4.3 Iudg. 7 38. Esay 38 21. Ier. 13.9 and 24 2 24. 25 15. Ezek. 12.3 c. how did the Lord both ratifie his calling and threats by miraculous signes So Gideon and Hezekiah so the Prophets in their errands as those Stories of the rod becomming a Serpent the drie and wet Fleece the rottten Girdle the Pot with the scumme and flesh sodden together doe witnesse Not to speake of those many Shaddowes and Types of holy things in the Worship of God there being scarce any one materiall thing in the whole Mystery of Christ which had not some one perhaps more spirituall resemblances Yea wee see in the new Testament how the Holy Ghost doth parallell many passages of History to spirituall Mysteries as Hagar and Sina to resimble legall bondage Gal. 4 24. Ierusalem to typifie the opposite libertie the water that supported Noa's Arke to expresse Christ and Baptisme which although I speake not to equall Types and Figures to Sacraments which are of a farre higher nature yet generally they serve to shew what the infirmity of our dull nature doth call for at the hands of God to vouchsafe these Sacraments Vnto which another respect may bee added to wit Secondly For prevention of Idolatry prevention of will-worship As the Lord gave the Iewes an earthly tabernacle and a materiall instruments of worship warranted by his owne Will to restraine the carnall part from devising Idoll-inventions to serve him by So Sacraments serve in a sort to curbe our base hearts from the like errors For if even these be not sufficient to stop our folly in this kinde which will know no God or worship further than we see him then what would wee have devised to our selves if God had not allowed us these Let the many additions of Popish Sacraments and Sacramentalls Images Idols and the Crucifixe c. be evident proofe hereof Vse 1 Teaching us to circumscribe our curious and fickle hearts within Gods bounds and secondly to magnifie his provision in this kinde for the releefe of our dull and slow hearts yea as Manoahs Angell ascended in the smoake of the sacrifice Iudg. 13.20 so let us incorporate and indoctrinate our feeble mindes and soules into the evidence of these divine proppes of the Sacraments As our Saviour said to Thomas Iohn 20.17 Put thy hand into my sides and the print of the nailes he being content that his exalted estate should admit such scars to convince him so in this Sacrament he shewes us his markes bidding us to be not more formall and hardned but faithfull The more wayes the Lord seekes to encounter the dul conceit and the stupor of our understandings yea the blunt edge of our affections in holy mysteries the more naturally and familiarly he deales that he might surprise our earthlinesse sensualitie and heavinesse of spirit slow to beleeve these heavenly things I say let us be the more teachable and pliable to his discipline Let the impression of his Ordinance pierce more deepely into us and work a more through conquest of our hearts to the obedience of him A pen of a Diamond hath tenfold that force to engrave a Figure in glasse or mettall than some ordinary toole So when the Lord seekes to send instruction into us many wayes at once by all the sences eyes tast touch as well as by the worke of the bare word oh let us beware least our resistance of Spirit and hardnes of heart discourage him quite from any further dealing and tearting with us Iohn 3.12 If when I teach you carnall things saith our Saviour for so it was his course to teach nothing save by Similitudes Parables and sometimes reall objects as by setting a little child before them and washing and wiping their feete himselfe in that lesson of Humiliation and Selfe-deniall Ye understand not Mat. 13 2. Iohn 13 4. how shall ye conceive heavenly Meaning if those things which were used as the more
to their forme and inward excellency which is nothing else save the Impression of God stamped upon them by his owne hand for speciall signification and use Now the whole workemanship of Christ about the forme of Sacraments may be reduced to this double head First Appropriation Secondly Vnion Two Generals here First Appropriation The former of these is precedent and preparing to the latter and it s such a worke as concernes the remote signification of Sacraments The latter more belongs to their exhibiting and sealing power but both essentiall to the being of a Sacrament To begin with the first Appropriation hath in it these two maine acts In it two things First Propriety First Propriety to signifie 2. actuall ordaining to Sacramentall use Touching the first The Lord in making a Sacrament beholds the materiall Elements in their naturall aptitude and peculiar Symbolicalnesse to expresse such a thing To open this Consider that things are said to be apt and peculier to resemble either by a made aptnesse which is not in the thing it selfe but put upon it accidentally or else is apt by an agreeablenesse in it selfe so to doe In Latine we would thus distinguish them Proprietie double First Accidentall Apta facta or Apta nata of the first sort are all such things whether Reall or Nominall or Notionall as have their signification from an outward consent of them that impose this aptnesse As I know when I heare the name of London Yorke or Dover what places are and what are not signified and meant Why How comes my conceit to fasten upon such a citie by the mention of such a name Surely from no naturall aptnesse in the names to signifie one city rather than another but by imposition and consent or custome which is as good as a naturall aptnesse to decipher such a place men will so call it therefore it prevailes to be apt to it Of this kinde are all watch-words Dan. 3.5 Dan. 3 5 When the noise of all kind of Musique sounded then was it thought a fit season to fall downe and worship the Image Why It was so consented and agreed upon Such is not the aptnesse here meant A second therefore is naturall Secondly naturall when a thing hath peculiar aptnesse in it selfe to resemble although the things are of never so different kinde yet in their kinde they concurring in one third notion looke what is in the one doth or may incline to describe the other even of it selfe And thus a shaddow is apt to expresse shortnesse or changeablenesse of mans life Sacramentall matter is apt naturally a deepe well apt to resemble the depth of a mans heart so water is apt to expresse a cleansing bread a strengthning food and wine a â—efreshing of the heart And this latter is the aptnesse which our Saviour beholds Elements in such a peculiar aptnesse as might alone carrie the minde of the beholder to that which is signified And hence is that of Austin Except Sacramentall signes had a Symbolicalnesse with the things they represent they could be no Sacraments meaning they could not be so apt to resemble For howsoever the Lord might by his power have made any signe to become a Resemblance and that because hee so pleased yet seeing in this hee sought not the declaring of what hee could doe but of that which is best for the convincement of distrust and dulnesse of our nature he rather chose such Elements as might out of their owne congruity resemble things spirituall Appropriation then requires a naturall aptnesse to resemble The latter and maine peece of Appropriation is divine Secondly Application of Elements by divine institution Proofe of it and peculiar application not onely in generall to serve for holy use but in speciall to note out typifie and describe to the soule the Lord Iesus Sacramentall for breeding and confirming the soule in grace Now this is a further thing than the former determining the propertie of the creature and the fitnesse thereof to resemble unto this speciall resembling of Christ Crucified in his washing qualitie and his nourishing propertie Although there were never such aptnesse in a creature to doe thus in it selfe yet it hath nothing to doe to meddle with a Sacrament except the Lord doe specially appropriate it to serve for such a purpose and then it begins to have in it a Sacramentall proportion and power to raise the soule from earth to heaven whereas else it selfe being earthly it were more likely to naile downe the heart to it selfe and to earthly thoughts and affections But so potent is the worke of the Ordainer who hath put this peculiar property into it that although it be but a creature yet it carries the soule from earth to heaven in a most familiar manner And marke how this stands in the power of the Word Wee know that the common blessing of the creature to feede and cherish the body comes from the Word Man not living by bread but by the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God How much more then must the vertue of the Ordinance come from God to make this carnall nourishing creature to be a spirituall nourisher Hence it is that Austin saith Accedat verbum c. Let the Word come to the Element and there is a Sacrament This Sacramentalnesse of the Elements stands in a word Illustration of it 2 Cor. 4 6. Gen. 1 4. God that said Let light shine out of darkenesse Let there be day night Let the earth bring forth fruits grasse c. effected it with a breath so the word of Ordinance Let Bread and Wine be representers of the body and bloud the merit and efficacie of Christ Crucified to replenish the soules of the faithfull hath caused these Elements for ever to have such power to represent these things so that no age or time shall ever prevaile to weare out this Impression yea and not onely to represent them in their kinde but also in their fulnesse So that as it was one charge concerning the Pascall Lambe that hee must be wholly eaten or burnt so by this Appropriation the Sacramentall signes doe resemble fully as well as properly And as in the compound of Bread and Wine there is not only a supply of drie but also of moist nourishment that so both hunger and thirst may be satisfied and the body both made strong and cheerefull to service so by the Ordinance these signes convey Christ in his Sacramentall fulnesse of nourishment so that nothing is lacking to the soule which Christ can supply it with if it beleeve Reason for it Now to returne take away this third act of Christs Word and institution giving this peculiar power to the signes to resemble the ends of the Sacrament Tell me what is there in the world which hath in it an aptnesse to resemble but might be a Sacrament Whereas now wee see not aptnesse but Approbation of Gods Word determining such an apt
in the soule not because thy are substantially one but notionally Yet this notion is realnesse in her kinde Man and Wife are one flesh no more two but one how by vertue of divine institution this union is reall and true yet not meerely Physicall and naturall onenesse but in the kind of it a matrimoniall union The like may be sayd of all civill unions of the family which by vertue of the ordinance of God assisted by law and order become bodies united I doe not allude to these as if they did hold in all points but for two causes First to shew the power of divine ordinance to unite and make things one Secondly to shew that the disproportioÌ„ of the natures of things united eyther for kind or distance is no let to reallnesse of union in a word it s the ordinance of Christ which hath an indeleble and irreversible power of the conjoyning of the Lord Iesus to the Elements in a reall and sacramentall kinde so farre as serves the turne not to subject Christ to a base creature but to subject the creature in her property to be a close and neare uniter of the soule with Christ to whom else through the incapablenesse of flesh it could not so easily have beene knit and made one withall All vnions serve to make God and the soule one This point will the better appeare if we goe a little further and shew that even the greatest and deepest unions that are serve to make way for the union and communion of the soule with her first originall hereafter in glory and here in grace The very personal union of the Trinity how should it be better conceived than by the mystery of redemption wherein God could not possibly have satisfied God nor man bee brought and united to God except there had beene a personall union that is a samenes of deity in the differing of persons The like is true in the union of Christs Godhead with the nature and flesh of man why was it but to serve Gods holy purpose to reconcile and unite flesh to God by the person of Emanuel So also that spirituall union of the whole body and soule of a beleever with Christ why is it but to prepare it for eternall union with him The union or communion rather of the members of Christ into one body and being to what serves it but that the whole Church may be one with Christ and her head that by him shee might be one with God himselfe who shall be all in all in glory wholly possessing and possessed So also wonder not if this inferior union of Sacraments be so reall and close seeing its cleare the Lord in this condescending so low to the Capacity of man unites himselfe no otherwise to the Elements than that in and by them as channels of conveyance he might when and where he sees it good to use them derive himselfe into the poore beleeving soule in a fuller assurance of Communion with her So that our Saviour saith Mervaile not that I said unto you he that eates and drinkes my flesh and blood Ioh. 6 43. shall abide in me and live for ever To man such a union is impossible betweene a creature and the Creator betweene basenesse and glory But it is the Word and ordinance that causeth it and which hath setled this Sacramentall union indissolubly that our soules might fare much the better and the union of the soule with Christ himselfe might bee more familiarly conceived Rule 1 To adde somewhat for the better opening of this union let us first understand what it must be and then what it cannot be First of necessity it must be such an union as the nature of the things united will admit Then secondly such as the ends of a Sacrament will suffer For the former A further opening of this by two things The nature of the things united will not admit either a locall or a Physicall union They will and may admit a spirituall one First not a locall viz. That as the Bread and Wine are locally present so that the Body and Blood of the Lord Iesus be also locally present this I say the nature of the Lord Iesus his Body will not admit 1. What they admit not viz. a locall or naturall For although it be a glorified body yet it is a true naturall body and therefore limited and so cannot Consubstantiate with the Elements in all places where they at one and the same instant are present to the sence of the receiver Which confutes the Lutheran error of locall Presence as if of necessity there must be a corporall Presence or else those words This is my body cannot bee verified No wee deny it because it râ—sists the Nature of the things united and present Secondly neither will their nature admit a physicall Presence or union that is such an union as by which the proper formes and beings of the things united are lost and become under a new forme of mixture or composition For the Natures of Christ and the Bread are incompatible in point of mixture or compounding because the one is a spirituall the other a corporall thing which admit no such mixture as corporall things of like nature doe as wine and water So then if this union bee not mixt it is much lesse Transubstantiate for in that the one doth not mixe with but evacuate and disanull the other leaving nothing of substance behinde But the nature of these Elements admit a spirituall union 2. What they wil admit viz. spirituall union nothing hinders why the things which are furthest distant or remote in place may not yet bee present in truth and realnesse for the sound of a Canon-shot 40. miles off from my eare yet is present by the meane of the ayre bringing it home to mee and the body of the Sunne of light and warmth distant farre from mee yet by the ayre which carryeth the beames of it is present and made one with my bodily touch and feeling And againe nothing hinders why two things physically disjoyned may not yet spiritually be one and joyned together by vertue of the power of the ordainer In a word the Nature of the things united will admit a reall union although no corporall unnion eyther locall or mixt and much lesse transubstantiall therefore the things united in the Sacraments are onely spiritually and really united Rule 2 Secondly the union of a Sacrament must be such as the scope and end of a Sacrament will suffer and no other It s such an union as the end of a Sacrament will suffer But the end and purpose of a Sacrament cannot admit any other union betwixt the signes and things signified save spiritually reall For then must we destroy the scope of a Sacrament in a double respect 1. Of relation 1 Relation for except there bee maintained in the Sacrament distinctnesse of Termes and Relation of one to another so that a bodily thing may
his fidelity by laying a pledge in our lap and by securing us of his faithfulnes by oath the end of all strife Nay to speak more fully the Lord in the assuring of the bargain of his grace doth much like to an honest man willing to sell his inheritance Finding out such an honest chapman as gives him content hee offers him the Land upon a price declares the goodnesse of it tells him it s richly worth his money Having thus presented the object to the free choise of the Chapman Lo the Buyer mooved by the sinceritie of the Seller and the goodnesse of the penny-worth consents to his price and contracts with him for the Land They both are firmely agreed neither suspecting other their words seeme as deeds each to other But in the upshot the Buyer considers while the Seller and I live and there shall be no question betweene us all is well but if the Seller die and leave me no security for my owne what availes it me to pay my money Who knowes what may befall besides either of our intentions in so bad a world as this Hereupon these ingenuous dealers treate further and the Seller taking great content in the buyer tells him I see you are willing to deale with me to beleeve my honest contract and I find few so true in paying for their purchase as I see you are your money I have received and therefore you shall well see I will not be more backward in security than you are in paiment Goe to the learnedst counsell you can meet with get him to draw the Covenants as sure and strong as can be and looke whatsoever shall be demanded I will make good and I will settle the land upon you as strongly as Law can â—evise to settle it In like sort deales the Lord with a beleeving soule I see thou hast a good desire deale with me for my grace and pardon in Christ thou hast received my report beleeved my promise for the faithfulnesse sake which thou perceivest to be in me howbeit I see many doubts rise up in thy minde to unsettle thee I see thy sensualitie is great thy heart wavering for time to come I am absent from thine eye and Satan buzzeth feares into thee of my unfaithfulnes I have therfore resolved to assure thee to the uttermost of my simplicitie and have added to my Covenant a further ratification of my Sacraments I here give thee a pledge an oath a seale I chuse the Symbols of the flesh water and bloud of my crucified Sonne the very instruments by which he wrought satisfaction for thee as verily as this Sacrament offers thee these united Elements which be as a marke and print of the very nailes and wounds that pierced and slew him and wrought my angry soule to be appeased so verily doe I in particular tender them to thee and make them thine so that if thou be frustrate I am content to cease to be faithfull and shall become a lier Behold therefore in my Sacrament all my Sonne and the utmost security which I am able externally to give thee and to make him thine as surely as my Gospell can make him Thus I say doth the Lord and joyneâ— the Spirit of his Sonne called his sealing Spirit to the Spirit of promise before given That the one with the other the seale with the Covenant might be above the Covenant alone so leave the poore soule in peace and securitie as concerning his faithfull Covenant to save and sustaine the soule in all her feare and doubtfulnesse and to take refuge with strong consolation Vse 1 And let the use hereof in Gods feare be as weightie with us as the point it selfe is First to teach us to mourne to consider how lamentably this end of Sacraments on Gods part is unknowne untaught despised in the Church of Christ after threescore yeares restoring of the Gospell and upward and all by the sinne of wofull and wicked men who have by their sloth deprived Gods people of so great a Iewell as the Ministry and use of Sacraments Where is there one congregation of many to whom this mystery of Christ Sacramentall is revealed in the kinde How hidden and darke is this Doctrine to the most And where it hath sounded how strange is the sound thereof even as of many waters I may say the one halfe of Christ in his efficacie and power either by Covenant or Seale is kept from the body of people by the carelesnesse of Teachers Vse 2 Secondly to exhort all that care to receive the Sacrament to any purpose not to rest themselves satisfied in knowing what I have spoken Eph. 4 21. till they know the truth as it is in Iesus Sacramentall till they finde and feele Gods end of Sacraments to be fulfilled in and to their owne soules in the sealing and securing power thereof Oh! Iohn 4 10. Didst thou know the gift of God in a Sacrament how the Lord hath hung it to his Covenant as a seale of uttermost assurance of Christ thy peace and wellfare how wouldest thou both addresse thy selfe to it and set thy seale of faith to it As concurring with Gods end and receiving full securitie to thy doubtfull soule of Gods being thy God reconciled and alsâ—fficient Oh! looke to it as thy life Heb. 6 14 15.16 Shall an oath among men decide all and shall God stake pledges sweare seale up his Covenant with his owne hand and shalt thou dare to remaine notwithstanding at as dead a point as if he had never wet his finger to give thee contentment Oh! how shalt thou endure that wrath of his which shall burne forth against all that give him the lie 1 Ioh. 5.10 holding their owne against him and his Oath and receiving his Word as a vaine thing Doubtlesse if his wrath shall smoake against that soule which having heard his Law and Terrors shall crie peace to it selfe and say none of these plagues shall befall me Deut. 29 19. What wrath shall breake forth against him that hearing the Lords Oath and beholding his hand and seale to his Covenant shall treade it under feete and adde drunkennesse to thirst by unbeleefe in stead of adding assurance to faith a seale to a Covenant Let us teach our selves by the practise of men If a man having received the uttermost witnesse and security which the Law of the Land can give him applies it in speciall to the securing of his heart and rests in full perswasion that his money is not lost his purchase is good what shalt thou doe towards the Lords security For tell me I pray thee wherein rests the securitie of a Purchaser Is it not in the spirit of the Law of the Land Doth he not tell himselfe This is thine the strength of the law of the Land is thine thou art on sure ground the Law must be no Law ere the right be no right Sleepe therefore securely enjoy thine owne feare nothing Such a Law
That Lord Iesus whom here thou seest in his spirituall grace farre better than any carnall bravery can expresse a naked simple Christ present to the naked plaine and honest eye of faith I say him thou shalt one day behold at his second comming confounding all the pompe of the world so that not a stone shall bee left upon a stone Say with Paul If I were to know Christ upon earth Matth. 24 3. 2 Cor. 5 16. yet would I not in the flesh Fourthly the fulnesse Fourthly for the fulnesse of these Elements For wee see that our Lord Iesus would separate and sanctify both as well as one to typify full nourishment Bread is the staffe of life wine the cherisher of the Spirit Both make full nourishment and therefore well succeede the Passeover which was wholly to be eaten or burnt Exod. 12. Vse To teach us to abhorre that cursed Popish stelth and sacriledge in taking the Cup from the people pretending that the other of bread conteines it For what is that to us that God can exhibite the power of both in one We looke in the Supper not what his unlimited but his revealed power is hee will so worke by power as he is pleased and willeth to worke not otherwise Therefore in reversing the signe they doe quite disanull the Sacrament Other uses shall be added when we come to their proper places to treate of the second generall Christ nourishment and how wee ought to come in the sence and triall of our wants to the Supper Of the acts of the Supper Now I come to the outward acts of the Supper Ere I speake of them in speciall this I adde to the former that all acts and rites of this Sacrament are then duly performed not onely when persons are duely qualified to give and receive but also when the Institution is punctually followed because that is our Canon to goe by in this kinde which neither Minister nor people must transgresse eyther by excesse or defect For if once any liberty be allowed men to chop or change herein certainly there is not greater varietie in dressing our bodily diet each stomack affecting her owne way as there would poove diversity of fashions in giving and receiving the Sacrament Therefore one ancient institution must overrule all persons times administrations And looke what I sayd before about the choyce of Elements and such like things the same I say of the administration of that Sacrament that all must fetch their warrant from hence I doe not meane that each circumstance of action which our Saviour or the Disciples performed is necessarily included in the Institution No there may be sundry personall acts done in this or any other service of God which when they are done become worship and yet are arbitrary to doe or not as the persons are disposed onely plaine and unavoydable respects of defilements and true scandall are to be avoyded But by Institution I meane those essentialls of matter and perpetuall rites about it which our Saviour himselfe and his Disciples performed These I affirme are indispensable both one and other It being as sinfull to offend in the due forme of Baptizing as in changing the Element and so as unlawfull to alter the words of Institution in giving the Supper as in changing the Elements or in taking away their number And hence it is that Paul 1 Cor. 11.20 1 Cor. 11 20. being to correct the foule abuse crept into their Supper by Love feasts calls them to the Institution wherein seeing no such thing could be seene therefore he pares it off as superfluous In like sort the Church of Christ hath abhorred all such additions of trash and humane invention as crept in in their ages as Creame Salt Oyle added to water detraction of the Cup in the Supper disanulling of the union and turning the materiall of a Sacrament into the forme so that there should not bee a difference in the thing signifying and signified and so at this day we renounce the errors of the Greeke Church mixing water with wine and their old abuse of fire in Baptisme to marke the face of the infant and infinite others of the like sort some of which defile others disanull the Institution both infringe it Yea so solemnely ought the Institution to be performed that by vertue of it other vices and errors of persons not so avoydable are to be tolerated and excused from annulling the ordinance though they are foule eye sores The use whereof is first to prepare way to speake of the severall Acts following in this our discourse with better savour to teach us to observe them thâ— more strictly and to profit by the use thereof Secondly to make conscience as neere as possibly wee may of the punctuall institution of Christ abhorring all other as the way to superstition and confusion and beleeving that all the grace and blessing belonging to the Sacrament next to the ordeyner himselfe depends instrumentally upon the sacred and inviolable institution of the Lord Iesus Now to the particular acts and first of the Minister then of the people to repeate nothing before said of his qualification Note That the Minister being in Gods stead betweene him and the people is to act those all and onely acts which the Lord Iesus himselfe did at the Celebration of the Supper not as if he shared with Christ in the power of eyther ordeyning or sanctifying the Elements of himselfe since all which he doth is both in the name of and for the use of his Master for whom hee is onely to make way in the hearts of the people But as a Minister he is for and in place of Christ himselfe Christ being in him or the Father himselfe in Christ rather the doer of all as the Prophet of his Church And the acts he is to discharge are foure Taking blessing Breaking or Powring out and Distributing of the signes of both kinds 1. Taking First touching the taking of the bread and wine it conteineth these two things First the culling out or chusing Secondly the setling of them unchangably to their service For the former The Lord Iesus Luk. 22 1â— Luk. 22.19.20 tooke bread and likewise the cup that is out of his wisedome he chose out from among all other creatures these two bread and winee to decipher the spirituall nourishment of his body and blood so that by this choise they have the prerogative to doe that which no other creature besides may 2. things 1. Separation from common use Now in such as choise there must be a separation of Elements from their dishonour to honour From basenesse and vilenesse to glorious use for what comparison is there betweene earth and heaven the common creature in daily use taken from the Bakers basket or the cellar and the heavenly body and blood of the Lord What shall then reconcile these Surely the divine power of Christ hee must take off the common and base
Bookes Bells Candles Reliques Creame Oyle Salt Spittle and stuffe not of Christs but their owne separation So much of the former branch Vse of latter branch Touching the latter let it be a comfort to all Gods people to consider the perpetuitie of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the nourishment of his Church So long as Christ Iesus shall have a Church till he drinke this Passeover in his heavenly kingdome with them hee will see these holy signes separated by himselfe to holy use to abide therein for hee hath setled them upon it for ever What persecutions what confusions of Popery what malice of enemies could ever prevaile these 1600. yeares to robbe the Church hereof As Iachin and Boaz abode while the Temple stood 1 King 7 21. so these two Pillars of Gods Sacraments shall never cease till the ordeyner of them shull come to judgement They may be eclipsed the light purity of administration defiled and for a time sundry corruptions of men may bee permitted by Gods providence to pester the Church but none of all these changings of the Sacrament into a Masse-sacrifice none of their pollutions and superstitions brought in and obtruded upon the Church shall prevaile That setled separation of our Lord Iesus shall give life to the Sacrament and as the Church her selfe Micah 7.8 Micha 7 8. saith to those Babylonians Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy for whâ—n I am fallen I shall risâ— Then shall she who upbrayded mee see it and tremble and be trodden downe as the mire of the streets So may the Sacrament of Christ triumph over all popish enemies who set up a signe of contradiction against her Masse and Altars and other defilements Rejoyce not over mee for I shall see thy ruine the life of Christs ordinance shall give mee a rising and recovery and I shall say Where is now your mouth that scorned the Sacrament where is your God of bread become Oh! one day the Lord Iesus shall consume your trash with the breath of his mouth Revel 11 and then his owne Sacrament and all his holy ordinances shall be set up in their purity when all humane scurfe shall breathe his last and say Thou hast overcome Oh Lord thy truth and ordinance have prevailed Vse 3 Lastly seeing the Minister hath deputed power from Christ thus to separate the Elements from common to divine use It should teach him to begin with this act and as may be obteyned to take the materialls himselfe at the entrance of separation and thus to separate them by vertue of the ordinance not to leave it to his Sexton or Clerke to fetch from the Taverne as he list and powre out at his pleasure Better is an overplus than a defect in this behalfe And for the first act thus much The second act of the Minister about the materialls 2. Act of the Minister blessing is blessing them for so our Saviour Luk. 22.19 Luk. 22 19. is said to doe ere he brake them Still I must put in this that the Minister of himselfe can doe nothing oftentimes he is farre from being blessed himselfe but the obedience to the institution doth it Now by blessing is meant sanctifying What it is Sanctifying the word being taken from the ordinary manner of the Iewes in their feasts and meales whose graces were called blessings because the first word of them was 1 Cor. 10 10. Blessed be God who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and who giveth wine out of the grape c. From hence our Saviour is said to blesse bread and wine though in another forme and to an higher end yet in generall as in the use of the creatures And the truth is whosoever they be that dare come neare the Table of the Lord and the blessing of the Minister being privy of ordinary using the creatures without blessing are fit to bee quite excluded from this Sacrament Remember the phrase of this blessing issued from that Now besides this blessing although it properly denote Thankes yet it includes prayer also First by Prayer Both make up the blessing of the Sacrament Our manner at this day is to say Wee give thankes not as if we did nothing else or as if prayer were inferior to it but so the use of speech hath prevailed First then our Saviour prayed and secondly praysed and gave thankes to his Father and in both stood this second act of blessing He was in this his act subject as mediator to his Father and so acknowledged no lesse viz. That looke what hee did hee did deputedly from him as the cheefe Agent in the sanctifying of the Sacrament And even so is the Minister much more to doe in his stead not to arrogate to himselfe Popishly this power but to abase himselfe to the lowest earth as a worme creeping out of her hole when he lifts up his heart in this kind to the Lord in the behalfe of the Church for a blessing upon the Sacrament It s farre from him or his intention to make or not to make the Sacrament it depends upon an higher power For in this case without question the greater is blessed of the lesser to wit instrumentally For the former of these two viz. our Saviours prayer it s not to be wondred at that its a part of this blessing For why Why It was put up to his Father to the end that he would give his solemne consent to it and by his word establish it to bee a Sacrament Even our blessing the creatures is by applying the strength of the Word Matth. 4.4 for man lives not by bread but by each word of God So that our Saviour here craveth a word from his Father 1 King 8.22 for the blessing of this Ordinance Salomon when he consecrated the Temple what did hee Applyed a word by Prayer unto it Thou O Lord art so great that the Heaven of Heavens cannot conteine thee yet thou hast sayd I will dwell in this house and make it a place of my residence Oh! be it so Vers 27. Matth. 12.42 Now although a greater than Salomon be heere yet lo as being now deputed by his Father to this great worke he beggeth from him to set his Fiat to this his act of Institution As if he should say Father it s not of my selfe as man but from thee and thy command I thy righteous servant have separated these Elements Esay 42.1 Oh Father then as the cheefe ordayner shew that I have done nothing rashly and without thee in this attempt Conteines 4. things But more fully to speake of this Prayer of Christ it conteines these foure things in it First as I said The Lord Iesus having abrogated one Sacrament and substituted another craves a consent from his Father by prayer as if he had said If thou oh Father say the word these Elements shall be Sacramentall they shall be united to my Deity and
flesh they shall be conveyers of holy things the blood spirit power life of the Lord Iesus into the soules of the faithfull Oh Father then as thou and I are one Ioh. 17.22 so declare that looke what I upon earth have done that thou hast ratified in heaven let not thine elect make any question but that its thy will as well as mine that these Elements be sanctified for such use Secondly as he begges of his Father Consent so especially he craves blessing upon them As Salomon in that his prayer begs Oh Lord since it s thy will to dwell in this house which I have built 1 Kin. 8.28 therefore I beseech thee shew it by reall effects Whensoever thy people shall be hem'd in by their enemies be afflicted with famine pestilence sword or whensoever they shall pray for any good thing Oh Lord looke downe from heaven and let it be enough that thy people looke toward this house Oh then meet them and blesse them So our Saviour here Oh Father I know thou hearest me alway and by name in thy consent to this separation of the Sacrament But Lord shew it both at this time to my disciples for ever to the end of the world Let them not looke toward this ordinance in vaine but put the savor and foyson of thy Sons grace strength refreshing into them that they may actually conferre upon all hungry beleeving soules my righteousnesse of satisfaction and sanctification of merit in the one 1 Cor. 1 30. Exod 20.1 and efficacie in the other to sustaine them and encrease their comfort both in their reconciliation and holinesse as the neede of each requires 3. He begges of his Father that his poore doubtfull and weake people might understand this blessing to be granted as well as himselfe that they might come confidently to this Sacrament 4. That by vertue of this his prayer and blessing the Church might approach with confidence to the Throne of Grace to doe the like that is to blesse the Sacrament both Minister and people with hope to receive the like blessing upon their receiving Vse 1 Ere wee goe to the next branch this may affoord us speciall use let it be exhortation then to all poore humbled ones in the sight of unworthinesse to all fearefull distrustfull ones of themselves that mourne for their dead dull receivings and that the Sacrament comes and goes from time to time with small fruit Oh! Why is it thus with you Is the Lord here and you are not aware Doe yee fare as if the Lord bade yee come hither in your owne strength Hath he not bestowed blessings upon it and blessed it yea and in spite of all divels in hell coâ—ruption on earth formalitie of the wicked it shall be blessed Why then looke yee no more firmely to the effect of this prayer Let me adde one thing more This prayer of Christ was but the first of his requests in this behalfe Lo as he is our Advocate in heaven he plies this worke still and followes this first sute with his Father to the uttermost that he would apply the power of his death and bloud to his Word preached and Sacraments ministred in his Church so that no opportunitie is now wanting to second this blessing doe not feare least God should have forgot this old prayer for with him two thousand yeares is as one day â— Pet. 3 8. But say it were not so yet we have an Advocate daily to put him in minde of each occasion Ioh. 11 42. So that if the Lord Iesus be all-way heard when hee prayeth it s well for us though old suits might be forgotten which is impossible But alas alas The cold comfort we feele by the Sacrament is the fruit of our little denying our selves cleaving to the Prayer and the Promise This is my welbeloved c. If Iohoshaphat could so confidently goe to God 1. Chro. 20 9. so long after Salomons blessing the Temple pleading to be heard how much more thou in the prayer of the Lord Iesus Did not Rebecca and Iacob laugh and take courage thinke we when they heard Isaac tell Esau Gen. 27 33. That Iacob was already blessed and should be so Why dost thou not laugh then to heare a greater and surer blessing from Christ Why goest thou out of this Blessing and Promise into thine own warme Sun to compasse thy selfe with thy owne sparkles Esay 50 11. Thinkest thou it is with this great Master of Requests as at the Court that many requests may be made ere one granted No no The Lord heard his Sonne in his feares much more his desires bring thou faith and feare not to receive a Sacrament under such a blessing as the Prayer of Christ lies in pawne to procure Heb 5 7. Let thy heart be never so hard Lam. 3 17. empty barren and farre from prosperity if thou come in faith the blessing is thine It s noted by the Evangelist That when Christ pray'd Ioh. 12 28. Glorifie thy name c. answer was made I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe Our Saviour tels his disciples This was for their sakes If thou canst by the eare of faith heare this voyce it belongs to thee Vse 2 Secondly it should not onely be instruction to all Ministers to sanctifie the Sacrament to the Church and themselves But especially it should teach them to be humble in so doing and to come unto God in all abasement Gen. 18.27 even as dust and ashes when they come to aske the blessing of God upon this or other Ordinances at the hands of God If a man having many children especially his eldest Sonne and heire so obedient and loyall that he never askes any boone of his Father but thee comes in great honour and reverence to aske it Will not this teach all the rest except Impes and degenerate to be much more so Behold here thy elder Brother the Lord Iesus Lord of all yet subject and begging every thing he needs not for himselfe but for his Church and shall it not smite into thee one of the basest of all the family of God much more humblenesse in thy prayers Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach both Minister and people in their blessing of the Sacrament when they feele their owne wofull basenesse to be admitted to such a service as being privie to horrible prophaning of such Ordinances and guilt of other sinnes to behold themselves their Prayers and Preparations in the person and prayer of the Lord Iesus in which they may be accepted as if worthy When they have once praid for blessing Pray againe with Hezekiah The good Lord accept me Chro. 30 18 19. though no way prepared according to the preparing of the Santuary Isaac bids Iacob come neere my sonne that I may feele and know if thou be indeede my sonne Esau Gen 27 28. and so comming in his linnen and roughnesse hee tooke him
called had beene Sacrilegious Even so here in the Elements resembling his separation and death But for the act it selfe consider two things first Two things in it 1. What it was What was it Why was it For answer to the first The breaking of Christ was a taking of the loafe and a breaking thereof with his holy hands into gobbets and morsels meet for his disciples not minsing the bread and cutting it with a knife into small bits nor yet into overgreat pieces but I say into morsels competent I doe not quarrell with the custome of cutting with the knife for as I said before of sprinkling the water so I say of this I disanull not the Ordinance thereby yet still I say I would rather chuse to cleave to the institution in so plaine an act of our Saviour if it may conveniently be done than to balcke it And the rather because it may savor of some Popish nicenesse For as they weare white gloves when they meddle with the Elements and touch them not with their bare hands pretending more reverence to be in a beasts skin than a mans naked hand so some thinke it too homely perhaps to breake the bread with their hands in comparison of cutting it with a knife To such I say that they are too nice herein and the institution of Christ much more to be followed the Minister himselfe breaking it and no leaving it as sometimes is used to the Clarke or Sexton to be done 2. Why was it Secondly why was it I answer for sundry causes first to parallell the Sacrifice of the Passeover a type of Christs Supper which was to be slaine and the bloud of it sprinckled about secondly for a more meete apportioning of the bread of the Sacrament and the Wine to the easier use of the Receivers than in the whole loafe or flagon thirdly and more principally to represent the voluntary offering up himselfe the next day upon the Crosse for an oblation to God Else he would have chosen some other to breake and powre out but in doing it himselfe he typified his laying downe his life freely Ioh. 10 18. when as else none could have taken it from him for when his apprehendors were cast upon the earth then did he yeeld himselfe to their hands fourthly to signifie to the Church that although the Lord Iesus were in himselfe the fountaine of all life and nourishment to his Church yet his Church could no otherwise be capable of him to such ends than by vertue of his being broken upon the Crosse He was as a sealed fountaine before Zach. 13.1 but now set open for the Church This Reason I would have well noted No other way but to be broken could make him meate and drinke indeede The Butt of wine in the Celler hath wine of excellent quality in it selfe but except it be broached none can be the better for it Hence the Church in the Canticles cries out Cant. 1 3. Thou art as an oyntment powred out in the savor of thy oyntments we will follow thee Ioh. 12 2. As that box of oyntment Iohn 12.2 which was broken upon him and powred out upon him so that all the house smelt of it Hence the holy Ghost especially dwells upon his powring out of his soule unto death his being broken for our transgressions Esay 53 12. Rom. 3.25 and other the like phrases there Esa· 53. And Saint Paul dwels upon his bloud-shed Rom. 3.25 ane in twentie other places to shew that nothing but death could make us the better for him either in pardon or Sanctification No incarnation of his no Innocency Miracles no Compassion Teares Love Reproaches Preaching Prayers without his being broken could make him usefull to us Fifthly as he could doe us no good save this way so there is a further thing in it for Christ could not be broken for nourishment till hee was for expiation and attonement By being once broken by death he both paid the price of wrath and also became meete nourishment Christ being made ours to pardon is also made ours to feede and furnish our soules with all graces of his Spirit the Supper is so the Sacrament of our growth in the Lord Iesus as first hee is our growth in faith and Iustification and then of holinesse Objection But here is an objection How can Christ be broken for our nourishment whereas the Scripture tells us Iohn 19 36. Not a bone of him should be broken Answer Answer No necessitie lay upon Christ to be broken according to the uttermost measure of breaking Onely essentiall breaking and powring out of his soule by death lay upon him and this was necessary to make attonement for sinne else no union could have beene purchaced with God nor any fruit thereof in either restoring of life or continuing welfare unto it restored The Providence of God was such in the alleniating of the Crosse and breaking of Christ that hee was dispensed with as touching those excesses extremities indignities which else might have lighted upon him had not the excellency of his person and his sufficiencie to satisfie taken them off Therefore whereas the Law was that the bones of the crucified should be broken to hasten their lingring death the Lord Iesus his bones were not broken he being dead before and so it was with him in the continuance in the hellish measure of torment that hee was freed from them It was enough that hee was so broken that the bande of soule and body was dissolved and his soule was powred forth unto death Vse 1 The uses are weightie first of Confutation of Popery And that first in this that they make a meere apish Pageant and Poppet-play of this Sacrament yea rather an enterlude to please and delight the sences of the blindly devout than a resemblance of the crucified body of the Lord Iesus for the comfort of the Church But especially that they destroy the essence of this act of Breaking In steed whereof they come and bring an whole unbroken Element made of a fine delicate wafer round and whole And as for powring out the wine to the people they never powre out nor allow any at all unto them but keept it quite from them Thirdly they professe not to act the part of the Father reaching out the broken body of Christ to his people but their Priest sustaines rather the person of a false Church and an Idolater to offer up to God a Sacrifice of Christ for expiation destroying the power of Christ our onely Oblation offered by himselfe never more needing to be offered And whereas we presse this argument against them they flie to a shift which overthrowes their cause saying They offer an unbloudy sacrifice in their Masse not bloudy as that of the Crosse In all three respects being the most wofull enemies of the Sacrament Hovv Papists enemies to a broken Christ For first they act it as a thing of mirth not as a broken Christ
secondly they neither breake nor powre out to the use of the Congregation thirdly they professe to have so little neede that God should give them his broken Sonne that they bid him take him backe to himselfe for they care not for him nay they give him backe with a mocking of God and say they offer him an unbloudy Christ and unbroken whereas its sure if the Lord Iesus had done so hee had blasphemed and not satisfied Heb. 9 22. Cursed be all new offering of a Christ as a propitiatory Sacrifice to God or offering of a Christ without bloud Thou shalt as soone satisfie wrath by thy owne or by an Angels or Saints Prayers as by a Christ unbroken and unbloudy A Christ neither broken nor bloudy is an Idoll nothing in the world neither meete to satisfie nor to nourish So that forasmuch as the Church of Romes Sacrament is a Christ no Christ no price no pardon no peace reconciliation or eternall life is to be found there We beseech God for ever to deliver us from her and our selves depart from her as a fatall enemy and destroyer of the Sacrament of the Supper Vse 2 Secondly This teacheth both Minister and people to bring with them pure hands and holy bodies and spirits when they touch breake powre out take and eate these pretious mysteries For what communion can be betweene light and darkenesse Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.16 The very Sacramentall acts alone require holinesse of all that thus draw neere unto God least he be revenged of their profaning his Ordinance And how carefull should the Minister be himselfe to act this breaking and powring out not leaving it to another since thereby the voluntarie Act of the Lord Iesus is obscured hee himselfe still freely giving himselfe by the onely hand of his deputed Minister Vse 3 Thirdly and especially let it be exhortation to all Christs people to acknowledge the admirable wisdome of this his ordaining the Sacrament for us in so lively a manner Exhort to diverse things and under such powerfull signification That whereas we come to the Supper for our nourishment and growing in faith and gracc in Christ Lo the Lord offers these under the lively sâ—â—nes of the Lord Iesus himselfe and not onely so but cruciâ—â—d and broken and powred out for us even meete nourishment meet to be apprehended by us in the act of his suffering to secure us of our justification by removing of wrath in the act of his preparednesse to nourish us by cutting himselfe out into morsels for us Oh! what life and sappe is there in a Sacrament so offered to a poore soule as crucifying Christ before our eyes and giving him so into our hands What thankes should this draw from us If Esay Chap. 63.1 could in the meditation of this point so many hundred yeares before Esay 63 1. ravish his heart how much more we How should the instruments of our soules peace with God and welfare in him cause us to cry out as he did Who is he that commeth up from Bozrah in his red garments be sprinkled with the wrath of God upon soule and body by agonies desertions outcries and dolors incomprehensible under that justice and wrath the winepresse fiercenesse whereof he trod And although he thereby was powred out to death yet he so trod out that wrath that it shall never seaze after upon a beleeving soule Oh! not only to thinke of this as Esay did a farre off but to behold the very thing in the Sacrament in a broken powred out bloudy Sacrifice made ready to our hand both to forgive refresh and revive the assurance of both to our soules what thanks and joy should it breed in us How should it magnifie the power of the death of our Lord Iesus in us He himselfe was wholy taken up in the joy of it as bitter as it was and shall not we Ioh. 12 24 25. Reade Ioh. 12.24.32 when some Greeke Proselites preassed to have a sight of him two or three dayes ere his suffering he pulls them to behold him dead not alive Except the wheate corne fall and die it abides alone If I be lifted up I will draw all unto me meaning by the word and Sacraments of this Passion And shall not these ravish us much more Vse 4 Fourthly what compassion and mourning should this sight worke in us Reade Zech. 12.10 Zach. 12 10. They shall see him whom they have pierced and mourne and be in bitternesse as one for his onely Sonne I exhort none to whip themselves for Christ for wo be to such as mourne for him whom they should rejoyce in No no weepe for your selves Come eate this Passe-over withâ—â—wre herbes Exod. 12 8. and behold your selves in this Sacrament who brake rent and powred out the heart-bloud of the Lord Iesus to the earth Truly if thou be not sensible of this thy sinne and broken for breaking the Lord Iesus thou art a Cain to this Abel Gen. 4.10 and his bloud shall cry for vengeance against thee Hearken to the voyce of Iustice crying out Either rend this sinfull cursed soule in pieces for her hypocrisie infidelitie profanenesse or teare the flesh of thy Son for him Aske oh Lord why should not I have beene torne and broken rather for my owne sin But thou hast laid the iniquitie of me upon him Oh! how I am stung for the cause Therefore I mourne not because thou did spare me and lay my guilt upon him but because I was that speare those nailes that brake his holy hands and sides Oh! How few come into the Congregation thus abased Behold thy owne just destinie in the broken body of Christ and mourne Oh thus my pride hollownesse worldlinesse had handled me if the Lord Iesus had not stept in Moderate that frothy lightnesse of spirit which beholds Christ in the Sacrament as an object of all joy and mirth Oh! Let it be thy sadnesse first and thy gladnesse after If the sight of a Page being beaten for a Prince will cause the Prince to mourne and see his errour in the Pages strokes what shall the Page do then when he sees the Prince smitten for his prankes Oh! such a broken heart would make Christ sweet in the Sacrament such a mourning would bring joy For why As thou shouldest have suffered unsatisfyingly except Christ had satisfied So he having freely broken himself for thee hath prevented thy breaking and caused thee to blesse him and say Oh! because thou hast delivered me from this anguish I wil take up the cup of salvation and praise thee Thou stepst in Oh Lord when Angels durst not betweene wrath and my soule Psal 116.13 that the snare being broken I might escape Vse 5 Fifthly concurre therefore by faith with this broken Lord Iesus in the Sacrament first behold the order of it then the act it selfe For the first Remember Two things 1 Order that all true right to the Lord
Christ in a community because a branch cut off from the stocke is but dead Iohn 15 6. and the Legacy of Christ Sacramentall is not given to a member but to the body that so it may aptly and fitly be derived out into portions As of many graines one loafe is framed 1 Cor. 10.17 and whole Christ is given to the whole body so also of this loafe the Lord cuts out heere one morsell there another for each members severall use which perhaps is not anothers The arme in the body hath no nourishment save in the body that it might learne to abide in the body Rom. 11.18 and to neede it as a fellow feeling member Howbeit the nourishment of the arme in speciall is not the footes nor the thighes but it owne 2. Peculiar Secondly in this distribution of the Sacrament our Lord Iesus aymes at peculiarnesse and teacheth us that when the Minister reaches out the Elements to this person and to that hee doth not onely present a common Christ to become my Christ he doth not onely make him my Lord and my God and lay him in my lap for my reconciliation and life but also hee doth make him mine peculiarly for the granting of such graces and supplying such wants as I in particular finde in my selfe without which it should not availe me that he supplyes the wants of others And thus Christ Sacramentall is no common Christ though a Christ of Community but a peculiar and speciall Christ cut out divided and proportioned for each soules necessity as many lines are equally drawne from one center to each part of the orbe and wheele thereof To make this point cleare consider the ground of it The ground of it The Lord Iesus who is the Demensum or portion of the Church is also his owne steward to divide and deale out himselfe as the dole of the Church and of each of his houshold Salomon Prov. 27.23 Prov. 27.23 saith to all Masters of families Looke diligently to the state of thy flockes and heards Provide hay and stover for them that thou maiest thereby have sustenance for thy children and maydens Doth the Lord take care for cattle or for the bodies of men and their families 1 Cor. 9.9 How much more then is he carefull for his owne sonnes and daughters that they lacke not If he be worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 who provides not for his family what should the Lord bee if hee should neglect those of his houshould Nay further reade Luke 12.42 Luke 12.42 speaking of his Ministers he saith Who is a wise and faithfull steward whom the Lord may set over his house that he may give them their due portion in season The answer is that Christ is he all Ministers are under-officers but hee is above Moyses Peter Paul he is faithfull as a sonne 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 3.5 6. not a servant who then but hee should doe it who is all in all in the house of God the great King as David in Sauls 1 Sam. 22.14 1 Sam. 22.14 It is hee who provideth for the weake and sicke ones for the strong and haile for infants for growne ones if it be required of each steward that he be faithfull how much more of him Heb. 3.2.5 1 Cor. 4.2 Heb. 3.2.5 1 Cor 4.2 Hee can doe what he will as his Fathers steward officers are as they are must doe as they can but he as he list Well may be be trusted for faithfulnesse in all the house or Church of God having stored up in himselfe all gifts and treasures and being the wisedome of the Father to divide them to all and each as he needs it knowing them by name and their needs and knowing what how much and when will best fit them and wanting no tendernes to attend his wisedome Farre be it from him to give some all some never a whit for he is just or to give some the portion of others for he is wise or to give to the strongest and oversee the fatherlesse and weake for he is tender and in all three faithfull even Gods right hand to deale as God himselfe would doe if present As it was he who first did take off our yoake and lay meate before us so it is he who maintaines us at his cost gives us our daily bread in word and Sacrament till we neede it no more Hose 11.12 Hos 11.12 Yea he himselfe is our foode and ordinary which no steward can be as in the next generall shall appeare Vse For the use hereof first its confutation of Popery who as I oft have noted make Christ the worst to speake with reverence and most base unfaithfull and foolish steward in the world to pull away the Cup from his people and to defraud them of that full nourishment which both his Father allowes them and himselfe was broken and shedde his blood to become And whereas they cavill thus that Christ gave onely to Ministers to no lay men and so they doe But as for the people by whom there is perill of spilling they doe it not for honour of the Sacrament Yee hypocrites who streine at gnats and swallow Camells how can he bee secured that the wine will not be spilt in a Ministers drinking it Or who taught yee that the Church serves for the Elements and not they rather for the Church Cares Christ for dropps of wine more than the soules of his people Is it more with him that wine spill or the soule perish Againe where learne yee to expound the words of Christ Eate yee drinke yee all exclusively Doth hee not say I am with you to the worlds end Doe the Apostles live for ever Saith he Doe this as oft as yee doe it till I come Tell me I pray by the same reason why may any save the Minister take the bread is there any proviso for them No no he spake heere as elsewheere in the persons of Ministers to all beleevers as in Ioh. 17. he expresseth I pray not for these onely but for all that beleeve Secondly this point teaches the Minister of Christ to looke to himselfe that he usurpe not Christs roome in this Act nor come to divide that Lord Iesus Sacramentall whom he cares not to divide and reach out in doctrine to the people If Christ had so done what had his giving of the Elements beene but a dumbe Pageant whereas if it were the care of Gods stewards to consider that looke what they doe at the Sacrament they doe onely in relation to their Ministry how wise studious and faithfull would they bee in that other cutting of the word and giving it duly to the people by speciall observing applying and dealing out to each hearer his portion How would they studie the people in themselves Learne to put a difference betweene the portion of novices and strong ones of ignorant and skilfull of happy and cheerefull spirits of the fallen or standing
mouth against them Vse 6 Sixtly this is reproofe of the people in divers respects Reproofe in three respectâ— first their cavilling secondly their unprofitablenesse thirdly their distrust of Christ Sacramentall For the first how doe men grudge against Christ and the portion of others Carve for themselves Oh! if such or such were present here were for them for they are thus and thus tecâ—y worldly As Peter Ioh. 22. asked Christ What shall this man doe But what hast thou to doe with the portion of another Looke thou to thine owne Doe not cavill I say Oh such can carry away such and such gifts as I cannot atteine Why hath not the Lord for thee as well as them But thou seekest another mans supply not thy owne As Absalon sought to governe when he should have beene subject so thou commest for the gifts of such and such but no supply of thy owne wants What should the hand doe with the gift of the head or the foote of the hand Keepe within thy bounds covet the speciall portion of thy soule come to Christ divided to thee if that will not satisfie thee thou art no member Perhaps if thou hadst anothers portion it would pride thee cast away envy and get faith and Christ hath for thee as well as him Secondly it taxeth the unfruitfull receivings of many who come for supply of their wants but they are still to seeke from Sacrament to Sacrament and still are as full of their wants as ever They fasten not upon Christ their divided portion but rest in their complaints laying out no money for bread They come and goe daily as naked as ever as if Christ were cut out and given there to have their custome daily and heare of their wants and needs but to be a supply of none Much like those who wanting any implement in their house let all neighbours know their wants and seeke to borrow but want credit and want still Oh! its fearefull thus to profane Christ offred as a supply of every soules wants If thine be still unsupplyed what fruite hast thou reaped by receiving or how can thy heart rest satisfied any more than hee who dreames of treasures and when he waketh is empty Thirdly the distrust of many is to be rebuked sharpely who are not convicted of this use of the Sacrament but remaine incredulous comming to it as a strange thing knowing no such thing as that Christ divided into portions is there Oh! the ignorance and infidelity of most receivers is great in this Nothing is so formall fulsome a thing with them as the Sacrament which yet is the reallest blessing under the Sunne even the Lord Iesus in his peculiar distribution and supply of all his peoples wants Oh! if thou knewst the gift of God how should these scales fall from thine eyes and how shouldst thou behold the Supper of Christ As Iehojakin lifted up from prison to the daily portion of the king of Babells meate so should the hearesay of a Sacrament be to thee Thou wouldst abhorre thy selfe for thy blinde base and fulsome receivings more than for thy swearing and drunkennesse To these I should adde the last use of exhortation to the Lord people to get selfedeniall and the sence of their owne wants and therewith to bring speciall faith to take out this portion to themselves But I reserve both these to their severall roomes if God will hereafter So much therefore be spoken of this first generall viz. the acts of the Minister in the supper Now followeth the two of the people in receiving The Acts of the people in receiving are two The two acts of people all sutable to the ministeriall charge which the Lord Iesus himselfe at first and the Minister in his Name continually doth lay upon them the which are First taking or receiving Secondly eating enjoying possessing the comfort of these good things Concerning the which although in coherence to the former it were not amisse here to treate of them yet considering they cannot bee well understood till the next generall have beene handled to wit the grace of Christ offered in the Supper for how should an act be understood till the object about which it is occupied be conceived First therefore of that in the next Chapter and then of these two after by way of use of the doctrine if God will shall more seasonably be spoken in the eighth Chapter following CHAP. VII Of the second part of the description viz. The grace of the Supper WE come now to the second generall in the description of the Supper to wit the grace of Christ offered therein to the beleever and that is whole Christs Body and Blood for spirituall nourishment of life once received The distinct understanding of which point in the branches will proove one of the maine points in this description 3. Questions and give us light in the doctrine of the Supper Heere then let three questions be opened The first how comes it to passe that Christ Iesus is our spirituall support in grace as well as our being and regeneration First Question How is Christ the soules nourishment Secondly how comes Christ to be propounded to us as our Sacramentall Support or foode Thirdly wherein consists it Answere 1 For the first question I must answer it by some stepps or degrees Observe then that first it s the good pleasure of God the Father to select out unto himselfe such a number of people from the common masse whom he will bestow himselfe upon and his Image in grace and glory whom hee will make his beloved be knowne in and set his marke upon both by pardoning them and sanctifying them to bee his owne peculiar Answere 2 Secondly since he will have such a number to be his looke what life of his hee hath once given them and what estate of grace he hath called them unto the same grace hee must susteine and continue in them and keepe them therein from sinking or losing that which he hath vouchsafed them which cannot be except he doe spiritually nourish them as he first spiritually bred them Answere 3 Thirdly looke by what meants he first thought meete in his divine wisedome to communicate his life unto them by the same he must convey the maintaining power thereof in them for as much as by the same things whereof wee consist we are also nourished If then the Lord Iesus were the mediator of life at the first to them affording himselfe to be seede and begetting unto them then the same Lord Iesus must become also foode of this life to cherish it to repayre it to supply the wants of it to redresse the decayes of it and to uphold the frame of it in them If God thought it good not to betrust them with this second life of grace as hee did Adam with that first of creation and therefore hath put over the custody of that life and the supply of nourishment tending thereunto into the hands of
the Lord Iesus that so it might never faile nor wanze away any more Then surely it behooves that the Lord Iesus be as well the keeper of this life and the nourishment thereof as hee was the first the breeder thereof Answere 4 Fourthly the Father to this end must really convey into the person of Christ all such power and vertue as may enable him to be the life and nourishment of his members and therefore he must fill him with himselfe bodily and make him the treasury of all graces wisedome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption all good things necessary for the making of such as are not his to become his and such as are his to be more his or his in a more full and assured manner to prosper grow and thrive in him unto perfection Answere 5 Fiftly he must also qualifie the Lord Iesus with the gift of conveying this holy nature of his and this blessed nourishment of his unto his people and this he doth not onely by the union of flesh with God but especially by the death and satisfaction of Christ by which as by a wide dore he opened the treasure of life and nourishment which was in him and merited that the life of grace in forgivenesse and holinesse might be theirs and that himselfe in his flesh and blood broken and powred out might bee a most effectuall seede of life and foode of life to support them Answere 6 Sixtly to this end hee hath the authority to send forth the word of reconciliation and of nourishment unto his people and as by the power of vocation to call them from death to life that all who heare the voyce of God might live so also to create in their soules by that word of his Esay 57.17 the gift of faith to pull them to himselfe to unite them to himselfe and to convey his owne spirituall life by this union of faith unto them causing his blessed Spirit to concurre so with the word as to settle it upon them and having so done to give them this priviledge that they shall as truely bee maintained at his cost Iohn 17.11 be kept in his name be upheld in grace prosper in it be defended against all enemies within or without which might impeach this their welfare growth fruitfulnesse and perseverance as ever he bred life in them at the first Answere 7 Seventhly and lastly they receive by this priviledge as true right to claime plead for and expect the Lord Iesus to be their nourishment as the poore dumbe creature by the instinct of nature being brought forth runnes to the Damme for milke Or as the Infant comming forth of that wombe which gave it life cryes for the brest of the same mother and pleades to be nourished by her By these steps it may be conceived in generall how the Lord Iesus is made of the Father the true foode of his members The second question viz. How Christ is so in the Supper But as yet here is nothing of Christ our Sacramentall nourishmen Vnderstand therefore the Sacrament to stand in relation to the word of promise wherein Christ is made the poore soules owne to feede her As I noted in Baptisme so heere againe observe Christ in promise and Christ in the Supper differ not save in the manner and degree of exhibiting him out nourishment Looke then what the Spirit of the promise workes for the soule that it much more worketh by the Sacrament First persents the promises Take some instances First it presents the soule of every one truely bred with those choise promises of Christ her nourishment searching them out of each corner Tells her Esay 25. Esay 25.7 That the Lord makes her a feast upon the mountaines of fat things of wines refined and pure and the dishes of the feast are Christ in his graces plucking away the veile of darkenesse remooving death and feare bringing joy and peace Esay 55.1 Esay 55.2 he offers him in all kinds of things usefull and nourishing wine honey oyle bids her eate good things and delight her selfe in fatnesse In Pro. 7. Prov. 7.1 he invites her to his feast and provision of all choice dainties not for necessity onely but for fulnesse for delicacy for variety and delight for safety for durablenesse In Psal 23. Psal 23.3 hee leades her as a shepheard into his pastures streames folds guards her against dangers and death annoints her head with balme Cant. 4.13 and fills full her cup. In the Canticles he makes himselfe her husband to marry himselfe to her and bestow all at once upon her his garments smell of mirrhe Cinnamon and Cassia In Psal 84. Psal 84.11 he denies her nothing that is good for her either for light or defence in those Parables he makes her a feast Luk. 15.23 brings out the Calfe In Iohn 6. Iohn 6.55 tells her his flesh is not onely life but meate indeede and his blood drinke indeede And plainely saith They that live in him shall abide in him and out of their belly shall spring up waters of life they that eate him shall not dye but live for ever In Revel 3. Revel 3.18 he offers himselfe to her in all respects Attire for nakednesse Gold for poverty eye-salve for blindnesse himselfe a supply of all necessities How much more then doth hee leade her to this great Sacramentall promise mentioned in the Text This is my body given for you this is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood 2. Brings the fulnesse of Christ into the promise Againe the Spirit of the promise brings the Lord Iesus and all his fulnesse of nourishment into that promise the spirit of nature doth not so prepare the nourishment of the infant and seale it in the brest for more easie fastning than the Spirit doth settle all the fulnesse of Christ in a promise so that it offers it selfe to the hungry soule Besides 3. Puts the truth of the promiser into it it put the faithfulnesse of the promiser into the promise all the tendernesse and compassion of Christ to the wants of the Church and the truth of his meaning not to faile her in any good thing he can helpe her with Furthermore it strips her of all her owne strength 3. Strips the soule of her selfe tells her that although shee be borne of God yet except hee cleave to her as a feeder as a father a nurse a supply she cannot subsist shee will goe to worke else with her owne tooles and compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles Esa 50. ult and deceive her selfe with her owne trash shee cannot doe any duty get out of any temptation beare any trouble of her selfe without Christ shee can doe nothing Moreover hee sheweth her 4. Leads her to the sufficiency of Christ all her sufficiency is from Christ The worke and life of grace requires his daily hourely acting power in her to set it on
that is That the graces of a Christians condition encrease not a man cannot be sayd to increase in Iustification Adoption c. Answer Answer Graces indeede of imputation doe not admit increase but yet are not excluded from being the object of the Sacrament and that in two respects First themselves for though their essence encrease not yet the soule may and must increase in the knowledge and assurance of them Secondly the fruits of them as the peace the cheerefulnesse joy the contentation the confidence the liberty the welfare of the heart may either be greater or smaller and therefore they concerne the grace of the Supper Againe doth Baptisme seale up inherent sanctification to be the soules owne Then doth the Supper nourish the soule in that First in the mortifying and quickning power of it for the Lord Iesus broken and powred out affordeth the soule daily strength to breake the chaines the power of ruling and defiling lusts ignorance errour security infidelity profanesse selfe-love unrighteousnesse intemperancie Also it brings in the power of the resurrection to rectifie and informe the whole man to better him in the grace of regeneration sinceritie integritie constancy courage c. Yea more it betters the Spirit and frame of the inner man with fuller bent of resolution and streame of heart and affections to be for God and to goe in the streame of obedience to him Secondly it quickens and nourisheth the soule in the speciall graces of sanctification wisdome watchfulnesse humilitie love feare faith patience mercy and all holy affections and gifts serving to holinesse Againe doth Baptisme conferre the grace of a well ordered conversation Then doth the Supper nourish that grace take some instances One especiall grace of inward conversation is the life of faith in all estates in all duties meanes and graces The Supper then strengthens this life of faith in all these enabling the soule to be more sober in prosperitie more humble under the Crosse more fruitfull in well doing more diligent and conscionable in all ordinances more effectuall and plentifull in graces Another instance may be of outward conversation standing in marriage liberties calling company solitarinesse the tongue the governement of the family The Supper then serves to better all these to correct the errors wants infirmitie of these and to ease the complaint of the soule for her unaptnesse to these her sloth awcknesse wearinesse earthlinesse hollownesse barrennesse unprofitablenesse unskilfulnesse to serve God aright in all these Againe doth Baptisme settle the conformity of the Lord Iesus his sufferings upon us Then doth the Supper confirme the soule therein to thinke afflictions daily more welcome to count them no strange thing to wait for them to be humbled and broken and powred out by them made by them more sober selfe-denying more patient to beare and more wise to profit by purging out the causes more growing in graces living by faith in streights for an holy use and good issue out of them And in a word the Sacrament is Christ our Influence and Nourishment in all respects wherein the soule is capable of any want or complaint serving to this purpose that wee may be quickned up in our affections and in steed of a decaying uncheerefull course which Satan and corruption beset us with wee may walke in and out with God with peace and comfort and it may goe well with us in all that wee put our hanâ—â— unto Deut. 5.29 both without and within in life and death It is a strengthner of us to duty a supply of needs protection against evils provision of good things It s enough that the Supper is as large as any wants can be No man knoweth where another mans shoe pincheth but his owne but wheresoever the pinch is Christ in the Supper is ease All the difficulty is in the wise application there is none in the point This for the extent or object of Christ our nourishment Quest 2 The degrees Which are foure The second Question will yet come closer to the point viz. What this influence of Christ is in what kinde or degrees it consists The answer is That it stands in foure severall parts and tends to as many ends Prosperity of soule being the adaequate end of the Supper looke wherein true prospering consists therein stands this influence So that by this latter the former will discover it selfe Christ our nourishment by Christ our influence which is the efficacy of it in the soule The severals are health growth stablenesse and fruitfulnesse in grace The Lord Iesus Sacramentall being all these in all such as are truly begotten of him in one measure or other 1 Health of soule 3 Iohn 2. Touching the first Health of the soule is one step of spirituall prosperity Saint Iohn Epist. 3.2 prayes for Gajus an holy yet sickly man That hee might be well or in health as his soule prospered Pro. 3.8 What it is viz. Sustaining the soule in her welfare intimating that one and the first step of prospering is healthinesse Salomon speaking of the feare of God saith It shall he health to the navill and marrow to the bones noting that the soule which truly prospers by Christ is is healthy even as a body is Note then even as when wee see corne hops or the like hold their vigour and colour wee say they will thrive and as the body when it holds it owne and keepes good colour and countenance the bones running full of marrow and the bloud and spirits running well and aright in the veines and vessels then it s called hayle and sound so it is with the soule of a Christian His nourishment is then well aseene on him when he holds that which hee hath received once from Christ when he beares his yeares well when the constitution and frame of his spirit abides sound humble beleeving upright thankfull wise wary holy righteous Wee call health the due consistence of the constitution and humours without either excesse or defect when the body keepes temper and vigor without any clogge or oppression of ill humors or surfeit befalling her So is it here when the soule is preserved from the annoyance and distemper of the wonted bad qualities pride ease infidelity unthankfulnesse envie world selfe-love unsavorines when kept from loosenesse and security and hanging her grace upon the hedge and running out of course to all occasions companies baites profits pleasures vanities whereby the life of grace should be choked and oppressed then she beares marke of some health and prospering then shee seemes to hold her owne in the life of faith and the order of good conversation Now to this first end the Lord Iesus our nourishment serves Christ our nourishment can doe it Sacramentally Psal 119 57. especially in the Sacrament and to this end all true Receivers frequent it viz. That they may fare well and prosper in soule The Lord Iesus is able to doe this and more for them David hath a sweet
secretly distributing the masse into severall parts according to their variety of substance and need so is it with faith she comes to the masse and full heape of blood and nourishment she finds an hoorde of fulnesse in Christ and there fastens her pipes and veine of conveyance and thence she carryes to the uses of the soule whether for blessings a sober thankfull heart or for crosses an humble meeke beleeving and confident upon the promise of Christs protection heer shee layes in grace to rule her selfe well in marriage then in family in hearing in prayer heer shee catches at grace to resolve her doubts to bane her corruptions to better her conscience to comfort her in forgivenesse none comes amisse as the need and measure of each part requires so she drawes and derives from Christ her wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption And looke how the distribution of nature doth by secret instinct derive meete juice for each part not that to one which is the others due but the tenderest to the most fleshly and the viscous or course to the stiffer as muscles and joints so is it heere the derivation of faith is wiser than of nature And the veines of last concoction Secondly having so done the lesser veines neerest to each member to bee nourished by the heate and concoction of it doth turne this proper nourishment into the substance of the nourished that both may be one and this is the eminent worke of faith also that turnes the Lord IESVS into the beeing of the soule spiritually it doth not only carry meet juice to the part leaving it there unapplyed but makes the meat and the member one The Lord Iesus by faith dwells in the soule inhabites it is one with it bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh and by his owne strength prayes heares meditates in her by his owne strenght patience love humilitie puttes an influence into her for the like so that of his fulnesse the soule hath grace for grace yea Esay 26 He doth all her works for her and in her hee is afflicted and suffers with her rejoyces in her and shee sayeth Now live I yet not I but Christ in mee Lastly faith is like the naturall soule her selfe in her Operation 4. By the Natural soule for as wee see men well fed are fit for worke so is it here Faith exercises the grace of the soule received from CHRIST Sacramentall in the severall passages of life concerning each mans calling Looke how it is with ten men that have bin wel fed at one feast although they have 10. several workes to doe yet they go cheerfully about them the plowman to toile the Merchant to project the Scholler to his study the traveller to his journey the workes are severall but the same feast affords strength and cheere of body and spirit to each of them for the menaging of his taske even so 1 Kings 19.8 in the strength of this cake and water this Lord Iesus his body and blood the refreshed soule goes about every lawfull service which the Lord calls her too One hinders not another But there is enough in Christ to fulfill all and to fit each for his taske So that if he be put on well as the Apparrell lo in the warmth and comfort of it the soule is ready to goe from duty to duty from her rising to her lying downe who of her selfe was good for nothing And thus she boasteth 1 Cor. 1.30 boasts of the Lord and sees that as her selfe cut off from him is as the branch that withers so all her sufficiency is from God and as the sea sends forth al l waters and receives them so doth the Lord receive from faith the honour of his al-sufficiency These few things may serve for a draught of this Truth how faith Sacramentall applyes Christ to be her Nourishment having taken him in the Promise Vses Now I conclude with breefe use partly of admonition and partly of exhortation to all Gods People First be warned against the lets of this Application Admonition in many Caveats Beware least thy vaine heart bee seduced by Satan to forsake the Lord in the plaine way of his ordinance as if because it is seely to fleshly shew therefore thou stumbling at it shouldest be carried from that which should doe thee most good to do thee most hurt Helpe thy hand of faith by the hand of sence assure the one by the other but hurt it not Resolue to get the Lord by his owne way Misse not the gripe and hold of a Promise for a shaddow of thy owne conceit Let not wandrings of thy mind suspicions and jelousies against God and thy selfe the guilt of old receivings the examples of the common sort of Communicants who make a custome of going as they come the temptations by thy owne unworthinesse emptinesse and basenesse carry thee from the steddy beleeving of the promise Tye not God to thy girdle rather fasten thy Boat to his Barge to be carried by the motion of it Nourish not an evill eye against others that they grow by their receivings and prosper but not hou Turne envy into faith and the fulnesse of him who hath blessed him can also satisfie thee Let not an evill heart of unbeleefe possesse thee to thinke the Sacrament will proove no better to thee than it hath bin rather thinke it s the way whereby GOD hath appointed to break through the pikes therefore the Lord will not suffer thee to live so barren as formerly Thinke not basely of CHRIST as if hee oversaw all thy sorrowes wants lets doubts annoyances corruptions temptations as if hee cared not that thou still welter in them and get not out Although they have continued long 2 Pet. 3 8. yet know a thousand yeeres with him are as one day hee hath a day of salvation an accepted time and will one day pick out speciall Sacraments and by them speciall graces for speciall needs cure thee of all the deadnesse world hollownesse pride and selfe which is in thee if thou mourne under thy burden say Corruption shall downe and grace shall outlive it and I shall yet see better dayes and best at last though I feele little seeing GOD hath saied it I beleeve it Doe not appoint GOD his measure nor his time but wait and try thy patience perhaps GOD lookes for it Light is sowne for the righteous let them waite till it come up Such health growth stayednesse and measures as God hath alotted thee shall bee thine that Demensum which thy wise steward sees best is better for thee than a greater Thou hast no promise of such a measure but of grace sufficient If thou hast any dram of it know its pretious thou art not worth the ground thou goest upon the breath thou drawest and wilt thou carve for thy selfe in the degrees of grace Vse 2 Exhortatiō Secondly and lastly come and bring thy faith to Christ thy nourishment and
not for the fruit Vse all these in their kindes but enjoy these and in so doing ye have the perfection which nothing else can and these doe affoord to the soule But heere yee will say is the difficulty I answer I will point briefely at two or three branches of direction and so conclude Directions for it three The first delight in God Psal 37. The first is this Delight in the Lord for this perfection of soule-content which he offers in his Christ The perfection of love is joy let him have perfect delight of thy heart for his perfect nourishment If David said well Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire how much more then set thy heart upon him when he hath already done it that hee may doe it more Vse the Ordinances of Word of Prayer yea of this Sacramentall Christ our nourishment as a stirrop to get up into this full safe pure and durable object of delight in the Lord his Christ and Spirit who when all these poore helpes which serve to proppe up a Pilgrims travell as so many baiting-places till he get home shall faile yet shall be the eternall delight of the soule in glory Beginne this complacence and well apaiednesse of heart heere and if it be hard pray to God to give thee a judicious heart to understand the weight and worth of the things and to delight groundedly in those things which are best approved of God to deserve it As if a Iueller assure thee of the value of a pearle he neede say no more And pray also that all thy affections may follow love joy feare to forgoe it sorrow if weakened and all the rest as in a Gentlemans house let the Master welcome a stranger and all the servants will striue to doe the like Beseech him that his Spirit of comfort by faith may not only shew thee the good things he hath given thee 1 Cor. 2 12. 1 Cor. 2 12. but shed a lively sweetnesse and joy in them into thee so that as the Vine said Iudg. 9 11 13. Thou wilt not forsake this thy fatnesse and sweetnesse for any thing Beseech him to purge thy conscience from all creeping defilements of thy selfe world Satan or crosses which might dampe it and so raise up thy soule by them above all this earth which might eclipse it If it be an heaven upon earth now and then to beleeve a promise to savor a Truth to receive a Sacrament to be in good company to resist a lust to revive a grace what should he be who is all these and whereby should the heart be sooner raised up to him than by that which makes all this good cheere the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Oh! maintaine no melancholy distrust against this But as Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 1 Sam. 1 1â— when she had heard Eli was quite another and wept no more so be thou Peninna still was a chokepeare and so shall there never cease some thing or other to correct thy content but yet Peninna now was no more thought of Remember if food and gladnesse alway go together as Act. 14.17 Act. 14 17. How shalt thou hold up thy face before the Lord of this feast if thy sad heart poison it Secondly 2 Maintaine communion with him adde thiâ—â—s maintaine this Communion with God daily As the influente of Christ in the Sacrament is a speciall peece of our communion with God so when wee are gone it should make us fond to hold it that wee might bee as it were drunk with the wine of his cellars and the pleasures of his house That so wee may keepe a communion with him daily from Sabbath to Sabbath and be alway breaking bread and receaving as those disciples at Ierusalem who attended the comming of the Holy-Ghost David was so ravisht with that hee felt in the house of God that he saith had I but one thing of God this it should be Psal 27. That I might behold his face in the beauty of his Temple and holinesse and yet he might never come into the Priests Sanctuary much lesse rhe Holy of Holies to see the merciseat and the Arke under it covered with glorious Cherubins which wee may doe daily This is to spend our whole life in Gods House Psal 23. ult Psal 23 6. Not to be never out of it which old Anna her selfe could not but to retaine that savor of immortalitie and hope of eternall life which the communion of Saints in the world and Sacraments doth breed in the soule Oh the smell of these spices in the garden which the North-winde of the Spirit doth afford to our nostriles Cant. 4 16. Cant. 4 16. should so perfume us as all other fellowship should stinke unto us as no douht Peter his nets did and all the world when he was with Christ and Moses and Elias upon the Mount and would have built three Tabernacles Math. 17 4. and said It is good to be there As those brutish ones longed When will the Sabbaths be gone and the new Moones be past meaning those feasts of continuance for weekes so shouldst thou long for them When will they come And with David Psal 84. Psal 84.3 Oh my heart fainteth and my feete long for to goe to thy Temple How rare are such in these dayes in which though our cups and vessels be of silver and gold yet our receivers are wood and stone for the most part and such as savor not this bread of life and food of Angels How should we be afraid lest this Idoll of forme eate up all as those leane Kine in Gen. 41 18. Gen. 41.18.16 20. and lanke eares devoured the fat and full ones Where is hee who so comes to the Sacrament as loth to leave it and to goe into the aire of the world againe I â—â—mmend not the excesse of these old Monkes who forsooke the course of the world for to live alway in holy services But this I say few such there are who doe so much as hold any savor of this communion of Christ Sacramentall a few dayes after Oh! then such as have found this hoord of grace in the Supper keepe it daily also that it may attend ye fortie dayes till the Mount of God Directions for it Therefore let our daily course hold this communion But how may some say I will adde one or two words of direction First in the due exercise and quickning of the graces of the Spirit within us both the life of faith in all estates blessings and crosses in all meanes ordinary and extraordinary in their season as well as the Supper all having their particular use also in all duties of both Tables and the fruits of this faith I meane the graces of hope love to the Saints the partners with us in this communion Psal 16 2. Psal 16 2. and patience humilitie courage thankfulnesse and the rest of
26 22. See 2 Chron. 35 6. Objection Is the tryall of others needelesse to deceive thy selfe What did it boote Iudas to escape the judgement of all his fellowes in comming to the Passeover Let that patterne discourage all selfeconceited and subtill hypocrites What then may some say is the helpful trial of others needles No But of use As we see the Levits to sanctifie their brethren Onely there is difference betweene the triall of others and our owne The triall of others serves as the materialls towards a building Answer No. our owne triall is as the building of the workeman himselfe When all the Timber Brickes and Lime is ready layd the workeman must finish the frame The Saw or Axe may be layd upon the stone or upon the timber but except the lively hand of a man doe acts those tooles duely there will be no sawing of them in two So is it heere The minister or governour must give light and direction how to try wherein it stands and how the false heart should bee handled hee may teach upon what termes search is to bee made and what not he may remove false scruples error and letts But the verdict of triall must bee thy owne in secret when all is done As at the Assyses there bee two Iuryes the one of Inquest the other of life and death There is asingular use of the former and yet that meddles not with the finall sentence Onely it makes an easie way for the finall and remooves rubs and gives light what bills are to bee enquired upon and so the other consults and gives verdict of life or death guilty or unguilty So here let the use bee to admonish all cavillers and profane persons who would take advantage of the rule to try themselves and all to exclude the helpe of others whom they should shunne least their sinne and profanenesse should be perceived There are none who so decline the helpe of others but those who abhorre to try themselves and so at once would rid their hands of all But oh wofull wretch Wilt thou neither try thy selfe nor take advice of others If thou wert under arrest for debt and some of thy friends would become surety for thee wouldst thou chuse wilfully to goe and rot in rison rather than to be beholding for their love Then may it be sayd Thou art worthy to perish Even so I say to thee Revel 12.11 If thou wilt not try thy selfe nor be tryed let him that is filthy be filthy still Thus much for the second point 3. Generall The difference The third branch followeth which concernes the difference of this Triall from others and that from these words Whereby a man may discerne himselfe to be qualified to rereive I will digresse as little as may be but my aime is to dispatch somewhat in this point which may give light to that which followeth and to shew what may helpe to the better triall of a Communicant when hee comes to the Sacrament also how a Christian may without confusion apply himselfe to each service of God in the due manner and kinde severally First Dister this Tryall and preparation differs from the Triall wee should premise to other Ordinances as hearing the word reading praying fasting family duties c. All which require a preparing of the soule to seeke the Lord 1 From other Ordinances yet in there respects they differ First in that all other for the most part although they doe require an estate in grace ere they can please God yet so farre as they doe conferre towards the conversion of such an one as yet wanteth grace and must therefore be used upon paine of rebellion against God therefore they doe not absolutely require that strict tryall which the Sacraments doe True it is those who heare pray fast conferre being destitute of faith sinne in the manner of doing yet since the Lord hath also ordayned them to be instruments of begetting faith it selfe therefore it s also a sinne to neglect them although a man bee unqualified to use them holily But the Sacrament is of another nature being no ordinance appointed for the breeding of grace but of nourishing it onely so that he who dares to come to the Sacrament being yet out of covenant Double presence in Sacraments profaneth it both in matter and forme Therefore the closer Triall is required unto it above others Againe in the Sacrament the Lord is not spiritually and virtually present but even visiblely and sensibly appeares to his people in the signes of the substance matter and forme of his covenant both our reconciliation and sanctification A good subject ought to present himselfe at each Court and meeting of Iustices Sessions and Assyses with due regard and reverence as one that dares not breake the peace nor be a bad subject Howbeit if the King doe send for him personally in his owne sight to tender and renue his oath of Allegiance it behooves him to put on a more awfull and reverend loyalty than before So here every ordinance is sacred and hath the Lord present in it But the Sacrament exhibits him in a more reall neere and familiar manner even as if the Lord Iesus came corporally in presence to eate and drinke with us and to present us with his owne flesh and blood to feast us Therefore in the approach thereto our triall must be more cautelous and solemne Differ 2. 1. From legall Againe the triall before the Sacrament differs from other sorts of Religious triall There is a Legall triall belonging to the unregenerate by which by soule laying it selfe in the ballances of the law of God feeles her selfe weighed downe by sinne to hell and destruction There is a tryall of the Gospell whereby a loaden soule finding that the Lord offers her ease and pardon in Christ upon the due preparations to faith and actuall beleeving the promise doth try her selfe about the worke of these that she may partake the benefit of Christ There is a penitentiall triall by which a beleever having fallen from God and broken covenant 2. Penitentiall searches himselfe and casts up his gorge that he might by pardon of his revolt returne to God and recover himselfe to former grace and comfort There is also an ordinary and dayly tryall of a Christians course and walking with God 3. Ordinary walking with God by which hee watcheth to himselfe and to the rule and living by faith and obeying God viewing his practise dayly and keeping holy quarter with God as occasion moves him These all differ each from other and all from Sacramentall triall Not that they are excluded from it for they are necessary antecedents to it but yet they faile in this speciall respect of a Sacramentall triall which lookes at this how the soule may be qualified to communicate So that in this triall as these former trialls are helpefull so yet a further thing is lookt at This triall is a further
is for the King so should our triall be faithfull because it is for the King of heaven It s for his honour and yet also for our comfort to be true to the Lord and our selves Else wee shall finde as wee binde and the Lord will be froward with the froward Phil. 18 25 and subtill with the subtill The Sacrament will not afford that peace to the false which it will to the faithfull with the true honest and plaine the Lord will bee good and plaine If sweete gainefull or naturall corruptions bee so incorporate and beloved that wee are loth to search them out and like Laban search every where Gen. 31 34 35 save where our Rachel sits upon her Idoll the Lord will leave us to our defilement and deprive us of the fruit of our triall Now that our triall may be honest observe two things First nourish tendernesse of conscience and uprightnesse Ofttimes many a secret evill of smaller consequence may annoy some man even a glance of the heart or eye when as a grosser evill will not touch another It s not easie for one that hath his glove on his fingers to take up a needle or a little pinne which the naked hand will easily doe The tender eye will water and twinckle at a mote falling in it as if some great hurt befall it and the weazand will streine at a gnat Secondly be willing to take any helpe which may further thee in thy search Sometimes a faithful friend who observes thee a stander by may sometimes see that which a Gamster spies not Sometimes it will not be amisse to see and reade thy owne triall in the booke of a Crosse for each Crosse hath her superscription and will either tell us what grace the Lord would try or what sinne he would correct yet I say the best trier is our owne conscience and experience 5. Direct Lastly let our triall be Direct aime at the end of thy receiving the Sacrament and the reviving of thy faith or thy repentance of evill Search out in thy selfe either those spirituall graces which are most like to further or those evils which are in directest opposition to a comfortable receiving the Sacrament The Sacrament is a most spirituall communion with God spirituall evils will most choke it as infidelity hypocrisie apostacy unthankfullnesse falling to the creatures let these and such like be most pursued Contrarily the most spirituall graces doe most chearish it as daily faith in the Promise both of pardon and holinesse purenesse of heart heavenlinesse of minde selfe-deniall humblenesse thankefulnesse and such like be sure to finde out these and so thy search will stand thee in best stead toward the end thou aimest at And thus much for those properties of Sacramentall triall according to which the particular object is to be framed as in the following discourse shall appeare Vse 1 Now for the Vses of the point First let it be terror to all such Terrour as for all this dare rush upon this holy feast with unwashen hands and with profanation or neglect whether presumptuously or carelessely without triall Be it knowne unto you ye take the Name of God in vaine in an high degree and are guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord as tramplers of it under your feete and crucifiers of him the second time therefore he shall not hold you guiltlesse You boast much that ye have received to day and eaten your maker as the Papists say but ye have eaten and dranke your owne bane and poyson This Sacrament shall bee as that cursed water was to the belly of her who being defiled durst come to drinke of it as if innocent 2 King 5. And as Elisha said to Gehazi Went not my spirit with thee when thou runst after Naaman So Is not the Spirit of Christ privy to thy profane neglect and bold adventuring being in thy sinne Although the Lord come not really to plucke thee from thy fellowes in open vengeance yet be sure the Sacrament shall be as Iudas his sop to harden thee in thy sinne and seale thee up to impenitencie and damnation Once a Monke did villanously poison a Christian Emperour with the wine of the Chalice but thou poisonest thy selfe How much greater is thy villanie Therefore although I scare thee not from receiving utterly to which by nature thou art prone enough yet for the present I admonish thee abstaine till tried and examined But perhaps thou wilt object Object Alas I doe come indeede for I am commanded to doe so by God and by the Minister I answer Answ So were the Israelites bidden to goe up against their brethren of Benjamin But yet the Lord smote fortie thousand of them when they went Hee who approved the justice of his owne will that sinne should be punished yet punished them Iudg. 20.20 even them who went about it being themselves as guilty The question is not about the doing of the duty but the right manner of it So I say to these that Gods Sacrament be received is necessary But who are they that are fit for it God hath no such neede of Sacraments that he cares not how they be received But most righteously hee urgeth the duty yet punisheth the ill doer Thou wilt still cavill and say thou hast oft done thus and are not yet stricken from heaven I answer the more is behinde the Lord can smite with dumbe strokes in a worse manner But dost thou so abuse his patience and heape up wrath to thy selfe But thou wilt say I will abstaine then and so I hope to escape for this charge concernes no other save receivers I answer thou excusest a fault with a crime thou canst not thus escape for God shall judge thee for both not comming and not preparing But thou pretendest that its hard to trie thy selfe and thou art ignorant hast no gifts Well yet be admonished Wisdome is easie to him that will understand thy ignorance comes not from seelinesse but wilfulnesse Those whom thou canst mocke as simple ones can yet remember and repeate all these directions And hast thou lost thy wisedome in this businesse Oh! but thou saist I am forgetfull Why Save that thou hast no heart for thou canst remember any quarrell or wrong to revenge thy selfe But thou wantest leasure Alas the Trevant complaines of an ill penne inke and paper But the fault is in his sloth else all were well For why Thou canst finde a day in a weeke spare to hunt to game to drinke to be in company to sit in the alchouse if thou carrie thy corne to market thou dost somewhat else besides thy businesse and so if thy heart stood to this worke thou shouldst finde leasure enough for it too But thou saist Few doe thus and thou dost but as the multitude Shall number and companie qualifie thy judgement in hell If thou wouldst bee loth to suffer with them be loth to sinne with them And to end this use breake off
as a marke of the wisedome of God plying thee with the Supper as hee knowes thy dayly spirituall ebbings and decayes require And doth the hearesay of each sacrament turne the spirit of thy mind towards it as a solemne object which may not be wanted Doth it possesse thy thoughts and memory more than common objects and passages of this life Doe thy thoughts so minde it heede it doth thy memory so reteine it as that it survives other occasionall matters thy selfe longing while they be over tha this may possesse thy spirit and doth thy preparation unto it cause all other things to lye by It is a good signe of reviving Secondly proceed to thy Affections I noted in the former Treatise in the chapter of the Supper that the good things offered in the Supper are manifold Looke backe and reade them I spake also there of those ends which the Lord gives them for viz. That the soule may bee healthy growing setled and fruitefull Try thy selfe also by this ground Tryalls by this Doth thy heart by the considering of all those good things revive and summon up all thy affections of love joy thankes zeale desire after them Doth not thy minde rest in a bare view of them till all the affections are up in Armes to covet them And is it with thee as with a crazie diseased man comming into a Physitians closet and there is shewed a boxe wherein his medicine lyes which being applyed will heale him Doth not such a man fasten his eyes upon that boxe Will he looke off Is not that boxe pretious to him for the medicines sake Doth he not stand upon thornes till it bee taken out and put into his hand Doth hee not thinke each minute an houre and doth hee take thought for the parting with his money to buy it Even so here Math. 13 44 Dost thou digest the good things of the supper till thou have caused thy heart to conceive an heate of appetite and love of them Dost thou ponder them so as to leape for joy to thinke that thou shalt bee healed there of pride selfe wrath and filled with meekenesse an heavenly minde and gifts for thy place It is a good signe thou hast revived thy faith for the Sacrament Steppe 3 Thirdly the Lord offers the good things of the Supper in the like manner and with the same heart wherewith hee offered whole Christ in the first promise and covenant of grace Hee offers Christ thy food and restorative with as free beteaming honest and full an heart of love as ever he did the other There is no oddes except for the better for heere in this ordinance above all other the Lord seales up his gift to the soule that is conveies it with the best strength he can Try thy selfe then by this rule Tryall by it Dost thou revive and quicken the blunt edge of thy weake faith by this consideration Dost thou beate out deadnesse benummednesse of faith by this ground Feelest thou as free and naked an assent of heart to this offer Take eate drinke as thou didst to the first promise Be eased Luke 22 19 20. Mat. 11 29. Take my yoake and my refreshing to thy soule Dost thou charge upon thy selfe strongly to resist thy unbeleefe in the Sacrament heereby Dost thou urge it thus my soule except the Lord should meane as he speakes he should doubly falsifie himselfe His Sacrament is a double strength there is both a covenant and a seale in it therefore it is a double confirmation or else a double deceit Oh! darest thou thinke the Lord can lye in that wherein he seekes thy double assistance If thou dare not Heb. 6.18 then let faith heere double her strength and edge If the strength of man be but weakenesse to Gods then what must this weakenesse be how should weakenesse it selfe gather life and spirit from it 1 Cor. 1.25 If thou canst thus revive thy dead faith at the Supper it s a good signe Steppe 4 Fourthly and especially I told thee before that each ordinance hath his speciall promises annexed to it as prayer and fasting Mat. 17 21. thankesgiving c. As that one of these shall cast out Divells which else will not goe out And that he who prayseth God Psal 50. ult glorifies him So the Supper hath speciall promises Take eate this is my body Drinke this is my blood of the new Testament Both are given and shed for you My flesh is meate indeede Luke 22.18 Iohn 6.55 my blood drinke indeed He that eateth my flesh hath eternall life shall not dye shall be satisfied shall not hunger nor thirst any more with many others Triall by it Try thy selfe above all by this ground Doth this promise really present the truth of God in speciall to thy soule There are thousands of receivers in the Church of God But doth this promise speake in speciall to thee as if there were no more receivers save thy selfe Is the promise of thy soule such a securitie as a specialty is from an able debtor for the paying of a great debt So that doe thou but sue the bond and the law will restore thy debt Is it so here Thy name is not written in the Scripture yet the promise assisted by the Spirit of Christ layes the grace of the Sacrament as it were in thy lap as Baez did the barley into the lappe of Ruth so that the Lord speakes by it in thy eare thus Ruth 3 15. This flesh is meate indeed and this blood is drinke indeed for thee Take it drinke it 2 Cor. 2 5. It is a sweete signe Againe doth the power yea the omnipotency of God shine in the promise to thee so that whereas thou doubtest how Christ can be in heaven bodily and yet in the Supper Spiritually thou wondrest how he should bee in thousands of communicants at once and how poore alements should bee one with him to convey him to thee yet the power of a promise can effect this Dost thou see that all the attributes of God attend his love least thy soule should be frustrate It is a good signe Againe doth the promise settle and beare downe the feare and bondage of thy heart arising from thy present sence of unworthinesse darkenesse and deadnesse Doth it worke thy spirit to a holding fast of Christ although unbeleefe would stave him off And whereas that would give God the lye ten times during the space of one Sacrament yet doth he promise still hold thee close to him till he answere thee so that as that poore dogge Math. 15. Mat. 15 27. rather than the Lord Iesus shall send thee away empty scraps and crummes shall serve thy turne Canst thou feele such succour from a promise notwithstanding thy formality and flatnes were great before thy experience of fruit by former Sacraments be small Dost thou thus strive in hope against hope and fight for life against thy base Spirit These are
all good signes of faith revived for the Supper Steppe 5 Fiftly try thy selfe by the testimony of a good conscience That will appeare by this It dares not equivocate and dally with God by serving him very studiously in one part of thy christian course but forsaking him in many but say thou with Paul Act. 23.1 I have exercized my selfe in all good conscience continually Try thy selfe then by this rule Triall by it thus Canst thou say as oft as thou art going to the Sacrament Oh Lord I make a shew of very solemne preparing my selfe and trying my faith when I goe to thy table But if it were onely my practise now at this time and at no other I should goe and come from thee with a sad heart No Lord I blesse thy name Gal. 2.20 I doe live by faith dayly I can say with Paul The life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God I appeale to thee who knowest that if I goe to heare the word I mixe it with faith if I pray I looke to my Advocate if I have a Crosse I live in faith in Christ for strength Heb. 4 2. selfedeniall and patience to support me if I prosper I beleeve all is pure to the pure and given me in mercy and in this faith thus trained and set on worke I humbly come to the Sacrament looking that as in other parts of life and of worship the Lord hath beene with me so he will not leave mee to my selfe in this 1 Sam. 7 12. Tell me canst thou say thus in truth be it never so poorely It is a sweete signe of a revived faith Steppe 6 Sixtly try thy selfe by thy Sacramentall experience The Sacrament being one meane of a Christians food and growth it becomes every one having communicated not by and by to vomit up his morsells but to digest the bread of life till hee finde it his owne blood of his veines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone By this meanes every ordinance dwelling in the soule will adde nourishment to it and better it dayly which could not be if it bee forgoten as fast as it is enjoyed Triall by it Let thy tryall from hence be this Dost thou dayly quicken up thy selfe at each Sacrament in the memory and experience of former fruit received especially when thou hast found it sweetest unto thee at any season when thou hast felt thy selfe most emptied in thee faith most cleere and sensible thy soule freest from earth and sensuality and so of the rest hast thou kept this experience by thee as a childe holds a sweete thing in the palate as loth to forgoe it Dost thou by this tryall goe to the Sacrament afterward with more hope and expectation of the like Or if thou have found the contrary that thou hast had but a dead Sacrament of it what dost thou Poast it over and forget it hoping it will be better or dost thou record it often and use it as a spurre of greater care and serious dealing with God next time being afrayd to tempt him and yet loath to forsake him although hee should hold thee off still 2 Cor. 12 8. If thou canst thus revive thy faith by thy experience it is a good signe Steppe 7 Seventhly Gods people so oft as they draw neere to him in duties dare not rush upon him but first humble themselves in dust and ashes as most base wormes and corruption Genes 18.27 Then they pray for assistance in the ordinance meditate and conferre about the right doing Tryall and the fruit of it Try thy selfe then by this When thou goest to the Supper dost thou swell in the conceit of thy former strong faith Dost thou rush upon God without prayer or meditation Or rather dost thou jogg◠the arme of the Spirit as the clapper shakes the corne into the milstone that it may let fall the benefits of Christ out of the Sacrament into thy soule That thou maist come to receive with better savour and strength than thine owne Dost thou begge with the Apostles Lord revive my faith Luke 17.5 Lord make make it a sweet exceeding day Lord let not the meeting of profane blind receivers defile me Let the fellowship of thine Angels and my brethren refresh mee give me that I come for Lord and deceive me not Darest thou not through ease and sloath neglect the sanctifying of one ordinance by another Dost thou engrave the promise thus in thy heart and blow up the poore sparkle within thee It is a good signe Steppe 8 Lastly try they selfe thus Dost thou hold and close with this faith of thine thus revived till thou appeare before the Lord in the ordinance Sufferest thou not Sathan to come betweene thee and home the cup and the lip to rob thee of thy wedding garment but dost thou claspe it unto thee that it may not fall off till it have possessed thee with the gaine thou camest for Dost thou lay in too day now for the bread of the day And each Sacrament doest thou say Heb. 13.8 Christ Iesus yesterday to day and the same for ever It s a signe of faith quickned in thee So come and prosper So much for the latter tryall I conclude the Chapter with some use Conclusion And because the whole is one use of tryall which is the scope the shorter use shall serve I will not trouble the Reader with former uses as to mourne for the woefull faith of ordinary receivers or reproofe of Gods owne for counting this tryall tedious which God hath made a sweet yoake to his I will partly warne partly exhort partly comfort the good receavers and so end Vse 1 First then I warne them that they slight not this duty Admonitiō rest not in former faith thinking the Lord tyed to their girdles Tempt him not to alter his course by your sloth but hold on still this tryall of faith Remember it s the cheefe Sacramentall grace of all the rest All other without this are fruitlesse or counterfeit This must give both being and lustre to all Bring this and feare not The Divell will fight against this as the King of all If he can wrest this away he cares for no more because upon this hinge the doore turnes I meane the joy of well or sorrow of ill receiving hangs upon it Vse 2 Secondly be exhorted to bring this faith Dare not venture without it Exhortatiō Faith in the Supper answers the act of sprinkling the posts of the Israelites doores when they first ate the Passeover Exod. 12.21.22 Branch 1 Tell me Durst any Iew not sprinkle his owne doore with blood Durst he not as well omit the Sacrament Did hee not feare the destroying Angell in case of neglecting it Was not the promise of passing them over when all Egypts first borne were slaine in the doing of it Therefore as thou wouldest shunne danger of greater nature looke to
of this tryall both in Scripture and reasons For the former whereof First the Analogy of the old Passeover will proove it wherein sundry charges were given which typifie repentance and that in each part of it As wee know the sorrow and yrking of heart and mourning bitterly for sinne committed was urged under the ceremony of sowre hearbes Exod. 12.8 not onely to shew what it cost the Lord Iesus ere he could satisfy But to shew what they are who come to this Sacrament even such as peirced him by their sinnes Zach. 12.10 and therefore ought to come in bitternesse to the signes of his body and blood and eate this sweete meate with sowre sawce So also the Lord required a separation from the filthinesse of the heathen when they came to eate the Pascall Lambe Ezra 6.21 Ezra 6.21 yea from all legall pollution Numb 9.6 Num. 9.6 which as it concerned the Iewes alway in any offering or worship so especially at the Passeover And the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 5.7 urgeth one other solemne ceremony of casting out leaven He that kept in his house any leaven at that time more or lesse was to be cut off Now least wee should thinke this to have lost his force under the Gospel he saith Purge out therefore all sowre leaven meaning their Communion with that incestuous man which sowred their holy assemblyes that yee may be a cleane lumpe even as yee are unleavened And why For Christ is our Passeover sacrificed for us therefore let us eate him with sincerity and repentance And the weaning and abstinence of the poore Lambe from the damme foure dayes before Exod. 12. â— typified no lesse than separation of such as worship God thus from the love of their sweet lusts and liberties that they might bee free for the Lord And when the Apostle urges the Corinthians to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 what entends hee save that having defiled themselves by their love feasts they would search and cast out that sinne ere they came to the Sacrament Secondly from Reasons Now for Reasons First every ordinance requires repentance least the ordinance be defiled 1 Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things not onely meates are pure But to the impure all things both blessings crosses and ordinances are defiled The sinne of man can put no defilement into the things themselves but it makes them so to the sinners that use them It is a rule concerning both Minister people Esay 52.11 Psal 26 6. Prov. 28 9. 1 Tim. 2 8. Be ye holy that beare the vessells of the Lord. And I will compasse the Altar with washen hands And the prayers of them that turne their eares from the Word are abominable S. Paul requires us to lift up pure hands 1 Pet. 2 1. without wrath and doubting And S. Peter bids them that would heare to grow thereby to clense all superfluities away Epist 1. Cap. 2.1.2 Reason 2 Secondly no man can comfort his owne heart that hee hath saving faith except he have repentance Act. 3.26 Act. 15.15 But true repentance argues faith because it onely purifies the heart True faith workes by love 1 Tim. 1 5. and the end of the commandement is love from whence from a pure heart and whence is that from faith unfaigned Levit. 10 3. See Gal. 5.6 Act 24.16 2 Cor. 5.17 Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord will be honoured in all that draw neare to him None can honour the Lord in their worship save the holy and repentant Those that presume otherwise the Lord will be honoured in their destruction Reason 4 Lastly holinesse affords sweete confidence to the soule that it shall be welcome to God None shall ever see his glory without it Heb. 12 14. 1 Pet. 1 16. therefore none should behold him in his beauty of holinesse or in his ordinances without it Bee yee holy because I am holy These few may serve Tryalls of repentance But I hasten to the triall of it And first very breefely of the substance of it wrought in the soule 1 By the substance Tit. 3.5 This may bee tryed by the roote of it No repentance can subsist without an inward principle That is the spirit of renovation wrought by the word and Baptisme putting into the soule a seede of God and the image of God as farre as in these suburbes of heaven I meane in the militant Church may be obteyned Now for the opening of this to the Reader let him in a few points conceave and try himselfe about it First in the mother and nurse of it In sundry particulers 1. The mother of it That is faith shedding the love of God Rom. 5.5 into the soule being of it selfe destitute of all such list ability life or savour The Lord in reconciliation by faith becomes our sanctification God having freed us from our old yoake will put upon us a new most willingly which eases our heavy hearts and pacifies the conscience sets the minde in frame and shewes us Christ in his true and lively colours not a Christ of loosenesse but as the truth is in Iesus Ephe. 3 18. 2 Cor. 5.9 That having the roote of his love set in our hearts we may conteine his sweetnesse and it may let us on worke yea constreine us to doe the like to him Oh! How should this try us What is our repentance Is it a cutting off some shreds of evill or a pang of goâ—d devotion now and then in tempest thunder and lightning in our passion of feare or when God pleases us Or is it an inward workeman at the roote of our hearts and doth it engraft and inoculate us into his stocke Pro. 6 27. Doth it as a corner stone hold in and encompasse us that wee can more forbid fire in our bosome to burne us than the love of God to compell us to love him and turne our heart to him It is a good signe Secondly try it in tne materiall of repentance 2. By the matter Act. 26.18 It s a conversion or turning home to God from our Idols a setting of our face backward from evill and our backes forward to goodnesse and that in a contrariety As if a foole going on pilgrimage to Rome and her Idols should there be smitten and turned home with Naaman to the true worship of the living God This tryall will search also for the repentance of most is no such turne Men have rectified thoughts sometime of a good course and their sinnes yrke them and tyre them and cause them to ease themseâ—ves by complaints and turne aside from them in their accusing moode But it is with them as it is with Sea-men who can hold their course as well when they coast about as when the winde is on their backes So doe these their lusts keepe still in their spirit though they keepe them out of sight as David did Absolon 2 Sam. 14.24 forbidding him his presence
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
Psal 122.6.7 prayes for this That our sonnes may be as plants our daughters as polished stones That our garners be full our sheepe plentifull our Oxen strong and no beggers in our streetes But especially love lookes at the inward prospering of the Church that it may goe well with it that the kingdome of Christ may be set up throughout it farre and wide Dan. 9.7 And therefore first shee mournes for the spiritull sinnes of the whole body Ezra 9 6. especially those that threaten her ruine dallyance with the word contempt and profanation of Ministery Sabboaths and ordinances declining from the power of godlinesse chusing to serve God for forme secretly looking towards Popish trash as being weary of sound doctrine Secondly rejoycing to consider that the Lord hath yet reserved to himselfe many whose hearts are upright with God holding their first love entire and their zeale unspotted with the filth and dregges of the age and time serving their generations as David did Act. 13.38 Thirdly sorrowing to see the distresses of the Church abroad Esay 63.15 Zeph. 3.18 Micah 2 7. to heare of the sad disasters that are the darke wayes of providence the disappointing of our hopes the mourning of Assemblies the unfruitfulnesse of ordinances the streightning of the Spirit the dissipation of sheepe into the remote corners of the world Lastly by faith holding the promises that concerne the Churches victory as that shee shall possesse the gates of her enemies The gates of Hell shall not prevaile against her Matth. 18. Micha 7.8 â— shee shall arise even in her falling and shall see light in darkenesse untill at last the Lord plead her cause execute vengeance against her enemies head and tayle branch and rush and bring forth her light as the morning This for the fifth point The sixth and last is the end why love doth thus act it selfe The 6. Thâ— end All these passages of love although they convey in them some good to the body and members yet looke at a further thing that is the edifying it selfe in love and the finall welbeeing thereof in this vale of misery Concerning which and the encrease of grace in the body and members the Reader may looke into my Catechisme in the Article of Communion and there helpe himhelfe And this be sayd of these six grounds by which this grace may be the better understood and according thereto try himselfe if hee be wise Which worke though I might have spared yet knowing that weake ones as well as strong may meete with my Booke I will after I have grounded the point come to application and among other uses to examination Fow the point then this it is 2. Generall the proofes Exod. 12.3 Num. 9.12 Love thus described is a necessary grace for the Sacrament And it appeares first by proofes thus The Analogy of the Passeover which the Lord commanded to bee eaten in one house Not onely least the Lambe should bee broken and divided but rather to typifie this Sacramentall love and union betweene those that received it Againe whence was that Exod. 12.8 3. That no bone of it should bee broken Surely not onely to typifie the Lord Christ that hee that enjoyeth him enjoyeth him whole But to shew also That those who will bee bone of his bone and make him their nourishment must be whole unbroken and unshattered in their Communion as wee know his seamelesse coate was another type of this want of rupture and division Psal 133.1 in the Church In Psal 133. David is ravished with love and amity of the Church in the use of the ordinances of which this was one And what saith he Oh how comely and good a thing it is for brethren to dwell even together Even to come together as one man And hee resembleth it to the fragrant oyle of Aarons consecration and the fruitfull dew upon Hermon and Zion Yea even those love feasts as badly as they were used yet intimate that Ancient Churches desire to nourish Sacramentall love And that text of Paul 1 Cor. 10 18. Who by this Sacrament and the elements thereof presseth Christian love as in Eph. 4 5. he urgeth it by the Oneship of God Christ baptisme and faith doth cleerely proove it The bread wee breake made of many graines the wine wee drinke consisting of many grapes what is it but our love and fellowship in the body And one speciall proofe must not be forgotten Reade Iohn 12 and 13 and 14. Where Christ exhorted his Disciples about sundry things immediately before the Supper This is one of the many and oftest urged that they would obey his new commandement and love one another Have peace in your selves and each with other Five or sixe of such passages there And the Evangelist doth not so expresse that consent and love of the Church in this Sacrament of breaking bread But hee inferreth strongly thereby that it was a peculiar grace to be brought thither Reason 1 For why first whereby shall the soule more comfortably satisfie it selfe about the truth of her faith than by this love for faith worketh by love The workeman and his tooles goe alway together Reason 2 Secondly by what shall wee testifie our soundnesse of judgement touching the way of Gods communicating himselfe unto each member by and through the body than by comming to receive in love as well as in faith And how can they better declare their humilitie than by this That they acknowledge The rooote beareth them up not they it Reason 3 But the third reason is chiefest The Sacrament conteyning the very instruments bands and cordes by which the Lord Iesus reconciled his Church to himselfe to make it one viz. his body and blood who should dare to defile it with enimity Even Heathens themselves loathed ceremonies in their worship repugning to their institution As to admit of dwarfes to Hercules his sacrifice To suffer such to come to Bacchus his feasts as were too sad to Venus who affected virginity to Saturnes who were not sad and solemne What comelines then shall the Lord looke for at his Sacrament That all who come to a Sacrifice grounded in love should not dare to come in bitternesse and so defile it Reason 4 Fourthly if all other ordinances doe so absolutely urge it that else they are marred how much more this Looke two texts one in 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Tim. 2.8 Lifting up pure hands without wrath And 1 Pet. 2. 1.2 Where all such as covet the Word are bidden to cast of all superfluitie of malice and wrath and envies c. Now if this be so necessary for all how much more for this Reason 5 Lastly the conscience excusing us in this that wee bring love doth also leave us well appayd in sundry things of farre greater consequence As that we love him who begat That we are borne of God that we are verily Christs disciples 1 Ioh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 4.7 that we are passed from death
out in his colors that the dead spirit of man might behold and esteeme him as an object well deserving her best affections Hence it is that in the Song of Salomon so many allusions taken from carnall objects of desire Much described in Scripture Cant. 6.5 are used to provoke the soule to the like spiritualnesse of desire As when he is brought in like an amorous bridegroome of choise personage beautie and proportion and that from head to foot as if some curious Absolon were to be seene in whom from top to toe there was no blemish His head lockes eyes lips body and all his liniments are painted out to us that it may appeare he is the chiefe of ten thousand The like course takes our Saviour himselfe Math. 13. ver 44 45. in the Sermons and Parables which passed from him wherein his chiefe drift is to magnifie grace under the name of the kingdome of heaven meaning nothing else save the power and efficacie of the Gospell offring to the soule his satisfaction and sanctification for pardon and life eternall And sometimes he compares himself to a pearle of great price which he who found sold all to buy it Also to a Treasure hidden in a field which so affected him that saw it that he bought the field it selfe to purchase it Hence also it is that both in old and new Testament the Lord expresses the grace of Christ by the similitudes of all kinds of creatures which either by their preciousnesse or by their usefulnesse doe draw mens affections Rev. 3.18 Psal 45. Luke 15. Esay 55.12 Of the first ranke are gold silver precious stones wrought gold robes apparrell and white linnen treasure ointments of the latter sort are bread corne wine oyle milke hony waters c. Not as if these were as good as grace but that hereby the carnall soule of man of it selfe easily snared with the love of such things yea meaner might understand that look what excellency is in al these together for the content of our outward appetite that infinitly much more is in this for satisfying of the soule sith all these are used but as shadowes to discover this And to say the truth let us marke well Illustration of it and we shall perceive one principall scope of Paul that chiefe of Apostles in all his Epistles is this to set forth the priviledge of Beleevers to be such as doth not consist in some shreeds but in admirable glory He would have us to know Christianity is not making a shift to rub through or some covering of our infirmities supply of some wants or clensing out the staine of some odious sins But an estate of excellencie choise welfare and curious contentation to the soule such as Adam at his best never enjoyed Reade these Texts Col. 1.9 10 11.12 Col. 1.9 where he speakes of a beleever thus as That he may be filled with all spirituall understanding That he may walke worthy of the Lord unto all welpleasing That he may be fruitfull and encreasing in the knowledge of God That hee may be strengthened with all might unto all long-suffering and joyfulnes So Eph. 1.17.18 Ephe 1.17 he desires that They might know the hope of their calling the rich inheritance of the Saints and the glorious power of Christ mortifying them and quickning them by the power whereby he raised himself So Eph. 3.17 Ephe. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that being rooted in love ye may comprehend the bredth and depth c. and know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God See also Philip. 3.3.10 Phil. 3.10 I count all things but dung in respect of the excellencie of Christ The power of his resurrection the fellowship of his suffrings and conformity to his death Nay in one place he saith Col. 2.9 10. Col. 2.9 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. That in him we are compleate Saint â—eter also witnesseth that Christ is no bare gift but that The Divine power hath given us all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through him To what end do I heape up these Surely that the Lord Iesus his excellencie rests not in himselfe but is derived to all his members and that to the end that he may be all in all with them and winne the honour and love of their affections Sacramentall desire must have her object To come a little neerer then to our matter in hand it must be some eminent object in the Sacrament which must draw the soule to it in this Sacramentall desire It must be more than the eye can see for that 's no object of any affection at all scarce so much as a naturall appetite But what is that Surely that spiritually which the Elements resemble naturally I meane full and compleate nourishment If the soule can see this it will draw desire without question Now we know that Bread and Wine united containe in them perfect food and cheerishing to the whole man that is to the body and spirits of nature Even so Christ our nourishment in the Sacrament is comepleately so to the soule both for renewed peace and holinesse And to open this wee may see when the holy Ghost lights upon Christ Sacramentall he forgets his ordinary stile and rises into an unusuall one Pro. 7.1.2 for then it makes the Father an extraordinarie great housekeeper brings him in as a man that builds himselfe a sumptuous house upon seven hewne Pillers prepares his fatlings and dainties Esay 25. his wines and spices Nay then it tels us that in those dayes the Lord wil make a feast in the mountaines Luke 14. a feast of all choise delicate things fat meats and wines throughly stale and refined Nay then it brings him in as a King who is disposed to magnifie himselfe in the making a feast to his Subjects at the marriage of his Son So that looke what is in a feast either for quantitie fulnesse of dishes variety of choise dainties or for qualitie as rarenesse pretiousnesse exquisite dressing musique company safetie of things eaten without feare either that they make surfeit the guest or breed ill bloud All that is to be applied to the feast of the Lord Iesus our nourishment which God the Father makes to his Church at the Sacrament of the Supper And yet that is not all for whereas that may be easily thought to come frow the magnificence of the master of it but as for poore wretches and hunger sterven soules how should they come neere it The answer is That onely for such it is prepared even for beggers and such as are found among the hedges and by the high-way sides for lost and forlorne ones It is the office of Gods hand-maides and Ministers to invite to bring in yea by all arguments of perswasion to force even such not the fat lusty and fed ones to this feast of the King Now if
Perhaps one hath beene sicke or upon a journey and his wife was loth to receive till they might goe together I doe not mislike the joyning of couples but if God by disease have hindred thy husband or by absence must his wife needs hold off what scurffe is this for sinister ends to balcke the Sacrament Oh! the qualmes of cold undesirous Communicants should justly stirre the faithfull to loathe it in themselves Such as come not with desire either may come or not come upon any base pretext as because they see others come or because t is Easter or because they thinke it is a better thing at so holy a time to be among devout folke than to sit in the chimney corner at home alone So alas Many come because they came not last time and they are loath to be noted to absent themselves too often or because some of their neighbours receive to day Oh fulsome beast Avant from the presence of that God who will be followed in the savor of his ointments Marke 9.50 who will receive no sacrifice from any but such as have salt in them and season it therewith Who abhorres a dead beast with the throat cut and not raised up and burning upon his Altar If the least drop of relish were in thee could these be the motives to bring thee to Gods table God give thee an heart to tremble at thy sottish profanenes and if meere ignorance have hitherto caused it adde no more drunkennesse to thirst least the Lord by some fearefull hand rend thee from thy companions with horror at thy death or else leave thee a most saped senselesse conscience in thy presumption Tremble to thinke how many thousand of affections of Gods Ministers both by Sermons and Sacraments must finally be lost upon such stones and stockes If ye lay sicke upon your beds and your stomackes were lost what an outcry would your wives make in the eares of the Physitian saying Helpe for Gods cause my husband is a dead man he takes nothing But Oh thou beast Thou takest neither droppe nor crumme of the flesh or bloud of Iesus Sacramentall and yet feelest no aile Beware least sence be reserved for thee in hell except thou repent Vse a reproofe Math. 11.10 Secondly here is also reproofe even of Gods owne for comming to the Sacrament without renewed appetite It is with many unsavory receivers as it was with Iohn Baptist hearers at the first they rejoyced in his light but shortly they became so fulsome that their savor was gone So that our Saviour upbraides them saying What went ye out into the wildernesse to see a reede shaken with the wind Or a man wearing soft raiment Their zealous devotion was turned into forme and custome So it is with these Those sacred layes of first Love which shined in you at your first receivings then when the Sacrament was as honey to their taste lo now they are damped and cooled Plenty makes no daintie now with you but except God rouse ye up to meditate of the object which first drew your affections to burne within you while he preached and reached out the Sacrament unto you so that the same fulnesse makes as great daintie as ever and the oftner the greater God shall not hold ye guiltlesse of this forfeit I tell thee the very besotted Papists shall rise up against this saplesse age and condemne it for they as Esay saith inflame themselves under every greene tree with their Idols They burne in their adulterous desire after their Wafer and their saplesse god their Agnus Deis and Crucifixes Images of the Virgin and the Saints But as for us the Lord Iesus preach'd and offered in the feast of a Supper leaves us as barren emptie and saporlesse as a chip Oh brethren be zealous and amend What cold or surfeit hath taken us that the things of God should wax as dry Manna to the Israelites Num. 11.4 Could the Lord endure their brutishnesse Did he not sweare they should not enter into his rest Heb. 12.11 If there be but a dramme of old appetite and sparke of old fire left upon the Altar take Gods bellowes of indignation and blow it up that it die not Strengthen the feeble knees and hands Heb. 3.12 12. that they faint not Hath the day beene wherein the morning watches of a Sabboth have beene more precious than all the dayes of the weeke And yet every houre in the day appointed for Gods honour more sweet than the houres of eating and working and is now meate drink gaming and pleasure so full of taste that Christ and his Supper can afford no appetite The Lord recover it in thee if thou be his he will by some smarty Crosse or sting of conscience rather than suffer thy affections to lie buried in the earth Doe as those do who must carry home logges or timber which are sunke and buried in some dirty ditch or quagmire first they must raise it by their skill and unsettle it and then being loose they may carry it and carry it home So doe thou if there were ever true desire in thee lo it s sunke into some dirtie pit of the world leud company sloth and ease raise it first out of it and after thou shalt the better carrie it home with thee to Gods house Oh! I touch a sinne now more frequent than I know any in the Church viz. of sleepy dead Sacraments without affection If thou seest that the Lord will not take of this cover off darkenesse Esay 25. â—7 and dampe of undesirousnesse from the body because of their long desperate carelesnâ—sse yet steppe in for thy owne soule that it perish not in this common yea Epidemiall lathergie Vse 3 Thirdly let this be admonition Admonition to all that know what this point meanes to be weary of all those enemies of desire which haunt the soule in an insensiblenesse and indifferencie of appetite toward the Sacrament They are these first 1. Against resting upon former affections a resting upon former affections in receiving and supposing they are still the same when as yet they are oppressed and surfeited with such scurffe as hath choked them and therefore are not now at hand as they have beene to cheere us at the Sacrament whereas affection had neede be revived daily in secret above all things What should be a Christians daily exercise but this to try how those promises of the Sacrament can affect us as this Christ is my feast of full nourishment his flesh is meate indeede c. These would have affected mee in time past but now they will not stirre mee As that Courtier told Alexander that hee would appeale from him drunke to himselfe sober so had wee neede to doe when wee feele neither judgement nor affections tender and open to the Sacrament nor perhaps to any thing else either word or workes of God shake thy selfe before God and say It is not with me as
all his feast and lay it unto thee And this also shall serve for this fifth and last grace of desire and the tryall of it and so in generall concerning the whole doctrine of Sacramentall preparation Which the Lord so blesse that all his servants to whose hands this poore treatise may come may meete with some morsells which may cause them not to repent them of their Travaile CHAP. IX Of the due behaviour of a communicant in the act of receiving NOw according to our order prefined we proceede to adde somewhat concerning the worke it selfe of receiving Of the carriage at the Sacrament The communicant then having taken due paines for the making himselfe fit for the Supper is not there to rest but to goe to the Sacrament to eate of that bread and drinke of that cup as Paul speaketh Now to give the Reader a taste beforehand of the subject matter of this Chapter let him know it is twofold The one concerneth the comming unto the other the due receiving of the Sacrament For the former I will by this occasion speake a little of the necessity of comming to the Sacrament both in generall as it concernes all that are worshippers and in speciall those that are prepared for it For the latter I shall handle it eyther in that due carriage of the receiver towards the whole ordinance or towards some passages thereof For the whole ordinance it selfe the receiver owes a double carriage Entry and division eyther of commemoration or of perpetuation The former being a thankefull raysing of heart to God the father 1. Point Necessity of comming in praise for the Lord Iesus The latter being a preservation of the integrity of this ordinance by the incorrupt use thereof from all corruption of humane devises The carriage of the receiver concerning some occasionall passages in the Sacrament is a spirituall accommodation of the soule attending so to the outward Sacramentall acts there performed that hee finde himselfe much quickned in the grace he brought with him and edified in respect of that fruit which he lookes to carry away For the first of these The words of the Apostle are plaine So let him come and eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Proofes 1 Cor. 11.28 Which words are not permissive let him if he will but imperative let him See Treatise 1. Cap. 1. I command him upon paine of my wrath and displeasure But many reasons there are to proove it also First who can deny but the Church and ordinances under the Gospel are more excellent than those under the Law Reade these Texts Heb. 9.11.23 Heb. 5.1.2 c. Heb. 3.5.6 with many more Now in the old Testament we see how sollemne a penalty is threatned against him that in coole blood having no plea by sicknesse or jorney and businesse to alledge should forbeare to keepe the passeover Numbers 9. Verse 13. even such a one saith the Lord shall be cut off from his people Nay it seemes that although legall pollutions might hinder ordinary services and sacrifices yet the necessi y of the Passeover Verse 7. tooke away the barre of such pollutions so that the touching a dead man or being in a jorney and about common businesse might not infringe it The Lord by this meane providing for the honor and necessity of the Sacrament How much more necessary then are the Sacraments of the Gospel to frequent And how severe a censure of excommunication lyes upon the violaters of them Reason 1 If now the Lord so severely plagues a receiver for want of worthy receiving 1 Cor. 11.29 how much more will he plague a non-receiving dispiser If a Prince send for some of his Subjects to appeare before him whereof some appeare but bow not the knee to doe homage others refuze to waite upon him at all whether of these two thinke we incurre greatest dispeasure Reason 2 Secondly to what issue comes all wee have sayd hitherto concerning Supper preparation Can wee conclude such a thing to be needelesse as requires such a costly entrance It might then bee sayd Why is this great waste No surely So necessary a preparation cannot argue a slight duty If all the land had summons by a day to waite upon the King in their colours for a warlike expedition were any so fond as to deeme that enterprise idle which cost such a tedious addressements Reason 3 Thirdly the substance it selfe of the Sacrament is a thing of necessity and that absolute If a man were in a ship like to bee cast away he would say it s not necessary I keepe my corne or provision but its necessary I keepe my life So heere It s not necessary that we thrive or live long or live at all for we may be happy without any such but it is necessary wee have the life of grace in our soules Now the Sacrament is Christ our life and nourishment Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Ioh. 6.53 What case are such miscreants in then for sole life as abhorre Sacraments Reason 4 Fourthly the industry and paines taken by those famous worthies and restorers of the collapsed Passeover 2 Cron. 30.3.21 both in their commissions sent about their munificence in providing lambes for such as wanted their charge given personally to the people to keepe the same to the Lord 2 Cron. 35.7.18 doe sufficiently argue that these holy Princes were fooles if the thing they undertooke were a needelesse trifle How much lesse then is the use of the Passeover of the Gospel a needelesse thing Fiftly if the Lord presse oftennesse of comming to the Supper as a necessary duty how much more is a coming and tendring of our persons to God needefull If scanty comming be a sinne what a fearefull premunire then runne they into that refuze at all to come Reason 5 Lastly if the scope of the Supper be peculiar honour and thankes to God for Christ and a solemne holding out his death till he come Luk. 22.21 what a sinne is that which cuts off both the generall end of the worship and the peculiar scope of this But I dwell no longer upon a point so cleare To brutish swine reason is lost And to the good it is needelesse Vses Before I leave the point I must adde a few uses 1 Terrour First terrour to all profane Esau's who being out of love with the Sacrament through loathing of examination of their woefull profane lives which indeede are so intricate and overwhelmed in sinne that they admit none make it their constant practise to abandon all Sacraments And when they are cut off by mens censures for this their contempt they are content so to live and are no whit troubled a man knowes not whether the disease or the remedy doe worse with them I might compare them to Caine save that I should wrong him by so unjust a comparison
death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. We see the Saints of old could make Songs of the Lambe and his deliverance Moses and Miriam gave not greater prayses for deliverance from Pharao Exod. 15.3 than they could make Songs for Christ But how should we doe so Surely if we would take the like course with our base hearts at the Sacrament which they could do without it we should do as they did They filled their soules to the brimme with the meditation of his benefits So should we doe at the Sacrament The Lord gives us a feast of him in all his dishes wee may chuse which our appetite most longeth after all summed up in the seales of his body and blood Meditate of that love which made him forget glory and become shame a worme of the earth continue with long-suffering and basenesse 30 yeeres upon earth that hee might be called and annointed to suffer and dye Consider his misery reproaches and indignities from the vassalls of Satan his being tempted by the Devill spending dayes and nights in fasting and Prayer willingnesse to be taken by his enemies and to endure his Fathers wrath to the uttermost and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Cull out what parcell thou canst from the cratch to the crosse such as affords the deepest the divinest grounds of meditation able to conquer and ravish the soule and to blow up that sparkle of love and thankes which is kindled in thee Thou canst turne thee no way but matter will offer it selfe to thee to raise affections to the Sacrament 2. Heart raysed thereby Matter being thus raysed set thine heart on worke therewith Let admiration at this love of Christ so set upon thee a traytor a rebell when thou wert not the most unprofitable or unworthy but most trecherous of a thousand others let it cause thee to cry out Iohn 14 22. To Admiration of God and Christ Phil. 2 4.5 Why shouldst thou thus reveale thy selfe to me and passe by so many What should move thee to empty thy selfe to the bottome of all thy excellent contents that thou shouldest obey even to the death of the crosse and that for such a wretch as I. Oh! how my soule is linked to thee How doe I love thee What parts wealth esteeme hopes welfare yea life it selfe should not bee dung to me in respect of thee Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.24.25 or whom in earth to be compared to thee Yea this abundance of thankes to Christ should carry thy heart through him to God the Father Col. 3 17. as Paul Col. 3 27. speakes O Father how couldst thou spye out such a sinner as I out of a thousand to chuse and call me home how couldst thou forgoe thine onely Sonne and suffer him to bee made the of-scouring of the earth Michael 7 â—nd rather than I should perish Oh! who is a God like unto our God forgetting and pardoning the transgressions of the remnâ—nt of thine heritage Oh! my soule magnifieth the Lord and my flesh rejoyceth in God my Saviour Of the Holy Ghost From both the Father and the Sonne let thy thankes proceede to the holy Ghost Oh blessed Spirit who blowest where thou listest what mooved thee to make this Sacrament such a sweete seale of pardon and heaven to such a staggering distrustfull creature as I am Why hast thou assured my soule by these sweete pledges of security that I shall not perish nor for ever be separated from thee My soule shall never forget such a blessed Spirit as hath conveyed his best assurance into my soule so barren and empty thereof before I say thine heart should fasten upon God the Father Sonne and Spirit with all admiration and thankes and from this thankes should issue into thy soule all peace joy complacence and delight in the Lord. All thy thoughts desires affections 2. To complacence delight and joy purposes endevours and abilities should pitch themselves in his founteyne wholly resigne up themselves to be at his command mourning that the fruit should be come to the birth Luke 1 47. Esay 37.5 and no strength to bring forth Yea besides this joy thy soule being thus warmed and inflamed with the bounty of the Lord should shake off deadnesse wearinesse inconstancy and renue her covenant with God for time to come saying thus oh Lord thus hast thou magnified mercy above justice towards me a sinner But what can thy servant do to thee 3. To thankefull expressions Psal 116 9 10. What shall I recompence thee with for all thy love Oh! I will take up the cup of Salvation and prayse thee I will not approach to thee with flockes of Lambes or with rivers of oyle but with an humble meeke and righteous walking with my God! Oh! that there were such an heart in mee of faith love and uprightnesse as to walke in and out with thee in all thy Commandements that it might goe well with me for ever Oh that there were not rather Deut. 5.29 Psal 19. ult such a base heart of sloth ease selfe world and sensuality to withdraw me Oh! Let the thoughts of mine heart 4. Indignation at out basenesse and the covenants of my soule and tongue be ever accepted and ratifyed with thee O Lord my God! Then should I goe 40 dayes to Horeb even from Sacrament to Sacrament in the strength of this thy feast 1 King 19 8. Yea this congregation wherein I stand which is partaker with me of the like mercy should be a witnesse of my faithfulnesse and in the midst of thy courts and Temple should I performe the vowes which I have made yea and that grace which I have found at thy Sacrament should goe with me Psal 116. ult and follow me through my life to season and sanctifie all my course my prayers my worship my marriage my company my blessings my crosses my whole conversation This may serve for a breefe view of Sacramentall Thankesgiving or remembring the death of the Lord Iesus The second duty is perpetuation 2. Duty Perpetuation Luke 22 20.21 Intimated in that clause of our Saviour For so doing ye shew forth the Lords death till he come I will touch it but breefely First know it is not with the Sacrament of the Supper as it was with that dayly Sacrifice which the Iewes offered to God morning and evening That was destroyed when the Temple of Ierusalem was ruined by Titus Vespasian But the Supper of the Lord Iesus typified in part thereby Esay 66.23 The Sacrament eternall in the Church is to last till the worlds end in one part of the Church or other Popery by their cursed Masse and other heretickes by their devices for many hundred yeeres together through Satans enmity interrupted shrewdly the Purity of Christ Sacramentall They brought in a Sacrifice for a Sacrament and defiled this ordinance so farre that they quite defaced it
nor heare any voyce from heaven wee behold the boldnesse and presumption of Hypocrites who after their receiving are as merry as the best and this troubles a poore soule when hee finds staggering in stead thereof But discourage not thy selfe better is some feare where there is a treasure to lose than all mirth when thy heart is emptie Onely let this bee thy practise Lot thou upon the truth of God to beare downe all thy doubts and distempers as fast as Distrust and Satan ply thee with them Faith lots upon the promise 2 Chro. 20.9 Examples of this act of faith Dispute for God as Iehosaphat did for victory Didst not thou say O Lord that when our enemies assaulted us on every side if wee looked toward thy Temple thou wouldst heare from heaven and deliver Marke very little appeared for him all rather was against him but hee shooke all off with this casting himselfe and lotting upon the word of promise Sayd I not to my Lord deceave mee not saith that Shunamite to Elisha 2 King 4.16.28 1 King 1.17 shee had lotted upon his word so that when the child was dead shee was cheerefull and went to the Prophet to pleade the promise When Adonija was got to be king poore Bathsheba and Nathan agree to goe to David and encounter him thus Did not my Lord the King say alway in our hearing Salomon shall reigne how then is it that Adonija reignes Can these stand together So shouldst thou say Lord is not thy flesh meate indeede and thy blood drinke indeede Saydst not thou that hee that eateth the one and drinketh the other hath eternall life in him Ioh. 6.52 Hast not thou promised that thy Sacrament shall chase away my feares my distrust my old lusts of covetousnesse and uncharitablenesse impatience and the like Whence is it then that still they dare assault mee The Lord tells thee this is to try whether thou wilt rest in the worke wrought or rely by faith upon the word that it may be a done deede as it was a spoken word Give not the Lord over then cast not away the confidence but lot upon the word and say I beleeve it must bee so Lord because thou hast sayd it and if any should come and tell me methinkes you are better since the last Sacrament I should not thinke it strange but answere you say the truth indeede I beleeve I am so for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it therefore if I should be but as I was before I should make the Lord a Lyer and doe unspeakeable wrong to him by my unbeleefe Thus much for the first duty The second duty follweth 2. Duty survey of our receiving in 3 Acts. 1. In case of disapointment That a Christian after his receiceiving must survey the worke and the fruite of it how hee hath gayned by his receiving or what he hath lost and accordingly apply himselfe And that in these three passages following First if he find himselfe joynted of that fruit which hee looked for that God hath not assisted him in his attempt if hee feele that still his heart is dead and darke and the spirit hardened from reeiving such grace as God offers then is he not to shake off all at 6 and 7 but to looke well about him He is to consider that such a watch word from God is not for nought the Lord is not wanting usually to his ordinance altogether If in steede of a melting and broken heart more cheerefull by the promise more penitent and more watchfull upon the Sacrament he feeles the contrary evils to appeare sullennes loosenes deadnes unmercifulnes then hath he need to consult and give sentence And whereas hypocrites and time-serves looke at nothing save how they may dispatch the worke and then make account that God is tyed to their girdles although still their corruption fester and ranker in them so much the more the people of God are impatient of such shuffling and confusion And they conclude there is a pad in the straw still What to doe in that ease there is some excommunicate thing hidden in their tent which they would not cast out And therefore howsoever conscience was content that they should take some paines to prepare themselves yet the cheefe worke was neglected and therefore either their person is stil unaccepted of God being in his uncleannesse or else some beloved lust lyeth glowing at the heart unseene or else unpurged out Thus was it with those Israelites Deut. 5 29. and Ioshua the last Deut. 5 29. Iosh ult Iudg. 20.22.23 and Iudges the 20. all who thought well of themselves vowed themselves to the Lord prepared themselves very strongly to fight in a good cause against villanous trespassers But God was not with them but slew 42000. of them even by those men of Gibea worse thâ—n themselves The reason was that although the cause was good yet they were unfit to handle it at that time their conscience being crazed with Idolls But when they saw the root of the malady they durst no longer kicke against the prickes but fell sadly to search out their sinne by fasting and prayer to breake their hearts before the Lord to weepe repent and renue covenant And upon this the Lord altered his course also and at the third on set gave them the victory Even so must it be with these They must not give the Lord over in this Sacramentall discovery they must blesse him unfeignedly that hath rather by frowning upon them and by turning a day of feasting into a day of sorrow shewed them their corrupt condition than to leave them still hardned in their sinne Oh! If thou belong to the Lord thou canst not endure so bitter a countenance of his to be cast upon thee but recover his favour by a thorough purging out that venom which defiled thee yea if ordinary meanes will not serve extraordinary shall of the practice whereof I have spoken in the chapter of repentance and the triall thereof The 2 Act in ease of want of feeling Secondly if thou finde it to be otherwise upon due survey of thy receiving to wit that thou hast beene faithfull to God and thine owne soule in the worke so that thy conscience doth not accuse thee nor the Lord frowne upon thee And yet for all that thou still wantest that feeling and savour of the Sacrament which thou desirest to walke with Then thou art to apply thy selfe otherwise What to doe in this That is thou art to conceive that as yet thou art not fitted to receive such measure of grace nor to use it well but rather wouldst bee puffed up with it and not be able to honour God with it The Lord therefore goes about to try thy desire how long it will last and how long it will thirst after the grace of the Sacrament and against the next time grow more earnest by this thy forbearing The Lord would empty thee more of thy selfe