can heale worse diseases the disease of my nature the distempers of pride envie worldlinesse selfelove impatience 2 King 2 14. infidelitie and what not As Elisha having the cloake of his Master with the promise of his Spirit smote the waters and caused them to goe this way and that till he went o-over dry so doe thou cry Where is the Lord God of Baptisme The Lord Iesus in the water the Spirit of regeneration Oh! let the Arke carrie mee safe and free from the gulfe of wrath and destruction 2 Kin. 2 21. First O holy Lord let thy Spirit cast his salt into these waters which my sinne hath made barren and accursed even as all other creatures and sanctifie them by union and put a blessing upon them implanting the root of the Lord Iesus into my soule by dipping me into them that so as verily as I behold my childs face and my owne flesh cleansed from spots by outward water so surely we may find our soules and spots thereof to be washed by the bloud of Christ this true laver of the new Birth unto remission of sinnes and eternall life Thus much of this point I now come to the third and last The 3. general The end of it The third generall in the Description is the end whereto Baptisme serveth And that is the sealing up of all the grace mentioned before to be the soules owne in assured perswasion and possession I say not that this is the end which all baptized ones attaine unto nay not all who yet by the word and faith doe attaine some comfortable fruit of Baptisme But this I say is the end which God intends in the Sacrament To seale up the soule to an assured feeling and reall partaking of those holy things of Christ which are here offered I meane not that this sealing of Baptisme is inherent in it To seale our regeneration so as if the Spirit of regeneration were but an attendant to Baptisme no in no wise but this where the Lord meanes to bestow upon a beleeving soule which though it relies upon his Word and Promise yet finds many doubts and feares this grace of knowing it selfe to beleeve to be regenerated to be elect to be heire to heaven which reflexion is the worke of the holy Ghost there the Lord useth the Sacrament of Baptisme to be the instrument of this assurance and to make up the evidence of the word full and effectuall For even as the seale annexed to an evidence makes it past question as I said before so doth this Seale added to the word perfect the evidence of it and therefore we may truly say carries in it the last best and uttermost evidence which the Lord hath to bestow upon the soule to put her out of question To repeat things spoken already is not my purpose By looking at the Covenant onely apply the generall to particular The seale of Baptisme lookes at the extent of the Covenant Thou knowest what it is to have the Lord to be thy God in Christ I spake even now at large of the grace of Baptisme The selfe same is the extent of the Covenant it reacheth not one inch shorter than that I spake there Now marke as large as that is so large is this Seale of Baptisme and the Lord keeper of the great Seale is the Spirit of Christ he it is who brings it forth to the soule that needs it and hungers after it by the taste of the graciousnesse and sweetnesse of God in the Covenant And he aâ—kes the soule and saith Poore soule have not I oft convinced thee by my promise of my faithfull meaning Have I not said I will never faile or deceive thee Yes Lord but I am sold under carnall sence and infidelity Well but what saist thou if I bring forth the markes the wounds the water and bloud of the Lord Iesus side sprinkle them upon thee when Tamar knew not how to convince Iuda lo she sends him the cloke staffe Gen. 38 25. and signet asking him Whose they were and when he saw them he was convinced This course was better than words it had a reall relation in it So here the Spirit brings out the very instuments of assurance and laies water upon thy flesh to secure thee Christ in his life and death is thine and shall not this be a reall relation above the naked word unto thee Yes surely if together with the outward presenting of the things he also clap the Seale upon thy soule and leave a print upon thy soft heart which may assure thee he hath been there to fetch out thy slavish feare and infidelitie Ephe. 1 13. Reade Ephe. 1 13. where this Spirit is called the sealer of the Promise it s called the earnest of our Inheritance and purchased possession Reade also Ephes 4.30 where it is called the Sealer of our redemption Ephe. 4.30 By which phrases all the whole grace of Christ is meant viz. That the Spirit in Baptisme seales our Vocation our Iustification Adoption Sanctification and the rest one as well as the other Vse 1 Now for use Branch 1 If this be true what cause of mourning is there for us in these times that the grace and sealing power of the Spirit in Baptisme is so unknowne to the body of Congregations in this Church How few behold Baptisme with such an eye Oh! how do the most turne it into a ceremony Some of the richer sort making it a ceremony of Pompe and sensualitie the poorer of common passage and forme which when it s over the Pageant is done The better sort acknowledge but an initiating ordinance serving to make men visible Christians But as for grace especially this exceeding grace of the sealing Spirit of Adoption and assurance what one of an hundred sees it Oh lamentable We reade that when certaine disciples of Iohns baptisme at Ephesus Act. 19 2. were asked by Paul If they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved They answered They knew not so much as whether there was an holy Ghost or no. So may I say of our people Alas they are so farre from the Seale of Baptisme that they know not whether there be any such thing or not They know not that God hath any Ordinance of so high nature or no as this to convey assurance into a man of his regeneration And how can such chuse but live a sad drooping course Branch 2 Nay to this I may adde that it is the case of thousands of Christians whom we should highly offend if we questioned them who scarse see neede of such a sealing Ordinance They praise God they have beleeved their salvation and since that they have been rid of all feares and doubts and walke on and on without ayle or annoiance Indeede they found some adoe with themselves ere they could attaine faith But when they once got it they got all at once and since feele small doubts or oppositions to
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
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
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
his breadth height depth and length Christ for being and regeneration Perhaps for the simpler sort it might be enough to use the Apostles words of him are we who is made our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 or to adde thus much All Christ is given us 1 Cor. 1 30. either for our calling or for our imputation or for our sanctification Howbeit for my owne exercise in part and for the clearer view of Christ sacramentall in the water I would adde a little more desiring the weake reader to pardon my distinctions as more meete for such as better conceive or would at least the gift of Christ in his extent and fulnesse Distinction of it to be marked The grace then of Christ bestowed in baptisme is either first grace or consequent upon it The first grace I call either that which maketh us accepted or that which is freely given to in here and abide in us Concerning the former kind Grace accepting is eyther grace of meanes serving to atteine acceptance or the grace it selfe atteined The former of meanes in one word is the grace of vocation in al the passages thereof preventing assisting and perfitting this acceptation of the soule The grace it selfe of acceptance atteyned may be distinguisht into grace eyther of maine essence or of priviledge Grace of maine essence is double eyther justification of our persons from sinne of guilt and blemish or of curse wherein Gods acquitting us in judgement by remission and pardon properly consists or reconciliation by which being pardoned we returne to grace and favour againe as before our blood being restored and we beloved Then secondly grace of priviledge is double positive or privative Positive priviledg in a word is our adoption which besides favor restores us to the former conditioÌ„ yet much bettered of childreÌ„ sons daughters heires and so to the priviledges of a beleever according to the severall occasions of his life course Privative in a word stands in redeÌ„ption that is freedome froÌ„ all the evills dangers enemies crosses within without bodily ghostly which threaten annoyance to our happy estate in Christ Thus for the 1. sort The second are graces inherent in us in a word Sanctification of the whole man body soule and spirit standing both in Conscience and conversation And this is double eyther mortification and consumption of the old man Gal 5 24. renouncing him with his affection and lusts crucifying theÌ„ all with Christs or else quickning up of the soule in the bent frame intent and streame of it to the life of God and grace Thus of the first grace The consequent upon this is the proper issue fruit of each of these first graces which they leave behind them in the soule The proper issue of vocation is union and bringing to God by the instrument of faith The proper issue of justification is peace and quiet of conscience The fruit of reconciliation is holy Complacence and contentment or joy of the Spirit in God her Saviour as Mary speakes The fruit of adoption is Luk. 1 47. the honour liberty and excellency of beleevers with the Spirit of children confidence and calling God Abba resting upon him for all good things a true right to earth heaven and all therein All things being ours we being Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. â— 22.23 The fruit of redemption is assured â—ecurity of heart from evill conquest and triumph in Christ true deliverance of soule from Sathan to God and for God in all obedience The fruite of sanctification is the blessed guard and furniture of Graces resident both in the minde as light purenesse wisedome discerning in the will all habits and uprightnesse integrity cheerefulnesse faithfulnesse in the affections of love hope feare and zeale in the conscience sensiblenesse tendernesse quietnesse In the whole man serviceablenesse to God in the conversation and whole course of it This short draught I have the rather inserted in this due place to give light and order to such things as I have handled in the three Articles of my second part and the fourth fith sixth Articles of the third part of my practicall Catechisme that the Reader may see how all those good things issue from Christ distinctly I meane the use of meanes the strength against lets and the right to all priviledges both conditionall and actuall But especially to lay downe a view of Christ our union and communion Sacramentall But The expressions of the holy Ghost it shall not bee amisse to touch this point as the Holy Ghost in the word expresses it Sometimes therefore hee expresses it in generall termes and sometimes in particular Generally he calls it the holy Ghost and fire See Matth. 3.11 Matth. 3 11. Matth. 3 16. meaning the Spirit of Christ in the efficacy of his grace which should purge as fire Even as our Saviour Christ is said to have the Spirit descending at his baptisme and lighting upon him meaning that he thereby received the unction of the Spirit and the gift thereof even the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes So also it s called by the name of new birth Ioh. 3.5 Heb. 1 9. Ioh. 3. â— Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter c. So the washing of regeneration Tit. 3 5. renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so also it is sayd to save or deliver from wrath as the Arke from the flood 1 Pet. 3.21 In particular this regeneration is distinguished into the washing or purging of justification by the merit or the washing of sanctification by the efficacy of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1 7. See Acts 22.16 Ephe. 5.26 The former we have in 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Iesus purgeth us from all sinne The latter see Ephe. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word To present it without spot or wrinckle in his glorious presence Gal. 3 26. c. Both these are expressed Galathi 3.26 They who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ as their garment both of covering in the one and of warmth in the other all Christ in both But there are two phrases in the Scripture by which the holy Ghost delights to describe the grace of baptisme The one by remission of sins the other by dying unto sinne and rising up unto righteousnesse Of the first there is frequent mention Luk. 3.3 Iohn baptised to the remission of sinnes Luk. 3 3 Acts 22 16. Rom. 6 3 8. Act. 22.16 Wash away thy sinnes and be baptised Of the latter Paul speaketh much in Rom. 6. from the 3. verse to the 8. So many as are Baptized into Iesus Christ are baptised into his death Therefore we are buried by baptisme with him into his death that like as Christ was raysed up from death by the glory of the Father so might we walke in newnesse of life For if we
of thy selfe so be stript and empty of all good and grace in thy selfe feele in thy soule an utter absence of life of sence motion and power towards the inner man of grace Lie before the Lords Sacrament as a forlorne wretch Say thus If thy baptisme Lord be for my regeneration what am I without it A dead dogge a very lumpe and masse of sinne and curse utterly void of the least dramme of life savoring nothing but earth vanity lusts world pleasures a very slave to these and a very carcasse of all goodnesse and being of God Oh Lord strip me starke naked plucke off my mufflers shame me drive me out of my selfe as one poore miserable blind and naked This is the first worke of faith to put off the soules ragges and to void all conceit of life hope or grace in it selfe and to set it before the Lord as Adams red earth lay before him when he was to breathe the life of Creation into it Now the Lord is creating thee anew by his Sacrament Remember Creation is of nothing Baptisme never made new creature where it finds any thing of ones own Baptisme should then not create but rather draw somewhat out of our owne principles to make us somewhat to which we bring matter of our owne Oh! people come to the Sacrament full of their owne devotions and looke that God should make them new creatures of their owne stuffe this were to patch and soden our old not to create a new man in us Apply our selves to the Word Secondly being thus nothing in our selves apply wee our selves by the word to the worke of the Spirit of union Sacramentall bare poore empty water which hath in it selfe no Sacramentall substance yet by the vnion of the Spirit of Baptisme incloseth the Lord Iesus to regeneration in it If thou canst say water is not a more beggerly Element in the Sacrament without Christ than thy soule is emptie unsubsisting without regeneration Looke to the Lord by thy faith and pull hard at him for the Spirit of Baptisme to renew a life a spirit and being of pardon and holinesse in thee If while the word lasts and the Spirit of Baptisme endures even to the worlds end Christ and water shall never be sundred from the Sacrament Beleeve thou as firmely that Christ as water shall never be severed from thy poore soule that lies humbly before him destitute of all life in thy selfe and lost for ever except Christ be thy life and succour I say the Lord Iesus shall never be wanting to such a soule in the point of regeneration Plead then thy cause strongly with the Lord behold here is Christ in water What letteth why thou maist not be baptised Actâ— 8 16. as Philip said of the Eunuch Shall water ever lose her cleansing Were it not madnesse to thinke so And shall Iesus Christ then lose his power to cleanse the soule Hath hee not annexed his cleansing to waters cleansing Is it possible that all the divels in hell can dissolve the Sacramentall Vnion of Christ and water Oh Lord why is this Vnion and for what serves it Is it good for any thing save as it is Sacramentall Was it Christ before Is it Christ after No sure but during the Sacrament onely And why so Surely to teach me all this Vnion is for me Christ water serves for my soules washing He delights not to be one with a base Element for it selfe but that in and with a creature of a cleansing quality he might flow into my soule with his renewing Spirit Oh Lord I beleeve thy word Lord let thy Spirit convey thee with water into my soule Be it Oh Lord as thou hast said Separate not thy Spirit from thy Sacrament but give it the power of begetting mee to the life of faith and a new creature 3 Abhorre carnal reason Ioh. 3.9 Thirdly look off from all thy carnall reason and the sillinesse of the creature Say not with Nicodemus How shall this be Consult not with flesh and bloud cavill not 1 Ioh. 5 8. Mat. 3 ult aske no further signe thou hast three in heaven and three in earth bearing witnesse to Gods truth Water is one of these it is the instrument of the Spirit though it be on earth yet that is from heaven call not for a voyce from heaven the second time it s enough that in the Baptisme of Christ it as manifest Hold close to the Word and Promise Go teach and Baptize and lo Mat. 28 ult I am with you till the end Let all conceits of Reason vanish in the truth of God and when corruption hath done all it can yet roll thy selfe upon the promise and by the Perspective glasse thereof thou shalt see that grace in the Sacrament which else is invisible to flesh and covered under the ashes of unbeleefe Let all be quâ—sht with this My soule God hath said it I see nothing but water but there is Christ with water to regeneration Lastly cloze with the Spirit and meete it at the Sacrament 4 Close with the Spirit of the Sacrament If thou meete it not there it s because thou bringest not faith with thee for that is there for ever inseparably Grone in thy spirit unto the Spirit of Christ that thee may susteine thy bottomelesse heart in her desire after the grace of the Sacrament Say thus Oh blessed Spirit of Baptisme remember thou wert given by the Lord Iesus at his ascension for thy Church Ioh. 7.56.57 Now Christ is glorified Ioh 7 56 57 now let thy Spirit be given to bring the life of the Sacrament into mee Once when the world was a Chaos the Spirit of creation fostred and brooded the waters and brought forth order and matter for each part of the world Oh now come downe with thy fire and warme this water make it effectuall for the scattering of my darkenesse errour rebellion corruption Gen. 1 2. and the purging of old Adam the mortifying and consuming of my concupiscence and lusts And then travell againe with mee in this thy ordinance till Christ and the new creature be formed in mee Make mee thy off-spring Gal 4 19 and generation breede the thoughts affections and disposition of the new birth in me Oh make this fountaine â—nd laver blessed and fruitfull to be the seede of Christ in me Once thou didst so worke with Iordan that the washing of a Leper 1 King 5 12 caused his flesh to returne as the flesh of a child Take away my leprosie also Ioh. 5 3.4 and make me as a little child Once thy Angell so stirred the Poole that who so stept in next was healed of what disease soever he was sicke Oh stirre this poole also make it an healing water put into it the vertue of him that with a word spoken could cure all maladies Heale mine Lord by this poole if an Angell could heale a lame legge a blinde eye a deafe eare thy Spirit
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
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
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
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
wise mans part to use every Ordinance for the good of it Branch 2 Secondly such as by triall finde themselves out of the Covenant of God in regard of any actuall faith in them and besides finde the guilt and taynt of much other Corruption and evill let them much more blesse God for this ordinance of Triall and so long desist from the Sacrament till the Lord hath sanctified the conviction of their conscience in some measure to drive them out of themselves unto a promise for Reconciliation and peace For the Blood of Christ and his body serve not for the Nourishment of any in whom they have not bin as the seed of Regeneration both in Pardon of sinne change of heart in which conversion standeth Therefore let them ply this worke of which in the trial of our estate Chap. 2. more is sayde But to rush upon the Scarament upon Triall of this dangerous Condition is a double sinne an adding of drunkennes to thirst as also an abuzing of the Sacrament causing it to seale up rather their guilt and curse than their pardon and peace Remember still the Sacrament convertes none but strenghtens the converted Beware therefore all such least by Sinister and unwise Counsell of any they blanch themselues over and thinke that because they see all is not well therefore the Sacrament must bee theis Phisition No The word of Law and Promise must first convince them of sinne Iohn 16.9 and then of Righteousnesse whereof after they shall find both the Sacraments to be a seale through faith Baptisme of their Conversion the Supper of their confirmation Onely let this bee added That as they doe for the present desist from the Sacrament so yet they must ply this first conviction and trial of themselves by attendance upon other ordinances till they come to see cleerely that the Sacrament belonges to them For if they give over the work by loosnesse and wearinesse before the fruite bee atteined they may feare that it had bin as good for them they had never seene cause by triall to desist as having so done to leave their work unfinisht Sacramentall triall serves not to dash men quite out of conceit with the ordinance but to convince them for a time that they may bee so abased for their cutting off themselves from it that they may returne to it with more comfort and abhorre themselves in that condition of desisting from it And so doing their Abstinence shall be for their good and although the Minister cannot suspend them yet their owne suspending themselues shall proove more gainefull to their soules than their bould adventure And so much for this fourth branch 5 Generall that it is Divine The 5. and 6. now follow which as I said I have kept to this last place as depending upon one another and most essentiall to the Doctrine The 5. branch then is that this triall is a charge of God not left arbitrary to us but necessary to the receyving worthily To which ere I come least any stumble at this word worthily as if any could be worthy to receive How a man may bee sayd to receive worthily I answere it s the phrase of the Holy-Ghost himselfe in sundry places And looke in what sence the wicked are said to bee unworthy in the contrary thereto the godly are called worthy first in respect of themselves secondly of the Lord. Touching the former see Act. 13.43 where Paul saith Seeing yee thinke your selves unworthy of eternall life c. hee meanes that they thought the tidings of it unworthy of them they thought themselves so worthy and so good that they thought Gods offer unworthy of them and so they despised the Counsell of God to save them So here the profane and hypocrites doe thinke Sacramentall Christ a meane thing discerne not what it is or of what worthinesse therefore they are unworthy But the faithfull receiver is worthy Matth 22.6 1 Cor. 11 29. Why In respect of that worthy and pretious esteeme of the Sacrament for which they account no preparation sufficient Secondly in respect of God himselfe In which sence Rev. 3 4. the holy Ghost telles those few names in Sardis Revel 3 4. that they should be clothed in white for they were worthy he doth not mean they were worthy to be so clothed but being so clothed they were worthy that is the Lord having cloathed them with the Robe of Christs righteousnesse Revel 19 8. the linnen of the Saints they were worthy ones in his account So contrarily the unregenerate are unworthy because they are naked still Revel 3 17. and care not to bee covered with this garment And why They know not or will not know that they neede it Now then as the good receiver is worthy because he is so accounted in Christ and his preparation is accepted in him and the want thereof is not imputed so the bad is unworthy because his person is not accepted and therefore whether he prepare himselfe or no he is the same for out of the Lord Iesus hee cannot be worthy The Summe is not the preparation of a man in it selfe makes him worthy But the imputing of preparednesse by faith and this workes an high esteeme of the Sacrament and a carefulnesse to be a meet Communicant neither whereof the ungodly can be partakers of This by way of Digression To returne then The duty of triall is commended by God Proofes of it And this appeares by Paul 1 Cor 11 28. as also by good Analogy of the Passeover applied by the Apostle to us For the former Paul concludes the direction for receiving well and cutting off all abuses Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate Hee had told them before what Christs institution was But as if knowledge alone of the pure ordinance were not enough he addes further Let a man therefore examine q. d. Although the meere observing of the institution were enough to cut off the abuse of your love feasts yet for the avoyding of all other corruption inward aswell as outward I command from God Let every man examine He doth not meane let him if hee please as leaving it to mens choyse but the word is imperative let him that is I enjoine him As let a man abide in the vocation wherein God hath set him let a man so esteeme us as the dispensers of grace c. That is I command him so Neither is this as one of those temporary counsels of which Paul saith hee had no warrant from God expressely This saith not the Lord but I But it is one of those of which hee addeth This say not I but the Lord. And the connexion of this 28 verse with the 20. evinceth For I deliver unto you that which I received of the Lord c. And he subjoyneth let a man therefore examine c. Further proofe Nither doth this rest onely upon this text but upon the Analogie of the
thy cavils thinke not thy case desperate Say not there is no hope for so saped a wretch as thou Who can tell Perhaps the Lord may bring hony out of a carrion and even out of thy long contempt fetch humiliation and repentance I have knowne some touch'd more by the Sacrament than by any terrour beside That the Lord hath so long spared them in patience they have concluded hee hath done it to breake their hearts Perhaps the Lord will turne away his fierce anger that thou perish not Howsoever it fare bee doing humble thy soule and chuse if thou must perish to perish in thy triall rather than justly to runne hazard and rush into assured miserie by not trying Vse 2 Secondly this should be exhortation Exhortation to all sorts Minister and people strong and weake all who would behold the Lord Iesus his face with joy in his Ordinances to submit themselves to this triall 1 To Ministers Iude verse 23. The Minister first knowing this terrour of the Lord let him with compassion plucke as many out of the fire as hee can by a carefull instructing of the people in this way of triall It s not one of the least objections which are made against it that they have none to direct them No bucket for this deepe Well no man to thrust them into this poole How shalt thou answer the losse of so much bloud of soules when God shall call thee to account I know indeede that where the Minister is most faithfull many people are contemners but their bloud be upon their owne heads save thou thine owne soule and let them not perish by thy sinne Secondly let all godly Ministers doe their uttermost to debarre all open despisers of this Ordinance from partaking it Though they have but small power of the keyes of censure in their hands yet let them use the key of Doctrine so much the rather to stoppe as many as may bee from running upon the pikes of vengeance Likewise let all faithfull receivers looke to this dutie 2 To the people and upon no colour either of their knowledge or former use of it or other occasions neglect it either for themselves or their families committed to them The Lord will accept a little endeavour and judges us not according to that we want but that wee have if there bee faithfulnesse And let none thinke that this dutie is so urged as if there were any merit in it from the worke wrought No thy searching it selfe stinkes and thy very cloathes may defile thee if thou looke at thy selfe But looke at him that commands it and hath promised a blessing to it that is So let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup Let this welcome encourage thee And because I have already laid downe some properties of triall for thy direction I say no more but seeke the Lord in prayer and deniall of thy selfe to helpe thee to put one these cords and ragges to come out of thy ill custome And to shut up all let mee encourage all faithfull endeavourers to trie themselves I know there is cause for many tender hearts foile themselves sore in this worke and make the remedy worse than the disease They say These rules are so strickt that they shall never practise them and therefore cannot bee prepared yea they say the more they search themselves the more drosse and scurffe they meete withall To whom I answer First let no difficulty of selfe-triall in the point of the measure thereof dismay any let sloth contempt and wilfulnesse be absent and the Lord will both admit of their honest endeavour to trie and also the weaker they are so much the more welcome them to the Sacrament which is more especially belonging to the weake than the strong Secondly I say Although by triall they meete with much corruption yet better to be met with than concealed Neither doe they meete with it to favour it but loathe it and they so meete with more corruption than they dream'd of that also they finde a Pearle in their Dunghill and more grace than ever they looked for unlesse slavish feare and unthankefulnesse doe blind-fold them Let them thereby the more praise God who pardoneth these their transgressions and say Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult and then although they must adde who is so corrupt a wretch as I yet mercy shall drowne their sinne in the Sea never to appeare more Therefore let them bee comforted and looke what hath beene said in the generall touching Triall let them wisely applie to the particulars following to helpe themselves forward in the practise thereof This much for the Vses 2 Generall Object of triall threefold Having thus spoken of the properties of triall I come to the Object And that is threefold A Communicant is to trie himselfe either Estate first about his estate in grace Wants Or secondly his wants or else Graces thirdly about his Sacramentall grace concerning which God willing in the following Treatise more shall be said in their order CHAP. II. Of the Triall of our estate toward God Trial of estate COncerning which Triall although I know there be such strange spirits stirring in these our dayes as take for granted that all those that are baptized and live under the Gospell in a visible Church are undoubtedly in good estate of grace without any more a doe and therefore will reject this as needlesse to trie our estates by surer warrant yet because I know none of indifferent judgement but abhorre their conceit I shall take libertie to confute them with silence and to proceede to shew what better triall of a mans estate towards God may be found Objection against it Only one objection of greater moment I most first remove out of the way to wit that the calling in question of our estate toward God upon every such occasion as the Sacrament may seeme to inferre that a Christians estate is a very staggering condition which may easily bee doubted and suspected as also it may seeme to turne Christian liberty into a slavish and fearefull bondage Answer 1 To which I answere That it is no such matter The reason of the Triall is this First the Sacrament being a seale of the covenant of grace as oft hath beene sayd and no converting meane of the gracelesse unto grace properly needes it must bee that every one who would finde it as a seale to his soule of the encrease of Grace received must first approve his estate in grace to bee sound except the Spirit of God should bee made a servant of sinne and subject to the presumption of hypocrites willing to set his seale to a blanke Things standing in relation import an excluding of such as are out of that relation Ex. gr If the Prince should graciously proclaime that hee would renue the Charter of some Corporations in such a Countie No village Townes or places that never had any such priviledge
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
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