Oh! thou shalt have thy belly full of it one day with aking and sorrow when conscience shall present thee with thy sinne and shew thee how many Sacraments and the fruit of them this gulfe of the world hath devoured without recovery And what a narrow entrance into heaven it hath caused to thee who if thou hadst beene enlarged to Gods opportunities as they to thee mightst have found a large doore opened unto thee Then shalt thou bee weary of those cauils which thy covetous heart hath cast upon the Sacrament as these Where finde ye that so much cost is required to the Sacrament that men must lay aside their businesse and looke after that Nay where findest thou that the matters of so divine a Nature must stoope to thy base trash And so ingrosse thy hurt that when holy things are in hard thy soule is no where lesse than where thy body is So that that hadst as good doe never a whit as never the better The Remedy is Resigne up thy selfe and ends to God make him the Moderator Remedy and hee will not defraude thee of thy worldly due if thou wilt be ruled But if thy selfe be judge the Lord must needes prove the loozer More causes added To these I might adde more As that men make a dead worke of the Sacrament they live not by faith in it they walke not humbly and tenderly but suffer smaller evils to lurke in them and defile them till they feele conscience crazed they make not up their breaches by speedy repenting but soder and crust them over they ply not Sacraments with other private and personall helpes meete to preserve the grace thereof but in the midst of their slightnesse vanities and pleasures which they mixe with holy things they looke to fare as well as those that watch closely to those succors wherein as they are foulely deceived so let them know that the Lord is righteous and will not conceale the labour of love in his better servants to equall the slight and carelesse with them in blessing Remedy For remedy whereof let them looke backe to the Chapter of Repentance Conclusion of the whole And thus at last I have also finished these few advices added to the Doctrine of preparation Conclusion of the whole Craving therefore of him who is Alpha and Omega and hath now brought us to an end of our purpose that be would set home this doctrine of the Sacrament to the hearts of the Readers I finish the whole Booke FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the second Part. A. ASsisting grace of God one marke of our effectuall calling Page 38 And how ibid. The Act of faith one speciall triall of our faith 96 and wherein it stands ib. The stirring of the Affections up by the good things of Christ Sacramentall a speciall meane of reviving faith Page 101 Application of the promise of the Sacrament ib. Act of love is negative or positive 179. 180. In what particulars both consist Abandoners of Sacraments terrified Page 213 Admiration of God Christ and the Spirit necessary to raysing the heart in the Sacrament Page 218 Severall Acts and Passages of the Sacraments require due carriage called Accommodation of the soule Page 222 In six particulars Page 223 Affections cannot be sacred except they have a due object Page 193 Trusting to former Affections an ill quality in Receivers an enemy to desire Page 202 B. BRokennesse of heart and mourning is one signe of hearty repenting Page 116 God recovers the soules of his being fallen to new Brokennesse and mourning Page 126 Behaviour of a Communicant at the Sacrament must be holy Page 209 Behaviour there must be sutable in body and soule Page 215 Behaviour of Communicants must be due both in respect of the whole Sacramont and the particular passages thereof Page 216 Better sort very unfruitfull in Receiving with the causes Page 242 C. COnfusednesse and indiscretion in the worship of God sinfull Page 3 Cavilling about Gods Commands under colours an ill marke Page 19 God may justly punish those who obey his Commands in an andue manner aswell as the disobeyers ib. Markes of effectuall Calling necessary for our tryall of estate Page 37 The fruits of Calliog a speciall marke of our estate in grace and what they are Page 41 42 33 Curiosity in prying into other mens wants makes men blind in seeing their owne Page 54 Excesse of Care and sorrow overloding Gods people for their wants sinfull Page 55 Carelesnesse of our wants comes from grosse sin and is dangerous ib. Each ordinance includes Christ in it as their sappe Page 82 Cleaving to the promise against bondage and Carnall reason a marke of faith renewed Page 103 Testimony of good Conscience at the Sacrament a signe of faith renewed ib. The Christian Combate one sound marke of repentance Page 114 Confession a great tryall of hearty repentance Page 117 Carnall and hypocriticall receivers of the Sacrament are in a dangerous case Page 130 Crossing of our selfes in our sweet lusts a triall of repentance Page 137 Censoriousnesse purged from love by faith Page 148 Comming to Sacrament necessary and commanded proofes reasons of it Page 209 210 211 Commemoration of Christs benefits necessary behaviour in receiving Page 216 Due Carriage of a Receiver after the Sacrament necessary Page 224 Contentation and well apaiednesse in God ought to be practised by such as have beene satisfied at the Sacrament Page 229 Care a speciall grace to bee practised after our Receiving Page 230 A pure Conscience daily preserved so a sweete meane to make preparation to Sacraments sweet Page 235 Conceit of a civill condition without being in Covenant a meane of bad Receiving with the Remedy Page 241 Sundry Causes together of the ill Receiving of the better sort with their Remedies Page 244 D. NOt to discerne the body of Christ in the Sacrament dangerous Page 60 Dalliers with God in point of future repentance dangerous Page 131 Little hope of Delayed repentance to prove sound Page 132 Dissimulation purged from love by faith Page 147 Diffusivenesse of love Page 182 Dissemblers of love at the Sacrament are bad Receivers Page 186 Desire of the Sacrament a necessary grace for a Receiver Page 193. 197. 198 Object of Desire is Christ Sacramâ—ntall described Page 194 How Desire of the Sacrament may bee attained Page 198 Such as come without Desire to the Sacrament terrified Page 199 Want of renewing of Desire a great sin in Gods people at the Sacra Page 220 Ab helpes and motives to be used to stirre up Desire Sacramentall Page 204 The triall of true Desire Page 205 E. TRiall of our Estate in grace the first Object of Sacramentall triall What it is and the branches thereof 32. Objection answered ib. How farre a Christian may be doubtfull and solicitous about his Estate Page 43 Our Estate in grace is to be tried by our calling and how 35. In three things ib.
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
s the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. ult which must doe it 1 Pet 1 22 as Iam. 1.16 Of his free will hee begat us by the Word of truth Iam 1 16 Trie thy selfe then by the usuall acts of the word of Regeneration and so thou maist gather that this Spirit belongs to thee This is no place for mee to digresse I will cull out onely two or three things which may serve for this use Deceive not thy selfe and God will not deceive the Didst thou ever then feele in thy selfe that this immortall seed cast into thy eare did so descend into thy heart as to worke any immortall hope in thee 2 Tim. 1 11. The Gospell reveales immortality and glory to the soule Did it ever bring to light any such thing to thee Did it ever conceive in thee a sensible distaste of all hopes below and raise thy affections above Did it ever cause the things of the earth long life health successe welth money pleasure to be despised in comparison of the hope which is set before thee Camest thou ever from the word another man in thy aime appetite savor and love than thou wentst Did thy heart ever burne within thee there And when thou camest with earthly base thoughts did the Lord so dash them by heavenly doctrine and the hope of Christ that thou returnedst to thy house with a distaste of thy selfe for them Wert thou ever so touched and taken with the promise of the word that thou wert loath to forgo it for any delight In particular try thy self thus Instances of the words working 1. Hath the word of the Law cast a destroying seede of death into thee taken a way that life of old Adam jollity in sin Hath it defaced thy old Image discovered thee to thy selfe to be an Alien from the Life of God and common-wealth of Israel the son of an Hittite and Amorite as odious as one of thirtie old would be to thee who never was baptized Secondly hath the Gospell cast a better seed of hope in Christ by the Covenant of reconciliation into thee In thy hearing of this glad tidings hath the Lord bored an eare in thee by which this seede might conceive and kindle in thy heart Hath it wrought the preparation of heart in thee by brokennesse tendernesse humilitie unweariednesse of paines selfe de-deniall c. Hath it setled and digested in thee as a thing of such beauty as in comparison of which all the glory of the earth is drosse Hath it abode in thee and brought an undecaying sweetnesse into thee Hast thou felt in thy wombe the paines of true life and the new birth viz. How corruption of nature selfe and infidelity have rebelled against the work both of the Law and Gospell Gen. 25 22. Hast thou with Rebecca in this combat gone to God with thy complaint of the infinite lets that have held thee from beleâ—ving And hath the Lord by his Promise and perswasions fastened thy anchor of soule upon his bottome of free grace and truth renouncing thy owne hopes feares performances So that now thou hast him close bound to thee in his word from ever forsaking thee Then I say to thee thou art he whom the word hath breed Christ in and formed life in thee by faith What wanteth then Oh! thy heart is fickle and too weake to buy and sell upon the bare word without wavering yea thou hast much adoe to get victory over thy uncertain heart Well no wonder Thou seest nothing and to resist sence is a great worke yet be faithfull with God and give not over his promise and by due cleaving to the bare truth of the Lord begge further light and rest not in thy measure much lesse yeeld to any love of sinne to darken and defile thee And so doing I assure thee that to thee and to none but such the seale of baptisme belongs thou shalt find the Lord will by his Spirit convince thee deeplier the Spirit of Baptisme shall bring forth Gods pledges shew thee them Ioh. 16 9.10 convey into thy faint heart strength confidence and courage of faith and set thee above thy distempers as if they had never annoied thee If I say hee have purposed such a decree of grace unto thee he will effect it in time else know that howsoever yet thy service is blessed and thy faith hath brâ—â—d the life of regeneration in thee Branch 1 Forthly let this be exhortation to urge us to apply our selves to Baptisme for the sealing work of the Spirit therin To young Novices And first I direct my speech to yong novices under the means Slight not off the first incklings of this sealing Spirit The 1. layes heates of the holy Ghost and fire doe usually breake forth in youth Consider it s not a dayes worke nor a thing easie to settle the Spirit of sealing upon thy soule there be many steps to it Oh! looke to it yee young beginners One cause why old Christians walke so heavily is because they never heeded or hatched the first motions of the Spirit in their beginnings If then the Spirit of God doe call and stirre in thee by early affections love zeale enquiry answer Speake Lord for thy servant heares put him not off by ease or bondage 1 Sam. 3 9. If such a thought come as this What a dramme of Grace and Life of Christ is worth or what vow thou madest in Baptisme and how retchlesse thou hast beene to keepe it dally not with such items shake not off either pangs of terrour by lusts of youth or pangs of hope and love with ease and sloth for so the Spirit of sealing is fore-stalled and the faire forwardnesse thereto will hardly be recovered Put in thy foote presently upon the Angells stirring the poole Ioh. 5 4. if thou have an heart none shall prevent thee heere as there If these seeds were not choked and these buds cropt they would proove the assuring sealing Spirit of grace in due time Through contempt of it the Lord leaves youth to that hideousnesse and ripenesse in sinne yea a spirit of desperate debauchednesse in drinking oathes Rev. 22.11 and villany as would not bee beleeved of such youth Branch 2 Secondly I speake to all other apply your selves to the Sacrament of Baptisme for this last evidence and seale of the Spirit To elder oneâ— to let yee know that yee are the Lords Lin not till the Lord hath seal'd yee for his owne set his marke upon you not to be blotted out Looke up at each Sacrament each Baptizing ye see to the Lord that which in the former point I speake as hee hath applied the grace of Baptisme by the promise unto you so now hee would apply is Seale of assurance unto you by his Baptisme Let not such a mercie be there to be had and you not aware of it Thinke it not too good to receive if God will grant it What is
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
rather he is scant in good speech scant in preaching no more than needs must in hearing prayer meditation barren and poore so in the graces of the Spirit little love small humility compassion so in duties so in meanes Alas the roote is bare and therefore the tree is unfruitfull So also the deeper the soule is rooted in Christ Christ it this roote of fruitfulnesse Iohn 11 3. and 12 1.2 the larger roome he hath in the heart the more scope and entertainment he finds the greater graces he affords If we compare Mary and Martha's house with the houses which now and then Christ was bidden too no doubt but wee shall finde that his fruits of preaching love converse miracles and good doing were more fall in the former than the latter Why There was no stop he might be sure to be welcome at all times therefore hee shewed himselfe more there than elsewhere Christ then the more he is rooted in the soule the fuller hee is of influence and so growes more fruitfull For what is fruitfullnesse Surely when a Christian being ashamed to consider what a barren heart hee hath had under full meanes and how little and narrow the good is which he hath done for God to himselfe and others and beholding the cause thereof his want of true stocke of knowledge and faith mourneth for this his misery and seeking for an heart fuller of Christ and his nourishment doth from his treasure extend himselfe plentifully to the exercise of such graces meanes and duties as may be usefull to himselfe and in the communion of Saints If a poore shopkeeper almost banquerupt be set up and holpen up againe with new stocke what will hee doe Ply the matter runne to London furnish himselfe with the best of wares and choise of them bring them home fill his shop in every corner and satisfie the turne of every buyer Oh! what a change is there So it is with a Christian recovering out of a fruitlesse course by the Lord Iesus his raizing and setting him up againe stores himselfe with plentie of graces sets them on worke and fills each part of his life with duty yea sets himselfe against his former unprofitablenesse Adding to his knowledge faith to his faith love meekenesse patience experience hope that so he may not be unfruitfull in the Lord Iesus 2 Pet. 1 1 5 6. If he have risen up well apaid in his morning awaking he rests not there as before but fetches from his treasure a cheerefull heart to his calling from thence proceeds to family duties and government from thence to doe good and take good in company thence to be well occupied alone thence ready to visite the sicke to admonish to comfort to advise others and when all is done 1 Cor. 15 ult to nourish in himselfe the life of faith one while humblenesse another while forbearance long suffering in prouocations thanks for blessings patience if crossed sometime in one sometimes in another duty yet neither hurt by one from another nor glutted by succession of service but fruitful unwearied in all with one eye to his ground another to his end Even as a man of an active spirit if well apaid in diet and refreshed in body sticks not from morning to night to be doing loathes to be idle and thinkes himselfe to have lost that day wherein hee hath not beene full of emploiment Now so is it here the Lord Iesus his nourishment so enables the soules of his that they seeke occasions to expresse goodnesse as eagerly as a barren heart shunnes them that which strikes the one dumbe and as dead as a stone yea is as bane to him that quickens and joyes the other because the fulnesse of grace makes the worke most sweet and welcome Now wherin is the Lord Iesus so full a nourishment as in his Supper in which he brings forth all his store and Magazine to fill the soule that is empty with good things and so to send it away from his Table furnish'd as the Apostle saith as a vessell of honour and prepared for every good worke so that none comes amisse 2 Tim. 2.21 Thus I have given to the Reader an Answer to this question what the Lord Iesus our nourishment is both in his parts and degrees one of the maine things which I would wish him to marke in the whole Treatise for the true conceiving of the vertue of the Supper Now I come to the use which is as weightie Vse 1 And first thisDoctrine is one of the fearefullest terrours that can fall upon the profane sort of men that live within the bosome of the Church visible All Atheists Neuters meere Civillians Ignorant Profane Libertines and Hypocrites Is the Lord Iesus the Sacramentall nourishment and influence of his Church Oh wofull then your condition who cut off your selves frem all communion and fellowship with him I say not in some but in all grace of his or part in his Ordinances Alas the day is to come that ever yee saw neede of him to subsist in him at all Your bondage enmitie and hell seeme liberty amity heaven to you The divell hath bored your eares for vassals to himselfe as notorious wretches who are willing slaves when ye may be free Who then wonders if the Supper of Christ and that offer of welfare which he makes therein to his be as a fulsome thing unto you Alas as long as your drinke lusts play company sleepe and belly-cheere be granted you who wonders if ye despise with Esau this birthright If with Swine ye tread these Pearles and this Manna in the dirt Alas Matth. 7 6. it availes not you to have such a previledge as Christ to feede your soules if the whilest ye want your carnall appetite satisfied If this foode were but as a messe of Pottage Heb. 12.16 as the wearing of your lockes ye would have had him ere now But oh saplesse barren and unsavory wretches to whom these dainties as are a dry chip Who come and goe to the Sacraments as to dumbe Pageants more fit for a masse of trickes and apish ceremonies than the Solemne feast of Christ Sacramentall Woe be unto you oh ye Dogges and Swine your morrall sinnes are fearefull your swearing your lying cosenage drunkennesse But your chiefe misery is that you are carnall wretches sould under your lusts destitute of all union or communion with God your hearts are not where your bodies are when you come to Christ and the Supper But as the fooles heart is on his left hand Eccles 10.2 so are yours with your lusts which are your appointed meate drinke and pastime unto you Acts 8.21 Therefore you have no fellowship in this businesse your Sacraments are the wofullest markes of wrath which ye can carrie about you Law fashion custome feare formalitie are your grounds of receiving Christ ye come not for and your hearts tell ye he belongs to no such Therefore ye are as yet in the gall of
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
used by the Apostle The difficulty of this triall 1 To discerne hypocrisie from soundnesse is not a word which aimes at some defect in the measure of our grace onely as the triall of light gold may be dispatch'd by weights which any man may use but it especially signifieth triall of substance and soundnesse of mettals such as onely the Goldsmiths skill can finde out the Touchstone and the Fornace onely can trie gold or separate the silver from the drosse Even so it s not a common skill nor easie worke to discover the soundnesse or falsehood of the heart in matter of grace There is nothing more hard than this discovery 2 Cor. 11 14.15 Satan and Hypocrites can transforme themselves into Angels of light and make men to think them so And the hollownesse and depth of the heart and the selfe-love of it in easily beleeving our selves to be that wee would be and yet are loth to be is unspeakeable Nothing more easie than to pray for such things as indeed wee would not have if God would give because then our hearts and courses must be changed and yet wee thinke wee pray aright Nothing more easie than to looke upon our selves in our outside of duties and performances and reflect an opinion thereby that wee are true worshippers No grace but a false heart will counterfeit and the depth of the heart is such that there is no shew of meekenesse innocencie tendernesse of spirit thankefulnesse love of Gods people but a bad person may accommodate himselfe unto and act a part therein The soundnesse of the heart is very hard to discerne 2 To discerne soundnesse where it is Secondly although there be soundnesse in the heart yet it is not alway discernable As it is not easie to finde a Pearle in the dunghill nor a needle lost in rushes so its hard to finde out a little truth of heart and faith when they are so covered and mixed with abundance of drosse Besides it is no easie thing although a man finde them yet to walke constantly with God in the practise thereof 3 To discerne our not improving of grace Either in our privacie 2 Iohn 8. It s with us as with the foole who not knowing the worth of gold stoppes here a peece in an hole there another in the thatch and forgets it So doe wee slight tha grace which should rule us in each part of life lose the good things which have cost us labour to come by It s hard to improove the things wee have heard and learned and to bring them forth in due season they are to seeke with us patience when wee are provoked faith when wee see no likelihood of Gods hearing or answering our prayers and so of the rest as it is with tooles seldome used so there growes a rust upon the gifts of God in us for lacke of watchfull improovement Sloth and ease do fret into us as a kanker and creepe so insensibly upon us that they marre us ere wee be aware The Talents of God which wee have received become unprofitable in us The greatest part of the duties we do is not the least of them we omit in the use of meanes and Ordinances formality and commonnes unreverence unsavorines defiles us and the life of faith in crosses blessings duties is very poore and wanzing in us It were endlesse to speake of all Or in our outward course Now if it be so hard to trie our grace how much hard to trie our whole course in which the wearisomnesse of our hearts doth tire us so that the errors thereof in so manifold parts cannot be reckoned as the sinnes of our single estate or married state our callings dealings in the world lawfull liberties company solitarinesse with other innumerable occasions wherein as it is hard to survey our selves distinctly so it s as hard to watch to our rule unweariedly Much more is it hard to trie our corruptions To conclude if the triall of our grace be such what is the triall of our corruption Who can perceive the danger whereto the best lie open by the unspeakable sweetnesse of their personall and beloved sinnes How secretly doth Satan and lust creepe in as sleepe to one warme in his bed even to an honest heart ere it be aware By what fine slights is it at first entertained either because it is but one or small or soone shaken off And having once entred how doth it defile the conscience When once the tendernesse and sensiblenesse of the soule which is the Sentinell is gone how soone doth sinne grow upon it and increase That whereas at first it seemed a great thing to attempt now it seemes little to goe through with it and that which seemed little now becomes as nothing till at length it foulds up the heart in selfe-love and carelessenesse and growne to a custome and falling sicknesse that it is a great difficultie for a man to picke out an end in this confusion of estate or to know where to beginne or where to end So then if triall bee so hard a taske how due and conscionable ought the practise of it to bee seeing the Lord hath set the Sacrament to bee the awer and holder in compasse of our course Reason 2 Secondly except wee trie our selves before wee come the Lord who searcheth and trieth the reins will search and trie us to our cost and little to our likeing Hee will revenge our profaning of his Seale with sealing up our soules and giving us over to those evils in which we presumed to come so that they shall become our scourges penalties to harden and defile us draw impenitencie over our spirits that although we would we shall not repent Perhaps if we may escape present judgement upon our persons Rom. 2.3 to be smitten downe suddenly with a thunder-bolt or to be plagued in our bodies and children with sicknesse or death as those Corinthians wee are content the Lord should deale with us otherwise as hee pleaseth 1 Cor. 11.29 But oh wretches To be accursed with barrennesse for ever with an insensible dedolent heart with a dead benummed spirit to be stript of those gifts wee seem'd to have to be sent more emptie away from God than wee came to be pull'd out with that guest that wanted his wedding garment and cast into utter darkenesse Mat. 22.11 these are curses tenne times greater than the former Thou eatest and drinkest thy owne condemnation as Iudas did the handsell whereof was this that upon the eating of the soppe Ioh. 13.27 Satan entred into him and fill'd his heart ripened his treachery and seal'd him up to a desperate resolution that he would finish it though hee went to hell for it They that judge not themselves make worke for the Lord to judge them finally 1 Cor. 11 30. and although it appeare not to men yet the wrath of God abides upon them and shall in time smoake out as
absence Did the absence of that thou wouldst have make thee so restlesse after further measure that yet thou didst quietly submit to be the whilest as God would have thee To be very glad and boast of thy nothing that the glory of grace and the name God might bee magnified That God might have his ends in meere grace to such a base emptie one than thou thy owne ends in being filled to the brimme This is a speciall good signe Fiftly didst thou continue striving thus till the Lord drowned thy selfe and thy Distempers both on right hand and left in the truth of the promise And dost thou labour thus to hold it according to it as the truth is in Iesus Without hookes or crookes resisting the dayly recourse of slavishnesse ease selfelove puâ—ling up worldlinesse Eph. 4.22 or any lust which might defile the sweetnesse of Christ and waken thy faith in him Are these markes in thee true and soundly wrought Then are they good though weake Thirdly art thou called Try it by the perfecting and fulfilling grace of God Canst thou then say That the worke of saith is finisht in thee with Power and perswasion Canst thou say if thou have beene deceived in beleeving God hath deceived thee If thou perish by beleeving thou art content Canst thou buy and sell upon Gods Word And doth the Spirit of the Promise deliver thee into it Dost thou finde that sealing of heart thereby which fills thee with peace and joy through beleeving Then is thy sparke growne to a flame and the Lord hath brought forth thy judgement to victory Lesse measure than this may yet be a true signe but this is a fuller signe Secondly is the love of God in thy soule as coales in thy bosome 2 Cor. 5 14. Doth it constraine and hemme in thy heart to love him againe To thinke no duties too hard no measure too much Doth it worke life in graces in Meanes using and workes of piety and charity to God and man Or is it a love comming from a dead faith Iâ—â—â— 2 20. which will suffer thee to bee proud and selfe-loving unmercifull carelesse barren in fruits worldly coveteous Thy faith is vaine and thy love rotten But canst thou say The love of God is a fire in thy bones to purge thy drosse to kindle thy heart to all love thankes uprightnesse humblenesse innocencie and fruitfulnesse It s a good signe Thirdly hath God declared his righteousnesse unto thee from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 both of kind and measure Trie it then For the former thus God hath given all his a double Portion standing in a coppy hold and a free hold the one by grace imputed which the soule takes up by the Court Roll of the Promise holding upon another The other by a grace inherent which it takes by the livery and seasin of the sanctifying Spirit Try then Canst thou say thy faith hath both a hand to take the one and the other To take both righteousnesse from faith of justification to faith of sanctification Darest thou not sever those things which God hath joyned It s a good signe of a faith pretious for kinde if by the same faith thou canst receive both kinds of righteousnesse though by a severall conveiance Fourthly try the measures of it If God Righteousnesse be from faith lo faith it proceedes from one step and degree to another gettes to it selfe more Promises more evidences yea stronger and greater Canst thou say it is so with thee dost thou grow from faith of salvation to faith of government Is thy cheefe religion thy living by faith Is thy faith thy bottome for law obedience and not thy Morality the bottome of thy faith Is Christ reveald to thee from faith in his Priesthood to faith in his Prophecy and Kingdome to guide thee and rule thee Doth the peace of thy King so awe thee that rather than thou woldst forgoe it thou wouldst for go all And doth the Law of the same Spirit of Christ which hath freed thee from hell act all thy whole man the powers and members of it so that in some measure not thou livest but the LORD Iesus in thee to doe all thy workes for thee It s a sweet signe Fiftly Try thy selfe in the Bent and streame of thy Spirit Though thy errors and defects are many yet if still thy spirit bee upright thy Course taking it generally is sound thy frailties are covered the Lord lookes not upon thee and thy sinnes but upon his grace in thee Feare not it s a good signe And thus might I be large But I content my selfe with a draught in steed of many Now because this first tryall of calling Triall 3. Fruites of calling and of a good estate toward God is more large and full than some weake ones can reach At least they may be dismaid by the weightinesse thereof Besides these I will yet adde a second sort of markes that is some severall fruits of grace as the soule may discover them more easily in it selfe to flow evidently from faith of Gods elect of this sort are these following in which I observe no method but name them as they offer themselves let every man take notice of himselfe by his owne earmarke Mark 1 First if wee abuze no truth of God to wantonnesse and security it s a signe wee bee those children for whom Gods Bread is prepared For example these are holy Truths of God and blessed encouragments The Righteous fall 7 times a day The Lord sees no iniquity in Iacob Pro. 24.16 Numb Whom God pardons one sinne to hee will pardon all No beleever can fall totally from God GOD loves his when hee afflicts them for their sinne In many things wee sin all No man heere can bee perfect but our perfection is the sight of Imperfection GOD compts our endeauours and wills for performances Faith is not the excellencie of apprehending and feeling the good of the object but our cleaving to a word All things even sinne turnes to the good of Gods elect None come to Christ save such as are drawne by God Our comfort stands not in our repenting but beleeving especially and the like Now the triall is If these bee snares to us causing vs to fall to sloth and soosnesse it s a signe we are dogs but if they worke kindly to provoke us to jealozy and more awe it s a signe of children For example the sins of Gods people God turnes to their good Rom. 8.28 and hee loves them when yet hee afflicts them for sin Oh then how much more gracious will hee bee to such as walk with him Those that truely beleeve are elected Oh! how then wil my soule strive for Faith that I may proove my election Not be desperate because if I be elect I shal beleeve In a word when such Truthes are used for encouragment to the tender not occasions to presume it s a good signe Mark 2 Secondly if wee find the
these is wrought in thee as yet no condition of them no knowledge no feare of the worst no degree of desire endeavour If Gods deare ones who have tasted his grace yet finde themselves so unfit to receive when they have fasted prayed worshipped and walked with God all the weeke long where shalt thou appeare who never wert so in covenant at all Renounce all thy false errors and counterfeit signes colour not with God who will not be mocked pretend not thy good meanings civility keeping of Church paying of debt being in charity giving of almes shedding of teares these amount not to the markes of a calling but say rather Oh Lord by all signes I see I want the faith of the covenant of God and have run into a premunire with justice all my life long and each Sacrament hath seal'd up my judgement God hath long suffered me I dare heape up wrath no longer I will a while cut off my selfe from the communion that the whilst I may get the faith of the covenant Do so and prosper Num. 12.14 Remember Miriam and how she was served when she abused Moses and would have yet abode in the Congregation the Lord forbad her saying If her father had spit in her face should shee not separate her selfe seaven dayes So doe thou and make use of thy separation to humble thy soule And yet doe not abuse the Lords cutting thee off for a time to lowre and quarrell with him saying This tryall hath hurt mee I had beene quiet and well if I had beene let alone and gone to the Sacrament but this searching hath snared me and now I am further off No this is nothing but Sathans delusion who would for ever pull thee from the Sacrament whereas the Lord would hold thee off onely for a time and shut thee up as a Leper for seven dayes â—eriâ— 1â— till the Lord Iesus the high Priest have beheld thee and clensed thee by beleeving This sicknesse is not to death but life endure affliction in thy spirit a while pray God to blesse this triall unto thee Repent with Miriam and thou shalt returne with Miriam and blesse God with Onesimus that thou departedst for a time that thou mightst returne for ever So much for the first sort Vse 2 Secondly this is exhortation to Gods owne people that even they also looke to this worke of trying their estate Exhortation to Gods people Perhaps such will say they have tryed it often and hold it by faith daily and therefore its needelesse so to doe But I answer yet honour this ordinance and renue your comfort by reviving the memory and presence of it The oftner you doe it the easier is the worke and the gaine Yee will object Christ Iesus is the same Heb. 13.8 yesterday to day and for ever True but your unbeleefe is great your inconstancy admits infinite feares wastings doubts and distempers Revive therefore the sence of former mercy and apply it each Sacrament a new Bee not weary of getting daily more sweetnesse in the promise and proove your calling and election more sure to your selves as it is sure in God â— Pet. 1 10. Pray for more insight savour and tast of this worke and injoy the comfort thereof at the Sacrament The lesse rust yee have gathered the lesse filing of your soule may serve Take either the three points of calling before said which are the surest or sometime revive the other markes and fruits of conversion Doe not divide them but try thy selfe by them all together if thou can if not then chuse out some few concluding markes and apply them to thy selfe if it be hard seeke to God to teach thee to search them in thy selfe mourne for any decay of them and humble thy heart for it and give not the Lord over till both thou know that thou hadst them and in measure they appeare to thy selfe presently Recover thy losse Heb. 12.7 quicken that hath wanzed strengthen the feeble knees or hands and so doing blesse God that by the occasion of the Sacrament thou hast seene those graces to abide in thee which thou thoughst thou wantedst For the Lords wayes tend not to destroy but to edify and not to turne thee off from the Sacrament with feare but to send thee thither with stronger consolation and hope So that thou shalt have small cause to repent thee for obeying God For loe in this thy strength thou maist goe to the feast of the hills Esay 25. to the Lords fat things and fined wines the which if the Master of the feast bid thee to neyther have any other nor thy selfe authority to forbid thee Object But heere some will object Put case many a poore soule do stagger and alledge if these be markes of a receiver I am none for I cannot proove my calling by any of these markes But rather call into question both my calling and the fruits both faith and holinesse for alas I feele not my selfe to live by the one and I sinne often against both the law and grace I am held under with lusts and corruptions I answer Answ For grosser breaches of duty the Lord taskes thee to serious humbling and repenting but not giving over thy confidence As for ignorance or infirmities unavoydable they shall not hurt thee If thou can say I have beleeved formerly I tell thee the seede of God in thee is immortall As appeares by thy longing after the Sacrament If then thou suspect the worst by thy selfe for thy omissions declining to ease to world to other evills if thou desire to know the worst by thy selfe to vomit up thy morsells and to recover thy hold upon the promise if the fruite of the Sacrament be so precious to thee that so thou mightst finde thy selfe an invited guest thou wouldst not bee kept from the Table of the Lord for the world then I say There is fire under the ashes rake them off that it may appeare and burne out Claspe about these markes though but but in poore measure and when measure failes cleave to thy uprightnesse and let not Sathan or selfe bereave thy heart of courage and hope to get by the Sacrament but know these must not beate thee from it Objection 2 Yea will some say But when all is sayed that can bee If I want faith it selfe the cheef grace that serves to cover all my unworthinesse I cannot come Now I feare I have it not For why faith overpowres and prevailes in a true beleever above doubting and carries the soule above all feares to the assurance and feeling of mercie and fills the heart with comfort and joy these I want therefore I have no faith Answ I answer Try thy selfe by that I have spoken about faith before and let that stay thy spirit Farr bee it from us to affirme fayth so to consist in the full sayles of perswasion and in the flaming out of comforts that where this measure is lacking the soule is to
God see what wandrings deadnesse in our communion what coldnesse and uncheerfulnesse in our callings what commonnes and earthinesse in our companies what unprofitablenesse there is And it will be hard but if we fetch from every part we shall make our wants an heape 2. Iudging our selves Secondly after inquisition of our wants wee should judge our selves for our wants count them our eyesores and matter of deepe offence and sorrow to us Oh! that there should bee such a falling sickenesse in mee of anger and techinesse to blemish my grace As Bethsheba takes up Salomon with indignation so should we our soules What O the sonne of my wombe and of my desires should Kings drinke wine c So say thou What oh my poore soule shalt thou who fearest God bee so waspish so conceited so cold so loose in duty so carnall so wandring Oh! Should so many vowes prayers experiences and reproaches by my infirmities prevaile so little Oh! me thinkes if I had strengh to hold my heart close to God one day together with delight and savor how joyfull should I be at night how many sad cheekes meete I in the day for my unsavory barren wandring and wearinesse of good thoughts and affections How lye I open as a through-fare to Satan in base thoughts and desires till I am snared What many opportunities have I of doing and taking good when I meete with better and holier ones then my selfe such as stand with their moulders ready to catch any good speech And for lacke of wisedome love and grace I vanish and am as saplesse as the white of an egge without salt Oh! How uncomely a thing is this and how it disguizeth me Oh Lord thou art privy how wearisome I am to my selfe by meanes hereof As ground of an ill temper mends not with cost but upbraides the owner with barrennesse so doth my heart cast in my teeth all Gods cost I am as one in chaines by my wants as if I of all others were forestalled from grace and welfare others I see with my eyes daily out-grow their ignorance their weake gifts in prayer and conference their impatience under crosses Oh! how wise they grow how skilfull how wary how fit to be examples to others how above the world so that it scarse appeares that ever they were of such weaknesses before Oh! doubtlesse they have got the start of me for I fare as one once behind and ever behind once techie foolish and ever so How shall Gods grace ever get honour by my thrift and forwardnesse Could I attaine to fill up my wants and breaches with the graces of such and such Christians how might I beseeme my calling and place Thus should our wants be as pricks in our eyes as thornes on our seate to cause us to sit uneasily wheresoever we become This indignation at our wants upon our continuall eying and observing them would purge us of selfe-love and conceite of our owne worth and forwardnesse and provoke us to an earnest seeking out for supply by any meanes whatsoever And that is the third and last rule That we have these our wants ready summed up and at hand when the Lord is making toward us with his Sacrament 3. In a present view of them at the Sacrament If Naaman presently upon conversion had his hand upon his owne sore 2 King 5.20 viz. his likelinesse to correspond with idolatry which yet he loathed how should we have our wants alway before us How should wee pray Herein the Lord be mercyfull to me not when I go to Rimmon but when I go to his Temple and Sacrament Iohn 1.17 where the Lord Iesus his fulnesse of grace for grace and according to all his members wants is present that as I feele my wants of grace to gag me my unfitnesse for marriage for family duties my abusing of liberties c. So the Lord Iesus would there meete mee with his speciall supplies Oh! if it were thus how should our hearts be on wing at the Sacrament and how should the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all both shame us for our unsutablenesse to such an head ravish us with his grace and provision and transforme us from wanting to abounding through faith in his premise Herein LORD be mercifull to mee in that I loath pride but it will not away Thou bidst mee shine to others in Holy Conuersation but for lack of purenesse I reflect my beames upon my selfe Thou bidst mee converse in heaven and loe my base affections are so glued to my gaine and my thoughts to the earth that I seeme to bee as a bird whose wings are broken What shall I doe then Shall I cease to shine Shall I cease to bee heavenly bycause of my wants No LORD but heerein bee gracious that I may shine with humility and be above the world Thou hast promised that thou our God shal supply al our wants and doe for us above al we can thinke or aske Lord thy Sacrament is thy seale Seales include al Promises or covenants I see thee not with mine ey but in thy promises Lord seale them up to my weak faith in this supply of my wāt above al other Lord shalt thou binde mee to thee for ever Let others that want knowledge finde a supply of it but I want lowlinesse thankfulnesse ruling of my toung and Passions oh let mee have my supply each member her owne fulfilling for every soule best knowes her owne sorrow and a stranger shal not enter into her joye Thus come to the Sacrament in the trial of wants and there wayt and give not the Lord over til he have answered thee or given thee some handfel of supply til more come and so shal this Direction make thee blesse God for the fruit of this Sacrament More I might have added but I consider I shal meet with a fuller ground of enlarging my selfe when I come to the 5. Sacramentall Grace of desire To which I refer the careful Reader because the grounds of this and that Chapter doe wel helpe to the understanding and practice of ech other And thus much of the trial of our wants CHAP. IIII. Of Sacramentall Graces and first of Knowledg meet for the Sacrament The 3. triall of Graces THe third thing requisite to be tryed by euery communicant ere he come to the Table of the Lord is Whether he have al those Sacramental Graces of the Spirit meet for him that is invited to the Supper or no. Which Graces are these Five First Knowledge 2. Fayth 3. Repentance 4. Love 5. Desire or hunger after the Sacrament Which I mention first that the Reader may understand those Questions which follow about them in generall Which when I have cleered I shal come to the first Grace of Knowledg and these 2. shal confine this Chapter Some Q Q cleered The 1. Why graces tried The 1. Quest Why must our Graces be also tryed Answ Answ Bycause its the surest way
that which he hath built and undoe his owne worke Psal 119.94 As David saith I am thine Lord save me I meane not that beleeving one promise should save us a labour in beleeving the rest But become a good pledge of performing the rest 2 Cor. 1.20 As all the promises of God in Christ are yea and Amen so all speciall ones are yea and Amen in the generall He that hath given his Sonne Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him give us all things Vse of the second ground The use of which briefely is to instruct and convince us of that horrible treason to Gods Alsufficient promise which every one is guilty of who will not cleave to God in his first and maine promise of mercy and redemption Alas what man is there who oft descries not to find God good to him in the Sacrament there to fill him with good things seale vp his pardon purge out his corruption and the like But because hee seekes not to know God in his Covenant how should his Seale doe him good What is a Seale save a relation to a former bargaine If thou never strakest hand with God for his Christ thy righteousnesse how camest thou in for his wisedome sanctification and redemption They belong not unto thee either thou must have all Christ to set thee out of feare or thou hast never a whit of his benefits And to apply this to the present point how shouldst thou come to God by speciall faith in the Sacrament when thou wantest him in the chiefe faith of the first promise Oh! then cuttest off thy selfe thou knowest not from what liberties and mercies when as thou art carelesse to be made sure of the maine Thou shouldst dispute thus The time will come when I shall crouch to God for strength to beare the Crosse to be afflicted in all my afflictions to die willingly c. But then why doe not I the whilest make sure in the maine with the Lord that he might finish his owne worke and save me because I am his Doubtlesse if I dally with this or goe upon false grounds deceiving my selfe the Lord will be guiltlesse in not regarding mee because the time was when hee cried out to my soule Beleeve robbe mee not of my glory distrust mee not in my offer But because thou wert deafe to my cry Prov. 1.24 so its just that I stoppe mine eares at thine goe therefore and seeke releefe of thy idols of ease selfe-love and the world which thou preferredst before mee It is with thee as it was with Israel Iudges Chapter 1. verse 21. Iudg. 1.21 The Lord had given them one promise for all to drive out the Cannanites now because they beleeved not the maine therefore here one Cananitish city there another prevailed and became goades and prickes to them And so hence it is that neither promise of Sacrament or of other Ordinances doe prevaile to purge out their lusts but they remaine as thornes unto them because they never tooke paines to joyne issue with God in the truth of his Covenant to pardon them and make them his beloved Thus much for the second ground teaching that the triall of ones speciall faith rests in the triall of the maine The third ground issues from this second Ground 3. viz. That the triall of our first beleeving may and must make the other easie and familiar It s our great sinne if it bee otherwise For why The Lord gives us assurance of the one in the other yea teaches us to argue from one to another without wavering so far as our weakenesse will permit Excellent is that of Paul Rom. 5.10 Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled by his death how much more being friends shall wee be saved by his life Marke his manner of speech How much more If God made that easie to us which seem'd impossible how much more easie is that which is under a direct promise if God had cast us quite off being enemies we had the mends In out owne hands and could not complaine But having his word to make good our owne desires wee have the Lord tied to us and at a kinde of advantage be it spoken with reverence so that wee cannot be defeated Great is the oddes betweene being an enemy formerly and being now reconciled He that will release a stranger from prison and pay an hundred pound for him will in reason lend a friend twentie shillings Such an argument is this heere Vse of the third ground The use of the point is first to condemne the practise of all such as having found the Lord above their expectation in the promise of reconciliation 1. Conviction yet dare not trust him for some shreds in comparison of blessings of lesser nature as to overcome their passions revenge worldlinesse c. Oh! Thou art like Ahaz and his subjects Esay 7.12 who would not tempt God in asking a signe when as yet they beleeved not without it The Prophet tels them Verse 13. Is it not enough that yee weary men but ye must weary my God also Thou tyrest the Lord when he seeth that none of his wayes will prevaile against thy infidelity But still thou art ever out and in with him as Ioabs sword that could not hold in his scabbard and putst him to crie out Oh! Ephraim Hos 6.4 oh Iudah What shall I doe or how shall I intreate thee Is the worke of faith as farre off now as when thou first beleevedst Oh! weake if not froward wretch how long shall I suffer thee As they in the wildernesse whom no miracles no providence could perswade but were as farre to seeke at the end of fortie yeares as the first day Oh! the Lord loves when his Schollers are apt to learne especially this lesson of faith by many warnings and when our experience teacheth us to buy and sell upon his word 1 King 20.23 But to seeme to trust God with the foiling the enemies of the hils and yet to distrust him with those in the vallies to pretend that they doubt him not for heaven but distrust him for earthly blessings surely it either justly calls thy first beleeving into suspicion or else argues a carelesse heart not able to improve thy Talent of reconciliation to warrant thy faith for a poore supply of this life Vse 2 Secondly it should very much presse upon those in speciall who are to receive the Supper in which the Lord offers the encrease of first graces received in Baptisme to trie their Sacramentall faith with all readinesse of minde Is it easier to doe by many degrees than to beleeve the promise of mercy at first And doth the Lord with farre greater ease as I may say beteame to the soule growing in faith than breeding of it Why then doe they who beleeve come to this triall with so much adoe and bury the Talent of God unthankefully in the earth As those
object of faith The second object which is the promise which containeth 2. things either the good things offred in the promise or the hearty meaning and purpose of him that freely markes the promise The good thing offred in the promise pardon peace a purged conscience life of grace support in grace the earnest penny of the Spirit and the like serve to draw the affections which carry the soule unto God and to dash out of countenance all false objects of gaine ease pleasure lusts to draw the soule to God in desire esteeme of mercy and in hungring mourning and endeavouring after Christ Secondly the manner of offring these good things being free full faithfull entire and simple exceeding desirous the soule should embrace them Rom. 5. ut supr sorry it should reject them urging it to beleeve serves to put it out of question that the Lord meanes as hee speakes else needed he not to have prevented us at all but seeing even when we were enemies neither deserving nor desiring any favour yet the Lord out of the meere graciousnesse of his heart would needs bestow it upon us Triall by this therefore he would have us conclude he will not repent him of his freedome if wee come in to lay claime and plead this promise Try thy faith then by the promise thus first whence came those dispositions of heart in thee I meane those teares of thine those desires prayers fastings and diligent searching after grace Came they from selfe-love or from an heart of basenesse bringing thy money and cost to God to buy mercy If so thou hast little to boast of but if the good things of the promise wrought them in thee if thou can say that faith and the preparations to faith proceeded from the promise The good things offered therein drew thee to God as with cords If thou canst say that thy good affections could never purchase faith rather that promise which bred faith bred also those affections in thy soule because thou sawest God willing to save thee and pardon thee therefore thou mournest after him prayest unto him Ionas 3.9 and as Nineve couldst not give him over the rising of the Sunne caused this dawning of heart in thee and these making towards grace it is a good signe Secondly try thy selfe thus If the freedome fulnesse and strength of the promiser have truly wrought upon thee then thy base conceits of the Majesty of God are vanish'd I meane thy enmity and hatefull spirit is gone And whereas thou once couldst not thinke a good thought of him but all thy thoughts framed him rather to be angry envious cruell unbeteaming now thou stoppest and as one better setled beginst to say oh my poore soule who couldst never get out of thy slavery and slightnesse thinke of the promise a little better What wilt thou say if by all this offering urging expostulating charging to be reconciled upon paine of hell the Lord meanes thee well Perhaps he may If while he seekes to save thee thou devize how to get out from him will it not be bitter at last Thus weake hope breakes the ice and sets the soule forward Then the Spirit of grace createth in thee both thoughts and affections of such strange goodnesse bounty long-suffering free grace and compassion that thy heart breakes into wondring at him and saying Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult 1 Sam. 24 19. forgiving and passing by the sinnes of his people Who could finde his enemie at the vantage and not destroy him Therefore my soule is even carried into the streame of his grace and perswaded to beleeve I see the good will and meaning of his heart shining in his promise and whereas it was wont to be a barren sound and emptie noise for me to heare a promise now I see it as a vessell standing full and running over yea a streame to carry me in with holy confidence saying If the strength of Israel can lie if free grace if faithfulnesse it selfe can shrinke backe and deny it selfe I am content to perish Thirdly trie it thus If a promise have beene thy Object then thou confessest that the power it selfe to beleeve is in a promise as well as the motives to beleeve The promise is the instrument of the Spirit to perswade And as when the Lord made a promise to the Iewes that if they did come to the Temple to worship hee would keepe their dwellings and goods safe the whil'st Lo this promise had in it such a power as held off all Robbers and enemies from attempting any pillage they durst not they could not so much more in the promise to a loaden heart there is alway the strength of God to effect that which he promiseth and such a soule neede not stand out strangerlike and say here is a sweet promise if I could beleeve But here is a promise strong and able to cause mee to beleeve it If in any measure these trialls be in thee they are all good signes Triall 3. By the roote of it Thirdly trie thy faith by the roote of it which root is selfe-deniall All other graces seeme to have some inherencie and being of their own in the soule onely faith is rooted in the overthrow of a mans selfe This selfe is nothing else save the spirit of old Adam resisting the Spirit of grace and as we see in defenced cities some of their Bulwarkes are out-workes and retrenchments others are maine sorts neere the walls wherein their chiefe strength consisteth So here selfe hath her out-workes selfe-wealth selfe-ease credit and esteeme learning parts experience These are more easily cast downe because Christ and they are of two severall kindes Others are forts of greater consequence in which the heart more trusts as carnall reason and the wisedome of the flesh which Paul in 2 Cor. 10.5 2 Cor. 10.5 calls high thoughts and strong imaginations of flesh setting themselves up against the obedience of faith so also Religious duties and performances whether will-worships of Papists or duties required as Iewish righteousnesse by the Law and all the devotions of carnall Protestants To these I may adde the secret counterminings of the heart mixing it selfe with the preparation to faith and so destroying the worke of God as selfe-mournings desires and use of meanes Now of all these the Scripture tels us That if any will beleeve hee must denie himselfe and be content to be stript of those or else grace will not dwell in him Trust not in thy owne wisedome but trust in the Lord Prov. 3.5 Prov. 3 5. So Paul That I may be found not having my owne righteousnesse of the Law Phil. 3.9 but of faith See how Paul opposes them All the frame of Creation Redemption yea of the whole Word of God prooves it Esay 42 6. God will not give his glory to another He that boasteth must boast of the Lord. Two suites of apparrell may as well agree with
and convince thee how unworthy a vessell thou art to have it powred into thee 2 Cor. 12. â— and he had neede buffet thee and bring thee low before he dare trust thee with it and seeing all this is not from hatred but in love set thine heart at rest make no haste nor limit the Lord but patiently waite and be well doing and in time the Lord shall breake the pride of thine heart and let in his promise by faith sweetly into thee so that thou shalt not repent thee that thou wert for a time deferred that thou mightest be after rewarded with more comfort and learne to boast of the Lord. Thirdly and lastly The 3 Act in case of satisfaction If thou finde that the Lord hath sweetly satisfied thee with that fruite of the Sacrament which thou wentest for to his feast of the Lord Iesus so that now thou art as one set at liberty cheerefull in heart meete for thy calling and purposely bent to obey Then thou art to apply thy selfe a third way And thou art to doe somewhat for the present and somewhat for time to come For the present What to doe â— 1. For present to renue againe thy thankefull heart to God who at last hath heard thy desire and quitt thee of thine adversary which alway upbrayded thee with thy unfruitfull Sacraments and now with poore Hanna to receive this comfort as one that means no more to look with a sad heart but to honour the Lord in the strength of his own gracious faithfulnes and to knit thine heart to him by the band of so undeserved mercy Secondly for the present also thou must ground thy selfe in experience of Gods love that it may bee a pledge in thy bosome of like yea if thy sinne let not of greater mercy 2. For time to come that thou mayst not bee to seeke of it For the time to come thou art to practise two things 1. To use some meanes 2. To exercise some Graces For the first 1. Exercise some meanes thou art to set thy selfe on worke to pray and seeke the Lord to nourish this fruite of the Sacrament in thee and by all meanes to blow it up as with bellowes yea to hatch this mercy in thee that it perish not As Paul bids Timothy to preserve that Trust commited unto him 1 Tim. 4.14 by the laying on of hands And so shouldest thou take heede least thou loose 3 Iohn verse 8. the good things thou hast laboured for till thou get a full reward 2. Some Graces Likewise there are two graces of the Spirit which all such have cause to practise The first is feare The second is care By feare I meane as Heb. 2.1 Taking heede least these good things leake out through the secret chinkes and crackes of our false hearts 1. Feare Iealosie of loosing grace is like the tender eye-lidde which keepes any offence from the eye And watcheth narrowly to all occasions against all temptations of the world and Satan whereby this pearle might bee endangered and imbezzeld The mother whose the living childe was would not give any way to the cutting it in sunder But the false mother would 1 King 2 28. and by that Salomon bewrayed her So is it heere An hypocrite who wants this Treasure as the proverbe saith will sing before the theefe having nothing to loose although he goe in the midst of a thousand dangers hee is not troubled But the traveller who carries a round charge about him or behind him cannot bee so merry He comes not to a place of robbing or hazard but hee will bee sure to have his company heere him and to have his hand upon his hilts Oh! he is sensible of his money So is a true Christian The grace which hee receives from Gods hand brings with it a jealous heart least by some meanes or other hee forgoe it Psal 128. Blessed is he who thus feareth alway and standeth upon his watch 2. Care Secondly care That is hee is very studious and painefull to improove that Talent which hee hath received from the bounty of the Sacrament Math. 25 16 17 If he finde that faith and her fruits he planted truely he playes the occupier of these Talents We know a bare man having gotten a stocke together and borrowing upon use dayly had neede to looke to himselfe as knowing all his hope is in his credite that hee can hold quarter and keepe dayes of payment So ought it to be with a Christian he goes every Sacrament deeper and deeper into Gods bookes That faith peace and grace which he meets with at the Sacrament is as a new borrowed summe of the Vsurer If he come not to the Sacrament for the better he knowes he comes for the worse 1 Cor. 11 17. Therefore all his care is how he may improove this treasure and be daily able by his occupying to keepe credit with God and to finde favour with him for new receits as his needes require The grace of the Sacrament is costly and requires good improovement And except a man walke in the exercise thereof more faithfully and fruitfully the Lord will withdraw his gifts and come upon his as a hard master who will exact the uttermost penny of encrease And wee know that commonly if the Vsurer fall sore upon a debter he breakes his backe To avoyd this misery learne this The more God betrusts thee with Matth. 25.27 the more care doe thou nourish in thy selfe that thou grow That so the Lord may receive his owne with encrease And by this meanes of reviving thy selfe after the Sacrament thou shalt finde the fruit of it to abide in thee constantly and to be a meane of thriving in a good course Which grace the Lord grant And for this third duty after the Sacrament and so of the whole doctrine of the preparation and this second Treatise thus much be sayd An Appendix added to this second Treatise consisting of two Chapters CHAP. XI Shewing some directions how a communicant may finde his preparation to the Supper sweet and familiar How to make our preparation sweete IT is the will of God that all his people doe finde his yoake easie and his burden light both in those duties which ought ever at each instant to be done as to beleeve repent to live wel and to be ready to dye as also those which are for ever due but not at every instant to do But at such seasons as are meete appointed for them as to preach heare pray receive the Sacraments To insist in the Supper onely in this place Gods will is it should be so The Loâ—d loves not that it should be a toyle to his people eyther to try themselves before or to communicate at the Table or to survey their worke after Yet impossible it is but so it must be and will bee to such as please themselves in nothing save in their ease and
them up shufflingly in the bagge of their devotion being unable to give a reason why themselves were baptized when they were infants or why being elder they receive the Supper Vse 2 Secondly to confute the practise of all those who Popishly ascribe to the Supper the conferring of Grace of all sorts and when they receive they thinke that although they never reaped the fruit of their baptisme before neither had faith yet one Sacrament may supply all wants which is to destroy the distinct end of each Sacrament and to plucke up good Land-markes confounding the agreement and disagreement of both for as all Christ is in both so yet for two severall purposes A Divines life we know is to study and Preach he doth both these wholly himselfe wholly is required to doe either howbeit the things he doth are divided acts he preacheth not while he is in his Study nor studieth while hee is Preaching Let us abhorre such profanesse and know all Christ is in both the Sacraments yet orderly and so that who so hath not enjoyed him in the first to beleeve cannot enjoy him in the second to grow Vse 3 Thirdly to teach us how to apply the benefit of these two Sacraments according to our speciall temptations The former thus If Satan tempt us concerning the truth of our Conversion to God telling us wee are in the state of enemies cut off from God aliants and excommunicates from him and Christ whither shall wee recourse To the Supper and our oft receiving No in no wise for Satan can speake Divinitie when hee list and tell us that the Supper is no Sacrament of Regeneration But in this case flie to thy calling and to the seale of it Baptisme if indeede thou canst proove thy calling by the worke of the Law and Gospell else thy seale is to a blanke and presse thy Adversary with the weapon of thy Baptisme sealing it up to thy conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. which shall quench the fierie dart of his temptation and scare him from thee better than all Popish Holy water Againe doth the Divell tempt thee to beleeve thou art an hypocrite because thou hast a dead heart thou growest not in Grace thou art sunke from thy first love fallen to the world pleasures vanities lusts of thy uncleanenesse waxen unprofitable and revolted from God What shall now helpe thee That thou art baptized No hold that close also that thou maist pleade the other rightly But in this case flie especially to the Supper and alledge thus I am sunke too farre into a formall course and the custome of the world but yet Lord to thee I appeale that in truth I have coveted thy Sacrament of Restorative and Nourishment I haue come with hunger to it for the repairing of my losses and decaies and departed in good hope and comfort of recovering life and vigor againe and therefore in despite of Satan I will hold to the end of this Sacrament which is to seale up comfort to the afflicted and strength to the weake and recovery to the decaied and raising to the fallen therefore from hence I will fetch it by vertue of the promise Vse 4 Lastly it teacheth us the excellency of the Sacraments because they have such a gift in them as to represent all Christ at once to the soule Christ wholy and in each part of his merit and efficacie It were an odde and strange Picture which could describe the same man living dying dead raised up and ascending to heaven and all in one person That which no Art of man can doe the Lord can doe by the Sacrament that is above all Images or Crucifixes and can tender to the soule in on view all these the Lord Iesus dead risen ascended the Grace imputed of reconciliation the Grace inherent of holinesse all the particular graces of the Spirit the promises of God made all Yea and Amen in Christ for this life and for a better for all conditions and times and occasions are offred at once in each Sacrament the one to give us right and title to Christ when we wanted him the other to rivet us more into him to enlarge us in faith and the fruits till wee shall neede no more Sacraments or Ordinances And therefore let us much esteeme and honour Sacraments as most divine comprehensions of all Christ and channels of his Fulnesse from whom as our Head We receive grace for grace Iohn 1.17 Iohn 1 17. And this for the second Chapter CHAP. III. Of the substance of a Sacrament in generall The Description of it propounded and examined Substance of it HAving spoken of the Circumstances the agreement and disagreement of Sacraments Next wee come to the substance and nature of a Sacrament Which will be understood the better by the description and particular handling the parts thereof Description of a Sacrament in generall A Sacrament then is an Ordinance of God wherein by some materialls duly appropriated and united and by some acts duly administred the Lord signes and seales up to the soules of the Elect the truth of his Covenant and receives a reciprocall seale from them of their covenant with himselfe For the clearing hereof I would have the Reader conceave that in this place I take the word Sacrament in the greatest latitude not onely for the substance of it in it selfe but also as it is administred and performed in a solemne manner betweene God and his Church So that hereby two things arise to be considered Two Generals First Substance Secondly Administration In the Substance foure things 1. The Substance of a Sacrament in all her constituting câ—uses 2. The due administration and performing thereof in the Ordinance Touching the first we are to consider these foure causes 1. The efficient and supreme cause of a Sacrament 2. The mâ—â—erials of it 3. The true formall cause 4. The finall Where first the generall end Sealing Secondly The branches two First Gods sealing of the truth of his Covenant to us Secondly returning backe againe our owne covenant sealed to him In the latter member also viz. The Administration wee consider the acts of Ministers and people and the spirituall dispensation of God in these externals attending thereon for the ends mentioned Of the first of these in the first place 1. The Author of the Sacraments all and each Old and New is one unchangeable Eternall and onely Wise and Gracious God And no wonder for first First the Author God Proofes of it In his bosome of eternity lay hidden that purpose of entring Covenant with man fallen from the grace of Creation Reason 1 It was free to him to relinquish him finally in that revolt of his in that he did not it was free mercy doubly greater than the love of Creation If the devise then of a gracious Covenant with man was onely in the power of the Creator who shall be supposed to be the Author of seales to this Covenant save the same
starting holes but set too our seale that he meanes no lesse than his words import for his Sonnes sake that he will be our God and forgive us Now there is weight in the promise alone sufficient to overpeize our infidelity But such is the basenesse of spirit in us being disabled by our fall that neither can our feeblenesse reach it or remember and represent it to us in due sort and much lesse our guilty slavish and treacherous hearts which muse as they use and thinke God like themselves to hate them whom they have hurt can beleeve it Heere the Lord not content with the bare offer and Covenant of grace in Christ rather than he would leave any who is not wilfully an enemy and hating reconciliation unconvinced of his unfeignednesse of meaning to doe as he speakes What the Sacraments doe assure condescends so low as to stoope to our weake forgetfull and base hearts and therefore comes as the author to the Hebrewes speakes cap. 6 17.18 Heb. 6 17 18f to joyne an oath to his Covenant That by two things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge upon pursuit of our conscience Satan or any enemies Now what is the oath of God in the Ghospell Surely no other save his seales that is his Sacraments which I take to bee no small cause why the Fathers devised the Name of a Sacrament that is an oath This oath or seale call it as you will must be that uttermost security which the Lord can or will reach us forth in his Gospell to take away our distrust and slavery That as among men in the greatest Controversies an oath is beyond all expectation able to decide the doubt so in this matter of Gods open and hearty meaning in his covenant if the soule question it he desires that his oath might put an end to our unbeleefe The Lord to speake with reverence taking a kinde of corporall oath in the Sacrament I take these Sacramentall Elements united to the Crucified flesh of my Sonne to witnesse that as surely as nothing can sever from the one a cleansing feeding cherishing quality to the bodyes of the creatures to whom my word hath so appointed them so nothing shall separate the quickning comforting and refreshing quality of my Sonnes satisfaction that is my love and grace from the soules of them whom I have ordained it unto I swere and vow my Sonne is theirs as truely as the bread they eate and the wine they drinke Let us then collect out of this that hath beene sayd a threefold end of Sacraments 1. To be Glasses 2. Memorialls 3. Pledges and that of best assurance if oath seale be sufficient of the true meaning of God to the Soule in bidding it be reconciled The last of these three is the cheefe Three ends of them yet there is use of the former two Of which seeing partly I have spoken and partly shall speake therefore heere the lesse Touching the first then that Sacraments are as Glasses to the Soule I spake before in that point of the matter of Sacraments 1. To bee sses noting that the Lord chuseth things of most ordinary familiarnesse to helpe the feeblenesse and carnality of our minds And in the like respect the Lord hath given them to this end that they might be looking glasses that as in them each part of the face may bee cleerely discerned so in this mirror of the Sacrament for that of Paul is as proper to the Sacrament as to the promise 2 Cor. 3. ult 2 Cor. 3. vlt. that with open face we behold the Lord we may fullyer discerne the very letters of the covenant which before seemed dim Spectacles we see are of use to cause a weake eye to see clearely by multiplying and inlarging the character or object And the perspective glasse will so extend the object a farre off that a man may perceive a two or three miles distant a little cottage under a darke wood side with all the proportion of it not a doore wall or window of it excepted Even so is it heere The Sacraments are glasses yea perspectives which discover to the dim eye of the soule all that fulnesse of Christ which the only promise could not yeâ— its as a picture at large shewing the soule all the dimensions of mercy of Christ his length depth height and breadth which is as Paul calls it the fulnesse of God That as the Prophet speakes of the writing which should be written in great letters that he that runnes might read it so heere 2. Memorialls Habak 2.2 For the 2. Memorialls of Christ I shall more fully handle afterward when I shew the duty of the Communicants behaviour in the act of receiving Heere this may be sufficient to signifie that as Monuments Marble Pillars with engraven characters serve to bring to the memory the lively impression of things fallen out or done time out of minde so the Sacraments serve to be memorials to our forgetfull mindes to make lively and fresh the memory and impression of the Lord Iesus crucified together with the power of his death and satisfaction So that no injury of time weakenesse of memory or craft of Sathan might ever be able to weare out the print of such a divine gift and favour as much worth as the salvation of mankind See at large in the place quoted 3. Pledges or seales But thirdly and chiefely I adde for pledges and seales of security to the soule doubtfull about the meaning of the COvenant The other two make way in the minde for this but this is the last and finall end of Sacraments in Gods ordination To adde a word or two to that I have said of it the Lord by his Seales seekes the uttermost securitie of the staggering soule in his true and faithfull meaning to save and sustaine it here during the kingdome of grace These Seales he appoints frequently to be offered and received that as the weake soule finds her selfe to stand in need so shee drinking at these brookes might lift up her head Illustration To make my meaning more plaine we see among men for sundry causes it is meet one secure the other of his faithfulnesse If men be suspected for restoring what they borrow wee see they are faine to lay in a pledge with the lender to secure him of his owne When Abraham sent his servant upon a weightie errand far off Gen. 24.24 2 3 he caused his servant to put his hand under his thigh and bound him with oath to deale behind his backe as if he were in his presence So God doe and more if thou faile of ought which lies upon thy trust and fidelity Even so doth the Lord abase himself to us in Sacraments seemes to yeeld to our infidelity as if it were excusable and to make himselfe obnoxious to us who is free and bound to none hee is content to cleere
there is by vertue of which the generall equity and provision of the Land and the securitie of every men thou maiest buy and sell upon it that thine is thine owne Gods security best And is not there a greater and stronger spirit to secure thee in the matter of thy salvation offered in the Sacrament Is there not here the Spirit and seale of the Lord Iesus to secure thee Will not this Spirit deliver thee into as firme a Tenor and Possession of Christ thy pardon and life as the other of a peece of land Shall a clod of a field and the ringle of a doore the seazin and delivery of a house and land thereby leave thee better satisfied for the temporall right than the Spirit of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Iesus for thy spirituall Looke to thy selfe and beware Weakenesse of unbeleefe the Lord will pardon But if thou despise his mercifull releefs of this weakenesse and turne it to wilfulnesse beware least thy wilfull falling proove not a falling sicknesse and thy weakenesse become not such a disease in thee as the Lord will have no regard to cure thee of but leave thee to thy contempt to thine heart of infidelity that cannot beleeve Rather be exhorted to seeke the Lord in his gracious way of assurance bewaile thy impotencie and say Oh! Lord except thou adde thy Spirit to thy Seale as well as thy Seale to the Covenant my cursed spirit is as prone to breake all bands in sunder as any mans With thee Lord weake meanes of beleeving shall be strong without thee the strongest are weake how much more then canst thou made the strongest to become strong I deny my selfe I set my boate upon thy streame to be carried by thee Lord sanctifie thy Sacraments to become unto my soule the utmost assurances of thy Grace and carry me so into this assurance as that being rid of my feares I may ever blesse thee for the fruit of thy Sacraments Thus much for the first end Touching the second to adde a little to that I said formerly I call this â—n occasionall or subordinate end of the Sacrament Secondary end The secure God of our Covenant viz. That we might renew our Covenant with God Wonder not that the ends of the same Ordinance differ in weight for as in Sacramentall graces faith and love we say all are essential to a good receiver yet not equally necessary to the act of receiving so here both these ends are intended more or lesse although Gods sealing of Covenant to us be chiefe Briefely then the Lord expects that the soule being made partaker of his Christ in the feast of the hills as Esay 25. Esay 25 12. I meane with the fat things and refined wines of his Supper and feeling his love sealed to her there in reconciliation and renewed holinesse do occasion her selfe thereby even while the benefit is fresh to revive her love reassure the Lord of her fuller purpose of heart to cleave to him And how Surely in better living by faith better affections zeale fruitfulnesse courage better mortification of lusts and deniall of self better and closer watching of the heart Act. 11.23 and walking with him in uprightnes as our God alsufficient For why If there be mercy with him that he may be feared much more is there renewed mercy with him that he may be doubly and renewedly feared Psal 130.4 And how can we without hypocrisie long for the Sacrament ere it come upon pretence that our spirituall darke dead hearts will be revived and our appallings in grace cured and new strength added and yet having our turne served leave God to himself to go seek the fruit of our being satisfied with the pleasures apples and flagons of his House How doe many complaine between whiles of their damping coldnes and desertion what should then such do 1 Chron. 4 9 Iudg. 1 8. but with that holy Iabez or Othniel vow professe to the Lord that if he wil make the Sacrament a day of feasting joy send us from him welraised up then wil we be the Lords not suffer his oath Sacrament of sealing to passe away from us without a restipulation and reciprocation of double affection duty and thankes But returne him the strength of his cost in his owne service Vse 1 The use herof is first to taxe the most for their extreame base requitall of God for the grace they pretend to reape at and by the Sacrament Surely either they deceive them selves with a shaddow for substance or they faile God marvellously in this end of his Either they make no vowes at the Sacrament or breake them as fast Oh! the formalitie of most Professers in their receiving As appeares by this that in stead of making this Ordinance an hint and opportunitie to provoke themselves to a closer and narrower survey of their hearts and wayes Lo they turne this grace into commons and into a bare frequency of oft and monethly receiving which I doe not dislike in it selfe but alas grow to an habited falling-sicknesse and numbe Palsie of practise and walking uprightly no sooner hath the raine fallen upon their rockie and stony spirits but the next puffe of wind hath dried it up and so they live in a most mortall and wofull contempt of the end of Sacraments whereas they are ordained for the speciall advancing of the soule to God and the furthering of the bent and streame of the conversation to him Lo they are never more dead hearted dull secure saples than after their Receivings Oh wofull Surely beware least ye be of that sort of whom Iob speakes That they shall never enjoy the flouds of honey and butter Iob 20.17 never come to that welfare and encrease of God which he bestowes upon his carefull servants who keepe touch with him and come to him as well for Gods glory as their owne good Except thou keepe those things close together which God hath united his Seale to thee for comfort and thy oath and vow to him for better service thy Sacraments are liker to proove thy bane than thy gaine Vse 2 Secondly let it be speciall exhortation to all Gods people to unite both these ends in one as they desire comfort froÌ„ either Let no Sacrament passe thee by thy good will but the sad remembrance of thy dead barren and formall Religion may so sting thee that with all thy might and endeavour thou strive to obtaine of the Lord a more lively resolved and bent heart to returne to thy Christian course with closenesse and keeping of Covenant Borrow from the present experience of mercy in the Sacrament an hearty purpose to shake off the usuall enchantments of Satan and the errour of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. ult which have pluckt thee from thy stedfastnesse formerly beseech the Lord to ratifie thy covenant which thou hast so oft broken and pray him that by this if by any occasion
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
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
to be so and blessed him Do thou so and prosper Vse 4 Lastly by all this blessing of the Minister in the Name of the Lord Iesus wee meete with no step of Popish Consecration neither in point of their five blessing words nor yet of inherent holinesse put into the Sacrament thereby Touching the first wee see no warrant for the Masse Priests inchanting the Elements by his whispering the five words over them for lo the Consecration was ended ere any of those five words were pronounced and therefore not those words but Blessing and Prayer to God in the vertue of his first institution and the promise made thereto doe sanctifie the Elements Which words of Prayer and Blessing our Saviour did not as a Sorcerous Priest murmour over the Bread and Wine but openly and clearely uttered them to his Father in the hearing of the Disciples for their edification The dumbe Elements have no eares to heare such a voice but are meere patients in the Sacrament And therefore wee abhorre that Popish turning of the Priest from the people to the signes as a base inchanting ceremony fitter to worke a blind and carnall devotion in a superstitious heart than a sensible reverence and holy confidence of a beleeving soule For the latter observe that our Saviour begges for no inherent holinesse to be put into the Signes save onely a conveying instrumentall holinesse that the Lord would vouchsafe to use them to the ends of a Sacrament that is to make dumbe seely creatures incapable of any reall grace to carrie reall holinesse into the soules and spirits of beleevers onely capable thereof Much lesse then did he either by these or those five as they misreckon Transubstantiate them into his body When God blessed the Sabboth day and hallowed it Did hee infuse holinesse into the day Are dayes garments vessels houses capable of inherent holinesse No it s enough they attend holy things and ought therefore decently to be kept otherwise neither are they holy inherently nor yet actions and things therefore holy because there done but because they are so in their nature and institution I hasten to the latter branch of his thanks Thankes Thankes is the second branch of Christs blessing And so of the Ministes act in the consecration of the Sacrament Wee have to note that thus it was in other blessings Why joyned with Prayer When Salomon dedicated the Temple one branch of it was solemne thanksgiving to God that had ratified his word and promise 1 King 8 24. enabled Solomon to perfect the temple and made good that which he had spoken The ascent of thanks is so great a glorifying of God that cōmonly it becomes a rich descent of blessing And when prayer is offered to God without thanks it s no signe that the soule fastens upon God for the granting of those things which have bin desired But our Saviour here having had a commission from his Father to ordaine the Sacrament takes it for granted that hee was heard by him in this his request for sanctifying thereof to his Church and therefore together with the prayer doth also here annex his thanks for answer Prayers and praises ought ever to attend each other especially for things formerly received that by the experience of former answer from God God our hearts might not be to seeke of confidence and hope for the present and for time to come For sure it is our selfe-love doth so sway us in seeking what wee would still get that the acknowledgement of what we have already enjoyed from God is forgotten Nay rather even while they pray for blessing from God upon any of his Ordinances or otherwise it is our duty even then to give thanks so farre as ws feele our selves to have praid in faith and in the name of Christ for faith in a manner presenteth the thing which we doe warrantably seeke unto us And although I grant such a blessing may actually be denied us yet our thankes shall returne in such a case into our bosomes and shall be accepted of God But in this case of our Lord Iesus and his thankes Causes of his Thankes Three The first cause Ioh. 11 41. the case is altered for hee gave thankes in assurance of being heard and upon promise thereof from his Father without faile and therefore he might with more confidence offer up thankes even with prayer Sometimes it so fareth with his members that even in the act of prayer the Lord intimates their spirit that they have prevailed as we reade that some of the Martyrs had a kind of propheticall spirit given thē so that some things which God had enabled them to aske in full assurance of faith they received an answer from God that they were granted and therefore their prayers commonly brake out into praises and themselves wrote and spake of those blessings as present though there were some yeares still to come ere performed And no doubt such cases fall out still in the experience of such as are neerely acquainted with God and strong in faith that they have answer with Iacob they have prevailed even in their wrestlings and therefore what doubt is there Gen. 32 28. but that then Thanksgiving should be answerable Vse But I will not digresse to other meditations The thanks and blessing of Christ here should be full of comfort to the poore Minister of Christ and all his faithfull people in their blessing of the Sacrament that they come to God for that which is already granted to Christ and that even so assuredly while he praied for it that at the instant hee received it as granted and blessed God for it and withall added his owne blessing to his Fathers and gave his Spirit of blessing to the same Sacrament from his Father and from himselfe so to attend it that it might never be absent from it in the matter of union Sacramentall and further in point of true sanctification of it to all his members to the end of the world who should come in faith and repentance to receive it It s not under a desired blessing onely but a granted one acknowledged and therefore assured Oh! that any should come with a drooping and sad heart doubtful and staggering to that Ordinance upon which at the first institution so great a handsell of grace was bestowed and a promise of so great future blessing granted The second cause A second cause of his Thankes was for that he foresaw even now at his death and departure shortly from the earth that his Father would not suffer the memory of his satisfaction and death to be razed out but eternize it as a lasting monument in his Church Hee foresaw that infinite honour and glory which hee should receive as a perpetuall tribute from his thankefull Church and what praise the Father by him should obtaine at the hands of the faithfull for the continuing of so lively powerfull a memoriall of his death and perfect Sacrifice offered
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
bitternesse Verse 23. save onely that lust hath chained up your senses and hearts that ye feele nothing amisse and ye doe but abide under this chaine Iohn 3 ult till the day of wrath and vengeance Oh that ere that wofull houre sweepe you to hell the Lord would awake you either by his Word or Workes to see in what a wofull condition ye stand Seeing the Church doth not excommunicate you oh that you would cut off your selves as Alians from this Communion Oh that your flesh might be destroyed and your jollity subdued that if possible your soules might escape in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 Vse 2 Secondly let this be reproofe to such as goe for religious and perhaps may be so for wee cannot tell Reproofe but leave it to God and themselves to try to whom after all this long while of Sacraments the doctrine and mysterie of the Supper is both unknowne and untasted What juster complaint can wee take up among many than this that Christ the nourishment of his people is so little knowne Looke to it if the Gospell and the pearle hidden in it be yet hidden from you 2 Cor. 4 4. the God of the world hath blinded you with the ease and forme of an emptie profession that the glory of Christ should be still eclipsed from you Beware least there be not in you still a common heart a of the world which causes these spirituall things to be so harsh and unsavory With examination The first and that in five But to such as desire to be affected with their ignorance in this kind I say but this Examine and trie your selves about this weightie matter I meane the knowledge and use of Christ in the Supper and let this make amends for your ordinary egresse and regresse to this Ordinance without searching your selves I know right well Sacraments were never so common so monethly so ordinary and here and there Sermons or some kinde of preparative are made before them but who is he almost that knowes what Christ offers to be unto his truly bred ones the youth of his wombe in his Supper To whom are those flouds of Hony and Butter knowne Iob 20.17 which are in Christ for the soule that is starven and needs him Oh if Christ in the promises of nourishment were your delight your neede would make you seeke out and search after the seale annexed to the Promise that by it your bare faith naked and barren soules of the power of Christ to purge and sanctifie you might be doubly refreshed Tell me in particular Did it ever enter into you that the Lord Iesus serves to feede as well as to breede all his To nourish his in those graces of the Spirit which Baptisme hath begot in thee Doe ye know the way unto him by the Supper as to the Church by the path for making your Iustification Adoption Reconciliation more evident to your soules Doe ye lot upon it that there if any where even at the feast of Gods mountaines the broken peace of your consciences the joy of your soules the confidence contentation and liberty thereof to goe in and out with God is to be revived Why make ye then no more use hereof Why doe Sacraments then as clouds passe over your heads leaving so few of these drops upon them Oh! if you knew the gift of God truly that here is the fountaine for you to drinke at Ioh. 4.10 to quicken and enlarge the graces of the Spirit faith love courage thankes uprightnesse mercy patience and fitnesse for the Crosse all which you so infinitely want how could it be but that honest and good hearts would presse in for a childs portion as oft as God offers it Who shall beate ye off from this house of Gods provision if ye were privy to those bare walles at home from whence yee come If it could but sinke into you indeede that there is no want no disease no sinne temptation let enemy Crosse but the Lord Iesus hath there a supply for Physicke ease strength redresse Oh! a man might as soone rate a Begger from some great house of almes as discourage you from the Supper If there the Lord Iesus emptie his treasures of wisedone and direction for the order of your tongues marriages families companies buyings and sellings and so to make your whole round of conversation sweet reformed Oh! how is it possible that yee who complaine so much of your wants in all these should not come to Christ here as those sterven Leapers fell upon the full tents of the Aramites here catching up meat for hunger 2 King 7.8 drinke for thirst apparrell for nakednesse gold and pearles against povertie both for the present and for time to come But alas yee know it not Secondly trial in foure particulars Againe if ye shall say yee hope yee have got these in the Sacrament I answer I know some doe but seeing I speake to the body of Christians who doe not it cannot hurt any to try that also I may truly say All such as find Christ such nourishment to them may be knowne by their fruits Oh! they are healthy and prospering they discredit not Gods diet are not meager evill favoured surfited with ill humors pride ease the world revenge hypocrisie This Physicke and Diet of Christ broken and crucified hath given corruption her deadly bane more or lesse in point of reigning and deluding and defiling them they loathe to decline from Gods truth and the power of it the wayes of starters and revolters and time-servers are as vile to them as drunkennesse or uncleannesse They hold their own towars God in some poore sort and this pulse of God as it s counted although indeede restorative flesh and bloud of Christ is made flesh of their flesh and runs in their veines and ministers vigour spirit and life unto them to keepe them in Christs body in the midst of all the pollutions and declensions and coolings and cursed examples of this world Secondly this Supper of the Lord Iesus battens and makes them thrive in grace makes their grace more more savory better qualified enlarged in measure more humble meeke patient and heavenly than when they first beleeved This grace of the Sacrament heales them of an hide-bound heart dead and stale weary and ready to stand still in grace Every Sacrament addes a little of Iesus Christ his tallnesse thicknesse depth and makes them increase in favour with God in credit with his Church to reach further than formerly they did and to be enlarged in holy abilities for God and his Service loathing to stand still as much as to bee quite dead Thirdly they shall find it by their setlednes of spirit and holy purpose of heart to keepe the commandements Psal 119.57 and to cleave to the Lord as Barnabas saith Act. 13.27 Act. 13.27 They shall wax more rooted grounded both in truths especially the maine and in the
power of them and that not in doing onely but in suffering also Christ will be a Bulwarke unto them to fence them with courage and armour against assaults enemies Satan and the errors of the wicked that they may not be pulled from their stedfastnesse Lastly 2 Pet. 3. ult the Lord Iesus will nourish them so fully and so roote them in himselfe and set their pipes so in his well-spring so dwell in them that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of waters able to water all their practise Ioh. 7.38 and to make each part of their life fruitfull I say hee shall heale their barrennesse extend their grace so that it shall suffice them for many uses of lif as formerly for few Conclusion of the use Briefely then trie your selves by these markes Sure it is they catch many in their snare convincing them either to be none of the Lords or else to dishonour his Diet and to call the Lord a hard Master who reapes where he sowes not and keepes a bare house Mat. 25.25 whereas the very hired servants of his house fare better than the jolliest and bravest that live out of it Oh! if ye be these children that have their daily portion from Christs trencher as Ierem. 52.54 it is said of poore Iehojakin that prisoner happie is it for you these trials shall not hurt you Ier. 32 54. but if ye be not such certes to try may doe you good and prevent that danger which all bad Receivers are liable unto Which grace the Lord grant you Vse 3 And nextly as in due place whom should I turne my speech unto save unto these Iehojakins of the Lord be not offended at the name seeing its probable God at last shewed him mercy for his obedience I meane such as by this daily portion of his Christ farewell and prosper in goodnesse In two Branches These I must diversely speake to first the stronger sort then the weaker 1. The strong To the 1. in a word this I say That if the Lord in mercy have granted you this portion and these blessed fruits of prosperitie whereby ye are eased and cured of that Epidemiall disease of the age a declining hide-bound unsetled and barren course with God I say unto you blesse God in secret who hath given you morsells and draughts which the world knowes not count your portion to be fallen into a good ground Psal 16.6 and desire not to change it for the huskes of Swine no nor the feasts of Princes To you I shall say more after in the point of enjoying Christ 2 The weake But unto you weake ones let me speake otherwise and take your sad words out of your mouths you cannot deny but the Lord hath both bred you and fed you by his Sonne and by his Sacrament yours they are and as Christ is Gods so you are Christs but yet that nourishment of Christ which I have here described in the parts and degrees of it which dogges do catch at bouldly perhaps you dare not apply to your selves you are affraid that this my discourse will condemne you Dub. for you are farre from the tyth thereof you say farre from improoving the Sacrament to all those ends or in such degrees as the last use presseth your faith notwithstanding all your Sacraments is weake your comfort peace freedome of heart small your grace little stirred up in you to your feelings your inner bent of spirit still faint and your streame weake your conversation full of disorder and the staves of your wheele which should support the race of it pittifully broken your errors many in ruling your tongues families liberties and selves aright and you say if this be the fruit of the Sacrament to make Christians prospering in health growth staiednesse and fruitfulnesse oh what shall then become of you Sol. I answer Hold the Evidences of your Baptisme and regeneration proove your calling to be sound and keepe that you have gotten mourne that you have not improved Christ in his foode and welfare since you knew your selves to bee the Lords perhaps there hath beene a fault this way that you have rested too much in that and too little stirred up the grace of Baptisme by the Supper Let that humble you and covenant for heereafter to make better use of the promises and Sacrament of nourishment than you have done and then for your comfort this I say The Lord hath taken away your sinne you shall not dye the Supper is the nourishment of the weake as well as of the strong All measures are not alike By those which I have heere noted I doe not desire to snare any but to shew Gods bounty and what Christs fulnesse can beteame not what each receiver carries away Therefore bee not discouraged God is like a tender mother who hath both strong children and weake shee hath meate for them all But if any one be poorer and weaker than another that shall have the deintiest not that it may ever looke to lye upon her hand But that being cherisht by her cordialls it may grow stronger and be free from such maladies Therefore in Gods feare if there be truth and a mourning heart for faylings and hunger after the best measures of grace which Christ hath for thee let not this view of doctrine dismay thee Encourage thy selfe to wayte for pardon of old defects and the Lord shall by that I have sayd rouze up thy spirit to an earnest coveting and a true enjoying of such welfare in Christ as thy heart longeth after Desist not thy diligent receivings and holy humble preparing of thy selfe for if thou leave Christ as Peter sayd when those carnall followers departed whither shalt thou go He onely hath both words and foode of eternall life But heere some may step in and say yea wee should have hope of this if onely we had some defects and decayes in grace and goodnesse But its worse with us for we have harboured our corrupt qualities of sloath ease deadnesse yea perhaps a proud uncleane covetous heart yea rebellious against many knowne truths of God sinned against his mercy by much presumption against his threats by security against his charges by contempt and disobedience our hearts accuse us of coldnesse selfe-love unthankfulnesse forgetting of Gods administrations wearinesse of the yoake of a strict walking with God and counted it precisenesse taken the uttermost of our liberties counting them our enemies who have reprooved us And now loe the Lord arraigning us at the Barre of justice we are confounded in our selves and almost driven to despaire when our consciences doe rise up against us and the Lord seemes to leave us to our selves wee seeme to be in hell Is there any hope for such as wee I answer first I wish such to try their Baptisme and the truth of their first calling to be sound of which after in the triall of our estate and if they can proove that they
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
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
which I gave a touch before in the point of fruitfulnesse Secondly walking with God daily as being under his eye awfully purely Gen. 5.22 and soberly approving our selves to him in the way of our life making his Word our delight in both the promises commands and threats of it and so holding the Lord in our sight as loth to forgoe him Thirdly Ascending in our thoughts from our owne welfare in private and forcing our awcke hearts to the service of our time as David Act. 13.36 Acts 13 36. as well as looking that it goe well with our selves of which selfe-love our spirit is full stuffed except this grace scoure it out Remember we that the gaine wee get by Christ in his Assemblies should presse upon us the bewailing of the losse thereof Zeph 3.18 Zeph. 3.18 the beseeching God to establish the Lord Iesus and to set up his King upon his Zion in the power of his Ordinances to demolish the Throane of Satan and Antichrist that the Scepter of Christ may prevaile every where against Popery Atheisme Ignorance Blinde devotion profanenesse and forme of godlinesse Lastly in an heavenly heart as Phil. 3 18. Phil. 3.18 knocking us off from below moderating our liberties for us enlarging us to desire his glorious presence to have communion with him as he is concluding that if these treaties with him at distance as in the Supper be so sweete then much more to eate and drinke it in his kingdome Luke 22 16. Luke 22.16 Oh! if our treasure be there let our hearts be so also and send we them before us in token wee looke to remove thither as our abiding place Phil. 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus doing wee shall use the Supper for the end which it was given for to supply the absence of the Lord Iesus from us Luke 22 35 16 17. Luke 22.16 till wee may enjoy it Thirdly let that good we have got out of the Sacrament The third imparting our selves to others so plentifully abide in us that wee impart it to others The nature of these graces is such not to feede on them alone When those Leapers 1 King 7 12. 1 King 7 12. had filled themselves in the Aramites tents with store of all things their hearts smote them for staying there so long and they resolved to hasten and tell the King and people of it that were sterven in the citie So shouldst thou The Sacrament is called a communion in this respect as well as the former Poore birds if they light upon scattered corne call their fellowes to the heape When Sampson had found honey Iude 14 9. though hee kept the riddle yet he imparted his honey to his Father and Mother The benefits of Christ are not of a secret and private but diffusive nature Let us bee ashamed to consider that other things in the world are so perfected by communion that neither Trades Artes Customes and fashions nor any other thing have cause to complaine but the matters of Christ are now at the barest and lowest Why save that those that should excell in them conceale their skill and experience The Communion day should be our exceeding day and as in feasts so in this we should send or carrie portions and acquaint others wisely and seasonably with our lot and receive from them like intelligence And thus much for the second generall head viz. The grace of the Supper I conclude with the last And that is the particular end of the Sacrament viz. The sealing unto a beleeving soule The third generall The end of it an assurance of that grace which it exhibiteth I have spoke before of this sealing power I will adde but a little for the applying of the genâ—rall to this particular Desiring the wise Reader to looke backe and make use of what I have spoken of this sealing worke in generall and to apply it here in speciall to the sealing of the growth as already I have spoken in Baptisme of the sealing of our Birth or Regeneration A needfull digression to shew the order of the Spirits working And that my Reader may retaine the ordinary view of the two sealing workes this briefely let mee say first that the Spirit of Grace is given by God to attend each Ordinance both the Word of Promise and the Seale of Promise and that to this end to worke perswasion in the soule and to cause it to beleeve the things that are given her of God Then secondly note The object of this perswasion by the Promise is double and therefore the object of perswasion by the Seale is double First perswasion of the soule that shee is truly the Lords truly called regenerated and borne of God That is to say reconciled to him and renewed in him Secondly perswasion that shee growes in the grace of the new birth and shall grow as a lively member of her head till she receive the fulnesse of that part That God is the Author of both perswasions appeares by the two maine heads of unbeleefe which formerly I noted to reside in the soule First that shee dare not beleeve at all that the promise of mercy reacheth to her Secondly that she dare not beleeve that she shall ever reach to any further degree of sanctification than she presently feeles Both these the Lord in his double perswasion confutes The third thing is the Spirit therefore applies it selfe to both these yet not alway in one and the same measure of perswading but according to the neede or proportion of each part By the Promise of the Word sometimes it workes more sometimes lesse perswasion as seemes best to himselfe and so by the Seale of the Sacrament hee doth likewise worke weaker or stronger assurance For though there be a perswading power in an high degree in both yet the Spirit is no servant to his Ordinances but his Ordinances to him they shall perswade more or lesse according as that power of Christ which the Spirit dispenceth is more or lesse conveied into the soule by his perswasion He is never separated from promise or Seale according to the measure of his working by both But that is as he listeth for he bloweth where and how farre hee pleaseth Fourthly note the chiefe and maine perswasion of the Spirit in the Word is the Spirit of the sealing Promise and the chiefe work of the Spirit of perswasion in the Sacrament is the Spirit of the sealing Sacrament And therefore as the Seale with the Promise is above a promise alone So the Spirit of the Seale with the Sacrament is above the Sacrament alone and consequently the sealing power of the Sacrament is above the Sealing power of a Promise the Sacrament being ordinarily the instrument of working the soule to the highest assurance which it can enjoy in this world whether of the truth of her regeneration which Baptisme or the growth therein which the Supper sealeth and perswadeth Sealing
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
upon Cain The Sacrament is a spirituall mystery and cannot be violated save by spirituall wickednesse And whereas the gaine should have beene great if thou hadst come prepared even the enjoying of the Lord Iesus wholly now the judgement shall be as fearefull not onely to goe without him but to drinke and eate hell and damnation Of which more in the use Reason 3 Thirdly as we say in our Proverbe Leave is light If we come to the Supper of the Lord as becomes his guests invited by himselfe lo we shall sit there among his Angels and eate of the dainties of heaven we shall behold the face of his Majesty with joy we shall have our soules within us feasting us with the conscience of our obedience wee shall not need to feare sadde affronts and accusation wee shall enjoy the sweete fruit of our reverend and carefull triall our faith and repentance shall there meete us and if wee faile in any measure of our hoped for welcome the fault shall not lie heavie upon our selves but we may be assured that it is for some other end for which the Lord deferres us that at our returning againe he may give us an overplus These may serve for some reasons to enforce due triall upon us But here a willing heart would faine know the properties of this triall Properties of true triall and when he hath duly tried himselfe For answer to which although in the Chapters following this will appeare better in the objects of triall yet briefely I will note some workes here generally concerning all the particulars and so come to the use First then let thy search and triall be wise 1. Wise and according to knowledge Let the Law and Testimony be the Hammer the Fornace and Touch to trie thee in all both thy heart and life This will informe and in still such skill and discerning into thee that nothing shall lightly passe thee without both notice and due verduict Thou shalt neither by loosenesse of heart judge evill good nor through blindnesse or misprision thinke good evill This will let in light to thee to behold all things in their lively coloures as they are The Goldsmith will not easily be gulled in the triall of gold or silver So if thou carrie this light and torch into the darke corners of thy heart few either sinnes or graces shall escape thee Else thy owne false light erronious judgement prejudice precipice securitie defilement and the like may soone deceive thee And so thy triall may proove like Ahimaaz his newes idle and confuzed Secondly let it be ingenuous and filiall Filiall Doe not thinke that the Lord onely enjoynes thee to search out the evill and let the good passe The triall of Gods people is as well of their vertues and graces for their encouragement as of their corruptions to their humiliation And yet let it also be impartiall So abhorre a slavish heart of base feare causing thee to harpe upon the jarring strings of thy distempers That yet thou much more loathe selfelove to applaude thy selfe in any of thy corrupt and vicious habits or actions But rather be as willing thy errours and evills be discovered as thy graces The true triall of a Christian is a middle betweene both extremes The most usuall of the second is the latter Fewer offend in the other and yet their danger is as great because the true roote of triall is the witnesse of a good conscience testifying that there is grace at the heart which a slavish triall denieth to it selfe Thirdly it must be very inquisitive and narrow 3. Narrow and close not hoverly and superficiall It must not be like the mashes of a net made to catch great fishes and letting passe the small For both the good things and the evill are closely and deepely couched in the soule Cursory triall will not search them throughly Graces are as coales raked up in the ashes and appeare not easily or as a little corne in a great Chaffe heape And corruption is as the core of a disease lying in the intrals and as Gehazi his booty throwne into close corners If the King should send a Commission to a true subject to search Iesuites or Priests in a great house they would take a narrow course both by belaying and ransacking the inner passages and roomes for feare of escape or lurking Sacramentall triall should bee such Not as the searching of friends houses whom wee very sparily and generally looke over or give notice before to remoove out of the way that which wee are loath to espie But as a man would search the house of his enemy And as wee reade that the Papists were wont to seerch for the Martyrs in all places likely or unlikely yea even the heapes or reekes of corne and the haymowes with forkes swords spits and speares So should we doe our selves as Searchers very glad and desirous to finde what they seeke And to this end our triall should bee punctuall and painefull By punctuall I meane particular and personall Both in punctualnesse either graces or corruptions which most naturally and generally accompany thee And therefore Christian search best attends Christian Prayer and watch looke what thou observest to pester thee most usually either in thy spirit or in thy course that take note of and make a Calender of it Forgetfulnesie and confusion of memory doe much hinder triall Note therefore both what sinnes runne in the streame and frame of thy life and what speciall evils beare sway and are most selfe-putting forth and then the rest will follow alone and yet passe not by the lesser seeing those which are but of a second degree doe oft disguise us while wee are bent onely to marke the most prevailing ones and so by ill custome are unsuspected Few men there are in whom some masterly sinnes doe not beare rule pride selfe-love worldlinesse or the like to poison their course Secondly let it be painefull And painefulnesse The issues of good and evill are as a spring of seven heads A laborious searched will therefore open them all and take himselfe tripping in all searching the spirit within the tongue and members without and fetch in matters of humiliation from the triall of marriage single estate Duties Ordinances company solitarinesse liberties callinges behaviour and actions of common life So much of the third Fourthly it must be faithfull 4 Faithfull and loyall that so all the subtill startingholes and cunning deceites of the heart may be found out for selfe-love and falsehood will else bleare the eye of the wisest Bribes corrupt the wise but not the faithfull Sinne is a bribing mischiefe it labours to overthrow search and inquest that so it may escape the jury But as a good Iustice in taking the examination of a fellon or rioter will not bee gulled with each colour or faire tale but will search to the quicke and drive him out of his trickes and lay him open because hee
from the Crowne would bee so idle as repaire to the King for they are excluded If the Parliament grant the King a subsidie from his subjects no man that knowes himselfe to bee no subsidie man would prepare any such money for the King for the businesse concernes him not So is it here The Lord calls his free-denizons by spirituall baptisme to renue the Assurance of their pardon peace and adoption at his supper and promiseth there to all such a further increase in the graces of his covenant should then any be so madde as claime a part in this Sacrament who never have beene or baptized called and partakers of the Spirit of grace at all Now then how shall that be discerned True it is those that are free borne and true members know it or may doe as Paul quickely could tell Lysias he was a Romane But who shall stoppe the mouthes of Aliants and strangers such as are of Ashdod and Cham when they come to plead themselves Israelites I meane when hypocrites come to the Sacrament pleading themselves to be Gods people doubtles there must bee some Rules of Triall which will not deceive they must be urged to proove their Genealogie or else bee convinced to bee counterfeits Answer 2 But be it granted that this triall of estate concernes also such as are Gods people yet it followeth not that they cannot use it but they must by and by bee anxious and perplexed about their condition No farre be it from any to thinke so The Lord affords all his To stand fast in their liberties and to be above the bondage not onely of Popish or Iewish ceremonies Gal. 5 1. but of unbeleefe especially and to walke according to that they have received For peace shall bee to all that walke according to rule even the Israel of God Yea as its ridiculous for any such to seeke new grounds to build upon so is it sinnefull to stagger about the old because the covenant of God is with us as the Covenant of Noe as the Covenant of the Sunne and Moone Esay 54 8. yea everlasting after these shall have an end Farre other use are Gods people to make of this tryall at the Sacrament First many know not all such grounds as their faith rests upon although they beleeve unfeignedly ignorance may hinder them Againe although they have had them in a readinesse yet by Satans deluding them with other diversions to worldly objects or by forgetfulnesse or being dazeled by some secret love of evill or by the errour of others these things may be growne strange to them darke and to seeke Besides although it be not so yet may it bee a sweete exercise for a beleever to bee well skill'd in his best Evidences and it may joy him to have the things revived in his spirit which hee hath knowne before and especially at the Sacrament when they may most encourage him Men doe looke upon their evidences of lands for more ends than feare of their Titles And yet I will not deny but that as the case may stand the triall of a mans estate at than Sacrament may and ought to bee anxious and sollicitous yea and that so that for the time he were better desist than proceed viz. when having snared himselfe with some lust which hee cannot easily bee rid of hee questions his estate thereupon and till God have eased the hardnesse and despaire of his spirit through unbeleefe perhaps hee can neither perceive nor yet rellish his evidences as hee hath done This may be one case in which this tryall may bee used with some doubting and distemper Howbeit neither is this so ordinary but to be sure not the onely case Therefore this objection is of no force To proceede then 2 Sorts of tryall of estate 1 Our first calling This tryall of our estate I would call to these two heads as breefly as I can First to a mans first calling home to God Secondly to some essentiall markes either accompanying or following the same Concerning the former of these it shall not be amisse to give the reader a short generall view of calling before I mention any triall in speciall belonging thereto In a mans calling therefore In calling 3. things 1 from what consider first from what secondly unto what thirdly to what end God calls First the Lord calles a soule from an estate of woe and misery through sinne and curse common to it with all the posterity of Adam wherein shee lay plundged deadly from a covenant I say with sinne death and hell wherein shee was wrapped This hee doth by the Ministery of the Law which Eph. 5 â— crying a dismall and lowd alarme in the eares of a drowsie and sleepie sinner awakens him from the dead Being rouzed out of this sleepe it beholdes a deepe gulfe set betweene the Lord and it selfe so that it cannot come at him By this meanes the soule is broken off from all her rotten proppes either naturall through secure ignorance or Religious through conceit of knowledge or the old covenant of workes and performances And whether Publicane or Pharisee before this Law putting no difference condemnes and kills a sinner in point of all his former life and jollitie in sinne holding him under the Arrest of Iustice in an estate of bondage till it be brought to utter despaire in him selfe more or lesse of any redresse Secondly the Lord calles the soule to an estate in grace through the Lord Iesus 2. To what And this hee doth by a most sweete voyce of the Gospell spoken in the eares of it while it lyeth in this Pit of selfe despaire The which doth let in by degrees a Spirit and Covenant of grace into it first in susteyning it from extremities by an hope of possible Deliverance Secondly by presenting the soule with an encreasing light and sight of the All-sufficient price of grace and reconciliation in Christ the satisfyer of wrath and procurer of peace Thirdly by declaring himselfe fully appeased by this satisfaction so that former anger is turned into welpleasednesse Fourthly by expressing his placable and pittifull heart to a sinner in an offer of a covenant with him adding moreover that hee would have him to be reconciled and receive his promise as freely as hee makes it Lastly by enlarging his promise in the apprehension of the sinner both in respect of the infinite many good things contained in the same as also the most free full gracious faithfull heart of the promiser loving strong and sure which cannot lye I say by all these presentments of grace in a most apt sweete and powerfull manner hee workes in the soule such preparations of meditation desire esteeme inquisition restlesnesse of heart and unweariednesse of meanes using That at last this seede breakes out into fruit so that the soule weighing all duly in the ballance to wit the worth of grace offered the mercy of the offerer beyond exception and her unavoidable condemnation in refuzing it
richest are so covetous nor fine cloathes because under them is hidden many a rotten body So neyther let men mislike knowledg for the sins of them that have it No it s their hypocrisy their profanenes which defiles their knowledge It is just with God to suffer ungodly men to defile each other and them that know to lay offences in the way of the ignorant 2 Tim. 3.13 that both the offending and offended might fall and perish because neyther love the truth True it is That knowledge is not sufficient a man with it may perish but to be sure he must perish without it So much for these cavills And also of the first branch The second followeth What knowledge there is requisite 2. Generall Question what knowledge I answer First the more knowledge a man brings if conscience be thereafter the better too exact knowledge cannot be had And heere I will crave leave of my Reader to digresse a step or two mourne to consider that which according to that little experience I have had in my Ministery of late yeares I cannot but say O that I were a lyer in this A digression and caveat to ungrounded Christians viz. That hundreds of poore people in our countrey there are of whom I am perswaded they are the Lords and shall be saved who yet by all the cost and meanes which the Lord hath for 20. or 30. yeares beene at with them never came to see such sweet light order and direction by the Catechisme that they can give an account of their faith and sound knowledge therein They rest in heere a snatch and there a catch at a good point in their good affections innocent lives and blamelesse carriages But as for discerning of things peisons doctrines that differ holding that which they have spent many a weary step to come by grounding themselves upon the word for their estate and actions and seeing how they have their warrants not from a Preacher whom they love and like but from the strength of truth which cannot lye growing up in knowledge that so their hearts might waxe better and themselves more setled in Christianity Oh these things are as the sound of many waters unto them farre above them Shall I prayse you in this I speake to you of my owne flocke No I prayse you not Especially where there is a manifest defect of that which might bee As for invincible weakenesse and want of reach I am so farre from dismaying such that I doubt not to say The Lord will cloath their uncomely parts with the more honour and supply some want of judgement with much integrity and uprightnesse of heart Alas poore soules 1 Cor. 12.23 if yee wanted this too what should become of yee And because I know not whether I shall ever speake to you any more let my words sinke into you Enjoy your portion in truth and singlenesse of heart as a jewell exceeding all the skill and cunning of hypocrites Vex not your selves too much for the want of that whereby God doth so humble you for who knowes what yee would proove if your knowledge did equall some other graces and affections in yee Exhortation to others But to others this I adde Seeke as much light to guide you in this deceitfull world as possibly yee can Let not all doctrines be alike with yee Prize all but above all those which teach yee your selves and Christ and the well ordering of your conversations Psal 50. ult be wise as Serpents as well as doves in innocency let not the cunning jugling of Sathan and diceplay of men Ephe. 4.14 Eph. 4 14. so gull yee as to picke out heere one truth there another while he hath left you barren so that all is one with you whether yee live under an idle empty fruitlesse ministery or a grounded and fruitfull And the like caution I might give yee in other respects But I forbeare onely let that hope and opinion which God and his people have conceived of you bee upheld in you with honour least the Lord doe crosse you both with a staggering life and a doubtfull death because of your dallyance And so I returne againe to the point and answer Answere that it is one thing to speake of that measure of light which would doe best another of that which is simply requisite Not exquisite but competent knowledg required When I teach that knowledge is necessary I speake not as if every one who fails short of exact and cleare and full knowledge were to bee rejected God forbid for the grounds may be soundly held by many who yet faile in these As for example if I should question with many a Christian in what nature Christ subsists or how a person and a nature differ or how Christs humanity is not a person but a nature perhaps I should gravell them whereas yet they beleeve firmely the Lord Iesus to be flesh and truely God and both made one Christ for the working out their salvation The like may bee sayd of other points which to the skilfull are taken for granted yet to them are not so cleare As how Christ should satisfie and yet not tast of hellish torments in what speciall office the act of satisfying standeth To what part of the Catechisme each article of truth as the Sacrament belongs So I am perswaded many a poore soule conceives not of each mystery in the Sacramentall union although he beleeve Christ to be there present in his word and Spirit to a faithfull soule Therefore of such knowledge this I say The more the better but many who want it may yet be good receivers I know I cast bread to dogges in thus saying but weake ones must not want their due let none abuse that to slightnesse and ease which onely aymes at releefe of the weake But the question is what knowledge is needefull What this competency is Answer 1 I answer the Sacrament being one linke of the whole cheine of godlinesse must necessarily presuppose a competent knowledge both of it selfe and also of those doctrines which it depends upon For example the Supper is one of the Sacraments of the Gospell Necessary therefore it is that a man at least know what the other â—â—crament of Baptisme is upon which it dependeth Answer 2 Secondly both the Sacraments are part of those divine meanes ordayned by God to build up the soule in the power and practise of grace Needefull therefore it is that a Communicant know what the new creature meanes what sanctification is what lets it hath from sinne Sathan and world what priviledges a beleever hath annexed by God to encourage him and what those meanes are which God hath afforded the soule to susteine it from decaying in the spirituall condition Answer 3 Thirdly the new creature and sanctification being impossible to be conceived of aright without the grace and gift of faith and the Spirit of the promise necessary it is for the soule to
one body at once as selfe and Christ in equall termes to a soule The red earth had never had the breath of life put into it if it had not beene a meere dead patient and at Gods dispose to be as he would have it The flesh of Christ had no subsisting in it selfe save in the Godhead Rom. 11.32 and what is else that of Paul God shutting up all in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all Not of the willer or the runner but God c. Rom. 9.16 The Doctrine of imputation what doth it import saue that righteousnesse stands in counting that as ours which is none of ours What else is that of the Apostle Romanes Chapter 11. verse 6. If of Workes not of Grace Rom. 11.6 else Workes were no Workes If of Grace not of Workes else Grace were no Grace Trie thy selfe then by this Rule Triall by this Dost thou observe this backebyas of corruption in thy soule alway playing her parts and resisting grace Is this spirit of originall sinne as irkesome to thy spirit as the most odious sinnes of swearing or theeft Is it so much the more suspected by how much the more fine spunne and subtill running in the streame of thy best Religion Dost thou feele it in the Worke of the Law of the Gospell of Sanctification still resisting Grace and starting as much from the Word as the Sacrifice from the Knife of the Priest Dost thou wholly set thy selfe against it both selfe on the right hand deceiving thee with thine owne hopes and deserts and on the left scaring thee with feares of unworthinesse Art thou as well afraid of a white Divell as a blacke yea more Dost thou tremble to thinke that selfe should share with God in thy conversion Dost thou chuse rather to bee as base as dung and dogges meate yea when thou hast done all dost thou thinke thy selfe no neerer heaven thereby than if thou wert a Publican Dost thou confesse that there is no bloud no merit no congruity in selfe to purchase any dramme of grace And that it is just with God rather to seeke himselfe glory by abasing all flesh and carnall proppes than to suffer selfe to perke above him or mixe with him Yea canst thou say oh Lord I chuse to lie as the dust under thy footstoole and to be at thy pleasure as a fatherlesse Orphan to doe with mee what thou wilt yea when thou art under the deepest abasement and selfe-desertings and without a subsisting in thy selfe canst thou say Verily gladdly will I bee under this buffeting 2 Cor. 12.9 though it bee as a pricke in the flesh that Gods grace may bee another selfe and a new principle of comfort to stay my selfe upon Yea in this want of carnall stay I wait upon the promise to be my stay If it be thus in any true measure in thee it is a sweet signe The fourth ground I come to the fourth ground of trying faith to wit by the act of it The act of faith And that in two things First in the naked and free consent of the whole soule to the truth of God which is that he will ease the loaden soule comfort the mourning and satisfie them that hunger after righteousnesse Math. 5 4 5 6. The Lord requires that the soule simply relie it selfe upon this bare Word of his because he will performe it without descanting this way or that against it Esay 1.16 Psal 32 1. Secondly in the relying upon the meere and free act of Gods not imputing sinne or imputing righteousnesse to the soule yea a righteousnesse inhering in another and not in thy selfe The Lords act of esteeming and reckoning to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ is as reall an act as if hee had infused a reall habite of it into the soule to dwell personally in it as it dwelt in Christ Triall by this Trie thy selfe then by this rule thus First canst thou say truely that in the beleeving of Gods promise thou didst directly goe from a word to a word without adding or mixing the slime of thy owne conceits to defile the purenesse of it Didst thoâ— with Peter emptied of himselfe obey and say At thy Commandement Lord I will let downe though else I should not Luke Chapter 5 verse 5. Luke 5 5. Canst thou say oh Lord thou bidst a loaden wretch come unto thee to take ease as if there were no more circumstance in it than onely so Lord I have found my soule loden and pinch'd by thy Word therfore I come to thee for ease beleeving that seeing thy selfe art the Author of both words therefore thou who wouldst so really lode me canst as truely ease mee Canst thou say Lord in thy words is neither hooke nor crooke and therefore as I seeke to adde nothing to it so neither doe I detract nor dare I Revelation Chapter 22. verse 18. Rev. 22 18. Ephes 4 21. but take thy truth as it is in Iesus even truth it selfe subject to no exceptions or cavills of flesh I enquire not why thou dost it or why for mee and not for many hundred thousands that lie in their blindnesse still Secrets are for thee but revealed promises are for mee and therefore to thee I leave the one and claspe so much the more closely to the latter by how much the former is more above mee If thou canst find in thy heart thus freely to concurre with free grace saying Luke 1 38. Luke 7 30. Bee it to thy servant as thou hast spoken I dare not despise thy Counsell for my salvation or gainesay and give thee the lye but put my seale to thy word that it is true I say againe Iohn 3 3â— if in any true measure thou canst doe thus it is a sure signe And secondly if the Act of God in heaven justifying a poore wretch by his bare accompting him his righteousnesse when yet corruption abides in him exceedingly yea his perfect righteousnesse can so farre prevaile with thee as to say O Lord thy one witnesse and approbation of mee is to my conscience as a thousand though I neither see thy face nor can heare thy voyce yet O Lord I accompt my selfe as thou esteemest me even thy perfect righteousnesse in the midst of my greatest sinfulnesse and all because thy accompt is a done deede and my faith compts it done in earth because it is done in heaven I say this act of thy faith is a good signe The fifth ground is from the end of thy beleeving The 5 ground The end and that is that God may have the glory of his rich grace in saving a lost soule The last and full end of God in thy pardon and savation is not that thou mightst be happy but that himselfe might be glorified This the Lord so lookes at that all other ends are but second hand ends unto him although reall ends Try thy selfe also in this The tryall of this
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
that can finde them or admonish such as are decayed or scare such from the Sscrament as never had them But I hasten to that which more nearely concernes Sacramentall repentance which is the practise of repentance 2. By the practise of it In two thing 1. Ordinary course Concerning which I will devide my selfe into these two maine heads First The practise of it in an usuall course of Christianity Secondly in our revolts And my method shall bee this First to lay downe the will of God about them both and in what particulars they stand Secondly in the use of the doctrine to presse the tryall of them at the Sacrament with a revived affection For the former then the usuall practise of repentance may bee thus divided eyther to the first understanding part secondly the willing or affecting part thirdly the acting part in the life The Iudiciall part stands in the inquiry and search of those speciall errors abuses and corruptions of heart tongue or life which have passed us from Sacrament to Sacrament or before Eyther in the understanding Lam. 3.40 beginning as hee Genesis 44. Verse 12. at the eldest and ending at the yongest Both spirituall as hardnesse deadnesse and defilednesse of heart of the tongue rash idle uncharitable false vaine offensive or superfluous words morrall of the heart and life hollownesse earthlinesse unprofitablenesse selfe-love pride rancor and bitternesse of stomacke passions of rage As search base feares hopes joyes sorrowes unrighteous unmercifull censorious deedes and passages or the like These although like Saul and Gehazi's booty they lye hidden must be watched as they utter themselves and breake out notice being taken and a Register of them kept by us that they may ever be before us when wee come to the Lord. And if the conscience play booty in concealing or excusing them the soule must goe to the candle of the Lord which searches the bowels of man and begge light to discerne Prov. 20.27 and strength to convince it selfe of them and the curse due to them till the soule bee even caused to stoppe her owne mouth and give up her weapons of defence standing as mute and guilty before God of them Concerning which worke of search because I spake of it in generall in the first Chapter of this Treatise I remit the Reader to that place Heere onely this It were good for us to make use both of our best friends and worst enemies if we would know our selves and not wholly be our owne judges Helpes to search Our friends perhaps see us better than we our selves spy out our secret haunts loose liberties declining in our zeale and falling to our pleasures loving them and such base companions as become us not for our pleasures sake more than Gods secret company or his servants So also our enemies sometimes might tell us our secret corruptions As hee once who fought with his enemy searcht out that impostume which his friends could not Yea Gods crosses as great enemies as wee thinke them if wee would hearken to their voyce would tell our hearts presently what the sinne is which God aymes at perhaps unfruitfull deadnesse under blessed meanes of grace dallying with the ordinances neglect of our family earthlinesse and walking loosely with God And although wee should not neede to seeke out to spy thefaults of others for lacke of our owne yet it were a good way to search our owne in the glasse of the sinnes of these times the desperate formalnesse of men and abhorring of any more religion than will runne in the streame of our ease and wills Idolatry contempt of the best examples To end if some of us would but aske our consciences for what sinnes wee are faint on the sudden to forsake and turne backe upon the Sacrament for feare of shame when yet perhaps we came into Church with purpose to receive it were not amisse And so much for this judiciall part Our Soule part The next is the soule part or the affecting And heere in the first place is required a broken mourning heart for sinne being thus searched out 1. Brokennes and that with uprightnesse and tendernesse as Zachary describeth it Zach. 12 10.11 They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourne as one mourneth for his sonne and heire yea they shall be in bitternes note the phrase that is godly sorrow shall soke and sape them they shall be in the power of it so that it shall over-rule them they shall not easily shake it off yea it shall be exceeding sorrow as that of Hadrimmon for the sadde losse of Iosia and further it shall be fervent and sincere both signified by the secrecy of it husband apart wife apart and family apart as we say He mournes truly that mournes without witnesse Such a sorrow such teares hearty and unfaigned not in a mood comming from a full heart impotent and powring it selfe out before God plentifully because it hath greeved the Spirit of so good a God so patient and longsuffering I say such a one is the true badge of repentance which issues from faith Wherein eyther teares are abundant as at Bochim or Mizpeh when the people drew buckets before the Lord Iudge 2.4 or else in the want thereof the heart sheds teares of blood 1 Sam. 7 6. and the soule sighes under a burden which shee cannot well utter This sorrow usually beares the name of repentance as being a maine companion inseparable from it and that true eating of sowre hearbes required of him that ate the Passeover which hearbes grow no where save in the garden of grace Onely the love of that God whom the soule hath dishonored even in the middest of mercy and when she peirced the Lord of life then was that Lord willingly peirced to death by her that shee might live Act. 2.37 I say this love onely can melt a heart of stone and breake it in peeces so that it cannot but repent whereas before by the hardnesse of heart Rom. 2.4 despising the patience of God it could not repent True search of heart will worke true brokennesse and cause the belly to tremble Habac. 3.16 and rottennesse to enter into the bones that it may finde peace in the day of trouble Yea as the Lord turned the captivity of Iob Iob 42.10 when he prayed for his friends So in this through mourning of heart tne Lord turnes the captivity of the soule and converts it to himselfe No terrours of conscience can soften an hard heart but rather they will harden it and bind it up to greater hardnesse As we see an hammer may breake a bell to gobbets fit to be melted but the fire onely can melt them that so they may be moulded a new So the love of God can onely effect this mourning after God and broken heart a most welcome sacrifice to God till which the soule cannot beteame the Lord herselfe to be offered up unto him Rom.
the woefull course which hee hath runne Deut. 29.19 Rom 2 3 4. adding drunkennesse to thirst and heaping up wrath against the day of wrath that hee is as one who hath run out above his ability to pay and therefore his booke of accounts is yrkesome to cast over it is death to him to thinke of it Thus it was with Cain each hundred of yeeres that hee lived the debt of his murther was so encreased by other sinnes and the penalties thereof that at last it became inextricable But repentance in the true children of God causes the view of sinne and the chaine thereof to bee presented with some hope of forgivenesse because although perhaps the conscience is amazed yet it s not privie to that trechery which the wicked were carried by in sinning Psal 51 4. Mark 14 72. And therefore their sinne is sayd to bee ever before them they are sayd to come to themselves Peter is sayd to weigh his sinne ere hee went out which argues that the weight of it oppressed him not Thi reviving of the mind from the horrour and oppression of it is a great mercy in the midst of such misery Iona was infolded as in a labyrinth of Sea Ionah 2 6. Whale and conscience yet in this gulfe hee was not swallowed up but conceaved in his mind a possiblenesse for God to bring order out of his confuzion So that the first occasions of revolt the circumstances attending the degrees following and the danger incurred rather serve to magnifie mercy in keeping the soule from utter Apostacy from the living God than to beate off the soule from hope The 4. Branch The fourth and one of the many is the recovering of a sensible and broken heart after long hardnesse by the deceitfulnesse and sweete baites of sinne Heb. 3 12. A most sweete fruit of the spirit of election For it was not possible for the hard heart of Saul or Iudas to relent upon the checke of conscience there was no droppe of the seede of repentance in them It would seeme impossible that Peter and David after so long a lying in so hideous sinnes Mark 14 72. 1 Sam. 12 3 4. should at the first conviction of Nathan relent and breaking through all the barres of his sinne say I have sinned It was not in the words speaking 1 Sam. 15 24. Mat. 27 3 4 for Saul and Iudas spake the same but in the broken heart which uttered them But the cause was That grace and mercy which lay at the roote Oh! that they should after such mercy once felt and vowes so oft renued so basely handle the Lord and hazard as much as in them lay their title to heaven and sell their birthright And yet should the Lord renue a second charter or rather the first a second time Oh! it pierces them to the quicke This chases away the cloudes of dedolence and impenitency and cleeres the coast againe The fifth is The 5. Branch That yet they doe not so easily shake off their feares the Lord so orders it that either by his word or workes they feele his wrath for their revolt so seazing upon their conscience that it doth worke out and purge their corruption through mercy so that they vomit up their sweete morsells And as one under the Phisition his hand lying in an hot bath sweates out the venome of his disease so is it with a penitent soule Gpd mixes gall and wormewood for them to drinke Hee causes them to possesse the sinnes of their youth with sorrow though long since committed Lam. 3 19. Psal 6 5. hee payes them for old and new at once makes their bed a bath of teares till hee have caused all that sinne which they dranke in with such greedinesse to returne backe with as much loathsomnes Then being under this racke hee makes them feele in their owne spirits how their sinne lyes upon his shoulders and by their owne pinching hee makes them confesse Now I see what my pride ill company stollen liberties come to and must cost ere I be rid of them As I like such sawce so let me returne to the meate againe I thought I had but dallied I cast arrowes and darts into the flesh of the Lord Iesus in sport But now they gugg mee Now I see ihe Lord will not beare all I must beare somewhat and if I provoke him it must bee to the confusion of my face As I troubled and greeved the Spirit of God so the Lord troubles mine this day Iosh 7 25 The shame the ill report the sorrow and sting outward and inward which I sustaine sinne is no trifle The 6. Branch Sixtly the Lord now in season proceeds to offer himselfe in a promise to this revolting penitent And that in two kinds First That their revolt hath not extinguisht mercy Esay 57.17 18. Ier. 3 1 2. See Esay 57 17. I will heale their covetuousnesse Ier. 3 1 2. If a mans wife play the harlot wilt thou returne to her Wilt thou not write her a Bill of divorcement Yet returne to me and I will receive thee after all thy whoredomes And againe I will heale all their backeslidings c. So Ier. 3.12 Rev. 2 5. 3.19 Revelations chap. 3 verse 19. Bee zealous and amend Yea the spirit of grace in that fulnesse of Satisfaction by Christ doth fixe and settle such promises upon the soule so that it heares them not as the sound of many waters but dwells upon and digests them as concerning her So that they leave not a wanzing conceit as in presumptuous hypocrites who sinne that grace may abound But they so fasten upon the promise as a reall comfort to cure them of their falling sicknesse Rom 6 1. Secondly the Lord reveales the promise to them as the due order of their recovery For whereas the ungodly doe returne to their trade See Iona 3 21. â—1 upon the suppozall that their doggish vomit shall serve the turne Lo the Lord alway comes betweene the revolting and repenting of his owne with a savory application of the promise Teaching them that if there were no more but their mourning to make up their repentance Alas It would vanish and come to nought Therefore hee will have them lay hold upon the promise of free grace which may quiet and clense their conscience Psal 51.10.12 and restore them to that former influence which they had from grace And although their pipes are still set in the welhead yet because they are stopped the Lord by faith cleeres the passage of grace for them that they may partake that strength and encouragement from their head which may cause their repentance to bee sound and put new hope of holding out into them Lastly by this meanes They keepe themselves well while they are so The 7. branch and dare not by that experience they have gotten of smarty sinne adventure upon it any more They abhorre to tempt
servant Math. 28.32 Did not I forgive thee all the debt even of many Talents How then oughtest thou to forgive him the debt of pence Till then the soule be seasoned with the love of God in pardon and holinesse both to save and sanctifie it cannot possibly love his brother spiritually Can a rush grow without mire Iob 8 11 Or can love be in us till a principle of the Spirit infuse it It is commended by the Lord Iesus himselfe A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love each other Ioh. 13.34 Rom. 13 9. 10. All the Law is fulfilled in it It s infinitely magnified in all the Scriptures in 1 Cor. 13. It s described by abundance of both negative and positive properties all which shew the Originall to bee divine But especially in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.11 3.10 4 7 8. 5 2 c. where it is made first the charge of God Secondly the offspring and birth of God Thirdly A marke of the Elect and saved Fourthly That which especially is occupied about brethren such as are borne of God members of the militant Church All these argue of what kinde and seeede it is not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Vse To discerne this coine of heaven from all counterfeit stampes in this kinde There is a deepe vicious love contracted by the fellowship in sinne Simeon and Levi Gen. 49 5. brethren in evill yea this is almost as strong and deepe as hell Theeves have their league and drunkards their love union and fellowship yea sworne brotherhood The spirit of error and heresie is strong to linke the heart in love yea Iesuites are so knit to their Catholique league that death can not dissolve it And yet Paul imployes that this may want true love 1 Cor. 13 1. Men have a garish humour of love and pangs of affection so that in a moode they pretend the greatest love but on the sudden they either stabbe each others or else hate each other more than ever they loved As the bands are which tie men so is their love Carnall lusts gaine sweetnesse of manners politique respects to make use of each other naturall regards likenesse of manners or professions or disposition of soothablenesse and curtesie derived from Parent to child or a civill love standing in an entercourse of mutuall offices love mee and I will love thee or such like all of them are a sort of love which Religion doth not disanull but season and subordinate in the elect to this fruit of the Spirit even as the powers of the naturall and sensible soule are subject to reason A Christian hath other love yet from a better principle of spirituall love 2 The Parent The second thing is the begetting cause of it and that is faith effectuall and unfained Hence Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 saith Love proceedeth from a pure heart and faith unfained and as a workeman both makes a toole of his trade and workes by it also 1 Faith breeds it so faith begets this love and worketh by it Now faith in thus worke doth two things 1. It breedes it 2. Purgeth it first it breeds it and that two wayes 1 By an infusing qualitie 2. By a perswading The infusion of it is this Faith having possessed the soule with the love of God in reconciliation Rom. 5 5. diffuseth this love into the facultie of the will planting it there and causing the sweet thereof to dwell in it Christ comes not into the heart without the Spirit of Christ Now the Lord Iesus his manhood was filled with this grace of love the Spirit of the Godhead shedding it without measure into him Ioh. 1.17 That from his fulnesse wee might receive grace for grace Looke then what a loving heart tender mercifull See Act. 2.22 Mat. 11.19 Luk. 7.13 23.34 c. Act. 2.36 forbearing forgiving doing good to body to soule looke what amiablenesse gentlenesse sociablenesse usefullnesse was in his heart that is shâ—d into the beleever Now what that was his whole life shewed he loved and prayed for his rankest enemies died for those that crucified the Lord of life converting three thousand of them at once hee loved Mary and her sister Martha and Lazarus and Iohn his disciple most deerely Ioh. 11.5 36. See Acts 2.22 How he went about doing good even to all healing diseases preaching converting This Spirit then of the head is derived to us to be a privy marke unto us whether wee are his or no for hee that loveth not is not of God for God is love 1 Ioh. 4 8. 16. and hee who loveth dwelleth in God Secondly by perswasion For this see 2 Cor. 5.14 2 Cor. 5 14. The love of Christ constraines us for wee thus judge c. Marke There is a secret perswasive in this love to cause us to love one another and that by judgement and good reason This is that which Paul presses to the Ephesians Ephes 5 2. Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us as an offring of a sweet savour So againe Col. 3 13. Put on as the Elect of God the bowels of mercies kindnesse forbearing c. Why Even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye This is a strong dispute from relation of head to members reaching to all holinesse but especially to this branch For what a disproportion were it for us to joyne the body of a Lyon fierce and cruell to the head of a lambe loving and meeke What villany were it for a man dealt mercifully withall by his Master to take his fellow by the throte Ephe. 2 13. If Christ hath destroied enmitie broake downe the wall of separation and made peace for me when I was past hope how should I love and live with my brother Christ ought me nothing but I owe him him my selfe Should I after such love ever know any enemie Or if I should Philem. 19. should not such love as this quash it for ever If I should live in heartburning jealosie bitternesse and hatred should I not looke that the sweet morsell of mercy should come out at my nostrils 1 Ioh. 4 10 11 Hence it is that Saint Iohn so presseth this point Herein is love not that we loved him but be us Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Secondly faith doth purge love from manifold corruption By name from these eyesores First from all partialitie Secondly faith purges it 1 From partialitie Wee restraine and limit our love to such persons as wee our selves affect for some parts and indowments others are not so precious in our eyes wee cannot affect them because we see closenesse harshnesse techines pride and selfe to abound in them But love is unpartiall as well reaching to the undeserving provoking as to the amiable in point of soundnesse
I meane though extent may differ and over-comming evill with good for the roote of it is an higher thing than selfe-love and drownes all distastes in him that forgat all our injuries and died for us 2 From inconstancie Secondly from all inconstancy Every foole loves in his moode while the pang lasteth But as the torrent is soone up and soone downe so it is with many lovers they are either as high as the skies or as low as hell either men are the best with them or worst living Whence is this from their fickle heart which wants a bottome Love causes the soule to be firme constant equall and if occasions be offered of any breach Gal 4.18 3 Folly yet soders it up betimes that they grow not deepe and incurable So thirdly from all so injudiciousnesse and error Love is wise imparting it self as it sees the Object require it is not alike to all There is a false and counterfeit love in some men who out of either a weakenesse or formality of curtesie will impart themselves to such as they meete with very gently and a man would thinke this came from a deepe habite of love But if ye observe them it commeth from a slightnesse and emptinesse for they will impart themselves to all alike The best Divine in a countrey and the veriest Ruffian shall share equally in their affections no difference They will be liberall to good causes but so they will to bad and base ends also What a fulsome love is this What amiablenesse discerne these in the object of their love who can love the hatefull and to be abhorred as well as the best 4 From weaknesse Fourthly from all weakenesse and suspiciousnesse There is in some tempers a marvellous jealousnesse which makes us so conceited that the least toy or wry countenance puts them into a new frame when as yet the occasion conceived is meere nothing in all the world Melancholy may afford some seede to this ill humour but pride is the fomenter of it and selfe-love the nurse It is enough that these men thinke themselves slighted or wronged it skills not whether they be or no conceit affords realnesse sufficient But this love is too rough hewne to couch close in the building of communion 1 Cor. 3 16. Candor and ingenuousnesse of spirit loth to think ill of that which is so more than needs must but abhorring it 5 From streightnesse when no cause is and rather striving to interpret all at the best is a more meete stone to lie in this frame Fiftly all streightnesse and as I may call it hide-boundnesse of spirit many Christians are of so dry a temper so narrow-brested that their love lyes onely in a course of slight trifles they thinke it a superfluity to love in any other measure than that they may feele no vertue to goe out from them to others They cannot beteame any the enlargement of their bowels they thinke it waste to breake a boxe of oyntment upon thee feete of the Saints Iohn 12 3. But if any shredds will serve such shreddes as they can part with and feele no losse yee shall have from them This causeth them to bee uncomely members in the Communion of Saints and their love to bee odious and unsavory for love is as her object requires where an ounce is needed a dramme shall not serve the turne within her power a pound is as ready as a shilling or a shilling as a peny O yee Corinthians saith Paul I am enlarged unto you because I love you I can beteame you any thing even my owne soule so 1 Cor. 13 4. 6. From selfe love is bountifull and not shrunke up as a bottle in the smoake Sixthly all selfe and selfelove the very bane of communion When men will alway see some such addition to the grace of a man that although hee seeme to love for grace yet except there bee some other by and squint ayme of sweetenesse and curtesie of Pleasure gaine reputation or that which some way satisfies it selfe alas their love is cold and falles off Such shall bee markes in their eye as will prayse their gifts or lend them as their needes are or doe them good offices so as they may serve their turnes But for others they are not very forward to seeke them Whereas true love is selfe-denying and cleane handed Psal 16 2. Sets heart where God sets his and although as the case may stand offices of love are due and owed yet for those respects a good man abhorres to love and loves for that excellency of grace which hee beholds That sparkle of divine nature which shee can discerne to shine out of a soule in any kinde as Humility uprightnesse faith mercy innocency or the like are the Loadestone which knits them and drawes them together Seventhly pride and vaineglory 7. From pride For many there are who thinke themselves so compleate as if the body held not them Rom. 11 18. but they it They are too proud to have entercourse with others of all rankes They must be very choise and peculiar Divines of great fame and worth whom their love must honour But if of a meaner sort they have no edge to them Their love is as proud as his in Saint Iames who sayd to the gold ring and Pearles sit thou heere as deserving my love But to the meaner man sit thou at my foote-stoole Iam. 2 1 3. Oh! Saith the Apostle is not this to have the love of our Lord Iesus in the acceptance of persons 1 Tim. 1 4. Others out of singularity affect new opinions by themselves weary of the old grounds of truth as too meane for their curious and fine wits and thus bring in scisme and faction in steed of peace and consent in the Church Others are sicke of a Praesident and stiffe selfewillednesse Rom. 12 16. so that looke whatsoever they have once vented and broached bee it never so unsound Iohn 19 22. Gal. 5 ult yet they will stand out in it and what they have written they have written whatsoever confusion they cause thereby So also others are so vaineglorious that either they must sway and rule the rost in what companyes so ever they become if they bee not attended onely their gifts and parts admired and all cry Grace grace to their opinions though they disdaine the gifts of others better than themselves all is marred 1 Cor. 13. Whereas love is humble Rom. 12 10 and 16. thinkes better of others than it selfe in giving honour goes before others and is equally minded to those of lower degree moderate in her tenets willing to submit to any that shew better reason 8. From censoriousnesse Eightly censoriousnes For then if they see any goe in any other way than themselves they never enquire into their reasons much lesse forbeare and sympathise them in their supposed weakenesse but condemne them presently unheard and unknowne
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
by law seeke defence of both then that still the heart looke at her owne honest cleering rather than at any personall revenge not interpreting things lefthandedly an heathenish quality but as fairely as possibly they may bee construed So also forbearing the seelinesse weakenesse and lesser measures of other mens graces their techines errours and follies Waiting to see the end of a thing not so rejudging persons Eccles 7.10 Ephe. 4.32 intents events rashly Forgiving such as have offended us whether in their heate or coole bloud especially if we finde them ready to seeke it by making amends abhorring implacablenesse yea and this often not to seaven times but seaventy times seaven Matth. 18.22 Matth. 6. Matth. 18.35 even as wee our selves would bee heard in the like from God So also moderating of justice in case of strife vantage of Law Extreame right may proove extreame wrong When a poore man then is fallen into our hand we may not deale in the hardest manner cause all creditors to come about his eares and to undoe him or take for pledges his Bible his garment bed milstones bread c. Add to these others of like nature â— Position Secondly love extends her selfe to all such Acts of communion as she is occasioned unto and that first both in maintaining of those inward graces of the spirit which should put forth the soule unto them Col. 3.12 as tendernes painefulnes Col. 3.12 long-suffering amiablenes mildnes curtesie thankfulnesse kindnesse in mutuall offices plainnesse largenesse humblenes whatsoever of such quality 2. As also practise and exercise of loving actions 1. Either to all as to hold peace with them so as is possible with good conscience and to helpe pitty and releeve their bodies or soules though they deserve the contrary for there is an holy overflow of love in the godly even extended to such as are without that their hearts may be broken Ephe. 6.10 of this sort are these Vsefulnesse in common life for a righteous man and a good man should goe together readinesse to assist Iob 5.7 advise and protect the shiftlesse and wronged against their encroachers Iob 31.16 as Iob was the poore mans sanctuary especially of Orfans and widdowes whose low hedge is soone trod downe And that by free counsell riding writing in their defence if need bee So neighborly offices 2. Or else and that especially to that houshould of faith our fellow brethren and those either neere hand or remote For the love of the faithfull bends it selfe to God himselfe But as David speakes Psal 16 2. because it extends not to him therefore it returnes upon those whom hee hath made his Attornies to receive it First for Particulars we must know nothing can act beyond it owne spheare and so the love of the Saints shines most beautifully within her owne praecinct I meane to them whom she is neerest unto in place and also in compasse 1. To the person of Gods Minister his name estate To the Minister and welfare to maintaine countenance and assist to their uttermost especially in streights sicknesse and other necessities and to expresse our selves towards him See Heb. 13 1 as under the greatest prosperitie 2. To the persons of such faithfull ones as offer themselves unto us by occasion of travell or businesse 2. 2 People Heb. 13 2. Rom. 12 13. Iudges 19.15 that we be harberours unto them and make much of such esteeming their fellowship farre above our welcome But it is now growne to this that as that Levite at Gibea so a goodman if he lye not at an Alehouse may lye in the streetes An ill signe 3. 3 To Christian neere dwellers To those Christians among our selves who are decayed not by their sinne but the hand of God as fire sicknesse or the like losses best knowne to such as are neerest and therefore more concerning such than strangers who may easily bee deluded And this to be done in season before the breach be too farre gone at which time a shilling may doe as much good as ten after 4. 4 To the bodies of Saints Iohn 12 8. To the bodies in generall of all poore Saints whom wee must alwayes have among us in steede of Christ himselfe to discover what spirit of love is in us Towards whom we must shew love frankely and freely beteamingly and cheerefully Rom. 12 8. in all simplicity with bowels that is abundance of compassion to sixe and seaven dispersing not grudgingly upbraidingly Rom. 12 13. or niggardly To these true poore not onely rates for collection are due as to all by the Law but severall and privie mercie Now heere as the bodily distresse lyes in speciall so doth mercy draw lines from the Center of Gods Commandement Heb. 13 16. Eccles 11 1. To doe good and to distribute and forget not Cast thy bread upon their waters c. to each necessity one love extending it selfe to many operations according to judgement If she beholds the tattered or naked shee earnes to cloathe them if the hungry to feede them if penylesse Mat. 25 33 34. to money them if sicke to visit them if imprisoned to comfort and releeve them or howsoever their sorrowes are in their credite state posterity or the like 5 To the soules to succour and stand by them So againe and most of all to the soules of the faithfull to extend our charity according to their needes Not each one tending himselfe and looking to his owne private welfare of soule but to see that the commonwealth of Soules prosper And heere love is full of eyes towards the weake in knowledge Act. 18 26. Gal. 2 â—â— to enlighten them as Aquila did Apollos Toward the offensive to resist and reproove them sharpely as Paul did Peter Tit. 11 13. towards the fallen either by weakenesse to restore them and joynt them Gal. 6 1. or by revolt to gaster and recover them Iude 23. 1 Thes 5.14 to comfort the sad to warne the unruly and to exhort and quicken the weake and staggering Generally by good example to walke so unblameably toward all 1 Pet. 2.12 that the bad may be daunted and the good hartened built up and furthered in their most holy course â— Generall Secondly as a fountaine narrow at the spring diffuseth it selfe in her passages Diffusion of love So love she alway begins at home yet enlargeth her selfe to them that are a farre off even the whole Church in the corner in the country in the kingdome in which she liveth yea further even to other lands and the Churches thereof 2 Thes 3. 3 Iohn 2. One spirit possesseth the whole body for each members good and each member for the good of the whole and that both for outward and spirituall good For outward that all promises of prosperity belong to the Church So if it seeme good to providence shee may enjoy them Thus David Psal 144.12
it hath beene I have hung zeale and esteeme of Christ upon the hedge other matters have defeated them of their birthright Secondly 2. Vnbeleefe bee warned against unbeleefe This takes off the soule from all her right to Christ to Christ and therefore marres her plea If I be the Lords I have right to his nourishment and cannot chuse but pleade it as the infant pleads with the mother for the brest But if Satan doe get in so farre as to dazle the soule with unbeleefe lo all the ground of gracious appetite is gone and then what succeeds but fulsomnesse and staggering Vnbeleefe is the death of the soule Doth the dead child misse the breast No no above all things abhorre this wofull enemy of infidelitie and nourish faith to the conservation of the soule Heb. 10. ult Heb. 10.38 If the soule be upheld in her life and being life must have nourishment and want of it will proove hunger But if the soule have once withdrawne it selfe from the body what is it but a carrion Thirdly Thirdly surfeit of lusts cast all superfluitie out of the soule which hath secretly soked at unawares into it The wombe that will conceive must be cleane from all former conception it will not conceive upon conception If then a proud heart loving it selfe if a techy revenging spirit if the love of gold and silver if gallantnesse jollitie and pride of life scorning to take it as we have done if uncharitablenesse slighting and neglect of meanes defile us as alas what is easier if a man be let loose to walke after the guise of the world how can appetite last 1 Pet. 3.1.2 If ye will covet the word purge out all your superfluities for they oppresse the seate of appetite and while they lie there small appetite will appeare Fourthly Fourthly excesse of liberties Pro. 23.2 cast out the tickling excesse of all lawfull liberties eating drinking feasting recreations pleasures and vanities of all sorts To goe beyond our bounds in these under pretence of warrantablenesse doth as much jarre with the spirit of a Christian as open offences for by these colours Satan withdrawes the Spirit from a close cleaving to God selfe-deniall and faith poisons it with libertie bewitches it with ease and corrups it with a declining of heart from that diligence sinceerenesse power and delight wherewith it formerly walked Adde to these such as thou hast felt to dampe affection in thee perhaps ill marriage a bitter root of infinite branches jealosies suspicions and ill affectednesse to each other Never looke that the appetite after grace can hold while such scurffe is nourished I tremble to see by wofull experience how farre some dare venture in this kinde So also crossings in our estates and health and businesse which drawes the heart off for the most part from God as also too much businesse and padling in the world many irons being in the fire at once to distaste affection and to craze the sweet temper of it for Christ and his Sacrament Vse 4 Fourthly let it be a short exhortation Exhortation to all Gods people in these dangerous dayes wherin scarce one of an hundred quits himself without some crack and flaw to look to spirit fervencie of desire and affection to all the wil and waies of God constantly as farre as our weakenesse will permit to file off our rust and scrape off the barren mosse that will overgrow a tree of righteousnesse Vse all helpes and motives to cast our Snakes skin and Eagles bill and to scoure our selves upon the salt marshes as sheepe doe that health and appetite may be preserved I meane afflictions wisely used Be wary of thy company keepe the watch of God preserve tendernesse and jealousie double the use of best means set God above them and renue thy Covenant daily This will easily worke Sacramentall appetite in thee Come with it to the Supper emptie thy stomacke bring not thy browne bread and cheese in thy pocket to feed on at Gods feast the fowlest contempt which thou canst offer him Remember desire after Christs fulnesse is the most proper and peculiar worke of a guest if he would have his inviter thinke well of his presence Marriage feasts poure out men into affection without it such occasions are odious but to God much more If a Iudge oppresse being in the place of Iustice it is horrible So for a communicant to come with a dead heart and no stomacke to Gods feast is most wofull Say to Christ as once he said to his Apostles Lord with desire I have desired note the phrase Luk. 22.15 Luke 22.15 to eat this Passeover with thee Lord nourish it in my soule I desire Lord pardon my indifferencie Thou seest that commonly looke what thou seekest earnestly thou gettest eagar pursuit of mony of wil or lust cōpasseth them so desire of the Sacrament shall attaine her end Esau with teares sought a blessing not a spirituall Heb. 12.17 but a temporall if he had an heart to have craved a better he had it Take heede least the Lord thus lode thee one day for thy fulsome receivings and let all this be some quickning of thy soule to receive aright Vse 5 Fifthly come to the triall of this grace with thy selfe seriously whether it be renewed at the Supper or no some few markes I will mention leaving the Reader to judge of other trials by these Triall 1 First Triall of it this is one maine one Luke 5.8 If the sight of that fulnesse of grace that is in this feast of Christ doe emptie our soules to the bottome of all selfe-sufficiencie of our owne Contraries applied to each other doe greatly enlarge one another ignorance with knowledge purenesse with corruption the modesty of a Matron with the impudence of a Harlot Try then hath the Lord Iesus his fulnesse emptied thee of all thy base counterfeit shewes and left thee confounded in thy selfe for thy seeming vertues thy barrennesse of grace thy fulnesse of corruption Thou seest what Christ is doth thy owne spirit beginne to smite in thee to consider what thou art compared with him Alas if there were no more to lay thee open to thy selfe than now and then to meete with here a shred and there another of sinne thou wouldest be oppressed with selfe-love and waxe a dunghill of drosse Onely Christ can truely perfect the discovery of natural poyson If then all that is said of Christ leave thee as it found thee it s a signe of a wretch But if confounded and emptie a good signe Triall 2 Secondly it will not there stay neither but thy emptinesse will so pinch and disquiet thee that thou shalt finde no rest in thy selfe The Spirit of Christs Sacramentall fulnesse will affect thy spirituall stomacke as long fasting will thy bodily Thou knowest what a grievous paine thy stomacke will feele and how thy veines will shrinke and take on with intollerable grinding till
Elements hee gathers that God the Father hath given the Lord Iesus to the Church and thereby comforts himselfe in the free gift of God Secondly The second when hee sees him to blesse and breake the Elements he remembers that himselfe peirced and brake his body and sides by his sinne and provoked the justice of the Father against him which causes him to eate this Lambe and to mixe sweete meate with the hearbes of mourning and contrition Thirdly The third when hee heares the Minister offer the Elements to himselfe in particular he heares in him the voyce of the Father exhorting him to apply the Lord Iesus to himselfe for his peculiar strengthening against Sathan the world and corruption Fourthly beholding himselfe to thrust forth his hand to take The fourth eate and drinke the Elements he rejoyceth to thinke that God hath united them to Christ inseparably that by the power of the ordinance the one might carry the other into the soule and the soule might fasten with faith and hunger upon both as the true Nourishment of grace peace joy unto eternall life so that no enemy shall be ever able to frustrate the fruit of this Sacrament The fifth Also when hee sees the Church partake with him in these mysteries hee perceives an inward tender love and communion quickned in his heart and drawing him to rejoyce in his owne welfare as a member in and under the welfare of the Church through which as the body each member receaves her owne speciall influence from the head Yea the Psalmes and Almes of the Congregation sung The sixth and given from a cheerefull and charitable heart both to God his poore brethren doth provoke him to doe likewise to sing with a grace in his heart to the Lord and to distribute with a loving spirit to the necessities of the Saints All which being pertinent relations to the Acts administred doe further and ripen the soule in the grace of the Sacrament so that it shall not neede to repent her of her labour but with the end of the Sacrament reape also the fruite and carry away the blessing and returning God the Glory And thus much of the behaviour of the communicant at the Sacrament Which if it were wel weighed what difference should we soone see a maine difference between the basenesse of man the Provision of God Conclusion Alas this would banish all earthly wearisome sensuall wandring carriage of communicants who either for lacke of sound knowlege or else want of savour of heart are faint to fiâ—l up the time of long Sacraments with most tedious thoughts and affections and so defile themselves in an yrkesome receiving of that whereto they made so solemne a preparation Whereas wee know that as it is a greater commendation to a subject to demeane himselfe duly in the presence of his sovereigne than onely to spend thoughts before hand how he may doe it so it is no small comfort to a poore soule that hath painefully prepared it selfe when also it can converse with God in the ordinance so as it may lay no offence in the Lords and her owne way from a plentifull dispensing of mercy upon her selfe while the season of dispensing lasteth And thus much for this chapter CHAP. X. Touching the due carriage of a receiver after the Sacrament ended The third and last generall carriage after TO conclude the whole treatise let mee also adde a word or two concerning this last but not least duty of a communicant after the Supper A peece of worke very little regarded by the most But let us know that as some part of the Sacrament was entred upon in preparation so some part of it is to be done after the publike action ended I confesse it is counted a ridiculous thing by the moste to be so precise as never to have done but to goe from Church to chamber and there finish the worke But to such as make conscience of other ordinances in private this will bee more welcome and no paines will bee thought too great for the attaining of so great commodity Breefely then the Supper being ended 1. In speciall duties a Christian receiver should in private set himselfe in the presence of God and performe these two duties The first of faith The other due survey of his receiving Touching the first 1. Faith A Christian must close up the whole action with the Amen and so be it of faith lotting upon the word of God that it shall be to him in the fruite of his travell Esay 53. end according to that which God hath caused him to looke for It comes in my mind what is recorded Acts 12. of the Church assembled together in Maries house They had beene earnest to God for Peter Act. 12.15 in their prayers It pleased God to heare them and breake chaines and prisons by them And to send Peter miraculously among them as they desired Now when the Damosell came in and told them it was Peter they told her she was mad It was an Angell Whence came this that they should so hardly beleeve that which they had so earnestly prayed for Surely because faith is such a stranger to our spirit even when it is at the best that it seemes to bee a grace above us Carnall reason feare and distrust are alway upon the latch ready to breake in when we have beene most spiritually occupied how much more then ordinarily and to buzze into our eares thus Thus now thou hast beene busied and as thou thinkest thou hast discerned that which few have done at the Sacrament But what if all this thy labour should bee lost What if God should doe neither good nor evill What if for all this thou shalt be no better than if absent Oh! Heere then let thy faith still be as attentive to guard thy soule as Satan is with his fiery darts to dismay thee be able to quench them by faith thinke it no strange thing that unbeleefe hath never done assaulting thee but ply thy selfe with this sheild and Armour till thou have frayed away Satan from thee and recovered thy former part in the promise Say thus Lord was thy word strong at my going to the Sacrament and is it weake at my returne Dost not thou alway speake the same thing Is there any shaddow of turning in thee Shall I in the generall say with Martha oh 11.22.39 I know thou canst doe all things but when it comes to the push then start backe and say Hee stinketh Farre bee it from mee Lord thus to bee at a sudden losse as if thy promise were no bottome sufficient to cleave to This is the first thing which the Lord lookes for that thy faith should be as reall as the promise and that thereby thy heart should bee fenced from the feares and distempers of carnall sence and distrust which else will breake in upon thy wanzing heart and weaken thy confidence Alas wee see nothing
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
them to looke after the Sacrament They tell themselves in secret That such holy things are not for dogges Swine more become the trough than the Table Matth. 7.6 The Divell also takes on and torments them if they dare looke toward the Sacrament and tells them They have another trade to thrive upon their whoring their riot their roaring and emptying themselves into their lusts without all controll and stabbing all that give them a crosse word must bee their joy and delight and in stead of all Word and Sacrament And thus they desperately goe on saying There is no hope Remedy Ieremie Chap. 2. Vers 25. The remedy is That they submit to Gods terrours and stoppe their ungodly courses and try if the terrours of God can came them and bring them into some generall compasse A fourth cause is conceit of mens civilitie Fourth Cause Conceit of civility being out of Covenant innocencie and good life among men but voidnes of grace and being quite estranged from the life of Religion Now how can such finde any relish in the Seale of that Covenant which they regard not It s enough for them that they keepe their Church shunne the Alehouse and drunkennesse be no open profane offenders but they keepe quarter with their owne Idoll and set up that in stead of God his Word and Sacrament their harmelesnesse and curtesie must goe for pay with men though they be never so fulsome in Gods account I condemne not civilitie nay I praise it yet the resting in a principle of our own sterves the heart of Gods grace when a man resolves there to pitch Let these men learne to be out of all savor with themselves Remedy knowing that their excellencie stands in a thing which is quite underline of grace and so seeke to season their soules with true understanding of their enmitie with God and care to keepe covenant with him which onely can make the seales savorie Some outward causes there are also of this First the want of the Ministery 2 Externall causes 1 Want of meanes and meanes of knowledge of Gods Ordinances and the Supper by name How should Ministers preach of the Seales that understand not the doctrine of Christ himselfe Nay I mourne to speake it divers Ministers neither unlearned nor unpainefull in their kind nor ungodly yet in point of the Sacrament doe little acquaint either themselves or the people with it almost through the yeare except in a passage a farre off Remedy I dare not boast my selfe I know well mine owne wants but if I might draw any to emulation I durst say That whereas my poore labours for twelve yeares were more upon this than any other one point I am not ashamed to say I found the argument more fruitfull at the end than all the while And doubtlesse many good people there are who mourne for the barrennesse of their Ministers in this kinde as much as their owne deprivall of the benefit Secondly base example Sinne 2 Base example 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.18 goes strong in the streame of tradition When as in a towne you shall have twentie families into which the knowledge and savor of the Sacraments never entred how should it descend into their children 2 King 17. ult No But as 2 King 17. ult that worship which those Samaritans had learned was continued many hundred yeares after even till Christs time Iohn 4. So heere looke what unsavorinesse of Sacraments was in the grandfather and father or mother it descends as an inheritance to their posterity Remedy running in the blood as a disease The remedy is that young ones doe withdraw themselves from such cursed customes of profanenesse and suffer the word to season their hearts more deepely with grace and the love of holy things more deeply than lewd custome hath leavened them with the contrary 3 Scandall Thirdly Scandall When the bad stumble at the actions and lives of such as are frequent receivers who may bee hypocrites and when they see that such dare cogge and cozen men of their estates undoe men by breaking and running away and sometimes be as joviall and merry companions as themselves as to lye traduce others breake promises play the worldlings and the like Oh! they conclude There is no great matter in receiving the Sacraments and if this be the religion of such let us abide still drinkers c. Oh fearefull scandall Thou shouldest bind thy selfe by receaving to an inoffensive course of meeknes and love that thou mightst win honour to the Sacraments But for redresse heereof Remedy let such consider the woe to all that offend others and all that are offended at others It s just with God to set one against the other that such may perish who love not the truth One shall not neede to mock the other This for the first 2. Better sort Causes 1. No pondering the spitualnesse and worth of Sacraments Now for the better sort even with them also it is not well They debarre themselves of the sweete fruit they might enjoy And why Surely because the entire value and honour of the Sacrament is not nourished in their hearts the true gaine of them continues not in their soules They ponder not the spiriâ—uall nature of them they beleeve not that God can blesse them as hee hath promised they hold no strength from them any time but forget it by their vanity and giddinesse They cannot see how the Spirit of Christ gives efficacy to the Sacrament to purge them from the wrath revenge lightnesse abuse of liberties and the lesse they gaine by them through their owne sin the lesse they love them Much lesse doe they consider the sealing power of Sacraments to give the soule assurance of that which other Ordinances alone cannot The remedy whereof Remedy being that which oft hath beene pressed I neede not urge it Onely I aime at this that I may give the Reader a view together of these diseases for his better recovery Secondly even the better sort are much given oft times to hide their owne follies 2 Cause Hiding of their sinne and to beare with themselves too much even in those errors which breake out openly enough to the eyes of the wise observers Now if the sight of our wants is not all that God requires of his people what shall be said to such as in selfe-love applaud themselves and looke so much at their few commendations that they are lothe to acknowledge their blemishes And sure it is he that walkes with sence of few wants mâ—kes God superfluous in his Sacraments For remedy hereof goe to the Chapter wherein this point is purposely handled Thirdly many of these are deepely tainted with worldlinesse and have no measure in their earthly businesse 3 Deepe Worldlinesse whereby neither their preparation to the Sacrament nor their survey of it either before or after can finde roome with them All is too little for worke worke
the water And the essence of Baptisme in the very symbolicalnesse of it urgeth no lesse For what resemblance of ingrafting putting on of Christ is there in sprinkling what typicalnesse is there of our descending into and ascending out of the water both which are expresly spoken of Christ in his baptisme of Iordan What resemblance of our buriall or resurrection with Christ is there in it So that I doubt not but contrary to our Churches intention this errour having once crept in is maintained still by the carnall ease and tendernesse of such as looking more at themselves than at God stretch the liberty of the Church in this case deeper and further than eyther the Church her selfe would or the solemnenesse of this Sacrament may well and safely admit I doe not speake this as a thing meete to disturbe a Churches peace but as desiring such as it concernes in their places to looke to their liberty and duty in this behalfe The fourth person the infant The fourth and cheefe person yea equall object of Baptisme is the party baptised For not onely the Church may and doth baptise her infants but also adultos growne ones also if any such being bred Pagans and brought within the pale of the Church shall testifie their competent understanding of the new covenant and professe their desire to bee seazed with Baptisme for the strengthning of their soule in the faith thereof professe it I say not basely and slightly but with earnestnesse and entirenesse cutting off their haire and nailes and abhorring their Paganisme A short touch of the baptisme of infants But the truth is the exercise of the Churches baptisme is upon infants Here the Anabaptists rise up pleading the corruption of such baptisme and urging the first baptisme of catechised ones and confessors of sinne and cravers of the seale upon the worke of the Ministry foregoing in knowledge and faith which can be incident onely to Adulti or growne ones They alledge that we seale to a blank to no covenant and therefore it s a nullity Sundry learned men have undertaken to stop their scismaticall mouths to answer their peevish Arguments my scope tends another way in this Treaty so farre as my digression may be veniall I say this for the setling of such as are not willfull that I take the baptisme of infants to be one of the most reverend generall and uncontroled traditions which the Church hath and which I would no lesse doubt of than the Creede to bee Apostolicall And although I confesse my selfe yet unconvinced by demonstration of Scripture for it yet Reasons for it first Sithence Circumcision was applyed to the infant the eighth day in the Old Testament Secondly there is no word in the New Testament to infringe the liberty of the Church in it nor speciall reason why wee should bereave her of it Thirdly sundry Scriptures afford some friendly proofes by consequence of it Fourthly the holinesse of the child externall and visible is from their parents who are or ought to be catechised confessors penitent and Protestants in truth which privelidge onely open revolt disables them from therefore I say The seede being holy and belonging to the Covenant the Lord graciously admits them also to the seale of it in Baptisme 1 Cor. 7 14 Quest Howbeit here a further quaere arises And How it is capable 1 Pet. 3 21. because the Sacrament of Baptisme is here handled by us not as halfe a Sacrament onely including a washing of the flesh but an entire Sacrament holding out and giving an invisible grace by outward meanes By what authority shall we say an infant may be presented to that whereof it is not capable To that I answer Answere First it s not meete that Baptisme being the Sacrament of new birth which can be but once should destroy her owne Analogy by frequent administring therefore if but once the most comprehensive way is to doe it in the infancy when the outward admission of a member is allowed to it Secondly although the child be not capable of the grace of the Sacrament by that way whereby the growne are by hearing conceiving and beleeving yet this followes not that infants are not capable of Sacramentall grace in and by another way Pittifull are the shifts of them that have no other way to stop an Anabaptists mouth save by an errour that an infant may have faith It s easy to distinguish betweene the gift conveyed and the manner of conveying it For if the former be the latter in such case will poore needlesse But if the infant be truly susceptive of the substance of Christ none can deny it the Sacrament Now to understand this marke that infants borne of beleeving parents are of the number of those that shall be saved though dying in their infancy none of our reformed Churches will deny It is enough therefore that such before death doe partake the benefit of Election in Christ together with the benefits of Christ in regeneration adoption redemption and glory Now that the Spirit can apply these unto such infants is not doubted of though the manner thereof to us bee as hidden and mysticall thing yet so it is the Spirit of Christ can as really unite the soule of an infant to God imprint upon it the true title of a sonne and daughter by adoption and the image of God by sanctification without faith as with it Now if the thing of baptisme be thus given it why not baptisme Nay I adde further I see no cause to deny that even in and at and by the act of baptisme as the necessity of the weake infant may admit the Spirit may imprint these upon the soule of the infant Vse Let the use of the point bee to all such as are growne to yeares of discretion to looke backe to their Baptisme Let such blesse the Lord for his bounteous prevention of them with the Sacrament even before they had any strength to conceive it Why should the Lord so doe except to heape hot coales upon thy head oh poore wretch and to teach thee to conclude Esay 65.1 Iam. 4 8. Psal 119.10 that he who was found of thee when thou soughtest him not will much more draw neare to thee when thou art fayne upon him and seekest him with thy whole heart What a mercy is it to know the Lord to be a provoker of the soule to imbrace that covenant the seale whereof hee is content to bestow before hand for the hope of time to come Who should so play the Traytor in coole blood having found the Lord so faithfull in his love and to cavill thus I was baptized and made my covenant when I knew nothing nay I did make none my selfe but others for me Let them looke to their stipulation and promise I made none Can any Trecherous wretch so requite the Lord Rather if any sparke of love be in thee wilt thou not breake thy heart by this early mercy before
hand Wilt thou not say what a shame were it for me to give over him now in the pursuit of his grace when he hath formerly layd a pledge in my bosome of his gracious meaning to forgive and save me Were it not just I should be left to perish with my baptisme of water barred from the true seale of Gods covenant Oh! be vigilant and studious to redeeme the opportunity of grace and to follow all meanes for the obteyning of grace Kill all base enimity and treachery which suggest the Lord to be thy foe say thus Iudg. 13.23 Surely if hee had meant to destroy mee he would never have done any such kindnesse for mee but this preventing freely assures mee of his blessing upon my attending the meanes to get vocation and faith Oh! be not faithlesse but faithful Suffer no base ease self-pride security infidelity to clog thee and hold thee in chaines Iohn 20 27. Doe thy worke the better and neglect no helpe seeing thou hast thy pay before hand But to conclude if the false and hollow are so culpable what shall be said of such as abuse the livery of Christ to debauch themselves in all kind of profanenes pride drunkenesse riot uncleannesse swearing abuse of the Lords day and that lawlesly How much better were it they had never seene the sun than by their contempt of this long suffring of God to heape up wrath to themselves against the day of vengeance besides the unspeakable scandale they give to Atheists From the personall acts I come to the second Generall The 2. Generall grace of it 2 Fold viz. the Grace of the Sacrament of Baptisme which I illustrate by a Diversity viz. that it serves also for Admission into the visible body of the Church This then is the common favour of Baptisme viz. matriculation and outward incorporating into the number of worshippers of God 1 Common and into visible Communion This is as the porch into the house The Lords scope in Baptisme is an inward grace but this generall priviledge is to all equall viz. A badge of an outward member distinction from the common rout of the world Rom. 4 11. out of the pale of the Church The Lord appointed Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith cheeflly yet as an overplus he allowed it to bee the Differencer of all other Nations from the Iewes Gen. 17 12 13 It was as a fence and wall of separation from them in all their converse So is Baptisme now a marke or badge of externall Communion whereby the Lord settles a right upon the person to his ordinances that it may comfortably use them as his owne priviledge and waite for the inward prerogative of Saints by them And yet this as much as men boast of it is but a shell in respect of the other There is an outward implanting of the wilde Olive into the sweet Olive that it may bee exempt out of the state of Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel But there is a better use of it Heb. 12 25. to bring us to mount Zion Heb. 12.25 to the soules of just men to the Assemblies of Saints The first is not to bee slighted the latter to be rested in and honoured Gen. 17 15. Therefore hee who rejected Circumcision was to bee cut off from his people voluntary cutting off was punished with necessary Vse 1 The use whereof is first to teach us to pitty the estate of so vaste a portion of the world as the Lord hath left in their blindnesse of minde and savadgnesse of spirit and cut them off from the Church of God wholly Oh! the fearefulnesse of sin which should lye so heavy upon the Lords heart as to leave so many Millions for thousands of yeares and thousand thousand generations destitute of God Act â—7 30. Ephe 3 5. Word Covenant and hope ordinary I meane giving them up to be a kingdome of Sathan for the Prince of this world to rule at his pleasure Not to speake of the Iewes whom God hath left to the obstinacy of their rebellion contempt of Christ and his covenant and seales How should wee mourne for them and pray for their conversion and the fulnesse of the Gentiles Vse 2 Secondly what terrour should it strike into the spirits of such as yet never saw their naturall condition What doth baptisme teach but this our woefull Apostasie from God by sinne our estrangement from his life Ephe. 4.13 and our excommunication from his people It is not our outward baptisme which can releeve us Onely it shewes how deepely our nature is sunke and revolted from God and how gracious the Lord is in this his Sacrament to give us by it an unconditionall free title to mercy and forgivenesse whereas he hath debarred still an huge part of the world from Christendome Vse 3 Thirdly it should encourage all fearefull hearts that doubt whether the Lord meane as he saith in his covenant and offer to be reconciled to God to beleeve that he is ingenuous and faithfull therein seeing that by Baptisme he hath taken away that objection wiped away the shame of Egypt and the reproach of uncircumcised ones granting a second priviledge to them and a title to heare pray worship beleeve that by this he might plucke them not onely from Infidels but much more from that infidelity and Atheisme which estranges them from God and might make them true free-denizons of his kingdome in grace and glory by regeneration Vse 4 Fourthly its woefull conviction to all such as still disguise themselves under this priviledge of visible members and wiping off this oyle of consecration still abide most uncouth monsters and savages in the bosome of the Church under Gods cognizance living in all base courses open profaning of Gods name and Sabboths blaspheming that God into whom they are baptized degenerated both from the habit of Christians and men and drowned in the gulfe of all excesse of impiety intemperance unrighteousnesse and whatsoever even Heathens are described by Rom. 1. Eph. 4. Oh! Rom. 1. Ephe. 4. how do they cause Pagans to abhorre the hearesay of baptisme and Christ as some Indians beholding the Spanyards in the east parts cryed out If these were Christians they would still keepe their God to themselves and an heathen Physitian spake somewhat like If these be Christians my soule bee with the Philosophers Surely their foreskin is still upon them Ier. 9 25. yea they have drawne it up againe as ashamed of their Baptisme But the cheefe thing here considerable The speciall grace of it is Christ our nevv birth is the true grace of the Sacrament of Baptisme which point is one of the most materiall both for knowledge and use of all the rest Conceive then the Lord Iesus being wholly given of God in each Sacrament though for divers ends this former Sacrament offers him wholly in point of our new birth or the new creature Christ in all
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