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
it Remember that faith doth set thee as those Lampes under the oyle dropping into thee from the promises of the Sacrament Branch 2 2. Againe try thy faith first in the maine promise If thou finde thou wantest it desist for a time Come not in thy base unbeleefe rather make use of what I have sayd about faith and blesse God that by such an occasion thou maist store thy selfe with it for heereafter and art now convinced of thy want Perhaps thou never hadst knowne it save by such an occasion therefore ply it hard while season lasteth But if thou have got it yet neglect not to consider Gods worke in thy conversion blesse him that thou canst proove by what meane thou camest by it what a promise is what the roote of faith is what the act effects of it are confessing it were hard for thee now to beginne or to bee without it Branch 3 3. Revive it also as oft as thou commest musing of these last trialls or some of them and linne not till thou finde them in thee more or lesse that so the Sacrament may light upon thee as dew upon dry ground and thou mayst count the approach of the Supper joyfull newes above the joy of a feast or banquet Vse 3 Lastly let it be consolation to all poore beleevers Consola The best will soonest complaine Oh! sayth one Heere bee so many Rules that I am confounded to thinke of my selfe or to try my faith by them But I answer Proove but a droppe or dramme of faith unfeigned precious and effectuall and the Lord and thou shall not differ about measure Bee sure thou have any and then know the Supper is an ordinance to make weake ones strong Objections remooved not onely nor cheefely to make strong ones stronger Touching the objections of the weake I have spoken in the Chapter of the tryall of our estate To adde a word more another objection is I cannot finde the promise so powerfull as to overpowre and perswade mee to beleeve with full streame of heart I answer Answ I grant that oft the phrases and similitudes of Scripture imply First by a Concession That faith is a sensible thing and a conviction of heart So it s called Ioh. 16.9 It s called the rayning downe of righteousnesse The receiving of Christ The buying of the pearle The running into the streame Esay 55.6 and the like as drawing neare to God Secondly Solution comming to God Howbeit wee must know the spirituall sense of these phrases imports not alway a reflexe sight and knowledge that we have it and much lesse ought wee to stumble at such phrases as imply the measure of faith as to be carryed with full sayle To rejoyce with joy unspeakeable c. Heb. 1â— 22 Onely let a poore soule beware of resting in any measure till hee have atteyned faith with power and feeling which is a stranger in these dayes But to hasten this I adde Many talke of the over-powring of the heart who know not what it meanes it is not the measure of full assurance but the true drawing of the soule from Idols to the beleeving God Therefore poore soule dismay not thy selfe perhaps thou seest not full light of beleeving nor the whole breadth and length of it as yet nor yet what the Lord meanes to settle upon thee Thou art as one that dreameth yet God was at worke to deliver Israel when they were as they that dreamed Psal 126.1 Exod. 6. â— Long anguish caused them to heare of a Saviour as one that was farre off yet hee was neare Give not the Lord over but even in thy darkest bondage cleave to the meanes seeke the Lord and leave the successe to him be not beaten off from hope by any feare within or without Reade Acts 12. Act. 12 7 8. Peter in his sleepe thought hee saw but a vision of deliuerance yet the Lord was at worke even then He came not at first clearely to consider the matter But what did he Surely he did as he was bidden even in his dreame he arose shooke off his cheynes Verse 8.9 put on cloake and sandales followed the Angell through yron doores and gates and at last when he was past danger the Angell departing hee understood all the businesse So perhaps the Lord will doe by thee When all Angells and proppes are gone and thou left to the bare promise stript of other helpes thou shalt bee as glad to cling to the Lord in it as ever thou were backward to it But in the meane time bee doing as thou art bidden and obey and thou shalt one day see light Receive the Sacrament with weake faith for so God bids thee and more shall be given thee And so I shut up this weighty tryall of Sacramentall faith CHAP. VI. Of the tryall of repentance at the Sacrament Entry upon repentance I Must in the entry upon this point advertise the Reader of some generalls which may make for the better Caveat 1. conceaving of the scope of the whole Chapter First let him remember that which was before sayd That in pressing the tryall of repentance I doe not meane that repentance concurrs to the act of receiving so properly as faith But in a second respect as affording a sweet witnesse to the truth of faith already shaped in the soule as also to honour the purenesse of the ordinance with sutable purenesse of conscience and course The second thing I would have noted is The second That although in this tryall of repentance it is to be supposed that each receiver of the seale must first bee in covenant that is have his heart renewed and in that respect that whole labour might be spared how the substance of repentance may be tryed yet considering that it is not alway with receivers as it ought to be but man still will come without it Therefore as I have done already in the point of faith to shew the true forme and being of it ere I came to handle the renewing of it at the Supper So heere I will doe for the grace of repentance The rather least any should alledge his ignorance what it is or wherein it standeth yet I will be short because I have elsewhere handled it largely viz. in the third part of my Catechisme in the two first Articles The third thing I note is The third That our speciall and mayne enquiry shall be in this tryall about daily exercise and renewed practise of repentance at the Sacrament and not onely as repentance is taken for some penitent affection occasioned but as it is taken for that walking with God which consists in the duties of mortifyed and quickned obedience to God and men and that eyther in an ordinary course of innocency or in the case of some speciall revolt Before I handle the tryall of eyther the substance or the practise hereof Grounds of the point first Scripture I will ground the necessity
A TREATISE OF THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPELL BAPTISME AND THE SVPPER OF THE LORD Divided into two Parts The first treating of the Doctrine and Nature of the Sacraments in generall and of these two in speciall together with the Circumstances attending them The second containing the manner of our due preparation to the Receiving of the Supper of the Lord As also of our behaviour in and after the same Whereunto is Annexed an Appendix shewing First how a Christian may finde his Preparation to the Supper sweete and easie Secondly the causes why the Sacrament is so unworthily Received by the worst and so fruitlesly by the better sort with the Remedies to avoyd them both By D. R. B. of Divin Minister of the Gospell Math. 3.11 I indeed baptize you with water but he that commeth after me who is worthier than I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. Esay 25.6 And in this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things c. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes for Iohn Bellamie dwelling at the three Golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1633. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND MY GOOD Lady the old Lady Barington Grace and Peace MADAM FOR sundry causes this Treatise of mine seekes your patronage One is That interest of love and respect which a long time not my selfe alone but sundry of our name and Tribe have received from your Ladiship Another is your loving acceptance of such former service of mine to God and his Church in this kinde as hath privately come to your hands wherein you have ingenuously professed your selfe to be a daily travailer with some fruit Likewise that honourable esteeme which I have ever borne and beare to the memory of that noble and worthy Knight your deceased husband was not a little moment in my thoughts Not to speake of my acquaintance with some of your religious Race of whom I say the lesse as perswaded that they seeke the praise of God not of man Besides all these I adde this That my hope is that from your patronage and protection some of your owne ranke and more of your inferiours who looke after bookes as much for the grace and allowance of their betters as for the worth of their matter might by reading thereof be drawne to love them for the true good which they have gained thereby Yet I must not deny but there is a greater motive than all these Seldome have I seriously conversed with your Ladiship at any time but I have observed some carefulnesse in you to be setled upon some good evidences which might secure you of pardon and favour with God A solemne object I confesse the very thought whereof as you may blesse God for so much more you shal have cause to prayse him in vouchsafing you Which shall come to passe if as alway so especially in this last act of your life you shall give all diligence by reading meditation and prayer to make it sure to your owne soule My desire therefore being that I might conferre somewhat hereto and sithence God hath cast your eye and affection upon my labours which doe cheefely ayme at this marke I beseech the Lord so to guide your spirit in your perusall thereof That whatsoever you passe over besides you may take speciall marke of those grounds of Humiliation selfe-denyall and faith which most concerne the maine point of assurance Neglecting no occasion if by any meanes you may atteine to the resurrection of the dead and the whilst may be satisfied with peace and joy through beleeving That so your heart daily growing more tender and confident upon the bare word of the promise you neede no other support your whole heart and conversation may be moulded into a new creature according to the measure of mercy I will not delay you with discourse about the contents of the ensuing treatise that were but to prevent both the Epistle following and the Booke it selfe As touching helpes for your comfortable receiving which I have noted you to speake seriously of I cannot doubt but your Ladiship hath many though I know not any who have travailed in this kind with me to unite the full doctrine and practise of the supper in one But for as much as it is behoovefull upon such occasions not onely to heare in publique but also to have some reall subject at hand which may present the Truth to a desirous heart and releeve memory therefore I doubt not but this Treatise may ad a furtherance thereto If as the Lord hath with much labour 6. or 7. yeares thoughts at times now brought this poore fruite to the light so he please to adde a sutable successe unto it in his peoples practise I shall have no cause to repent me It is the Lord who as hee is tyed to none of our tongues or pens so yet hath bound himselfe to our faith prayers and diligence To whom therefore commending the issue of your Ladiships endeavours herein together with the prosperity of your selfe and yours an happy end of your long pilgrimage and peace to Israel I rest Your Ladiships bounden D. R. To the Iudicious and vvell affected Reader GOOD Reader I have ever esteemed the Lord Iesus the newbirth and nourishment of his Church to be of all other Arguments and Treatises of Divinity the most eminent and essentiall either for such as preach and write to insist upon or for those that heare and reade to improove to themselves by knowing and beleeving And sithence our good God hath not contented himselfe to vouchsafe to his Church this great gift of Christ onely by the word of promise which yet being grounded upon such unshaken Foundations as his owne decree the death of his Son and the faithfulnesse of his dispensers might well claime the obedience and consent of faith at our hands But also hath added the Sacraments as seales of this his covenant and as the utmost assurance of his good meaning moreouer annexing the Spirit of promise and of seale to them both for the better applying to each soule in particular his part in these good things which he hath beteamed her I have thought it fittest having now leasure more than enough to chuse my argument to light upon this of Christ Sacramentall as giving mee hope of doing the most comprehenâ—â—â—e good and becomming most advantagious to the â—â—â—â—ch of God both for the understanding and use of that â—â—â—trine Every man desires to have that which he buyeth or enjoyeth when the commodity is at the best When men would either shew or buy wares or cattle in the Market they desire to set them forth at the best and when they are in best case to attract buyers we love to behold the faces of them we love when they are at the best for health of body and spirit and if we were as wise to improove every thing to the best as
close with him for it And remember for as much as the Lord hath onely appointed thiâ— grace of faith to be that spiritually to thy soule which the mouth stomacke and veines are bodily to corporall nourishment Therefore rest not in any other instrument of application whatsoever either in thy bodily and carnally touch or in the carnall conceit of thy minde thinking thou commest with a devout minde or with that faith in the Sacrament which the Church doe come with infolded in a mysticall darkenesse of devotion for what soever is brought hither in stead of faith shall be thy bane one day and is abhominable to God Let it be thy appetite thy stomacke thy veines thy soule to draw to unite to distribute to assimilate and to convey Christ into all parts of thy life Lin not till his substance be thine If thou hadst a sundry friend to furnish thee with sundry boones thy want would send thee to them all To the Lawyer for direction in thy suites and troubles to the Physitian for thy diseases to the rich to borrow monies and perhaps for necessitie to a Divine in trouble of minde Count the Lord Iesus all If a poore man be asked why he makes such a trade of it to frequent such an house He will say It s a full house it s not deere to trouble it often To be sure here to this store and wel-spring the ofter thou come to the Supper I meane the welcomer If his fulnesse can make thee emptie know all thy emptinesse cannot robbe him of fulnesse Beleeve that thy neede can not amount higher than his fulnesse and so long thy pipes are sure to be filled But come in faith and bring a free heart and an emptie bucket and be to him as he is to thee Come to hm to cloathe nakednesse to pay debts to rid thee of chaines and let there be no fulnesse in him whereof thou feelest not neede and then as the Sacrament is appointed to thee for speciall growth in godlinesse so shall the Lord Iesus become unto thee and thou shalt not be the first servant that shall bring in a false report of Christ for an hard master to thee as hypocrites doe And this be said of this maine point chiefely aimed at in the first part of this Treatise to shew the use of Christ our nourishment One point still remaines Namely The second act Sacramentall of the people Eate Drinke The meaning of it Enjoying the chiefe things of Christ in his feast Psal 128.2 the second act of the people to eate and drinke Christ Which I distinguish from the other for just cause When these two acts are divided in the Text I expound them for one thing Take that is beleeve and eate that is beleeve but when I finde them joyned especially in so solemne a text as the Institution of the Supper is I avoid repetition and doe conceive two things to be meant by Taking as I have said Beleeving By Eating enjoying the benefite or delighting the soule in the fruit thereof according to those Texts Of the fruit of thy labour thou shalt eate Psal 128,2 1.19 Esay 1 19. Thou shalt eate the good things of the Land In which places Eating is not taken as in Ioh. Excepte ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man Ioh. 6 51.53 ye have no life in you where eating is taking for beleeving but as here for enjoying So then the eating of Christ Sacramentall is That spirituall enjoying of the Lord Iesus and all his good things which we have received to beare our selves as well apaid ones at his feast and such as are filled and satisfied with himselfe desire no better condition count our portion to be fallen into a good ground and so reflecting upon our soules what we have found at his Table rejoyce therein as in spoiles and he have our selves as those who have beene keeping holiday in his house and feasting in the Mount not of Sinai or Horeb as Moses did but the Gospell Esay 25 8. Esay 25.8 and therefore we having that we came for be as we would be and possesse our soules with exceeding complacencie and contentment and enlarge them to the Lord with joy and thanks rejoycing in him as Mary saith our Saviour and God all-sufficient The grounds foure For why Is there not good cause or neede we be ashamed or plucke in our heads as if confounded No the feast wee have beene at and the dishes thereof are things of perfect sweetnesse and contentment and that in respect of these foure perfections first Safenesse secondly Purenesse thirdly Fulnesse and fourthly Durablenesse In all these the dainties of Christ exceede all other and he in them all other objects The world hath her delights and feastings 1 The safetie thereof both wicked and indifferent liberties but neither safe both dangerous Theeves delight to steale money and stolen waters are pleasant True in the taste but as the Prophets Booke Bitter in the belly Knowest thou not that there will be bitternesse in the latter end 2 Sam. 2 26. 2 Sam 2 26. When prison feares gibbetcome then all the hony is turned into the gall of Aspes as Iob 20 14. Iob 20 14. Wickednesse is dangerous in the issue witnesse Gehazi's booty Achans Garment and Gold the Fooles ease in his plentie the Harlots taking her fill in pleasure in her husbands absence but her steps are not as her lippes these drop honey but they goe downe with her guests to hell Nay even of the indifferentest liberties I may say there is no safetie in them for there is a surfeit in them either to body or soule Wine is an mocker and strong drinke is a deceiver there is a hooke and a snare underneath in the issue they bite as a Serpent Too much honey is not safe it surfeits and kills even as feasts of great plenty breed diseases and make worke for the Physitian The unsafenesse of the best thing makes it imperfectly contenting But the feast of Gods corne and oyle and milke as it costs nothing Esay 55 1. Esay 55 1. So a man may feede on them without feare as in Verse 2. Eate good things and spare not curbe not nor put a knife to thy appetite the more the better no surfeit is in them Let thy soule delight and satiate it selfe in this fatnesse there is no hurt in it Not safe onely in respect of Gods leave and warrant as Salomon saith Drinke of thine owne wells thou art truly intitled to them in him whom all things are thine by But thou shalt never heare of them after for any danger they can doe thee Reade Ephes 5.18 Ephes 5 18. In all other things is excesse Secondly these Dainties Sacramentall are pure and meere 2 Their Purenesse uncompounded and without the mixture of carnall delights Sweet is that of Salomon The Lord gives the righteous a portion and no sorrow with it Hee meanes there is no checke
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
and the grace of love for the great worke of receiving-Its in him the first principle of life who made them to bestow them Renounce thy selfe thy own sence wil-worship devotion religion It s no moralitie to receive well no act of ours It s a most spirituall act about an object of divine excellencie the relation of a Sacrament the end of it the manner of partaking it require a new bottome and the casting out of our owne till God have stript us of our selves flesh and bloud shall never feele any subsisting of Sacraments they will vanish Onely a word of promise and a seale of the Spirit added to it by and from a God of boundlesse mercie can breede faith to become as reall an evidence and convincing the soule that there is Christ Pardon and Grace to be gotten as ever Pharisee felt false bottome in his owne work wrought carnall and outward devotion and farre greater And this note The Lord is not so to be counted the ordainer of Sacraments as if he had put all his power over unto them to conferre grace to all sorts No no he holds the bridle still in his owne hand if he blesse they shall be blessed if not accursed and all to teach us to seeke him for the grace of his Ordinance to abhorre our selves to pray for the Spirit of the Promise to make the seale effectuall else all is empty and bottomlesse The second thing is the matter of a Sacrament In the which point two branches offer themselves to be considered Secondly Matter Two things First Necessitie First The necessitie of it Secondly The simplicitie Touching the former Elements must be sensible I meane no absolute necessitie but such as the sutablenesse to providence to the impotencie of our nature requireth Such is the wofull blindnesse and dulnesse of our understanding and unbeleefe of our hearts to conceive or apply to our selves the Mystery of Christ that except the Lord should suffer men to vanish wholly in this their wretchednesse hee must of necessitie steppe out of his spirituall â—â—â—rse and temper himselfe to our infirmity declaring spirituall things by carnall And hee doth by this meanes condescend to us First Our weakenesse requires it least we should be offended with the hard things of his kingdome but might even see touch taste them and by speaking to all these sences at once hee might convey the savor and faith of them and in them familiarly to us He doth catch us as it were by this wise crafte which though it bewray much dulnesse in us yet no lesse deepe wisedome and love in God And this course hee hath taken in all times past with his Church for when any promise charge threat or act of his hath passed to corrupt man hee hath beene faine to second it with some signe and outward warrant to the sence to confirme them in the truth of it who were Actors or beholders thereof When the Lord sent Moses as a Saviour to Israel and to Pharaoh Exod. 32. and 4.3 Iudg. 7 38. Esay 38 21. Ier. 13.9 and 24 2 24. 25 15. Ezek. 12.3 c. how did the Lord both ratifie his calling and threats by miraculous signes So Gideon and Hezekiah so the Prophets in their errands as those Stories of the rod becomming a Serpent the drie and wet Fleece the rottten Girdle the Pot with the scumme and flesh sodden together doe witnesse Not to speake of those many Shaddowes and Types of holy things in the Worship of God there being scarce any one materiall thing in the whole Mystery of Christ which had not some one perhaps more spirituall resemblances Yea wee see in the new Testament how the Holy Ghost doth parallell many passages of History to spirituall Mysteries as Hagar and Sina to resimble legall bondage Gal. 4 24. Ierusalem to typifie the opposite libertie the water that supported Noa's Arke to expresse Christ and Baptisme which although I speake not to equall Types and Figures to Sacraments which are of a farre higher nature yet generally they serve to shew what the infirmity of our dull nature doth call for at the hands of God to vouchsafe these Sacraments Vnto which another respect may bee added to wit Secondly For prevention of Idolatry prevention of will-worship As the Lord gave the Iewes an earthly tabernacle and a materiall instruments of worship warranted by his owne Will to restraine the carnall part from devising Idoll-inventions to serve him by So Sacraments serve in a sort to curbe our base hearts from the like errors For if even these be not sufficient to stop our folly in this kinde which will know no God or worship further than we see him then what would wee have devised to our selves if God had not allowed us these Let the many additions of Popish Sacraments and Sacramentalls Images Idols and the Crucifixe c. be evident proofe hereof Vse 1 Teaching us to circumscribe our curious and fickle hearts within Gods bounds and secondly to magnifie his provision in this kinde for the releefe of our dull and slow hearts yea as Manoahs Angell ascended in the smoake of the sacrifice Iudg. 13.20 so let us incorporate and indoctrinate our feeble mindes and soules into the evidence of these divine proppes of the Sacraments As our Saviour said to Thomas Iohn 20.17 Put thy hand into my sides and the print of the nailes he being content that his exalted estate should admit such scars to convince him so in this Sacrament he shewes us his markes bidding us to be not more formall and hardned but faithfull The more wayes the Lord seekes to encounter the dul conceit and the stupor of our understandings yea the blunt edge of our affections in holy mysteries the more naturally and familiarly he deales that he might surprise our earthlinesse sensualitie and heavinesse of spirit slow to beleeve these heavenly things I say let us be the more teachable and pliable to his discipline Let the impression of his Ordinance pierce more deepely into us and work a more through conquest of our hearts to the obedience of him A pen of a Diamond hath tenfold that force to engrave a Figure in glasse or mettall than some ordinary toole So when the Lord seekes to send instruction into us many wayes at once by all the sences eyes tast touch as well as by the worke of the bare word oh let us beware least our resistance of Spirit and hardnes of heart discourage him quite from any further dealing and tearting with us Iohn 3.12 If when I teach you carnall things saith our Saviour for so it was his course to teach nothing save by Similitudes Parables and sometimes reall objects as by setting a little child before them and washing and wiping their feete himselfe in that lesson of Humiliation and Selfe-deniall Ye understand not Mat. 13 2. Iohn 13 4. how shall ye conceive heavenly Meaning if those things which were used as the more
his fidelity by laying a pledge in our lap and by securing us of his faithfulnes by oath the end of all strife Nay to speak more fully the Lord in the assuring of the bargain of his grace doth much like to an honest man willing to sell his inheritance Finding out such an honest chapman as gives him content hee offers him the Land upon a price declares the goodnesse of it tells him it s richly worth his money Having thus presented the object to the free choise of the Chapman Lo the Buyer mooved by the sinceritie of the Seller and the goodnesse of the penny-worth consents to his price and contracts with him for the Land They both are firmely agreed neither suspecting other their words seeme as deeds each to other But in the upshot the Buyer considers while the Seller and I live and there shall be no question betweene us all is well but if the Seller die and leave me no security for my owne what availes it me to pay my money Who knowes what may befall besides either of our intentions in so bad a world as this Hereupon these ingenuous dealers treate further and the Seller taking great content in the buyer tells him I see you are willing to deale with me to beleeve my honest contract and I find few so true in paying for their purchase as I see you are your money I have received and therefore you shall well see I will not be more backward in security than you are in paiment Goe to the learnedst counsell you can meet with get him to draw the Covenants as sure and strong as can be and looke whatsoever shall be demanded I will make good and I will settle the land upon you as strongly as Law can â—evise to settle it In like sort deales the Lord with a beleeving soule I see thou hast a good desire deale with me for my grace and pardon in Christ thou hast received my report beleeved my promise for the faithfulnesse sake which thou perceivest to be in me howbeit I see many doubts rise up in thy minde to unsettle thee I see thy sensualitie is great thy heart wavering for time to come I am absent from thine eye and Satan buzzeth feares into thee of my unfaithfulnes I have therfore resolved to assure thee to the uttermost of my simplicitie and have added to my Covenant a further ratification of my Sacraments I here give thee a pledge an oath a seale I chuse the Symbols of the flesh water and bloud of my crucified Sonne the very instruments by which he wrought satisfaction for thee as verily as this Sacrament offers thee these united Elements which be as a marke and print of the very nailes and wounds that pierced and slew him and wrought my angry soule to be appeased so verily doe I in particular tender them to thee and make them thine so that if thou be frustrate I am content to cease to be faithfull and shall become a lier Behold therefore in my Sacrament all my Sonne and the utmost security which I am able externally to give thee and to make him thine as surely as my Gospell can make him Thus I say doth the Lord and joyneâ— the Spirit of his Sonne called his sealing Spirit to the Spirit of promise before given That the one with the other the seale with the Covenant might be above the Covenant alone so leave the poore soule in peace and securitie as concerning his faithfull Covenant to save and sustaine the soule in all her feare and doubtfulnesse and to take refuge with strong consolation Vse 1 And let the use hereof in Gods feare be as weightie with us as the point it selfe is First to teach us to mourne to consider how lamentably this end of Sacraments on Gods part is unknowne untaught despised in the Church of Christ after threescore yeares restoring of the Gospell and upward and all by the sinne of wofull and wicked men who have by their sloth deprived Gods people of so great a Iewell as the Ministry and use of Sacraments Where is there one congregation of many to whom this mystery of Christ Sacramentall is revealed in the kinde How hidden and darke is this Doctrine to the most And where it hath sounded how strange is the sound thereof even as of many waters I may say the one halfe of Christ in his efficacie and power either by Covenant or Seale is kept from the body of people by the carelesnesse of Teachers Vse 2 Secondly to exhort all that care to receive the Sacrament to any purpose not to rest themselves satisfied in knowing what I have spoken Eph. 4 21. till they know the truth as it is in Iesus Sacramentall till they finde and feele Gods end of Sacraments to be fulfilled in and to their owne soules in the sealing and securing power thereof Oh! Iohn 4 10. Didst thou know the gift of God in a Sacrament how the Lord hath hung it to his Covenant as a seale of uttermost assurance of Christ thy peace and wellfare how wouldest thou both addresse thy selfe to it and set thy seale of faith to it As concurring with Gods end and receiving full securitie to thy doubtfull soule of Gods being thy God reconciled and alsâ—fficient Oh! looke to it as thy life Heb. 6 14 15.16 Shall an oath among men decide all and shall God stake pledges sweare seale up his Covenant with his owne hand and shalt thou dare to remaine notwithstanding at as dead a point as if he had never wet his finger to give thee contentment Oh! how shalt thou endure that wrath of his which shall burne forth against all that give him the lie 1 Ioh. 5.10 holding their owne against him and his Oath and receiving his Word as a vaine thing Doubtlesse if his wrath shall smoake against that soule which having heard his Law and Terrors shall crie peace to it selfe and say none of these plagues shall befall me Deut. 29 19. What wrath shall breake forth against him that hearing the Lords Oath and beholding his hand and seale to his Covenant shall treade it under feete and adde drunkennesse to thirst by unbeleefe in stead of adding assurance to faith a seale to a Covenant Let us teach our selves by the practise of men If a man having received the uttermost witnesse and security which the Law of the Land can give him applies it in speciall to the securing of his heart and rests in full perswasion that his money is not lost his purchase is good what shalt thou doe towards the Lords security For tell me I pray thee wherein rests the securitie of a Purchaser Is it not in the spirit of the Law of the Land Doth he not tell himselfe This is thine the strength of the law of the Land is thine thou art on sure ground the Law must be no Law ere the right be no right Sleepe therefore securely enjoy thine owne feare nothing Such a Law
it within or without No do What was all grace laid in one houre in your bosome Have ye no steppings in of Sathan flesh infidelity revolt had world to unsettle ye I will not judge you but judge your selves and enquire whether that sudden peace of yours be not rather such a one as savors of presumption or of a desire to be troubled no longer about the matter than solid and profound Feare the worst the best will save it selfe Tremble to thinke God should have an Ordinance in store which you stand in no neede of If it be so then such as neede it shall have it but you may misse it well enough Branch 3 To these I may adde another though better object of mourning whose hearts are afflicted enough for lacke of assurance but what with their selfe-loving rest in their complements and not going to the golden Scepter with Ester and what with their deapth of melancholy Ester 4.16 and 5 2. hardnesse to be perswaded as also their deepe bondage by unbeleefe they will not heare of such a possibilitie of sealing assurance but either thinke it a fable or farre from their reach and therefore set downe their staffe that if unbeleefe and staggering can doe it all their dayes must be miserable The Lord hath removed them farre from prosperitie and put out their light Oh Lam. 3.13 Deut. 32.6 unthankfull ones Doe ye thus requite the Lord for his Sacrament Is this your meditation application of the sealing power of it Is it too good for ye with Ahaz to receive a signe from God! Doe ye not neede it or Esay 7.12.13 are ye so saped in bondage and anguish that ye heed it not Why then yeeld ye purposely to it Why strive ye not to lay in for any grace which God hath for ye What service shall God have from ye without it If ye slight this comfort must ye not needs slight obedience If God should streighten ye in seeking it and hold ye off yet is there any such employment so precious as this Oh! poore soules if lamenting would doe you good what neede have ye of it Oh! consider and come out of your dungeon Tell me when our Adversaries the Papists laugh and scorne the Doctrine of assurance say its impossible doe you favour them Sure I am in your conscience and conversation ye are of another stampe and do ye not tremble that you should dwell next doore to such and fall into the same streame of their error 2 Pet. 3. ult Vse 2 Secondly let all humble ones that would follow the Lord in his Ordinance if by any meanes they might comprehend that for which they are comprehended of Christ admire and adore this bounty of God in his Sacrament Phil. 3 11 who so long since thy Baptisme when thou thoughtst no other but thou hadst beene forgotten yet hath remembred or offers to remember thee with the fruit of thy Baptisme who could have dreamt it Once Ioh. 13 7.8 9. when Peter heard Christ offer to wash him he told him he should never doe so meane an office to him But when our Saviour replied What I now doe thou knowest not but hereafter thou shalt know then hee changed his minde When the Lord gave thee Baptisme in thine infancie which was a pledge of further favor he shewed thee mercy But lo he had a deeper reach and in due time thou shouldst know it and now he offers it thee No Sacrament passeth thee but if thy heart and mind be matches he revives the print of thy Baptisme unto thee Oh! Why is not thy heart broken at it Lord I have lived loosely and basely this twenty thirty fortie yeares since thy baptizing me Shewing that I was not much the better for it And now shouldest thou at last send a showre to fetch up the seed of regeneration Iud. 14 14. from under this drie clod Out of the eater bring sweetnesse and create thy selfe in a wombe so old barren and past all hope of new birth Gen. 18.12 Sarah laughed the text saith when she heard of such newes But truly Lord my heart hath cause to rend in pieces to see such mercy Oh Lord I see with thee a thousand yeares are as one day 2 Pet. 3 8. Rom. 4 17. Thou callest things that are as if they were not Thirtie yeares of ignorance saped in the world carnall civill saples under the doâ—trine of thy Grace and Covenant it may be also a swearing drunken uncleane wretch to be sure a son of old Adam still an hypocrite and unbeleever Oh! shouldst thou now ere I die prevent hell for me and cause that word of Regeneration which never afforded any favor to me now to shew me that thy Sacrament fortie yeares since cast upon me hath not lost her strength and efficacy Oh Lord methinks now I see plainely why thou wert aforehand with me Even that I might be ashamed I should be so behind with thee That being on the surer hand I might ply thy Covenant the more earnestly Oh Lord if thou hadst not prevented me wth the grace of the Spirit I had slept in death and in thy livery lived and died a Traitor But now since thy Covenant hath entred into mee behold I see well thy Sacrament hath added some strength unto my unbeleeving heart and laying all thy dealing together I perceive thou meanest to heape hot coales of fire upon me that I might at leasure ere I goe to the pit and be no more seene know and feele that blessed use of Baptisme which I never saw Oh Lord I know there is a sealing power in it It s an annex to thy Covenant No sooner did that allure me to beleeve but thy Spirit joyned it selfe to me to second it to strengthen my fainting heart and then I saw If thou hadst meant to destroy me thou wouldst never have spent one cord upon me Iud. 13 23. But seeing thou meanest to save me all shall do me good promise Seale and so I have found it Lord and blesse thee in the view of such experience How many hundreds of my age education and fashion have quite given thee over in the covenant they made in Baptisme But now I doe adore and wonder at this unspeakable love of thine towards me Oh let it never be forgotten Vse 3 Thirdly let it teach thee to examine thy selfe about the truth of the sealing grace of the Spirit in thy Baptisme If the Seale be as large as the Patent to all uses and ends of it the way to trie thy selfe herein will bee this to examine thy self about the work of the word of Regeneration in thee If that have brought thee neere to thy birth lo here is the Spirit for thee to give strength for bringing thee forth to the light For Baptisme truly understood seales up all which the word hath bred in thee Deceive not thy selfe in thinking that the water alone will beget the to God No it
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
encrease in every true Receiver especially being assisted with other helpes inward and outward the mercies and blessings of God which as Talents are put to advantage for Gods glory The third degree Stablenesse in grace The third is stablenesse in grace Wee see that mens bodies in time by continuance of health and groth come to a pitch to a measure of groth This is a third prospering It is not with the soule as with the body which ceaseth to grow when it is at her pitch or declines rather when it is growne to her full point What it is But herein a pitch of bodily groth resembles spirituall that as the man growne to his full period enjoyes as it were himselfe and all his former yeares which he hath lived becomes now of a growing a growne man is come now to his best to his full strength ability and sufficiencie for service so is it with a Christian He growes in Christ to the measure and fulnesse of him Ephe. 4.13 Eph. 4.13 So that whereas before in his beginnings and proceedings hee found much ignorance in minde much error in judgement much infirmity in spirit much to seeke of direction and wisdome in his course Also much unsetled wearisome off and on up and downe in holy practise many combats and conflicts with his bubbling rebellious inconstant treacherous withdrawing spirit lo now it s otherwise now he is growne to some stay setling ripenesse and experience in Gods matters Heb. 5. Heb. 5. ult more exercised in his spirituall senses to put a difference betweene good and evill persons and things not so blinde as formerly but light in the Lord judicious observative sober in affections staide in minde and resolution Ephe. 5 16. 1 Iohn 2.13 Act. 11.27 1 Cor. 7.35 Ephes 4.12 having his heart at better bay and more awe for teachable subjection to God more firme in purpose of heart to cleave to God without disstraction 1 Cor. 7.35 not easily carried away by each Doctrine and dice-play of men not mistaking truths not slighting them not partially affecting them but moulded in them fashioned by them and keeping his fashion as a man would doe of his apparell against each noveltie So also constant setled rooted and stable 1 Cor. 15. last reade it not ungrounded in the foundation not to seeke when Satan buffets but knowing his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 2.11 and also strong to resist couragious in the use of the Armour and so persevering in his course This is that which Paul Ephe. 3. cals Christ dwelling in the soule by faith as the Inhabitant who keepes in his owne Christ Sacramentall doth this Epes 3.17 is not as a Stranger or a Sojorner who comes and goes but a Ledger one that holds his abode and delights in his dwelling Oh! this is a great degree of Christs infusion and influence into the soule when he pitches there settles and dwels there for what else is the stablenesse of the soule in grace save Christs dwelling in it by his grace and is no flittet thence And this third degrâ—e of nourishment the Lord workes in all his who have attained the former two They come to be as the Scholler riveted into his Rules or the tradesman in the myrie of his occupation not to seeke of it It is the promise of Christ to all his that they shall grow up thus in the body not by any vertue of their owne but by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus their nourishment And to this end especially they cleave to this Sacrament and improve the promise of it This is my body This is my bloud even to settle the soule by the frequent receiving of it upon the Lord Iesus for stablenesse strength courage that they may enjoy the Lord Iesus in all the Sacraments they have received and retaine the power of all the Ordinances they have used all the graces they have growne in all the duties they have done afflictions they have endured examples they have seene workes and governement of God which they have marked I say that from all these the Lord would bring such an holy experience of heart resolution of purpose setling of spirit upon the Lord his threats commands and promises as not doubting but they are firme and sure Matth. 7 ult and therefore a rocke and foundation sufficient to rely upon in all windes stormes and weathers whatsoever This I say is that third degree of Christ our nourishment which each communicant lookes for at the Supper The fourth degree Fruitfulnesse in grace 1 Cor. 15. ult What it is The fourth and last is fruitfulnesse in grace See 1 Cor. 15 ult where the Apostle joynes these two last branches Be yee unmooveable and setled alway abounding in the worke of the Lord. Wee see it in plants and men The plants must be well spread and rooted in the earth before they can grow fruitfull at least in plenty A little roote will not nourish large branches and boughes Sometime the root is so bare and fleet that it will scarce furnish the tree with leaves but a large deepe root hath many strings and little suckers which worke for the tree and feede her with nourishment so that the roote abiding deepe aod fast in the earth the fruit is plentifull Wee know nature is never more fruitfull in the active principle of generation than when the strength of the body is well confirmed So then this is the last step of spirituall prosperitie when this fourth is added to the three former to wit fruitfulnesse in a good course And it is the perfection of that influence and communion which we here enjoy in the Lord Iesus our nourishment That meate indeede and drinke indeede is this abundance and fruitfulnesse When out of the abundance of the heart the tongue is fruitfull in uttering the hands in working the feete in walking the members in service the whole tree in bringing forth fruits of righteousnesse Esay 61 3. calles such accepted and beloved of the Lord as we esteeme exceedingly of bearing trees especially if yearely and plentifully It is from the roote of the Lord Iesus that the soule doth grow thus fruitfull The indwelling of Christ is the abundance of influence the lesse of Christ the soule hath the lesse sap and fruit the nearer the communion the greater the influence The greater the treasure is from which a man draweth the richer the supply We say It s sweet to take from a great heape An heape wil serve for all uses a poore unstockt man is easily perceived in his wares the small store and choise therof hee that hath little mony to lay out is bare in his household attire family diet scarse hath for necessitie but nothing for delight and plenty So is it with a man that is no prosperer in grace hath only froÌ„ hand to mouth he cannot verifie our Saviour his specch That out of the abundance of the heart he bringeth good things abundantly but
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
not for the fruit Vse all these in their kindes but enjoy these and in so doing ye have the perfection which nothing else can and these doe affoord to the soule But heere yee will say is the difficulty I answer I will point briefely at two or three branches of direction and so conclude Directions for it three The first delight in God Psal 37. The first is this Delight in the Lord for this perfection of soule-content which he offers in his Christ The perfection of love is joy let him have perfect delight of thy heart for his perfect nourishment If David said well Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire how much more then set thy heart upon him when he hath already done it that hee may doe it more Vse the Ordinances of Word of Prayer yea of this Sacramentall Christ our nourishment as a stirrop to get up into this full safe pure and durable object of delight in the Lord his Christ and Spirit who when all these poore helpes which serve to proppe up a Pilgrims travell as so many baiting-places till he get home shall faile yet shall be the eternall delight of the soule in glory Beginne this complacence and well apaiednesse of heart heere and if it be hard pray to God to give thee a judicious heart to understand the weight and worth of the things and to delight groundedly in those things which are best approved of God to deserve it As if a Iueller assure thee of the value of a pearle he neede say no more And pray also that all thy affections may follow love joy feare to forgoe it sorrow if weakened and all the rest as in a Gentlemans house let the Master welcome a stranger and all the servants will striue to doe the like Beseech him that his Spirit of comfort by faith may not only shew thee the good things he hath given thee 1 Cor. 2 12. 1 Cor. 2 12. but shed a lively sweetnesse and joy in them into thee so that as the Vine said Iudg. 9 11 13. Thou wilt not forsake this thy fatnesse and sweetnesse for any thing Beseech him to purge thy conscience from all creeping defilements of thy selfe world Satan or crosses which might dampe it and so raise up thy soule by them above all this earth which might eclipse it If it be an heaven upon earth now and then to beleeve a promise to savor a Truth to receive a Sacrament to be in good company to resist a lust to revive a grace what should he be who is all these and whereby should the heart be sooner raised up to him than by that which makes all this good cheere the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Oh! maintaine no melancholy distrust against this But as Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 1 Sam. 1 1â— when she had heard Eli was quite another and wept no more so be thou Peninna still was a chokepeare and so shall there never cease some thing or other to correct thy content but yet Peninna now was no more thought of Remember if food and gladnesse alway go together as Act. 14.17 Act. 14 17. How shalt thou hold up thy face before the Lord of this feast if thy sad heart poison it Secondly 2 Maintaine communion with him adde thiâ—â—s maintaine this Communion with God daily As the influente of Christ in the Sacrament is a speciall peece of our communion with God so when wee are gone it should make us fond to hold it that wee might bee as it were drunk with the wine of his cellars and the pleasures of his house That so wee may keepe a communion with him daily from Sabbath to Sabbath and be alway breaking bread and receaving as those disciples at Ierusalem who attended the comming of the Holy-Ghost David was so ravisht with that hee felt in the house of God that he saith had I but one thing of God this it should be Psal 27. That I might behold his face in the beauty of his Temple and holinesse and yet he might never come into the Priests Sanctuary much lesse rhe Holy of Holies to see the merciseat and the Arke under it covered with glorious Cherubins which wee may doe daily This is to spend our whole life in Gods House Psal 23. ult Psal 23 6. Not to be never out of it which old Anna her selfe could not but to retaine that savor of immortalitie and hope of eternall life which the communion of Saints in the world and Sacraments doth breed in the soule Oh the smell of these spices in the garden which the North-winde of the Spirit doth afford to our nostriles Cant. 4 16. Cant. 4 16. should so perfume us as all other fellowship should stinke unto us as no douht Peter his nets did and all the world when he was with Christ and Moses and Elias upon the Mount and would have built three Tabernacles Math. 17 4. and said It is good to be there As those brutish ones longed When will the Sabbaths be gone and the new Moones be past meaning those feasts of continuance for weekes so shouldst thou long for them When will they come And with David Psal 84. Psal 84.3 Oh my heart fainteth and my feete long for to goe to thy Temple How rare are such in these dayes in which though our cups and vessels be of silver and gold yet our receivers are wood and stone for the most part and such as savor not this bread of life and food of Angels How should we be afraid lest this Idoll of forme eate up all as those leane Kine in Gen. 41 18. Gen. 41.18.16 20. and lanke eares devoured the fat and full ones Where is hee who so comes to the Sacrament as loth to leave it and to goe into the aire of the world againe I â—â—mmend not the excesse of these old Monkes who forsooke the course of the world for to live alway in holy services But this I say few such there are who doe so much as hold any savor of this communion of Christ Sacramentall a few dayes after Oh! then such as have found this hoord of grace in the Supper keepe it daily also that it may attend ye fortie dayes till the Mount of God Directions for it Therefore let our daily course hold this communion But how may some say I will adde one or two words of direction First in the due exercise and quickning of the graces of the Spirit within us both the life of faith in all estates blessings and crosses in all meanes ordinary and extraordinary in their season as well as the Supper all having their particular use also in all duties of both Tables and the fruits of this faith I meane the graces of hope love to the Saints the partners with us in this communion Psal 16 2. Psal 16 2. and patience humilitie courage thankfulnesse and the rest of
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
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
delight in the inner man prevent falls restore ye being fallen and cause ye to grow in grace more than ever Which if you had once tasted who should drive ye from the Sacrament Or should ye come to Church meaning to receive and to yet depart without it or which is worse give advantage to the divell and the world to set upon you the more fiercely by occasion of this defiling your selves No surely but be confirmed in comming the oftner the welcomer Vse 5 Fifthly and especially make we this Doctrine Examination a rule of triall to us about our Sacramentall repentance I have laid downe 3. grounds in this Chapter which might serve for this use to a carefull heart Likewise in the triall of our estate Chapt. 2. at the end I have said somewhat which sorteth well with this Point Yet least I should leave the Reader unsatisfied let me here helpe somewhat toward setting this triall on worke I will cull out some few leaving the Reader to apply the rest Triall 1 And first trie thy selfe by this marke Thou knowest the Sacrament is a reall setting before thine eyes the body and bloud of Christ slain and crucified Zach. 12.10 Now it was prophecied by Zachary that repentant soules should see him whom they have pierced and mourne How is it then with thee Dost thou mourne to see the Lord Iesus pierced at the Sacrament Dost thou as well take thought for him as for thy selfe Is thy heart broken to thinke how thy pride hollownesse and selfe-love have shed his precious bloud and beene the speare to pierce him I mean not that thou shouldst whip thy self for the cruelty of the Priests and Scribes as Papists doe themselves being as bad but that the cost of thy redemption doth abase thee and thy sinne humble thee even to hells brinke in thy owne sence And doth it deepely affect thee that thy sinne caused the Lord to lay such loade upon his Sonne Doth it make thy sinne truly irkesome to thee And darest thou not the second time crucifie Christ to thy selfe But rather carriest all thy beloved darlings to his Crosse that they may there lose their life and heart bloud sacrificing them in an holy recompence unto him Rom. 12. â— It is a good signe Triall 2 Secondly art thou willing by any meanes to be informed of thy sinnes not onely morrall but also spirituall those that doe most defile thy spirit and vexe the Spirit of grace Ephe 4.30 Is that Ministry most welcome to thee which carrieth in the spirit to search the depth of thy heart When thou canst overtake thy subtill heart and find out the turnings and trickes of it the farre fetch'd devices of it to keepe thee in such a course as maintaines selfe and fleshly ease destroying selfe-deniall and sincerity canst thou rejoyce as one that findeth spoiles Is it thy secret prayer that the Lord would set the righteous to smite thee Psal 141.5 And countest thou him a deere friend that will reprove thee Yea when thou mightest carrie a sinne slily and none the wiser hast thou one within thee that will give thee no peace till it be cast out And is secret sinne as base as open unto thee A blessed signe Triall 3 Thirdly is the uprightnesse of others the servants of God more highly esteemed by thee than thine owne yea than the opinion of others though they thinke never so highly of thee Feelest thou no bottome in other mens praises when thy heart tells thee they esteeme too well of thee And dost thou desire they might thinke of thee as thou art 1 Cor. 4.3 that they might as well pray as praise God for thee as being privy that the greatest part of thy vertues are not the least part of thy corruptions Dost thou still see an excellencie in the members of Christ above thine owne And some such base stuffe in thy selfe as oft causes thy best graces to be in lesse account Rom. 7.24 mourning that thou canst not reach that measure in tendernesse jealozie of heart plainenesse and truth which thou seest in others It s a good signe Triall 4 Fourthly canst thou yet acknowledge that good which God hath done for thee with true enlargednesse of heart and without swelling Canst thou joyne humilitie with thanksgiving without prejudice to each other And although thou feelest when evill is present as pride selfe yet thou darest not bite on Gods glory in thy obedience because there will goe some scurffe of thine in the streame But thy heart prayeth Lord let mee shine still and honour thee but dash all shining upon my selfe and getting up into thy saddle by mine owne stirrops It is a signe of a wise and holy seeking Gods ends and that thine heart is cleane Triall 5 Fifthly dost thou love righteousnesse it selfe as righteousnesse be the thing and subject of never so small a nature And dost thou hate sinne as sinne be it never so little in thine eye Is the one precious to thee for that pure natures sake which it resembles and the other loathsome 2 Thess 5.22 because it is opposite to it It is a good signe Triall 6 Sixthly when thou feelest thy heart touch'd for thy sinne and humbled in prayer darest thou not stay there but proceedest to renounce it as seriously Or rather doth not thy tongue goe before thy heart So that when occasion is offered it seemes sweeter and welcomer than when there was none As Peter vowed to sticke to his Master when there was nothing to trie him but when there was Mat. 26 23.56 then to sticke to him was too hard and heavy to him If it be thus thou knowest not thine owne spirit Take an ensample Thou professest that thou darest not be unrighteous but it falles out that thou art convinced of some bad dealing now thou art willed to renounce it that is to make such a satisfaction as thou hast damnified not being thine owne judge but as they who are wise thinke best If thou be as free in renouncing when either shame by open confession or losse by restitution lies upon it it is a good signe else thine heart playâ—s bootie Triall 7 Seventhly are the sinnes of others the sorrowes of the Church as sensible bitter and laid to heart by thee Psal 119.136 as thy own And canst thou drown both other joyes and sorrows of thine owne in these And accordingly to thy affections so are thy prayers endeavours procurements for the peace of the Church and against her miseries and those that cause it And canst thou forget thy selfe and thy businesse for this purpose It is well Triall 8 Eightly dost thou rejoyce alway to be crossing thy selfe in those succors and supports of thy sinne which thy corruption suggests to thee if grace did not gainesay As for example findest thou thy selfe eager of base gain And when it tickles thy spirit canst thou in the chiefe of that sweetnes cut off thy hand and foote