flesh they shall be conveyers of holy things the blood spirit power life of the Lord Iesus into the soules of the faithfull Oh Father then as thou and I are one Ioh. 17.22 so declare that looke what I upon earth have done that thou hast ratified in heaven let not thine elect make any question but that its thy will as well as mine that these Elements be sanctified for such use Secondly as he begges of his Father Consent so especially he craves blessing upon them As Salomon in that his prayer begs Oh Lord since it s thy will to dwell in this house which I have built 1 Kin. 8.28 therefore I beseech thee shew it by reall effects Whensoever thy people shall be hem'd in by their enemies be afflicted with famine pestilence sword or whensoever they shall pray for any good thing Oh Lord looke downe from heaven and let it be enough that thy people looke toward this house Oh then meet them and blesse them So our Saviour here Oh Father I know thou hearest me alway and by name in thy consent to this separation of the Sacrament But Lord shew it both at this time to my disciples for ever to the end of the world Let them not looke toward this ordinance in vaine but put the savor and foyson of thy Sons grace strength refreshing into them that they may actually conferre upon all hungry beleeving soules my righteousnesse of satisfaction and sanctification of merit in the one 1 Cor. 1 30. Exod 20.1 and efficacie in the other to sustaine them and encrease their comfort both in their reconciliation and holinesse as the neede of each requires 3. He begges of his Father that his poore doubtfull and weake people might understand this blessing to be granted as well as himselfe that they might come confidently to this Sacrament 4. That by vertue of this his prayer and blessing the Church might approach with confidence to the Throne of Grace to doe the like that is to blesse the Sacrament both Minister and people with hope to receive the like blessing upon their receiving Vse 1 Ere wee goe to the next branch this may affoord us speciall use let it be exhortation then to all poore humbled ones in the sight of unworthinesse to all fearefull distrustfull ones of themselves that mourne for their dead dull receivings and that the Sacrament comes and goes from time to time with small fruit Oh! Why is it thus with you Is the Lord here and you are not aware Doe yee fare as if the Lord bade yee come hither in your owne strength Hath he not bestowed blessings upon it and blessed it yea and in spite of all divels in hell coâ—ruption on earth formalitie of the wicked it shall be blessed Why then looke yee no more firmely to the effect of this prayer Let me adde one thing more This prayer of Christ was but the first of his requests in this behalfe Lo as he is our Advocate in heaven he plies this worke still and followes this first sute with his Father to the uttermost that he would apply the power of his death and bloud to his Word preached and Sacraments ministred in his Church so that no opportunitie is now wanting to second this blessing doe not feare least God should have forgot this old prayer for with him two thousand yeares is as one day â— Pet. 3 8. But say it were not so yet we have an Advocate daily to put him in minde of each occasion Ioh. 11 42. So that if the Lord Iesus be all-way heard when hee prayeth it s well for us though old suits might be forgotten which is impossible But alas alas The cold comfort we feele by the Sacrament is the fruit of our little denying our selves cleaving to the Prayer and the Promise This is my welbeloved c. If Iohoshaphat could so confidently goe to God 1. Chro. 20 9. so long after Salomons blessing the Temple pleading to be heard how much more thou in the prayer of the Lord Iesus Did not Rebecca and Iacob laugh and take courage thinke we when they heard Isaac tell Esau Gen. 27 33. That Iacob was already blessed and should be so Why dost thou not laugh then to heare a greater and surer blessing from Christ Why goest thou out of this Blessing and Promise into thine own warme Sun to compasse thy selfe with thy owne sparkles Esay 50 11. Thinkest thou it is with this great Master of Requests as at the Court that many requests may be made ere one granted No no The Lord heard his Sonne in his feares much more his desires bring thou faith and feare not to receive a Sacrament under such a blessing as the Prayer of Christ lies in pawne to procure Heb 5 7. Let thy heart be never so hard Lam. 3 17. empty barren and farre from prosperity if thou come in faith the blessing is thine It s noted by the Evangelist That when Christ pray'd Ioh. 12 28. Glorifie thy name c. answer was made I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe Our Saviour tels his disciples This was for their sakes If thou canst by the eare of faith heare this voyce it belongs to thee Vse 2 Secondly it should not onely be instruction to all Ministers to sanctifie the Sacrament to the Church and themselves But especially it should teach them to be humble in so doing and to come unto God in all abasement Gen. 18.27 even as dust and ashes when they come to aske the blessing of God upon this or other Ordinances at the hands of God If a man having many children especially his eldest Sonne and heire so obedient and loyall that he never askes any boone of his Father but thee comes in great honour and reverence to aske it Will not this teach all the rest except Impes and degenerate to be much more so Behold here thy elder Brother the Lord Iesus Lord of all yet subject and begging every thing he needs not for himselfe but for his Church and shall it not smite into thee one of the basest of all the family of God much more humblenesse in thy prayers Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach both Minister and people in their blessing of the Sacrament when they feele their owne wofull basenesse to be admitted to such a service as being privie to horrible prophaning of such Ordinances and guilt of other sinnes to behold themselves their Prayers and Preparations in the person and prayer of the Lord Iesus in which they may be accepted as if worthy When they have once praid for blessing Pray againe with Hezekiah The good Lord accept me Chro. 30 18 19. though no way prepared according to the preparing of the Santuary Isaac bids Iacob come neere my sonne that I may feele and know if thou be indeede my sonne Esau Gen 27 28. and so comming in his linnen and roughnesse hee tooke him
to their forme and inward excellency which is nothing else save the Impression of God stamped upon them by his owne hand for speciall signification and use Now the whole workemanship of Christ about the forme of Sacraments may be reduced to this double head First Appropriation Secondly Vnion Two Generals here First Appropriation The former of these is precedent and preparing to the latter and it s such a worke as concernes the remote signification of Sacraments The latter more belongs to their exhibiting and sealing power but both essentiall to the being of a Sacrament To begin with the first Appropriation hath in it these two maine acts In it two things First Propriety First Propriety to signifie 2. actuall ordaining to Sacramentall use Touching the first The Lord in making a Sacrament beholds the materiall Elements in their naturall aptitude and peculiar Symbolicalnesse to expresse such a thing To open this Consider that things are said to be apt and peculier to resemble either by a made aptnesse which is not in the thing it selfe but put upon it accidentally or else is apt by an agreeablenesse in it selfe so to doe In Latine we would thus distinguish them Proprietie double First Accidentall Apta facta or Apta nata of the first sort are all such things whether Reall or Nominall or Notionall as have their signification from an outward consent of them that impose this aptnesse As I know when I heare the name of London Yorke or Dover what places are and what are not signified and meant Why How comes my conceit to fasten upon such a citie by the mention of such a name Surely from no naturall aptnesse in the names to signifie one city rather than another but by imposition and consent or custome which is as good as a naturall aptnesse to decipher such a place men will so call it therefore it prevailes to be apt to it Of this kinde are all watch-words Dan. 3.5 Dan. 3 5 When the noise of all kind of Musique sounded then was it thought a fit season to fall downe and worship the Image Why It was so consented and agreed upon Such is not the aptnesse here meant A second therefore is naturall Secondly naturall when a thing hath peculiar aptnesse in it selfe to resemble although the things are of never so different kinde yet in their kinde they concurring in one third notion looke what is in the one doth or may incline to describe the other even of it selfe And thus a shaddow is apt to expresse shortnesse or changeablenesse of mans life Sacramentall matter is apt naturally a deepe well apt to resemble the depth of a mans heart so water is apt to expresse a cleansing bread a strengthning food and wine a â—efreshing of the heart And this latter is the aptnesse which our Saviour beholds Elements in such a peculiar aptnesse as might alone carrie the minde of the beholder to that which is signified And hence is that of Austin Except Sacramentall signes had a Symbolicalnesse with the things they represent they could be no Sacraments meaning they could not be so apt to resemble For howsoever the Lord might by his power have made any signe to become a Resemblance and that because hee so pleased yet seeing in this hee sought not the declaring of what hee could doe but of that which is best for the convincement of distrust and dulnesse of our nature he rather chose such Elements as might out of their owne congruity resemble things spirituall Appropriation then requires a naturall aptnesse to resemble The latter and maine peece of Appropriation is divine Secondly Application of Elements by divine institution Proofe of it and peculiar application not onely in generall to serve for holy use but in speciall to note out typifie and describe to the soule the Lord Iesus Sacramentall for breeding and confirming the soule in grace Now this is a further thing than the former determining the propertie of the creature and the fitnesse thereof to resemble unto this speciall resembling of Christ Crucified in his washing qualitie and his nourishing propertie Although there were never such aptnesse in a creature to doe thus in it selfe yet it hath nothing to doe to meddle with a Sacrament except the Lord doe specially appropriate it to serve for such a purpose and then it begins to have in it a Sacramentall proportion and power to raise the soule from earth to heaven whereas else it selfe being earthly it were more likely to naile downe the heart to it selfe and to earthly thoughts and affections But so potent is the worke of the Ordainer who hath put this peculiar property into it that although it be but a creature yet it carries the soule from earth to heaven in a most familiar manner And marke how this stands in the power of the Word Wee know that the common blessing of the creature to feede and cherish the body comes from the Word Man not living by bread but by the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God How much more then must the vertue of the Ordinance come from God to make this carnall nourishing creature to be a spirituall nourisher Hence it is that Austin saith Accedat verbum c. Let the Word come to the Element and there is a Sacrament This Sacramentalnesse of the Elements stands in a word Illustration of it 2 Cor. 4 6. Gen. 1 4. God that said Let light shine out of darkenesse Let there be day night Let the earth bring forth fruits grasse c. effected it with a breath so the word of Ordinance Let Bread and Wine be representers of the body and bloud the merit and efficacie of Christ Crucified to replenish the soules of the faithfull hath caused these Elements for ever to have such power to represent these things so that no age or time shall ever prevaile to weare out this Impression yea and not onely to represent them in their kinde but also in their fulnesse So that as it was one charge concerning the Pascall Lambe that hee must be wholly eaten or burnt so by this Appropriation the Sacramentall signes doe resemble fully as well as properly And as in the compound of Bread and Wine there is not only a supply of drie but also of moist nourishment that so both hunger and thirst may be satisfied and the body both made strong and cheerefull to service so by the Ordinance these signes convey Christ in his Sacramentall fulnesse of nourishment so that nothing is lacking to the soule which Christ can supply it with if it beleeve Reason for it Now to returne take away this third act of Christs Word and institution giving this peculiar power to the signes to resemble the ends of the Sacrament Tell me what is there in the world which hath in it an aptnesse to resemble but might be a Sacrament Whereas now wee see not aptnesse but Approbation of Gods Word determining such an apt
one body at once as selfe and Christ in equall termes to a soule The red earth had never had the breath of life put into it if it had not beene a meere dead patient and at Gods dispose to be as he would have it The flesh of Christ had no subsisting in it selfe save in the Godhead Rom. 11.32 and what is else that of Paul God shutting up all in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all Not of the willer or the runner but God c. Rom. 9.16 The Doctrine of imputation what doth it import saue that righteousnesse stands in counting that as ours which is none of ours What else is that of the Apostle Romanes Chapter 11. verse 6. If of Workes not of Grace Rom. 11.6 else Workes were no Workes If of Grace not of Workes else Grace were no Grace Trie thy selfe then by this Rule Triall by this Dost thou observe this backebyas of corruption in thy soule alway playing her parts and resisting grace Is this spirit of originall sinne as irkesome to thy spirit as the most odious sinnes of swearing or theeft Is it so much the more suspected by how much the more fine spunne and subtill running in the streame of thy best Religion Dost thou feele it in the Worke of the Law of the Gospell of Sanctification still resisting Grace and starting as much from the Word as the Sacrifice from the Knife of the Priest Dost thou wholly set thy selfe against it both selfe on the right hand deceiving thee with thine owne hopes and deserts and on the left scaring thee with feares of unworthinesse Art thou as well afraid of a white Divell as a blacke yea more Dost thou tremble to thinke that selfe should share with God in thy conversion Dost thou chuse rather to bee as base as dung and dogges meate yea when thou hast done all dost thou thinke thy selfe no neerer heaven thereby than if thou wert a Publican Dost thou confesse that there is no bloud no merit no congruity in selfe to purchase any dramme of grace And that it is just with God rather to seeke himselfe glory by abasing all flesh and carnall proppes than to suffer selfe to perke above him or mixe with him Yea canst thou say oh Lord I chuse to lie as the dust under thy footstoole and to be at thy pleasure as a fatherlesse Orphan to doe with mee what thou wilt yea when thou art under the deepest abasement and selfe-desertings and without a subsisting in thy selfe canst thou say Verily gladdly will I bee under this buffeting 2 Cor. 12.9 though it bee as a pricke in the flesh that Gods grace may bee another selfe and a new principle of comfort to stay my selfe upon Yea in this want of carnall stay I wait upon the promise to be my stay If it be thus in any true measure in thee it is a sweet signe The fourth ground I come to the fourth ground of trying faith to wit by the act of it The act of faith And that in two things First in the naked and free consent of the whole soule to the truth of God which is that he will ease the loaden soule comfort the mourning and satisfie them that hunger after righteousnesse Math. 5 4 5 6. The Lord requires that the soule simply relie it selfe upon this bare Word of his because he will performe it without descanting this way or that against it Esay 1.16 Psal 32 1. Secondly in the relying upon the meere and free act of Gods not imputing sinne or imputing righteousnesse to the soule yea a righteousnesse inhering in another and not in thy selfe The Lords act of esteeming and reckoning to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ is as reall an act as if hee had infused a reall habite of it into the soule to dwell personally in it as it dwelt in Christ Triall by this Trie thy selfe then by this rule thus First canst thou say truely that in the beleeving of Gods promise thou didst directly goe from a word to a word without adding or mixing the slime of thy owne conceits to defile the purenesse of it Didst thoâ— with Peter emptied of himselfe obey and say At thy Commandement Lord I will let downe though else I should not Luke Chapter 5 verse 5. Luke 5 5. Canst thou say oh Lord thou bidst a loaden wretch come unto thee to take ease as if there were no more circumstance in it than onely so Lord I have found my soule loden and pinch'd by thy Word therfore I come to thee for ease beleeving that seeing thy selfe art the Author of both words therefore thou who wouldst so really lode me canst as truely ease mee Canst thou say Lord in thy words is neither hooke nor crooke and therefore as I seeke to adde nothing to it so neither doe I detract nor dare I Revelation Chapter 22. verse 18. Rev. 22 18. Ephes 4 21. but take thy truth as it is in Iesus even truth it selfe subject to no exceptions or cavills of flesh I enquire not why thou dost it or why for mee and not for many hundred thousands that lie in their blindnesse still Secrets are for thee but revealed promises are for mee and therefore to thee I leave the one and claspe so much the more closely to the latter by how much the former is more above mee If thou canst find in thy heart thus freely to concurre with free grace saying Luke 1 38. Luke 7 30. Bee it to thy servant as thou hast spoken I dare not despise thy Counsell for my salvation or gainesay and give thee the lye but put my seale to thy word that it is true I say againe Iohn 3 3â— if in any true measure thou canst doe thus it is a sure signe And secondly if the Act of God in heaven justifying a poore wretch by his bare accompting him his righteousnesse when yet corruption abides in him exceedingly yea his perfect righteousnesse can so farre prevaile with thee as to say O Lord thy one witnesse and approbation of mee is to my conscience as a thousand though I neither see thy face nor can heare thy voyce yet O Lord I accompt my selfe as thou esteemest me even thy perfect righteousnesse in the midst of my greatest sinfulnesse and all because thy accompt is a done deede and my faith compts it done in earth because it is done in heaven I say this act of thy faith is a good signe The fifth ground is from the end of thy beleeving The 5 ground The end and that is that God may have the glory of his rich grace in saving a lost soule The last and full end of God in thy pardon and savation is not that thou mightst be happy but that himselfe might be glorified This the Lord so lookes at that all other ends are but second hand ends unto him although reall ends Try thy selfe also in this The tryall of this
their whole life Vse The use is to convince the most parents of their profanenesse or neglect in this kind who as they never came it may be themselves within the covenant of God by an actuall faith so are as farre from seeking it for the infant but rest in the bare name of being borne in the Church and under baptisme as if that would beare downe all for time to come Matth. 3 6. meane time senslesse of their owne misery and their deriving of it to the child resolved to suffer it to lye in it owne perdition for ought in them lyeth They please themselves in the feature of it or in some circumstances of other content a sonne an heire to the wealth looke at pompe or cheere feasting and mirth who rather should houle and weepe for themselves Iam. 4 9. and theirs and after they have sought their owne ends at last bring it forth rather to a Church-complement as they basely account and for an Eclesiasticall ceremonie of water than a spirituall Baptisme of regeneration and so afterwards spending the time in mirth and jollity but suffering the child both elder and younger to run riot and become worse the child of Sathan than ever before and to weare the livery of God in despight rather than service to him Oh! how fearefull an account have these to make And although I deny not their child is baptized visibly and their sinne cannot barre the Lords covenant of grace if he please to call it yet what woefull accessaries are they to the woe of it How much better is it to be childelesse and barren than to be fruitfull under such a curse And it were to be wished that even such parents as scorne to be thought profane or onely civill and carnall Protestants were not guilty of this neglect As one said of Herods killing his sonne with the infants Better to be Herods swine than sonne So of these The second person in this worke is the assembly The second person Assembly Her duty Hers is the legacy of Baptisme her part is as the Church of Christ to bring it forth duely when it shall duely be demanded Also to present themselves there in publique with reverence both at word and Sacrament to recognize the former grace of Baptisme offered themselves that they may be stablished therein or else by remembring their owne breach of vowes to be abased by the occasion to present the infant to God by the Minister to looke up to heaven for it by humble confession Prayer and thankes and so to conferre the marke and seale of the Sacrament upon it Vse Which point serves to correct and rebuke the common errors and abuses generally prevailing in Congregations against this duty few abiding the Sacrament but rending Gods seale from his covenant sacrilegiously others staying rather to gaze and gape and to heare and see bables than for any holy end and after the name given posting out with as much unreverence as they were present with small humiliation love or communion and so as if it concerned not them leaving the action to them whom it imports and by their example teaching others to dâ—e the like for them and bringing in a profanation of the ordâ—â—ance The third person Minister his duty The third person is the Minister deputed by God and the Church to stand betweene them as sequester of blessings and duty from God of blessing whose baptisme hee offers and whole person in his acts hee resembles from the people of duty and service in their name bringing forth the Sacrament to publique use Before both hee must behave himselfe with gravity and holinesse separating the Element and touching the laver with the blood of the lambe 1 Tim. 3.15 and 4 12. Exod. 40.9 that it may be sacred blessing the fountaine by prayer and praise of his lips beseeching the Lord to assist to sanctifie and to baptise the party with the Holy Ghost and fire Matt. 3.11 Matth. 28.27 and so by the words of the institution In the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost receiving the child and dipping it in water to pronounce it openly to be a reall member of the Church of Christ A great worke and yet there is a greater even to be an able Minister of the covenant â— Cor. 3.6 and to understand the doctrine and use of baptisme competently to teach it sensibly to the people that he may not as a dumbe Idoll bring forth a thing to the people which himselfe knowes not I have spoken of the use before onely this I adde That although any of these three persons faile of the Sacramentall duenesse service I doe not inferre a nullity of the Sacrament so long as the institution is preserved but a necessity of sinne in such offendors for whose cause it might bee just with God to punish the children howbeit by vertue of his Covenant and election Rom. 11 28. he is and will be the God of his owne and the sin of man shall not infringe the mercy of God in due time from calling to himselfe and converting even the children of such sinfull ones freely to himselfe in the Ministry of his Gospell Touching that I have said of Sacramentall dipping Digression to dipping to explaine my selfe a little about it I would not be understood as if scismatically I would instill a distaste of the Church into any weake minds by the act of sprinkling water onely But this under correction I say That it ought to be the Churches part to cleave to the Institution especially it being not left arbitrary by our Church to the descretion of the Minister but required to dip or dive the infant more or lesse except in case of weakenesse for which allowance in the Church we have cause to be thankefull and sutably to consider that he betrayes the Church whose officer hee is to a disordered errour if hee cleave not to the institution Dipping the meetest act To dippe the infant in water And this I so averre as thinking it exceeding materiall to the ordinance and no slight thing yea which both Antiquity though with some addition of a three fold dipping for the preserving of the doctrine of the impugned Trinity entire constantly and without exception of Countries hot or cold witnesseth unto and especially the constant word of the holy Ghost first and last approveth as a learned Critique upon Matthew Chap. 3. Verse 11. hath noted that the Greeke tongue wants not words to expresse any other act as well as dipping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causaub if the institution could beare it And sure it is if the Lord meant not as hee saith that the infant should bee dived to the bottome yet hee much lesse meant hee should bee sprinkled onely upon the surface But rather betweene both extreames hee should bee baptized which word signifieth the true act of the Minister to dip or dop the body or some part of it into
his breadth height depth and length Christ for being and regeneration Perhaps for the simpler sort it might be enough to use the Apostles words of him are we who is made our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 or to adde thus much All Christ is given us 1 Cor. 1 30. either for our calling or for our imputation or for our sanctification Howbeit for my owne exercise in part and for the clearer view of Christ sacramentall in the water I would adde a little more desiring the weake reader to pardon my distinctions as more meete for such as better conceive or would at least the gift of Christ in his extent and fulnesse Distinction of it to be marked The grace then of Christ bestowed in baptisme is either first grace or consequent upon it The first grace I call either that which maketh us accepted or that which is freely given to in here and abide in us Concerning the former kind Grace accepting is eyther grace of meanes serving to atteine acceptance or the grace it selfe atteined The former of meanes in one word is the grace of vocation in al the passages thereof preventing assisting and perfitting this acceptation of the soule The grace it selfe of acceptance atteyned may be distinguisht into grace eyther of maine essence or of priviledge Grace of maine essence is double eyther justification of our persons from sinne of guilt and blemish or of curse wherein Gods acquitting us in judgement by remission and pardon properly consists or reconciliation by which being pardoned we returne to grace and favour againe as before our blood being restored and we beloved Then secondly grace of priviledge is double positive or privative Positive priviledg in a word is our adoption which besides favor restores us to the former conditioÌ„ yet much bettered of childreÌ„ sons daughters heires and so to the priviledges of a beleever according to the severall occasions of his life course Privative in a word stands in redeÌ„ption that is freedome froÌ„ all the evills dangers enemies crosses within without bodily ghostly which threaten annoyance to our happy estate in Christ Thus for the 1. sort The second are graces inherent in us in a word Sanctification of the whole man body soule and spirit standing both in Conscience and conversation And this is double eyther mortification and consumption of the old man Gal 5 24. renouncing him with his affection and lusts crucifying theÌ„ all with Christs or else quickning up of the soule in the bent frame intent and streame of it to the life of God and grace Thus of the first grace The consequent upon this is the proper issue fruit of each of these first graces which they leave behind them in the soule The proper issue of vocation is union and bringing to God by the instrument of faith The proper issue of justification is peace and quiet of conscience The fruit of reconciliation is holy Complacence and contentment or joy of the Spirit in God her Saviour as Mary speakes The fruit of adoption is Luk. 1 47. the honour liberty and excellency of beleevers with the Spirit of children confidence and calling God Abba resting upon him for all good things a true right to earth heaven and all therein All things being ours we being Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. â— 22.23 The fruit of redemption is assured â—ecurity of heart from evill conquest and triumph in Christ true deliverance of soule from Sathan to God and for God in all obedience The fruite of sanctification is the blessed guard and furniture of Graces resident both in the minde as light purenesse wisedome discerning in the will all habits and uprightnesse integrity cheerefulnesse faithfulnesse in the affections of love hope feare and zeale in the conscience sensiblenesse tendernesse quietnesse In the whole man serviceablenesse to God in the conversation and whole course of it This short draught I have the rather inserted in this due place to give light and order to such things as I have handled in the three Articles of my second part and the fourth fith sixth Articles of the third part of my practicall Catechisme that the Reader may see how all those good things issue from Christ distinctly I meane the use of meanes the strength against lets and the right to all priviledges both conditionall and actuall But especially to lay downe a view of Christ our union and communion Sacramentall But The expressions of the holy Ghost it shall not bee amisse to touch this point as the Holy Ghost in the word expresses it Sometimes therefore hee expresses it in generall termes and sometimes in particular Generally he calls it the holy Ghost and fire See Matth. 3.11 Matth. 3 11. Matth. 3 16. meaning the Spirit of Christ in the efficacy of his grace which should purge as fire Even as our Saviour Christ is said to have the Spirit descending at his baptisme and lighting upon him meaning that he thereby received the unction of the Spirit and the gift thereof even the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes So also it s called by the name of new birth Ioh. 3.5 Heb. 1 9. Ioh. 3. â— Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter c. So the washing of regeneration Tit. 3 5. renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so also it is sayd to save or deliver from wrath as the Arke from the flood 1 Pet. 3.21 In particular this regeneration is distinguished into the washing or purging of justification by the merit or the washing of sanctification by the efficacy of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1 7. See Acts 22.16 Ephe. 5.26 The former we have in 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Iesus purgeth us from all sinne The latter see Ephe. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word To present it without spot or wrinckle in his glorious presence Gal. 3 26. c. Both these are expressed Galathi 3.26 They who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ as their garment both of covering in the one and of warmth in the other all Christ in both But there are two phrases in the Scripture by which the holy Ghost delights to describe the grace of baptisme The one by remission of sins the other by dying unto sinne and rising up unto righteousnesse Of the first there is frequent mention Luk. 3.3 Iohn baptised to the remission of sinnes Luk. 3 3 Acts 22 16. Rom. 6 3 8. Act. 22.16 Wash away thy sinnes and be baptised Of the latter Paul speaketh much in Rom. 6. from the 3. verse to the 8. So many as are Baptized into Iesus Christ are baptised into his death Therefore we are buried by baptisme with him into his death that like as Christ was raysed up from death by the glory of the Father so might we walke in newnesse of life For if we
of thy selfe so be stript and empty of all good and grace in thy selfe feele in thy soule an utter absence of life of sence motion and power towards the inner man of grace Lie before the Lords Sacrament as a forlorne wretch Say thus If thy baptisme Lord be for my regeneration what am I without it A dead dogge a very lumpe and masse of sinne and curse utterly void of the least dramme of life savoring nothing but earth vanity lusts world pleasures a very slave to these and a very carcasse of all goodnesse and being of God Oh Lord strip me starke naked plucke off my mufflers shame me drive me out of my selfe as one poore miserable blind and naked This is the first worke of faith to put off the soules ragges and to void all conceit of life hope or grace in it selfe and to set it before the Lord as Adams red earth lay before him when he was to breathe the life of Creation into it Now the Lord is creating thee anew by his Sacrament Remember Creation is of nothing Baptisme never made new creature where it finds any thing of ones own Baptisme should then not create but rather draw somewhat out of our owne principles to make us somewhat to which we bring matter of our owne Oh! people come to the Sacrament full of their owne devotions and looke that God should make them new creatures of their owne stuffe this were to patch and soden our old not to create a new man in us Apply our selves to the Word Secondly being thus nothing in our selves apply wee our selves by the word to the worke of the Spirit of union Sacramentall bare poore empty water which hath in it selfe no Sacramentall substance yet by the vnion of the Spirit of Baptisme incloseth the Lord Iesus to regeneration in it If thou canst say water is not a more beggerly Element in the Sacrament without Christ than thy soule is emptie unsubsisting without regeneration Looke to the Lord by thy faith and pull hard at him for the Spirit of Baptisme to renew a life a spirit and being of pardon and holinesse in thee If while the word lasts and the Spirit of Baptisme endures even to the worlds end Christ and water shall never be sundred from the Sacrament Beleeve thou as firmely that Christ as water shall never be severed from thy poore soule that lies humbly before him destitute of all life in thy selfe and lost for ever except Christ be thy life and succour I say the Lord Iesus shall never be wanting to such a soule in the point of regeneration Plead then thy cause strongly with the Lord behold here is Christ in water What letteth why thou maist not be baptised Actâ— 8 16. as Philip said of the Eunuch Shall water ever lose her cleansing Were it not madnesse to thinke so And shall Iesus Christ then lose his power to cleanse the soule Hath hee not annexed his cleansing to waters cleansing Is it possible that all the divels in hell can dissolve the Sacramentall Vnion of Christ and water Oh Lord why is this Vnion and for what serves it Is it good for any thing save as it is Sacramentall Was it Christ before Is it Christ after No sure but during the Sacrament onely And why so Surely to teach me all this Vnion is for me Christ water serves for my soules washing He delights not to be one with a base Element for it selfe but that in and with a creature of a cleansing quality he might flow into my soule with his renewing Spirit Oh Lord I beleeve thy word Lord let thy Spirit convey thee with water into my soule Be it Oh Lord as thou hast said Separate not thy Spirit from thy Sacrament but give it the power of begetting mee to the life of faith and a new creature 3 Abhorre carnal reason Ioh. 3.9 Thirdly look off from all thy carnall reason and the sillinesse of the creature Say not with Nicodemus How shall this be Consult not with flesh and bloud cavill not 1 Ioh. 5 8. Mat. 3 ult aske no further signe thou hast three in heaven and three in earth bearing witnesse to Gods truth Water is one of these it is the instrument of the Spirit though it be on earth yet that is from heaven call not for a voyce from heaven the second time it s enough that in the Baptisme of Christ it as manifest Hold close to the Word and Promise Go teach and Baptize and lo Mat. 28 ult I am with you till the end Let all conceits of Reason vanish in the truth of God and when corruption hath done all it can yet roll thy selfe upon the promise and by the Perspective glasse thereof thou shalt see that grace in the Sacrament which else is invisible to flesh and covered under the ashes of unbeleefe Let all be quâ—sht with this My soule God hath said it I see nothing but water but there is Christ with water to regeneration Lastly cloze with the Spirit and meete it at the Sacrament 4 Close with the Spirit of the Sacrament If thou meete it not there it s because thou bringest not faith with thee for that is there for ever inseparably Grone in thy spirit unto the Spirit of Christ that thee may susteine thy bottomelesse heart in her desire after the grace of the Sacrament Say thus Oh blessed Spirit of Baptisme remember thou wert given by the Lord Iesus at his ascension for thy Church Ioh. 7.56.57 Now Christ is glorified Ioh 7 56 57 now let thy Spirit be given to bring the life of the Sacrament into mee Once when the world was a Chaos the Spirit of creation fostred and brooded the waters and brought forth order and matter for each part of the world Oh now come downe with thy fire and warme this water make it effectuall for the scattering of my darkenesse errour rebellion corruption Gen. 1 2. and the purging of old Adam the mortifying and consuming of my concupiscence and lusts And then travell againe with mee in this thy ordinance till Christ and the new creature be formed in mee Make mee thy off-spring Gal 4 19 and generation breede the thoughts affections and disposition of the new birth in me Oh make this fountaine â—nd laver blessed and fruitfull to be the seede of Christ in me Once thou didst so worke with Iordan that the washing of a Leper 1 King 5 12 caused his flesh to returne as the flesh of a child Take away my leprosie also Ioh. 5 3.4 and make me as a little child Once thy Angell so stirred the Poole that who so stept in next was healed of what disease soever he was sicke Oh stirre this poole also make it an healing water put into it the vertue of him that with a word spoken could cure all maladies Heale mine Lord by this poole if an Angell could heale a lame legge a blinde eye a deafe eare thy Spirit
That Lord Iesus whom here thou seest in his spirituall grace farre better than any carnall bravery can expresse a naked simple Christ present to the naked plaine and honest eye of faith I say him thou shalt one day behold at his second comming confounding all the pompe of the world so that not a stone shall bee left upon a stone Say with Paul If I were to know Christ upon earth Matth. 24 3. 2 Cor. 5 16. yet would I not in the flesh Fourthly the fulnesse Fourthly for the fulnesse of these Elements For wee see that our Lord Iesus would separate and sanctify both as well as one to typify full nourishment Bread is the staffe of life wine the cherisher of the Spirit Both make full nourishment and therefore well succeede the Passeover which was wholly to be eaten or burnt Exod. 12. Vse To teach us to abhorre that cursed Popish stelth and sacriledge in taking the Cup from the people pretending that the other of bread conteines it For what is that to us that God can exhibite the power of both in one We looke in the Supper not what his unlimited but his revealed power is hee will so worke by power as he is pleased and willeth to worke not otherwise Therefore in reversing the signe they doe quite disanull the Sacrament Other uses shall be added when we come to their proper places to treate of the second generall Christ nourishment and how wee ought to come in the sence and triall of our wants to the Supper Of the acts of the Supper Now I come to the outward acts of the Supper Ere I speake of them in speciall this I adde to the former that all acts and rites of this Sacrament are then duly performed not onely when persons are duely qualified to give and receive but also when the Institution is punctually followed because that is our Canon to goe by in this kinde which neither Minister nor people must transgresse eyther by excesse or defect For if once any liberty be allowed men to chop or change herein certainly there is not greater varietie in dressing our bodily diet each stomack affecting her owne way as there would poove diversity of fashions in giving and receiving the Sacrament Therefore one ancient institution must overrule all persons times administrations And looke what I sayd before about the choyce of Elements and such like things the same I say of the administration of that Sacrament that all must fetch their warrant from hence I doe not meane that each circumstance of action which our Saviour or the Disciples performed is necessarily included in the Institution No there may be sundry personall acts done in this or any other service of God which when they are done become worship and yet are arbitrary to doe or not as the persons are disposed onely plaine and unavoydable respects of defilements and true scandall are to be avoyded But by Institution I meane those essentialls of matter and perpetuall rites about it which our Saviour himselfe and his Disciples performed These I affirme are indispensable both one and other It being as sinfull to offend in the due forme of Baptizing as in changing the Element and so as unlawfull to alter the words of Institution in giving the Supper as in changing the Elements or in taking away their number And hence it is that Paul 1 Cor. 11.20 1 Cor. 11 20. being to correct the foule abuse crept into their Supper by Love feasts calls them to the Institution wherein seeing no such thing could be seene therefore he pares it off as superfluous In like sort the Church of Christ hath abhorred all such additions of trash and humane invention as crept in in their ages as Creame Salt Oyle added to water detraction of the Cup in the Supper disanulling of the union and turning the materiall of a Sacrament into the forme so that there should not bee a difference in the thing signifying and signified and so at this day we renounce the errors of the Greeke Church mixing water with wine and their old abuse of fire in Baptisme to marke the face of the infant and infinite others of the like sort some of which defile others disanull the Institution both infringe it Yea so solemnely ought the Institution to be performed that by vertue of it other vices and errors of persons not so avoydable are to be tolerated and excused from annulling the ordinance though they are foule eye sores The use whereof is first to prepare way to speake of the severall Acts following in this our discourse with better savour to teach us to observe them thâ— more strictly and to profit by the use thereof Secondly to make conscience as neere as possibly wee may of the punctuall institution of Christ abhorring all other as the way to superstition and confusion and beleeving that all the grace and blessing belonging to the Sacrament next to the ordeyner himselfe depends instrumentally upon the sacred and inviolable institution of the Lord Iesus Now to the particular acts and first of the Minister then of the people to repeate nothing before said of his qualification Note That the Minister being in Gods stead betweene him and the people is to act those all and onely acts which the Lord Iesus himselfe did at the Celebration of the Supper not as if he shared with Christ in the power of eyther ordeyning or sanctifying the Elements of himselfe since all which he doth is both in the name of and for the use of his Master for whom hee is onely to make way in the hearts of the people But as a Minister he is for and in place of Christ himselfe Christ being in him or the Father himselfe in Christ rather the doer of all as the Prophet of his Church And the acts he is to discharge are foure Taking blessing Breaking or Powring out and Distributing of the signes of both kinds 1. Taking First touching the taking of the bread and wine it conteineth these two things First the culling out or chusing Secondly the setling of them unchangably to their service For the former The Lord Iesus Luk. 22 1â— Luk. 22.19.20 tooke bread and likewise the cup that is out of his wisedome he chose out from among all other creatures these two bread and winee to decipher the spirituall nourishment of his body and blood so that by this choise they have the prerogative to doe that which no other creature besides may 2. things 1. Separation from common use Now in such as choise there must be a separation of Elements from their dishonour to honour From basenesse and vilenesse to glorious use for what comparison is there betweene earth and heaven the common creature in daily use taken from the Bakers basket or the cellar and the heavenly body and blood of the Lord What shall then reconcile these Surely the divine power of Christ hee must take off the common and base
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