servant Math. 28.32 Did not I forgive thee all the debt even of many Talents How then oughtest thou to forgive him the debt of pence Till then the soule be seasoned with the love of God in pardon and holinesse both to save and sanctifie it cannot possibly love his brother spiritually Can a rush grow without mire Iob 8 11 Or can love be in us till a principle of the Spirit infuse it It is commended by the Lord Iesus himselfe A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love each other Ioh. 13.34 Rom. 13 9. 10. All the Law is fulfilled in it It s infinitely magnified in all the Scriptures in 1 Cor. 13. It s described by abundance of both negative and positive properties all which shew the Originall to bee divine But especially in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.11 3.10 4 7 8. 5 2 c. where it is made first the charge of God Secondly the offspring and birth of God Thirdly A marke of the Elect and saved Fourthly That which especially is occupied about brethren such as are borne of God members of the militant Church All these argue of what kinde and seeede it is not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Vse To discerne this coine of heaven from all counterfeit stampes in this kinde There is a deepe vicious love contracted by the fellowship in sinne Simeon and Levi Gen. 49 5. brethren in evill yea this is almost as strong and deepe as hell Theeves have their league and drunkards their love union and fellowship yea sworne brotherhood The spirit of error and heresie is strong to linke the heart in love yea Iesuites are so knit to their Catholique league that death can not dissolve it And yet Paul imployes that this may want true love 1 Cor. 13 1. Men have a garish humour of love and pangs of affection so that in a moode they pretend the greatest love but on the sudden they either stabbe each others or else hate each other more than ever they loved As the bands are which tie men so is their love Carnall lusts gaine sweetnesse of manners politique respects to make use of each other naturall regards likenesse of manners or professions or disposition of soothablenesse and curtesie derived from Parent to child or a civill love standing in an entercourse of mutuall offices love mee and I will love thee or such like all of them are a sort of love which Religion doth not disanull but season and subordinate in the elect to this fruit of the Spirit even as the powers of the naturall and sensible soule are subject to reason A Christian hath other love yet from a better principle of spirituall love 2 The Parent The second thing is the begetting cause of it and that is faith effectuall and unfained Hence Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 saith Love proceedeth from a pure heart and faith unfained and as a workeman both makes a toole of his trade and workes by it also 1 Faith breeds it so faith begets this love and worketh by it Now faith in thus worke doth two things 1. It breedes it 2. Purgeth it first it breeds it and that two wayes 1 By an infusing qualitie 2. By a perswading The infusion of it is this Faith having possessed the soule with the love of God in reconciliation Rom. 5 5. diffuseth this love into the facultie of the will planting it there and causing the sweet thereof to dwell in it Christ comes not into the heart without the Spirit of Christ Now the Lord Iesus his manhood was filled with this grace of love the Spirit of the Godhead shedding it without measure into him Ioh. 1.17 That from his fulnesse wee might receive grace for grace Looke then what a loving heart tender mercifull See Act. 2.22 Mat. 11.19 Luk. 7.13 23.34 c. Act. 2.36 forbearing forgiving doing good to body to soule looke what amiablenesse gentlenesse sociablenesse usefullnesse was in his heart that is shâ—d into the beleever Now what that was his whole life shewed he loved and prayed for his rankest enemies died for those that crucified the Lord of life converting three thousand of them at once hee loved Mary and her sister Martha and Lazarus and Iohn his disciple most deerely Ioh. 11.5 36. See Acts 2.22 How he went about doing good even to all healing diseases preaching converting This Spirit then of the head is derived to us to be a privy marke unto us whether wee are his or no for hee that loveth not is not of God for God is love 1 Ioh. 4 8. 16. and hee who loveth dwelleth in God Secondly by perswasion For this see 2 Cor. 5.14 2 Cor. 5 14. The love of Christ constraines us for wee thus judge c. Marke There is a secret perswasive in this love to cause us to love one another and that by judgement and good reason This is that which Paul presses to the Ephesians Ephes 5 2. Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us as an offring of a sweet savour So againe Col. 3 13. Put on as the Elect of God the bowels of mercies kindnesse forbearing c. Why Even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye This is a strong dispute from relation of head to members reaching to all holinesse but especially to this branch For what a disproportion were it for us to joyne the body of a Lyon fierce and cruell to the head of a lambe loving and meeke What villany were it for a man dealt mercifully withall by his Master to take his fellow by the throte Ephe. 2 13. If Christ hath destroied enmitie broake downe the wall of separation and made peace for me when I was past hope how should I love and live with my brother Christ ought me nothing but I owe him him my selfe Should I after such love ever know any enemie Or if I should Philem. 19. should not such love as this quash it for ever If I should live in heartburning jealosie bitternesse and hatred should I not looke that the sweet morsell of mercy should come out at my nostrils 1 Ioh. 4 10 11 Hence it is that Saint Iohn so presseth this point Herein is love not that we loved him but be us Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Secondly faith doth purge love from manifold corruption By name from these eyesores First from all partialitie Secondly faith purges it 1 From partialitie Wee restraine and limit our love to such persons as wee our selves affect for some parts and indowments others are not so precious in our eyes wee cannot affect them because we see closenesse harshnesse techines pride and selfe to abound in them But love is unpartiall as well reaching to the undeserving provoking as to the amiable in point of soundnesse
of this tryall both in Scripture and reasons For the former whereof First the Analogy of the old Passeover will proove it wherein sundry charges were given which typifie repentance and that in each part of it As wee know the sorrow and yrking of heart and mourning bitterly for sinne committed was urged under the ceremony of sowre hearbes Exod. 12.8 not onely to shew what it cost the Lord Iesus ere he could satisfy But to shew what they are who come to this Sacrament even such as peirced him by their sinnes Zach. 12.10 and therefore ought to come in bitternesse to the signes of his body and blood and eate this sweete meate with sowre sawce So also the Lord required a separation from the filthinesse of the heathen when they came to eate the Pascall Lambe Ezra 6.21 Ezra 6.21 yea from all legall pollution Numb 9.6 Num. 9.6 which as it concerned the Iewes alway in any offering or worship so especially at the Passeover And the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 5.7 urgeth one other solemne ceremony of casting out leaven He that kept in his house any leaven at that time more or lesse was to be cut off Now least wee should thinke this to have lost his force under the Gospel he saith Purge out therefore all sowre leaven meaning their Communion with that incestuous man which sowred their holy assemblyes that yee may be a cleane lumpe even as yee are unleavened And why For Christ is our Passeover sacrificed for us therefore let us eate him with sincerity and repentance And the weaning and abstinence of the poore Lambe from the damme foure dayes before Exod. 12. â— typified no lesse than separation of such as worship God thus from the love of their sweet lusts and liberties that they might bee free for the Lord And when the Apostle urges the Corinthians to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 what entends hee save that having defiled themselves by their love feasts they would search and cast out that sinne ere they came to the Sacrament Secondly from Reasons Now for Reasons First every ordinance requires repentance least the ordinance be defiled 1 Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things not onely meates are pure But to the impure all things both blessings crosses and ordinances are defiled The sinne of man can put no defilement into the things themselves but it makes them so to the sinners that use them It is a rule concerning both Minister people Esay 52.11 Psal 26 6. Prov. 28 9. 1 Tim. 2 8. Be ye holy that beare the vessells of the Lord. And I will compasse the Altar with washen hands And the prayers of them that turne their eares from the Word are abominable S. Paul requires us to lift up pure hands 1 Pet. 2 1. without wrath and doubting And S. Peter bids them that would heare to grow thereby to clense all superfluities away Epist 1. Cap. 2.1.2 Reason 2 Secondly no man can comfort his owne heart that hee hath saving faith except he have repentance Act. 3.26 Act. 15.15 But true repentance argues faith because it onely purifies the heart True faith workes by love 1 Tim. 1 5. and the end of the commandement is love from whence from a pure heart and whence is that from faith unfaigned Levit. 10 3. See Gal. 5.6 Act 24.16 2 Cor. 5.17 Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord will be honoured in all that draw neare to him None can honour the Lord in their worship save the holy and repentant Those that presume otherwise the Lord will be honoured in their destruction Reason 4 Lastly holinesse affords sweete confidence to the soule that it shall be welcome to God None shall ever see his glory without it Heb. 12 14. 1 Pet. 1 16. therefore none should behold him in his beauty of holinesse or in his ordinances without it Bee yee holy because I am holy These few may serve Tryalls of repentance But I hasten to the triall of it And first very breefely of the substance of it wrought in the soule 1 By the substance Tit. 3.5 This may bee tryed by the roote of it No repentance can subsist without an inward principle That is the spirit of renovation wrought by the word and Baptisme putting into the soule a seede of God and the image of God as farre as in these suburbes of heaven I meane in the militant Church may be obteyned Now for the opening of this to the Reader let him in a few points conceave and try himselfe about it First in the mother and nurse of it In sundry particulers 1. The mother of it That is faith shedding the love of God Rom. 5.5 into the soule being of it selfe destitute of all such list ability life or savour The Lord in reconciliation by faith becomes our sanctification God having freed us from our old yoake will put upon us a new most willingly which eases our heavy hearts and pacifies the conscience sets the minde in frame and shewes us Christ in his true and lively colours not a Christ of loosenesse but as the truth is in Iesus Ephe. 3 18. 2 Cor. 5.9 That having the roote of his love set in our hearts we may conteine his sweetnesse and it may let us on worke yea constreine us to doe the like to him Oh! How should this try us What is our repentance Is it a cutting off some shreds of evill or a pang of goâ—d devotion now and then in tempest thunder and lightning in our passion of feare or when God pleases us Or is it an inward workeman at the roote of our hearts and doth it engraft and inoculate us into his stocke Pro. 6 27. Doth it as a corner stone hold in and encompasse us that wee can more forbid fire in our bosome to burne us than the love of God to compell us to love him and turne our heart to him It is a good signe Secondly try it in tne materiall of repentance 2. By the matter Act. 26.18 It s a conversion or turning home to God from our Idols a setting of our face backward from evill and our backes forward to goodnesse and that in a contrariety As if a foole going on pilgrimage to Rome and her Idols should there be smitten and turned home with Naaman to the true worship of the living God This tryall will search also for the repentance of most is no such turne Men have rectified thoughts sometime of a good course and their sinnes yrke them and tyre them and cause them to ease themseâ—ves by complaints and turne aside from them in their accusing moode But it is with them as it is with Sea-men who can hold their course as well when they coast about as when the winde is on their backes So doe these their lusts keepe still in their spirit though they keepe them out of sight as David did Absolon 2 Sam. 14.24 forbidding him his presence
Psal 122.6.7 prayes for this That our sonnes may be as plants our daughters as polished stones That our garners be full our sheepe plentifull our Oxen strong and no beggers in our streetes But especially love lookes at the inward prospering of the Church that it may goe well with it that the kingdome of Christ may be set up throughout it farre and wide Dan. 9.7 And therefore first shee mournes for the spiritull sinnes of the whole body Ezra 9 6. especially those that threaten her ruine dallyance with the word contempt and profanation of Ministery Sabboaths and ordinances declining from the power of godlinesse chusing to serve God for forme secretly looking towards Popish trash as being weary of sound doctrine Secondly rejoycing to consider that the Lord hath yet reserved to himselfe many whose hearts are upright with God holding their first love entire and their zeale unspotted with the filth and dregges of the age and time serving their generations as David did Act. 13.38 Thirdly sorrowing to see the distresses of the Church abroad Esay 63.15 Zeph. 3.18 Micah 2 7. to heare of the sad disasters that are the darke wayes of providence the disappointing of our hopes the mourning of Assemblies the unfruitfulnesse of ordinances the streightning of the Spirit the dissipation of sheepe into the remote corners of the world Lastly by faith holding the promises that concerne the Churches victory as that shee shall possesse the gates of her enemies The gates of Hell shall not prevaile against her Matth. 18. Micha 7.8 â— shee shall arise even in her falling and shall see light in darkenesse untill at last the Lord plead her cause execute vengeance against her enemies head and tayle branch and rush and bring forth her light as the morning This for the fifth point The sixth and last is the end why love doth thus act it selfe The 6. Thâ— end All these passages of love although they convey in them some good to the body and members yet looke at a further thing that is the edifying it selfe in love and the finall welbeeing thereof in this vale of misery Concerning which and the encrease of grace in the body and members the Reader may looke into my Catechisme in the Article of Communion and there helpe himhelfe And this be sayd of these six grounds by which this grace may be the better understood and according thereto try himselfe if hee be wise Which worke though I might have spared yet knowing that weake ones as well as strong may meete with my Booke I will after I have grounded the point come to application and among other uses to examination Fow the point then this it is 2. Generall the proofes Exod. 12.3 Num. 9.12 Love thus described is a necessary grace for the Sacrament And it appeares first by proofes thus The Analogy of the Passeover which the Lord commanded to bee eaten in one house Not onely least the Lambe should bee broken and divided but rather to typifie this Sacramentall love and union betweene those that received it Againe whence was that Exod. 12.8 3. That no bone of it should bee broken Surely not onely to typifie the Lord Christ that hee that enjoyeth him enjoyeth him whole But to shew also That those who will bee bone of his bone and make him their nourishment must be whole unbroken and unshattered in their Communion as wee know his seamelesse coate was another type of this want of rupture and division Psal 133.1 in the Church In Psal 133. David is ravished with love and amity of the Church in the use of the ordinances of which this was one And what saith he Oh how comely and good a thing it is for brethren to dwell even together Even to come together as one man And hee resembleth it to the fragrant oyle of Aarons consecration and the fruitfull dew upon Hermon and Zion Yea even those love feasts as badly as they were used yet intimate that Ancient Churches desire to nourish Sacramentall love And that text of Paul 1 Cor. 10 18. Who by this Sacrament and the elements thereof presseth Christian love as in Eph. 4 5. he urgeth it by the Oneship of God Christ baptisme and faith doth cleerely proove it The bread wee breake made of many graines the wine wee drinke consisting of many grapes what is it but our love and fellowship in the body And one speciall proofe must not be forgotten Reade Iohn 12 and 13 and 14. Where Christ exhorted his Disciples about sundry things immediately before the Supper This is one of the many and oftest urged that they would obey his new commandement and love one another Have peace in your selves and each with other Five or sixe of such passages there And the Evangelist doth not so expresse that consent and love of the Church in this Sacrament of breaking bread But hee inferreth strongly thereby that it was a peculiar grace to be brought thither Reason 1 For why first whereby shall the soule more comfortably satisfie it selfe about the truth of her faith than by this love for faith worketh by love The workeman and his tooles goe alway together Reason 2 Secondly by what shall wee testifie our soundnesse of judgement touching the way of Gods communicating himselfe unto each member by and through the body than by comming to receive in love as well as in faith And how can they better declare their humilitie than by this That they acknowledge The rooote beareth them up not they it Reason 3 But the third reason is chiefest The Sacrament conteyning the very instruments bands and cordes by which the Lord Iesus reconciled his Church to himselfe to make it one viz. his body and blood who should dare to defile it with enimity Even Heathens themselves loathed ceremonies in their worship repugning to their institution As to admit of dwarfes to Hercules his sacrifice To suffer such to come to Bacchus his feasts as were too sad to Venus who affected virginity to Saturnes who were not sad and solemne What comelines then shall the Lord looke for at his Sacrament That all who come to a Sacrifice grounded in love should not dare to come in bitternesse and so defile it Reason 4 Fourthly if all other ordinances doe so absolutely urge it that else they are marred how much more this Looke two texts one in 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Tim. 2.8 Lifting up pure hands without wrath And 1 Pet. 2. 1.2 Where all such as covet the Word are bidden to cast of all superfluitie of malice and wrath and envies c. Now if this be so necessary for all how much more for this Reason 5 Lastly the conscience excusing us in this that wee bring love doth also leave us well appayd in sundry things of farre greater consequence As that we love him who begat That we are borne of God that we are verily Christs disciples 1 Ioh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 4.7 that we are passed from death
and hatefull provokings and wrongs c. The like cavils wee have against all other actions of love as giving lending c. So in Law cases if we be led by the rules of necessitie quitting of our selves from injuries which else we could not also love of peace serving providence for the manifestation of right and although we be losers yet resting in Gods will and learning to deny our selves to be more patient and content to offer and waite upon him who will pleade our cause abhorring all covetous or reuenging ends of our owne Many more trials might have beene added but I referre the Reader to the former grounds to helpe himselfe Vse 4 The last use is consolation encouragement to Gods people of two sorts Branch 1 First to all such as walke in love Consolation and make it their path and way Many a good Christian will say I cannot boast of many evidences but this I thank God I can say that my heart goes with the cause of God to his religion covenant Ordinances I love the Saints c. My affections and endeavours go that way yea when I cannot goe yet I can creepe and methinkes the dogge of a good man is welcome for his masters sake I abhorre that selfe-seeking and selfe-love which reignes in the world I practise compassion and love to all both meane and great knowne and unknowne neere and farre off and my prayers are cast in as a lot among the prayers and petitions of the Church I desire no welfare save in hers and as she fares so doe I desire to doe Oh! rich soule be comforted The Lord hath set his marke upon thee and called thee Hephziba Esay 62.4 one in whom his soule delights his Love his Dove his Vndefiled one Thy name is as a precious ointment therefore the daughters follow and love thee By thine example many have lost their brutish and savage qualities and bene taught to feede with Lambes They say of the Panther that she hath so sweet a breath that she allures all the beasts to her thereby So that hereby she hath her name So is it with thee the savor of thy amiablenesse shall honour thee wheresoever thou becommest till at thy death thy workes shall follow thee Marke 14.9 Act 9.9.36 10.2 Though the Scripture be witten yet as the name of Mary that annointed Christ and Dorcas and Cornelius are in the word so shall thine be in the Church Oh! enjoy thy selfe and come to the Sacrament with comfort for the Lord Iesus stands there ready with open breast to welcome thee Branch 2 Lastly it may also affoord encouragement to such as feare themselves in this triall of their love And I confesse as the manner of the world now is there is so little practise of this grace to be seene that it were enough to quench the love of the first Therefore I wonder not to heare so many to complaine of crackes and flawes in their love and to see that men learne to halt of them that are lame to be froward with the foward sullen testy unkind and unthankefull with such as are so Thy complaining therefore of thy selfe is just yet beware lest hereby thou debarre thy selfe of the Sacrament Tell me then Art thou heavy to feele such scurffe in thee That thou carest not how others fare so thou canst sleepe in a whole skinne And that the practise of gentlenesse and mercy Iames 3.13 doth so hardly fasten upon thee Dost thou combat within thy selfe against all naughtinesse in this kinde and nourish the motions of that spirit which is pure peaceable gentle and full of goodnesse and beare downe the other as much as is possible Deceive not thy selfe and I dare not barre thee from the Lords Table Although thou hadst poore fruits to boast of yet sith our Lord Iesus hath not forgotten a promise of reward to a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet Math. 10.42 I cannot exclude thee from the benefite of the Supper Onely take heede least thou catch at such an encouragement to any evill end that still thou maist keep thy conscience defiled with the like pangs yet venture to receive But let the Sacrament bring a speciall reviving of love unto thee the very sight of thy brethren at the house of God let it renue that poore sparckle that is in thee Heb. 12.25 Thinke that thou art come to the soules of merifull and holy men and art as in a corner of heaven while thou maist sit among them And if this encouragement belong to thee it shall worke kindely and not by contraries And for this use and the whole triall of love thus much CHAP. VIII Of the desire after the Sacrament and the triall theof WEe are now come to the last The 5. grace Desire Entry but not to the least of those five graces preparing for the Sacrament which is desire or longing after those good things contained in it Concerning the handling whereof I shall not hold the Reader long in the grounds of this grace as I have done in the former Because those points which serve to the opening of desire either concerning Christ himselfe our alsufficient nourishment or else the triall of our owne wants of both which I have both in the former and in this latter Treatise spoken shall not here neede any repeated discourse Onely my method shall be this 1 I will briefely speake a word of the object of this desire 2. I will prove the Doctrine 3. I will make use of it sundry wayes and therein if any thing may be added either for the procuring of or the triall of the soundnesse of this desire I shall mention it and so conclude Affections are strong and vehement things in their pursuite and not stirred up or provoked in us save by objects of great allurement and perswasion especially spirituall affections require eminent objects to raise up to improve them Natural affections of joy love hope sorrow feare or desire must have sutable objects to quicken them up otherwise they lie flat upon the earth How much more must it needs be so here in holy and divine affections whereunto our nature is lesse enclined and the flame for lacke of daily supply of oile and matter to nourish them doth easily decay and vanish Sacramentall desire and longing therefore must needs presuppose some more than ordinary object to excite and maintaine it else neither would a carnall heart easily rise to it nor it a good heart hold appetite and desire to it long together The object of desire is Christ Sundry wayes therfore it pleases the holy Ghost in Scripture to expresse this object to the eye of the soule The thing it selfe being in substance one the Lord Iesus the nourishment of the living soule in grace and goodnesse yet the eloquence of the Spirit appeares in no argument so great as in this one to wit the due laying him
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
unknowne language Iustly therefore both fall into the ditch of perdition What one of a whole assembly knowes for what cause he is met Or what doth hee expresly beleeve about the Sacrament either touching the ordainer the matter the forme the end And put case they all knew that which Popish doctrine tels them concerning a Sacrament yet how much better were it for them to be ignorant of it than to know it So that both their knowledge and their ignorance are accursed I cannot thinke of a Popish Assembly but that description of the Poet of the house of the Cyclops comes to my minde wherein all darknesse and confusion dwelleth so that no man can tell what another saith And how can they chuse when no man in speciall knowes what he beleeves but wraps up his blind faith in the faith of the Church and yet hath no guesse what his Church beleeveth Aad yet more wofull it is to thinke that many of us who have lived in the light of the Church of God doe hasten to nothing more than to such Popish scurfe and filth being weary of the dazeling of Sun-shine Vses 2 Secondly let this bee terror to all blind and ignorant receivers of the Sacrament Terror which God knowes swarme through the congregations of this our kingdome Not to speake of the thousands that live under no meanes of light who are rather to bee pittied that they discerne not the right hand from the left whom God in due time prevent with light ere the besome of his wrath sweepe away them and the causers of their misery Iona. 4 ult what shall I say euen of the tayle and scurffe of those places which have long lived under cleere knowledge of the word and Sacraments and yet through an incorrigible disease of ignorance are yet as farre to seeke of knowledge as if they had lived among the wilde Irish Such a wretched fagge end of people there is in the best places whom no sunne will tanne no heate will warme Neither good meanes amend nor bad payre but as the windmill sayles ever moving but never stirring out of their place so are they ever learning but never comming to knowledge As for the doctrine of the Sacrament of the Supper it is as easie to catch an Hare with a Tabor as to make them conceive what manner a thing it is as if the Lord had branded them with his black-marke If the Gospell be yet hid it is hid to none but such as are lost Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded that they should never see the light and be saved And yet which is worse who so bold so merry so quiet and so conceited that all is well with them Give them their red broth with Esau their belly full their lusts and pleasures and take the Sacrament who will If they once a yeare at Easter do receive with others they thinke the holinesse of the time and the crowd of Receivers shall shroud them but as for any sence of what they doe what they want what judgement they rush upon for their cursed prophaning and trampling the blood of Christ under feete and not discerning the Lords body it s the furthest end of their thought To whom if they could heare I would say In Gods feare looke to your selves With Admonition Hos 4. This smooth streame of yours will carry ye to hell laughing ye are never like to know your sin of ignorance till it have brought ye into utter darkenesse and gnashing of teeth If any sence or sparke of God remaine and if ye bee not wholly forlorne and hopelesse consider this that if thousands of such as know the doctrine of the Sacrament yet for lacke of faith and love shall perish What shal become of you that obstinately and wilfully refuse so much as to know your sweete idiots life heere shall turne to the most bitter sence of wrath in hel there ye shall fill your selves with that ye have loved even lye in darknesse for ever and yet your darkenesse shall be rather want of comfort than of conscience for the light of that shall so gnaw ye for your contempt of knowledge that yee shall need no other hell than that within your owne bosomes Prevent it betimes therefore Vses 3 Thirdly this is Admonition to all ignorant ones to lay to heart and prevent the causes and steps to it and the lets of true and saving knowledge First let it warne all Ministers Admonition 1 To the ministers Parents Governors and guardians of others to consider the terror of the Lord and the sinne of not discerning of the Lords body That they tremble to be Accessaries to the damnation of their soules Say not They are old enough let them answere for themselves for if you informe them not if ye who are set over them know their ignorance see them running into the gulfe and stop them not Ezek. 3 18. 1 Kings 20 42. your lives shall goe for theirs their blood shall be required at your hands Let not sloth ease love of your owne pleasures and spending the time in riot and profanenes or else in a vanishing course of worldly busines and carnall liberties forestall your hearts and cut off occasions of teaching them the truth of God Catechise preach convince and informe them of all truths and by name of the Sacrament doe not turne the wisedome of Church to a snare If they reject your counsell lo ye have saved your soules they shall perish in their sinne because their soules were pretious to you and neglected by themselves And secondly 2 Branch To the people Admonition 1 let all sorts beware of this whirlepoole of destruction Take heede of those lusts which drowne yee in wilfull blindnes love of your money your drinke your filthy uncleannesse your pride and selfelove These will bewitch ye and in your bosome will cavill against the light and meanes of grace Herodias did not so hate Iohn Baptist as these lusts hate the light least they should be gastred Marke 6.25 Iohn 3.20 They know the absence of meanes is the oyle to their flame when there is none to controll or reproove they are alive and jolly But the word comming in their feast is marred they cannot be quiet and merry Beware of sloth and ease lothnesse to stirre alledging the way is long the weather bad businesse lying upon hand when in truth heart is gone and will is not at home Admonition 2 Beware of stumbling at the wants or sinnes of such as have knowledge Nourish no prejudice against the Ordinances and ministry That it was a merry world ere they came They cannot endure men should use any liberties They are worse themselves in secret than those they preach against They shall not tye us to their girdles c. I say abhorre all such errours of the wicked as foment this ignorance Admonition 3 Cast off all prejudice of knowledge as the tediousnesse and difficulty the
when yet his heart was with him But these lusts will come againe as Absolon and that with more violence and sway afterward because the heart is not turned from them and set in a contrariety Hatred is not become love nor love hatred outside is not inside and inside outside Still old love abides and the falling out of old friendly lusts prooves a renewing of love A bad signe 3. By the forme Thirdly try it by the inward forme and nature of renovation which is the worke of the Spirit infusing the habit of Gods holinesse into the soule and letting in the efficacy of his power into the same to forme it to a new creature in righteousnesse and according to the Image of the Creator Ephe. 4.22 It s the second breathing of the Lord the breath of life not to be a living soule 1 Cor. 15.45 but a quickned spirit Try thy selfe hereby if repentance bee in thee then the Lord Christ is in thee and stampes thee for his owne sets his superscription upon thee as upon his coine Ier. 31.33 causes thee to be like himselfe and endues thee with his owne savour and qualities purgeth thy old caske and sweetens thee with new liquor Now purenesse innocency faithfulnesse thankefulnesse sobernesse and contempt of the world with deniall of thy selfe are powred into thee If then thou finde no presence or operation of new savour instinct appetite and affections to be wrought but old Adam still as he was wont as sensuall carnall proud selfeloving thou hast no repentance 4. By the parts Fourthly try it by the parts of renewing quickning and killing By quickning 1. Quickning I meane that power of Christ his righteousnesse and resurrection not onely in a dead habit but in a revived power Rom. 6 8 9 10. Rom 8.11 whereby thy dead spirit to the matters of God is stirred and changed to a lively life of grace We doe not say that a man is alive to his trade and businesse when he lies on his deathbed though he live yet hee is not lively unwearyed active and cheerefull to it Againe by killing 2. Killing Rom. 6.6 7. Rom. 8.10 I meane that other part of the Spirit of Christs crosse and grave which destroyes that old life and vigor of sinne that rankenesse jollity and crowne of pride which was in corruption For though sinne be call'd but a privation yet by the law it conceaves a kind of being and becomes living turbulent rebellious and venemous in the soule till the power of the Law of Christ doe suppresse this strong man and spoile him and tumbles him into the grave of Christ that he may lye and putrify there This is an excellent tryall when a man can say I was once dead to goodnes without the Gospel but now I am lively to it Rom. 7 9. I was alive to sin and where I would be but now dead to it as a woman to a dead husband as Abigail to dead Nabal A living death and a dying life is in my soule and a stirring spirit in both 1 Sam. 2â— enâ— My owne dead and living spirit is gone and Christs both dead living spirit is come in place and in both my heart is stirring and on wing neither flat in mortifying evill nor unoccupied in good but to both set at liberty I say this is good Fiftly try it by the extent both in parts and degrees 5. By the Extent If it be sound renewing it will be both universall and encreasing In the first respect it is like Leaven which being hid in three peckes of meale leavens all and sowers all Mat. 13 33. So doth this Leaven of renewing it seasons and sweetens all the parts the understanding judgement and memory The will and choice thereof the passions the spirit and conscience the appetite of nature the sences and the members Though it be weake in all yet it is entire and through all body soule and spirit And it is encreasing in all for life is growing as life is decaying Try thy selfe by this also For it is with most of us as with one that is in debt who perhaps would sell off some peeces of his land lying out of the way and lesse looked at But as for his faire lands of inheritance which lye close and about his Mannor he will not deface them nor sell them for any price So it is with most men Their renewing stands in some outsides they can tip their tongues or colour their braines and commande their sences but when Gods Image must bee in the inner man also they will none of that Rom. 12 2. Their spirit must still run it owne streame to dye for it And so for their growth many have some violent offers of goodnesse as mercy zeale and religion but alas All they doe addes no one cubite to their former stature they keepe not the good they had much lesse put it to advantage 2 Iohn 8. growing to to more sweetnesse and ease by experience or cleaving to God with fuller purpose of heart Act. 11.23 when they see the most to warpe This is a bad but the contrary a good marke 6. By the combate 1 Cor. 13. end Sixtly by the combate of the Spirit within it selfe For because we live heere to be conformed to our head Christ therefore we cannot be wholly spirituall and mortified but we abide in part renewed in part old not because Christ cannot make us better but because wee are not capable of perfection till we live by sence Therefore Grace will worke a perpetuall sence of strife in our soules against the law of sinne in our members Not onely a desire to be with our head in fulnesse of glory Psal 137.2 Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 But the whiles to grone and sigh under our burden till every drop of blood thereof be spent especially to warre against our strong personall beloved lusts which fight in us till we recover strength and get victory till the house of Saul be downe and the house of David be up We shall feele this combat in us Gen. 25.22 as Rebecca felt in her wombe by her twins Till the Lord answer us The elder shall serve the yonger Try then thy selfe heerein if this strife be held up in thee by the spirit not in thy judgement onely against thy ill will and lusts But in the very same part of thee in which corruption fights judgement against judgement will against will affections against affections conscience against conscience grace against sinne it is a good signe But if sinne rule and there be not scepter against scepter if there be much foyling many falls few or no resistances but rather willing slavery and bondage both by sinne and to it it is a poore signe And this is all I will say of a mans trying the roote of renovation in himselfe Perhaps the view of these may doe some good to comfort an heart
I meane though extent may differ and over-comming evill with good for the roote of it is an higher thing than self-selfe-love and drownes all distastes in him that forgat all our injuries and died for us 2 From inconstancie Secondly from all inconstancy Every foole loves in his moode while the pang lasteth But as the torrent is soone up and soone downe so it is with many lovers they are either as high as the skies or as low as hell either men are the best with them or worst living Whence is this from their fickle heart which wants a bottome Love causes the soule to be firme constant equall and if occasions be offered of any breach Gal 4.18 3 Folly yet soders it up betimes that they grow not deepe and incurable So thirdly from all so injudiciousnesse and error Love is wise imparting it self as it sees the Object require it is not alike to all There is a false and counterfeit love in some men who out of either a weakenesse or formality of curtesie will impart themselves to such as they meete with very gently and a man would thinke this came from a deepe habite of love But if ye observe them it commeth from a slightnesse and emptinesse for they will impart themselves to all alike The best Divine in a countrey and the veriest Ruffian shall share equally in their affections no difference They will be liberall to good causes but so they will to bad and base ends also What a fulsome love is this What amiablenesse discerne these in the object of their love who can love the hatefull and to be abhorred as well as the best 4 From weaknesse Fourthly from all weakenesse and suspiciousnesse There is in some tempers a marvellous jealousnesse which makes us so conceited that the least toy or wry countenance puts them into a new frame when as yet the occasion conceived is meere nothing in all the world Melancholy may afford some seede to this ill humour but pride is the fomenter of it and selfe-love the nurse It is enough that these men thinke themselves slighted or wronged it skills not whether they be or no conceit affords realnesse sufficient But this love is too rough hewne to couch close in the building of communion 1 Cor. 3 16. Candor and ingenuousnesse of spirit loth to think ill of that which is so more than needs must but abhorring it 5 From streightnesse when no cause is and rather striving to interpret all at the best is a more meete stone to lie in this frame Fiftly all streightnesse and as I may call it hide-boundnesse of spirit many Christians are of so dry a temper so narrow-brested that their love lyes onely in a course of slight trifles they thinke it a superfluity to love in any other measure than that they may feele no vertue to goe out from them to others They cannot beteame any the enlargement of their bowels they thinke it waste to breake a boxe of oyntment upon thee feete of the Saints Iohn 12 3. But if any shredds will serve such shreddes as they can part with and feele no losse yee shall have from them This causeth them to bee uncomely members in the Communion of Saints and their love to bee odious and unsavory for love is as her object requires where an ounce is needed a dramme shall not serve the turne within her power a pound is as ready as a shilling or a shilling as a peny O yee Corinthians saith Paul I am enlarged unto you because I love you I can beteame you any thing even my owne soule so 1 Cor. 13 4. 6. From selfe love is bountifull and not shrunke up as a bottle in the smoake Sixthly all selfe and selfelove the very bane of communion When men will alway see some such addition to the grace of a man that although hee seeme to love for grace yet except there bee some other by and squint ayme of sweetenesse and curtesie of Pleasure gaine reputation or that which some way satisfies it selfe alas their love is cold and falles off Such shall bee markes in their eye as will prayse their gifts or lend them as their needes are or doe them good offices so as they may serve their turnes But for others they are not very forward to seeke them Whereas true love is selfe-denying and cleane handed Psal 16 2. Sets heart where God sets his and although as the case may stand offices of love are due and owed yet for those respects a good man abhorres to love and loves for that excellency of grace which hee beholds That sparkle of divine nature which shee can discerne to shine out of a soule in any kinde as Humility uprightnesse faith mercy innocency or the like are the Loadestone which knits them and drawes them together Seventhly pride and vaineglory 7. From pride For many there are who thinke themselves so compleate as if the body held not them Rom. 11 18. but they it They are too proud to have entercourse with others of all rankes They must be very choise and peculiar Divines of great fame and worth whom their love must honour But if of a meaner sort they have no edge to them Their love is as proud as his in Saint Iames who sayd to the gold ring and Pearles sit thou heere as deserving my love But to the meaner man sit thou at my foote-stoole Iam. 2 1 3. Oh! Saith the Apostle is not this to have the love of our Lord Iesus in the acceptance of persons 1 Tim. 1 4. Others out of singularity affect new opinions by themselves weary of the old grounds of truth as too meane for their curious and fine wits and thus bring in scisme and faction in steed of peace and consent in the Church Others are sicke of a Praesident and stiffe selfewillednesse Rom. 12 16. so that looke whatsoever they have once vented and broached bee it never so unsound Iohn 19 22. Gal. 5 ult yet they will stand out in it and what they have written they have written whatsoever confusion they cause thereby So also others are so vaineglorious that either they must sway and rule the rost in what companyes so ever they become if they bee not attended onely their gifts and parts admired and all cry Grace grace to their opinions though they disdaine the gifts of others better than themselves all is marred 1 Cor. 13. Whereas love is humble Rom. 12 10 and 16. thinkes better of others than it selfe in giving honour goes before others and is equally minded to those of lower degree moderate in her tenets willing to submit to any that shew better reason 8. From censoriousnesse Eightly censoriousnes For then if they see any goe in any other way than themselves they never enquire into their reasons much lesse forbeare and sympathise them in their supposed weakenesse but condemne them presently unheard and unknowne
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
by law seeke defence of both then that still the heart looke at her owne honest cleering rather than at any personall revenge not interpreting things lefthandedly an heathenish quality but as fairely as possibly they may bee construed So also forbearing the seelinesse weakenesse and lesser measures of other mens graces their techines errours and follies Waiting to see the end of a thing not so rejudging persons Eccles 7.10 Ephe. 4.32 intents events rashly Forgiving such as have offended us whether in their heate or coole bloud especially if we finde them ready to seeke it by making amends abhorring implacablenesse yea and this often not to seaven times but seaventy times seaven Matth. 18.22 Matth. 6. Matth. 18.35 even as wee our selves would bee heard in the like from God So also moderating of justice in case of strife vantage of Law Extreame right may proove extreame wrong When a poore man then is fallen into our hand we may not deale in the hardest manner cause all creditors to come about his eares and to undoe him or take for pledges his Bible his garment bed milstones bread c. Add to these others of like nature â— Position Secondly love extends her selfe to all such Acts of communion as she is occasioned unto and that first both in maintaining of those inward graces of the spirit which should put forth the soule unto them Col. 3.12 as tendernes painefulnes Col. 3.12 long-suffering amiablenes mildnes curtesie thankfulnesse kindnesse in mutuall offices plainnesse largenesse humblenes whatsoever of such quality 2. As also practise and exercise of loving actions 1. Either to all as to hold peace with them so as is possible with good conscience and to helpe pitty and releeve their bodies or soules though they deserve the contrary for there is an holy overflow of love in the godly even extended to such as are without that their hearts may be broken Ephe. 6.10 of this sort are these Vsefulnesse in common life for a righteous man and a good man should goe together readinesse to assist Iob 5.7 advise and protect the shiftlesse and wronged against their encroachers Iob 31.16 as Iob was the poore mans sanctuary especially of Orfans and widdowes whose low hedge is soone trod downe And that by free counsell riding writing in their defence if need bee So neighborly offices 2. Or else and that especially to that houshould of faith our fellow brethren and those either neere hand or remote For the love of the faithfull bends it selfe to God himselfe But as David speakes Psal 16 2. because it extends not to him therefore it returnes upon those whom hee hath made his Attornies to receive it First for Particulars we must know nothing can act beyond it owne spheare and so the love of the Saints shines most beautifully within her owne praecinct I meane to them whom she is neerest unto in place and also in compasse 1. To the person of Gods Minister his name estate To the Minister and welfare to maintaine countenance and assist to their uttermost especially in streights sicknesse and other necessities and to expresse our selves towards him See Heb. 13 1 as under the greatest prosperitie 2. To the persons of such faithfull ones as offer themselves unto us by occasion of travell or businesse 2. 2 People Heb. 13 2. Rom. 12 13. Iudges 19.15 that we be harberours unto them and make much of such esteeming their fellowship farre above our welcome But it is now growne to this that as that Levite at Gibea so a goodman if he lye not at an Alehouse may lye in the streetes An ill signe 3. 3 To Christian neere dwellers To those Christians among our selves who are decayed not by their sinne but the hand of God as fire sicknesse or the like losses best knowne to such as are neerest and therefore more concerning such than strangers who may easily bee deluded And this to be done in season before the breach be too farre gone at which time a shilling may doe as much good as ten after 4. 4 To the bodies of Saints Iohn 12 8. To the bodies in generall of all poore Saints whom wee must alwayes have among us in steede of Christ himselfe to discover what spirit of love is in us Towards whom we must shew love frankely and freely beteamingly and cheerefully Rom. 12 8. in all simplicity with bowels that is abundance of compassion to sixe and seaven dispersing not grudgingly upbraidingly Rom. 12 13. or niggardly To these true poore not onely rates for collection are due as to all by the Law but severall and privie mercie Now heere as the bodily distresse lyes in speciall so doth mercy draw lines from the Center of Gods Commandement Heb. 13 16. Eccles 11 1. To doe good and to distribute and forget not Cast thy bread upon their waters c. to each necessity one love extending it selfe to many operations according to judgement If she beholds the tattered or naked shee earnes to cloathe them if the hungry to feede them if penylesse Mat. 25 33 34. to money them if sicke to visit them if imprisoned to comfort and releeve them or howsoever their sorrowes are in their credite state posterity or the like 5 To the soules to succour and stand by them So againe and most of all to the soules of the faithfull to extend our charity according to their needes Not each one tending himselfe and looking to his owne private welfare of soule but to see that the commonwealth of Soules prosper And heere love is full of eyes towards the weake in knowledge Act. 18 26. Gal. 2 â—â— to enlighten them as Aquila did Apollos Toward the offensive to resist and reproove them sharpely as Paul did Peter Tit. 11 13. towards the fallen either by weakenesse to restore them and joynt them Gal. 6 1. or by revolt to gaster and recover them Iude 23. 1 Thes 5.14 to comfort the sad to warne the unruly and to exhort and quicken the weake and staggering Generally by good example to walke so unblameably toward all 1 Pet. 2.12 that the bad may be daunted and the good hartened built up and furthered in their most holy course â— Generall Secondly as a fountaine narrow at the spring diffuseth it selfe in her passages Diffusion of love So love she alway begins at home yet enlargeth her selfe to them that are a farre off even the whole Church in the corner in the country in the kingdome in which she liveth yea further even to other lands and the Churches thereof 2 Thes 3. 3 Iohn 2. One spirit possesseth the whole body for each members good and each member for the good of the whole and that both for outward and spirituall good For outward that all promises of prosperity belong to the Church So if it seeme good to providence shee may enjoy them Thus David Psal 144.12
to life with an 100. more Now he who hath evidence of all these within himselfe how sweetly may he sit at the Sacrament not onely with Saints rejoycing in their mutuall welfare but even with Angels So much for Reasons 3. Generall The Vses Now I conclude with the uses of the Doctrine Vse 1 First let it be terrour to all that dare abuse the Supper by comming to it without this Sacramentall grace of love Branch 1. Of Terrour And to terrefie them by degrees they come in the fore-ranke that cloke their treachery and villany both in their owne hearts and against others under this ordinance Iesuites establish their trayterousnesse against Princes States and Common-wâ—alths by this meanes and digge deepe to hide their counsells from God and man As Iacobs sonnes used the pretent of circumcision Gen. 34.19 1 King â—1 9. Matth. 26.26 and Iudas covered his treason by the Passâ—over Iezabel hers with fasting with impudent faces being yet full of murther and Treason but in stead of secrecy he exposed himselfe to a desperate conscience that could not repent that so hee might goe to his worke without checke or feeling and so his eating the sop was costly So shall the Sacrament be to all such as under their receiving it do hide their griping usury unmercifulnesse For who thinke they will judge us such in the second Table seeing us to be so devout in the Sacrament Doe yee not see say they how folke balke the Sacrament when they are come to it But alas wee goe through stitch with it It is true so yee doe if that were the worst if yee were as ready to be purged of your rancor and malice Then I would say yee had put on a breastplate indeede of proofe But now yee are armed with a paper defence which conscience and the wrath of God will shoot through one day â—am 4.8 Clense your hearts yee sinners and purge your hands yee hollowly minded Lay away your colours and plucke off these mufflers of uncharitablenesse Psal 26.6 and so yee are allowed to compasse the Altar of God with washen hands and in innocency of love Agree with your Adversary not onely man but the Lord quickly soder not nor equivocate but deale sincerely Empty out all filth and turne the bottome upward that yee may bee the children of him who as an innocent Lambe shed his blood for enemies that you might not know any save his This feast of the Lambe will bee a costly feast to you that want nay cast off this lappe of the wedding garment from you Branch 2 Secondly terrour againe to all who basely blanch over their owne conscience by seeking a kind of peace and good will betweene themselves and their enemies just before the Sacrament Not for true reconciliation as if they desired that but to keepe in the Sacrament from comming out at their nostrills Oh yee wretches yee defile your selves wilfully in the things yee know Not much unlike that Iew who being under feare of breaking the Sabboth in taking ship and yet willing to goe hired a Turke to thrust him into the ship mocking his conscience Who hath taught you thus to paint the outside of your rotteâ— Tombes of hollow love with such varnish knowing the inside to bee as it is For no sooner is the Sacrament over but yee returne to your vomit to your former jarres and quarells and so weare your sinne as a marke upon your faces for all to see and for the Lord in wrath to curse you saying Never grow love from such rootes or trees of bitternesse any more such as proclaime their sinne as Sodome Branch 3 Thirdly terrour to all such who although their lives swarme with the sinnes of selfe-love rage envy talebearing and unpeaceablenesse yea grinding the face of the poore c. yet they dare wipe off all crummes from their mouth and come to the Sacrament Nay some are so empty of this heart of love that with him in S. Iames they dare dally with love Iam. 2 16. and say to the needy Be warmed cloathed and fedde yet themselves give them nothing Others there are of a currish and Naballish disposition that their oyle of love is not sufficient for their owne Lampes but most chorlishly deprive even such of their due who are of their owne flesh as drunkards c. Oh monsters how dare yee lift up your head before the master of this feast and crucifie againe him that dyed for such traytors as your selves How dwelleth Sacramentall love in such Oh be scared from thus adventuring any further Come no more O yee fearefull spotts of assemblies Iude 12 into the holy place in which Châ—ists body and blood are offered least as dogges yee catch at them and bane your selves Act. 8.22 Pray if possible that these wickednesses may bee forgiven you Branch 4 Fourthly all such ungodly youths men or maydes whose practise is in Citties and great townes to turne the day of the Sacrament into a Sacrifice to Bacchus and spend five or six houres of the Sabboth in junketting Chambering and wantonnesse tossing of pots eating of deinty belly cheere playing at stooleball barley breake dancing and such base behaviours If yee aske them why Oh say they we have receaved too day this is a merry day with us But if a Turke saw yee in this your holy day worke what manner of God would they thinke yee serve And this is a more woefull blindnesse because sometime both Minister and cheefe of their parish not to speake of their governours encourage them to it and have no sence of any sinne but thinke it a very fine way to make youth love well together Oh yee profane creatures Doe yee despise Gods holy bands to bring in your owne rotten packthred and doe yee turne his sacred ordinances into such scurfe If ignorance and base custome be the cause Gal. 6.7 be informed if profanenesse bee also terrified God will not be mocked To conclude the whole use seeke the remedy of all this There is hope if yee bee not hardned seeke to know your enmity with the Lord himselfe and get his love to be shed into your soules which may constreyne you to love his people and so come to the Supper and welcome Despise not this my counsell Vse 2 Reproofe Secondly let it be reproofe even to Gods owne Servants and likewise admonition to search their hearts and lives for all this sowre leaven of false love and venom which many of them dare suffer to clogge them from Sacrament to Sacrament Though perhaps they keepe the sore sweet and so that it festereth not yet they are very carelesse in casting out that bitter roote which daily springeth up and defiles them through their pronenesse to fall to it Oh! true love is a jewell indeede not every Merchants portion nor easily preserved when it is gotten Loth I grant we are to be noted for so unsociable and lovelesse ones that
them to looke after the Sacrament They tell themselves in secret That such holy things are not for dogges Swine more become the trough than the Table Matth. 7.6 The Divell also takes on and torments them if they dare looke toward the Sacrament and tells them They have another trade to thrive upon their whoring their riot their roaring and emptying themselves into their lusts without all controll and stabbing all that give them a crosse word must bee their joy and delight and in stead of all Word and Sacrament And thus they desperately goe on saying There is no hope Remedy Ieremie Chap. 2. Vers 25. The remedy is That they submit to Gods terrours and stoppe their ungodly courses and try if the terrours of God can came them and bring them into some generall compasse A fourth cause is conceit of mens civilitie Fourth Cause Conceit of civility being out of Covenant innocencie and good life among men but voidnes of grace and being quite estranged from the life of Religion Now how can such finde any relish in the Seale of that Covenant which they regard not It s enough for them that they keepe their Church shunne the Alehouse and drunkennesse be no open profane offenders but they keepe quarter with their owne Idoll and set up that in stead of God his Word and Sacrament their harmelesnesse and curtesie must goe for pay with men though they be never so fulsome in Gods account I condemne not civilitie nay I praise it yet the resting in a principle of our own sterves the heart of Gods grace when a man resolves there to pitch Let these men learne to be out of all savor with themselves Remedy knowing that their excellencie stands in a thing which is quite underline of grace and so seeke to season their soules with true understanding of their enmitie with God and care to keepe covenant with him which onely can make the seales savorie Some outward causes there are also of this First the want of the Ministery 2 Externall causes 1 Want of meanes and meanes of knowledge of Gods Ordinances and the Supper by name How should Ministers preach of the Seales that understand not the doctrine of Christ himselfe Nay I mourne to speake it divers Ministers neither unlearned nor unpainefull in their kind nor ungodly yet in point of the Sacrament doe little acquaint either themselves or the people with it almost through the yeare except in a passage a farre off Remedy I dare not boast my selfe I know well mine owne wants but if I might draw any to emulation I durst say That whereas my poore labours for twelve yeares were more upon this than any other one point I am not ashamed to say I found the argument more fruitfull at the end than all the while And doubtlesse many good people there are who mourne for the barrennesse of their Ministers in this kinde as much as their owne deprivall of the benefit Secondly base example Sinne 2 Base example 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.18 goes strong in the streame of tradition When as in a towne you shall have twentie families into which the knowledge and savor of the Sacraments never entred how should it descend into their children 2 King 17. ult No But as 2 King 17. ult that worship which those Samaritans had learned was continued many hundred yeares after even till Christs time Iohn 4. So heere looke what unsavorinesse of Sacraments was in the grandfather and father or mother it descends as an inheritance to their posterity Remedy running in the blood as a disease The remedy is that young ones doe withdraw themselves from such cursed customes of profanenesse and suffer the word to season their hearts more deepely with grace and the love of holy things more deeply than lewd custome hath leavened them with the contrary 3 Scandall Thirdly Scandall When the bad stumble at the actions and lives of such as are frequent receivers who may bee hypocrites and when they see that such dare cogge and cozen men of their estates undoe men by breaking and running away and sometimes be as joviall and merry companions as themselves as to lye traduce others breake promises play the worldlings and the like Oh! they conclude There is no great matter in receiving the Sacraments and if this be the religion of such let us abide still drinkers c. Oh fearefull scandall Thou shouldest bind thy selfe by receaving to an inoffensive course of meeknes and love that thou mightst win honour to the Sacraments But for redresse heereof Remedy let such consider the woe to all that offend others and all that are offended at others It s just with God to set one against the other that such may perish who love not the truth One shall not neede to mock the other This for the first 2. Better sort Causes 1. No pondering the spitualnesse and worth of Sacraments Now for the better sort even with them also it is not well They debarre themselves of the sweete fruit they might enjoy And why Surely because the entire value and honour of the Sacrament is not nourished in their hearts the true gaine of them continues not in their soules They ponder not the spiriâ—uall nature of them they beleeve not that God can blesse them as hee hath promised they hold no strength from them any time but forget it by their vanity and giddinesse They cannot see how the Spirit of Christ gives efficacy to the Sacrament to purge them from the wrath revenge lightnesse abuse of liberties and the lesse they gaine by them through their owne sin the lesse they love them Much lesse doe they consider the sealing power of Sacraments to give the soule assurance of that which other Ordinances alone cannot The remedy whereof Remedy being that which oft hath beene pressed I neede not urge it Onely I aime at this that I may give the Reader a view together of these diseases for his better recovery Secondly even the better sort are much given oft times to hide their owne follies 2 Cause Hiding of their sinne and to beare with themselves too much even in those errors which breake out openly enough to the eyes of the wise observers Now if the sight of our wants is not all that God requires of his people what shall be said to such as in selfe-love applaud themselves and looke so much at their few commendations that they are lothe to acknowledge their blemishes And sure it is he that walkes with sence of few wants mâ—kes God superfluous in his Sacraments For remedy hereof goe to the Chapter wherein this point is purposely handled Thirdly many of these are deepely tainted with worldlinesse and have no measure in their earthly businesse 3 Deepe Worldlinesse whereby neither their preparation to the Sacrament nor their survey of it either before or after can finde roome with them All is too little for worke worke
grace of the Spirit one part of our calling and how Page 40 Prejudice against the ordinances and Ministers a great meane of ignorance Page 77 God offers all his good things by and through a promise Page 82 Few men seeke a promise to conveigh Gods good things unto them Page 84 All particular promises are planted in the generall promise and how Page 85 Warping from the first Promise most deadly and dangerous Page 86 Tryall of faith by her properties a good signe of faith 98 Pretiousnesse of faith is one 99. how to try that ead When Props of faith faile oft time faith is at best Page 107 108 The Parts of Repâ—ntance are a marke of tryall whether it be sound Page 112 Practise of Repentance is a speciall marke of the soundnes of it 114. And that both in the understanding will and life Page 115 The Lord affords his promise to his revolted servants to restore them Page 128 The Lord preserves his owne in a good estate when once recovered out of their revolts Page 128 Partiality of love purged by faith Page 143 Pride purged by faith from love Page 145 Such as have prepared for the Sacrament must also come and not be letted by any occasion whatsoever Page 215 Patternes of holy receivers Page 217 Perpetuall memory of Christ how to be continued at the Sacrament Page 219 Preparation to the Sacrament may become sweet and familiar to a Communicant 232. and how Page 233 Profanenesse a cause of ill receiving Page 140 No Pondering of the worth of Christ a lot of good receiving Page 243 R. FAith in the cheefe promse must be tryed by the Roote of it selfe deniall vid selfedeniall Reviving of faith at the Sacrament how to be performed Page 100 101 102 Repentance in what dâ—gree necessary for the Sacrament Page 108 Tryal of Repentance at the Sacrament necessary Reasons why 109. And proofes ib. Repentance a marke of faith 110. and welcome to God Ibid. Substance of Repentance a good Triall of the soundnesse of it 100. That is the spirit of regeneration ibid. Repentance is tryed by the mother of it which is faith Page 111 Revenge a marke of hearty repentance Page 119 Renouncing of sinne a signe of true lively Repentance Page 121 Returning to Gad another signe of it Page 122 Repentance upon our Revolts necessary for Sacraments Page 123 Gods owne people to be blamed for their venturing to receive without renued Repentane 133. Especially for foule falls Page 133 Exhortation to bring renued repentance to Sacraments Page 134 Raysing up of heart to God in all thankes must attend Meditation at the Lords Table Page 119 Restlessnesse of the soule till it bee satisfied a good Tryall of Desire Page 205 Renuing of Repentance dayly a speciall helpe of preparation sweetely Page 237 Causes of bad Receiving inward and outward Page 239 S. STeddinesse of spirit a meete posture of the Soule for worship of God contrary to giddinesse Page 4 The Supper is Christ in a mistery Page 65 The Supper is the Churches marke to judge of her Childrens growth Page 66 Sacramentall Christ a Provision for all wants of his body Page 51 Spirit of God not alway tyed to act his grace in us while we sleepe Page 56 Search of our wants aswell as our prayses necessary Page 50. and 59. Sensiblenesse of the shame of our wants needefull Page 62. To trust God for Salvation and for Christ and distrust him for particulars is sinfull Page 88 Faith in the maine promise must be tâ—yed by our selfe deniall Page 94 True search of our selves a signe of judicieus Repentance and how Page 115 Helpes of true Search of it Ibid. The Soule part of Repentance in the will and affections a good Tryall of the Practise of Repentance Page 116 Sentencing of our selves a marke of hearty repentance Page 118 Spirit of God and seede of God cannot be shaken wholly out of the elect Page 120 Laying to heart the sinnes and sorrowes of the time of others as our owne a Tryall of repentance Page 237 Straightnesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Selfe love purged by faith Ibid. Seldome commers to the Supper reprooved Page 213 Survey of our receiving a speciall part of carriage after the Sacrament Page 227 Survey of our selves in case of our disappointment upon receiving how to be perfomed Ibid. Page 228 Survey in point of want of feeling after receiving how performed Page 228 Survey in case of satisfaction upon the Sacrament what it is Page 229 Vpon Satisfaction at the Sacrament we must doe somewhat presently somewhat after Page 229 Superstition a cause of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 239 Scandall a great meanes of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 242 T. SAcramentall Tryall necessary for a Communicant what it is Page 1. 2 Tryall and preparation differ vid. preparation Tryall at the Sacrament is a duty required of all sorts Page 6 Each communicant is to Try himselfe Page 16 Tryall of others not excluded 7. The Reasons 8. Yet not to be trusted 9. The oddes betweene them Page 10 Sacramentall Tryall wherein it differs from other religious Tryalls legall penitentiall or morrall Page 11 12 Sacramentall Tryall hath her issue eyther to encourage or discourage the soule from receiving Page 13 What course both the good and the bad must take after due Tryall had Sundry counsels and Caveats about it Page 14 15 16 Sacramentall Tryall not arbitrary but needefull and divine Page 16 17 18 Reasons of Sacramentall Tryall Page 21. 22 Its difficult to Try aright and why ib. Properties of Tryall are five 1. wise ingenuous close faithfull direct Page 25 26 Exhortation to Try our selves Page 31 V. VNion the forme or essentiall cause of love Page 148 Vnsavorinesse and inappetency of desire hath nothing to doe with the Sacrament Page 199 Vnbeleefe a maine enemy of Sacramentall appetite Page 202 Most receive unprofitably and why Page 239 W. VVOrship of God must bee set purposed and a separation of the person from other services for the time Page 4 Objections of the weake in the matter of their estate answered Page 48 Weake in knowledge comforted and admonished Page 80 Tryall of our wants the second preparation to the Sacrament Page 49 All Gods people have their Wants and in how many kinds viz. in the grounds manner measure and ends of their actions in duties graces ordinances Page 50 Wants of Gods people are eyther Defects in grace or decayes Page 53 Wicked men have no wants onely they have one maine one Page 54 Christians may be comforted in their Wants because they have a stocke of Grace Page 57. 58 One want hinders all sence of many wants and how Page 57 God upbayds not his people for their Wants but supplies them Page 58 Le ts of Tryall of our wants to be avoyded Page 59 Wherein tryall of wants consists Page 59 We must have our wants summed up in a readinesse for the Sacrament Page 63 To rest upon a bare Word and from one word to goe to another a sure signe of faith Page 96 97 Comfort to Weake beleevers in the poore reviving of their faith at the Sacrament Page 106 Objections of the Weake against their revived and strong faith answered Page 107 God causeth the sence of Wrath and his judgements to seaze upon the consciences of his people being revolted to recover them Page 127 Willingnesse to be informed of sinne and reprooved a good signe of repentancc Page 135 Weake penitents comforted Page 139 Weakenesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Comfort to all Weakâ— in love if hearts be sound Page 192 Watching daily against the enemies of a good course a speciall helpe to make the preparation to the Sacrament sweete Page 236 Worldlinesse a shrewd enemy of a good mans well receiving Page 243 With the Remedy Ibid FINIS