there is by vertue of which the generall equity and provision of the Land and the securitie of every men thou maiest buy and sell upon it that thine is thine owne Gods security best And is not there a greater and stronger spirit to secure thee in the matter of thy salvation offered in the Sacrament Is there not here the Spirit and seale of the Lord Iesus to secure thee Will not this Spirit deliver thee into as firme a Tenor and Possession of Christ thy pardon and life as the other of a peece of land Shall a clod of a field and the ringle of a doore the seazin and delivery of a house and land thereby leave thee better satisfied for the temporall right than the Spirit of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Iesus for thy spirituall Looke to thy selfe and beware Weakenesse of unbeleefe the Lord will pardon But if thou despise his mercifull releefs of this weakenesse and turne it to wilfulnesse beware least thy wilfull falling proove not a falling sicknesse and thy weakenesse become not such a disease in thee as the Lord will have no regard to cure thee of but leave thee to thy contempt to thine heart of infidelity that cannot beleeve Rather be exhorted to seeke the Lord in his gracious way of assurance bewaile thy impotencie and say Oh! Lord except thou adde thy Spirit to thy Seale as well as thy Seale to the Covenant my cursed spirit is as prone to breake all bands in sunder as any mans With thee Lord weake meanes of beleeving shall be strong without thee the strongest are weake how much more then canst thou made the strongest to become strong I deny my selfe I set my boate upon thy streame to be carried by thee Lord sanctifie thy Sacraments to become unto my soule the utmost assurances of thy Grace and carry me so into this assurance as that being rid of my feares I may ever blesse thee for the fruit of thy Sacraments Thus much for the first end Touching the second to adde a little to that I said formerly I call this â—n occasionall or subordinate end of the Sacrament Secondary end The secure God of our Covenant viz. That we might renew our Covenant with God Wonder not that the ends of the same Ordinance differ in weight for as in Sacramentall graces faith and love we say all are essential to a good receiver yet not equally necessary to the act of receiving so here both these ends are intended more or lesse although Gods sealing of Covenant to us be chiefe Briefely then the Lord expects that the soule being made partaker of his Christ in the feast of the hills as Esay 25. Esay 25 12. I meane with the fat things and refined wines of his Supper and feeling his love sealed to her there in reconciliation and renewed holinesse do occasion her selfe thereby even while the benefit is fresh to revive her love reassure the Lord of her fuller purpose of heart to cleave to him And how Surely in better living by faith better affections zeale fruitfulnesse courage better mortification of lusts and deniall of self better and closer watching of the heart Act. 11.23 and walking with him in uprightnes as our God alsufficient For why If there be mercy with him that he may be feared much more is there renewed mercy with him that he may be doubly and renewedly feared Psal 130.4 And how can we without hypocrisie long for the Sacrament ere it come upon pretence that our spirituall darke dead hearts will be revived and our appallings in grace cured and new strength added and yet having our turne served leave God to himself to go seek the fruit of our being satisfied with the pleasures apples and flagons of his House How doe many complaine between whiles of their damping coldnes and desertion what should then such do 1 Chron. 4 9 Iudg. 1 8. but with that holy Iabez or Othniel vow professe to the Lord that if he wil make the Sacrament a day of feasting joy send us from him welraised up then wil we be the Lords not suffer his oath Sacrament of sealing to passe away from us without a restipulation and reciprocation of double affection duty and thankes But returne him the strength of his cost in his owne service Vse 1 The use herof is first to taxe the most for their extreame base requitall of God for the grace they pretend to reape at and by the Sacrament Surely either they deceive them selves with a shaddow for substance or they faile God marvellously in this end of his Either they make no vowes at the Sacrament or breake them as fast Oh! the formalitie of most Professers in their receiving As appeares by this that in stead of making this Ordinance an hint and opportunitie to provoke themselves to a closer and narrower survey of their hearts and wayes Lo they turne this grace into commons and into a bare frequency of oft and monethly receiving which I doe not dislike in it selfe but alas grow to an habited falling-sicknesse and numbe Palsie of practise and walking uprightly no sooner hath the raine fallen upon their rockie and stony spirits but the next puffe of wind hath dried it up and so they live in a most mortall and wofull contempt of the end of Sacraments whereas they are ordained for the speciall advancing of the soule to God and the furthering of the bent and streame of the conversation to him Lo they are never more dead hearted dull secure saples than after their Receivings Oh wofull Surely beware least ye be of that sort of whom Iob speakes That they shall never enjoy the flouds of honey and butter Iob 20.17 never come to that welfare and encrease of God which he bestowes upon his carefull servants who keepe touch with him and come to him as well for Gods glory as their owne good Except thou keepe those things close together which God hath united his Seale to thee for comfort and thy oath and vow to him for better service thy Sacraments are liker to proove thy bane than thy gaine Vse 2 Secondly let it be speciall exhortation to all Gods people to unite both these ends in one as they desire comfort froÌ„ either Let no Sacrament passe thee by thy good will but the sad remembrance of thy dead barren and formall Religion may so sting thee that with all thy might and endeavour thou strive to obtaine of the Lord a more lively resolved and bent heart to returne to thy Christian course with closenesse and keeping of Covenant Borrow from the present experience of mercy in the Sacrament an hearty purpose to shake off the usuall enchantments of Satan and the errour of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. ult which have pluckt thee from thy stedfastnesse formerly beseech the Lord to ratifie thy covenant which thou hast so oft broken and pray him that by this if by any occasion
the water And the essence of Baptisme in the very symbolicalnesse of it urgeth no lesse For what resemblance of ingrafting putting on of Christ is there in sprinkling what typicalnesse is there of our descending into and ascending out of the water both which are expresly spoken of Christ in his baptisme of Iordan What resemblance of our buriall or resurrection with Christ is there in it So that I doubt not but contrary to our Churches intention this errour having once crept in is maintained still by the carnall ease and tendernesse of such as looking more at themselves than at God stretch the liberty of the Church in this case deeper and further than eyther the Church her selfe would or the solemnenesse of this Sacrament may well and safely admit I doe not speake this as a thing meete to disturbe a Churches peace but as desiring such as it concernes in their places to looke to their liberty and duty in this behalfe The fourth person the infant The fourth and cheefe person yea equall object of Baptisme is the party baptised For not onely the Church may and doth baptise her infants but also adultos growne ones also if any such being bred Pagans and brought within the pale of the Church shall testifie their competent understanding of the new covenant and professe their desire to bee seazed with Baptisme for the strengthning of their soule in the faith thereof professe it I say not basely and slightly but with earnestnesse and entirenesse cutting off their haire and nailes and abhorring their Paganisme A short touch of the baptisme of infants But the truth is the exercise of the Churches baptisme is upon infants Here the Anabaptists rise up pleading the corruption of such baptisme and urging the first baptisme of catechised ones and confessors of sinne and cravers of the seale upon the worke of the Ministry foregoing in knowledge and faith which can be incident onely to Adulti or growne ones They alledge that we seale to a blank to no covenant and therefore it s a nullity Sundry learned men have undertaken to stop their scismaticall mouths to answer their peevish Arguments my scope tends another way in this Treaty so farre as my digression may be veniall I say this for the setling of such as are not willfull that I take the baptisme of infants to be one of the most reverend generall and uncontroled traditions which the Church hath and which I would no lesse doubt of than the Creede to bee Apostolicall And although I confesse my selfe yet unconvinced by demonstration of Scripture for it yet Reasons for it first Sithence Circumcision was applyed to the infant the eighth day in the Old Testament Secondly there is no word in the New Testament to infringe the liberty of the Church in it nor speciall reason why wee should bereave her of it Thirdly sundry Scriptures afford some friendly proofes by consequence of it Fourthly the holinesse of the child externall and visible is from their parents who are or ought to be catechised confessors penitent and Protestants in truth which privelidge onely open revolt disables them from therefore I say The seede being holy and belonging to the Covenant the Lord graciously admits them also to the seale of it in Baptisme 1 Cor. 7 14 Quest Howbeit here a further quaere arises And How it is capable 1 Pet. 3 21. because the Sacrament of Baptisme is here handled by us not as halfe a Sacrament onely including a washing of the flesh but an entire Sacrament holding out and giving an invisible grace by outward meanes By what authority shall we say an infant may be presented to that whereof it is not capable To that I answer Answere First it s not meete that Baptisme being the Sacrament of new birth which can be but once should destroy her owne Analogy by frequent administring therefore if but once the most comprehensive way is to doe it in the infancy when the outward admission of a member is allowed to it Secondly although the child be not capable of the grace of the Sacrament by that way whereby the growne are by hearing conceiving and beleeving yet this followes not that infants are not capable of Sacramentall grace in and by another way Pittifull are the shifts of them that have no other way to stop an Anabaptists mouth save by an errour that an infant may have faith It s easy to distinguish betweene the gift conveyed and the manner of conveying it For if the former be the latter in such case will poore needlesse But if the infant be truly susceptive of the substance of Christ none can deny it the Sacrament Now to understand this marke that infants borne of beleeving parents are of the number of those that shall be saved though dying in their infancy none of our reformed Churches will deny It is enough therefore that such before death doe partake the benefit of Election in Christ together with the benefits of Christ in regeneration adoption redemption and glory Now that the Spirit can apply these unto such infants is not doubted of though the manner thereof to us bee as hidden and mysticall thing yet so it is the Spirit of Christ can as really unite the soule of an infant to God imprint upon it the true title of a sonne and daughter by adoption and the image of God by sanctification without faith as with it Now if the thing of baptisme be thus given it why not baptisme Nay I adde further I see no cause to deny that even in and at and by the act of baptisme as the necessity of the weake infant may admit the Spirit may imprint these upon the soule of the infant Vse Let the use of the point bee to all such as are growne to yeares of discretion to looke backe to their Baptisme Let such blesse the Lord for his bounteous prevention of them with the Sacrament even before they had any strength to conceive it Why should the Lord so doe except to heape hot coales upon thy head oh poore wretch and to teach thee to conclude Esay 65.1 Iam. 4 8. Psal 119.10 that he who was found of thee when thou soughtest him not will much more draw neare to thee when thou art fayne upon him and seekest him with thy whole heart What a mercy is it to know the Lord to be a provoker of the soule to imbrace that covenant the seale whereof hee is content to bestow before hand for the hope of time to come Who should so play the Traytor in coole blood having found the Lord so faithfull in his love and to cavill thus I was baptized and made my covenant when I knew nothing nay I did make none my selfe but others for me Let them looke to their stipulation and promise I made none Can any Trecherous wretch so requite the Lord Rather if any sparke of love be in thee wilt thou not breake thy heart by this early mercy before
and convince thee how unworthy a vessell thou art to have it powred into thee 2 Cor. 12. â— and he had neede buffet thee and bring thee low before he dare trust thee with it and seeing all this is not from hatred but in love set thine heart at rest make no haste nor limit the Lord but patiently waite and be well doing and in time the Lord shall breake the pride of thine heart and let in his promise by faith sweetly into thee so that thou shalt not repent thee that thou wert for a time deferred that thou mightest be after rewarded with more comfort and learne to boast of the Lord. Thirdly and lastly The 3 Act in case of satisfaction If thou finde that the Lord hath sweetly satisfied thee with that fruite of the Sacrament which thou wentest for to his feast of the Lord Iesus so that now thou art as one set at liberty cheerefull in heart meete for thy calling and purposely bent to obey Then thou art to apply thy selfe a third way And thou art to doe somewhat for the present and somewhat for time to come For the present What to doe â— 1. For present to renue againe thy thankefull heart to God who at last hath heard thy desire and quitt thee of thine adversary which alway upbrayded thee with thy unfruitfull Sacraments and now with poore Hanna to receive this comfort as one that means no more to look with a sad heart but to honour the Lord in the strength of his own gracious faithfulnes and to knit thine heart to him by the band of so undeserved mercy Secondly for the present also thou must ground thy selfe in experience of Gods love that it may bee a pledge in thy bosome of like yea if thy sinne let not of greater mercy 2. For time to come that thou mayst not bee to seeke of it For the time to come thou art to practise two things 1. To use some meanes 2. To exercise some Graces For the first 1. Exercise some meanes thou art to set thy selfe on worke to pray and seeke the Lord to nourish this fruite of the Sacrament in thee and by all meanes to blow it up as with bellowes yea to hatch this mercy in thee that it perish not As Paul bids Timothy to preserve that Trust commited unto him 1 Tim. 4.14 by the laying on of hands And so shouldest thou take heede least thou loose 3 Iohn verse 8. the good things thou hast laboured for till thou get a full reward 2. Some Graces Likewise there are two graces of the Spirit which all such have cause to practise The first is feare The second is care By feare I meane as Heb. 2.1 Taking heede least these good things leake out through the secret chinkes and crackes of our false hearts 1. Feare Iealosie of loosing grace is like the tender eye-lidde which keepes any offence from the eye And watcheth narrowly to all occasions against all temptations of the world and Satan whereby this pearle might bee endangered and imbezzeld The mother whose the living childe was would not give any way to the cutting it in sunder But the false mother would 1 King 2 28. and by that Salomon bewrayed her So is it heere An hypocrite who wants this Treasure as the proverbe saith will sing before the theefe having nothing to loose although he goe in the midst of a thousand dangers hee is not troubled But the traveller who carries a round charge about him or behind him cannot bee so merry He comes not to a place of robbing or hazard but hee will bee sure to have his company heere him and to have his hand upon his hilts Oh! he is sensible of his money So is a true Christian The grace which hee receives from Gods hand brings with it a jealous heart least by some meanes or other hee forgoe it Psal 128. Blessed is he who thus feareth alway and standeth upon his watch 2. Care Secondly care That is hee is very studious and painefull to improove that Talent which hee hath received from the bounty of the Sacrament Math. 25 16 17 If he finde that faith and her fruits he planted truely he playes the occupier of these Talents We know a bare man having gotten a stocke together and borrowing upon use dayly had neede to looke to himselfe as knowing all his hope is in his credite that hee can hold quarter and keepe dayes of payment So ought it to be with a Christian he goes every Sacrament deeper and deeper into Gods bookes That faith peace and grace which he meets with at the Sacrament is as a new borrowed summe of the Vsurer If he come not to the Sacrament for the better he knowes he comes for the worse 1 Cor. 11 17. Therefore all his care is how he may improove this treasure and be daily able by his occupying to keepe credit with God and to finde favour with him for new receits as his needes require The grace of the Sacrament is costly and requires good improovement And except a man walke in the exercise thereof more faithfully and fruitfully the Lord will withdraw his gifts and come upon his as a hard master who will exact the uttermost penny of encrease And wee know that commonly if the Vsurer fall sore upon a debter he breakes his backe To avoyd this misery learne this The more God betrusts thee with Matth. 25.27 the more care doe thou nourish in thy selfe that thou grow That so the Lord may receive his owne with encrease And by this meanes of reviving thy selfe after the Sacrament thou shalt finde the fruit of it to abide in thee constantly and to be a meane of thriving in a good course Which grace the Lord grant And for this third duty after the Sacrament and so of the whole doctrine of the preparation and this second Treatise thus much be sayd An Appendix added to this second Treatise consisting of two Chapters CHAP. XI Shewing some directions how a communicant may finde his preparation to the Supper sweet and familiar How to make our preparation sweete IT is the will of God that all his people doe finde his yoake easie and his burden light both in those duties which ought ever at each instant to be done as to beleeve repent to live wel and to be ready to dye as also those which are for ever due but not at every instant to do But at such seasons as are meete appointed for them as to preach heare pray receive the Sacraments To insist in the Supper onely in this place Gods will is it should be so The Loâ—d loves not that it should be a toyle to his people eyther to try themselves before or to communicate at the Table or to survey their worke after Yet impossible it is but so it must be and will bee to such as please themselves in nothing save in their ease and
it within or without No do What was all grace laid in one houre in your bosome Have ye no steppings in of Sathan flesh infidelity revolt had world to unsettle ye I will not judge you but judge your selves and enquire whether that sudden peace of yours be not rather such a one as savors of presumption or of a desire to be troubled no longer about the matter than solid and profound Feare the worst the best will save it selfe Tremble to thinke God should have an Ordinance in store which you stand in no neede of If it be so then such as neede it shall have it but you may misse it well enough Branch 3 To these I may adde another though better object of mourning whose hearts are afflicted enough for lacke of assurance but what with their selfe-loving rest in their complements and not going to the golden Scepter with Ester and what with their deapth of melancholy Ester 4.16 and 5 2. hardnesse to be perswaded as also their deepe bondage by unbeleefe they will not heare of such a possibilitie of sealing assurance but either thinke it a fable or farre from their reach and therefore set downe their staffe that if unbeleefe and staggering can doe it all their dayes must be miserable The Lord hath removed them farre from prosperitie and put out their light Oh Lam. 3.13 Deut. 32.6 unthankfull ones Doe ye thus requite the Lord for his Sacrament Is this your meditation application of the sealing power of it Is it too good for ye with Ahaz to receive a signe from God! Doe ye not neede it or Esay 7.12.13 are ye so saped in bondage and anguish that ye heed it not Why then yeeld ye purposely to it Why strive ye not to lay in for any grace which God hath for ye What service shall God have from ye without it If ye slight this comfort must ye not needs slight obedience If God should streighten ye in seeking it and hold ye off yet is there any such employment so precious as this Oh! poore soules if lamenting would doe you good what neede have ye of it Oh! consider and come out of your dungeon Tell me when our Adversaries the Papists laugh and scorne the Doctrine of assurance say its impossible doe you favour them Sure I am in your conscience and conversation ye are of another stampe and do ye not tremble that you should dwell next doore to such and fall into the same streame of their error 2 Pet. 3. ult Vse 2 Secondly let all humble ones that would follow the Lord in his Ordinance if by any meanes they might comprehend that for which they are comprehended of Christ admire and adore this bounty of God in his Sacrament Phil. 3 11 who so long since thy Baptisme when thou thoughtst no other but thou hadst beene forgotten yet hath remembred or offers to remember thee with the fruit of thy Baptisme who could have dreamt it Once Ioh. 13 7.8 9. when Peter heard Christ offer to wash him he told him he should never doe so meane an office to him But when our Saviour replied What I now doe thou knowest not but hereafter thou shalt know then hee changed his minde When the Lord gave thee Baptisme in thine infancie which was a pledge of further favor he shewed thee mercy But lo he had a deeper reach and in due time thou shouldst know it and now he offers it thee No Sacrament passeth thee but if thy heart and mind be matches he revives the print of thy Baptisme unto thee Oh! Why is not thy heart broken at it Lord I have lived loosely and basely this twenty thirty fortie yeares since thy baptizing me Shewing that I was not much the better for it And now shouldest thou at last send a showre to fetch up the seed of regeneration Iud. 14 14. from under this drie clod Out of the eater bring sweetnesse and create thy selfe in a wombe so old barren and past all hope of new birth Gen. 18.12 Sarah laughed the text saith when she heard of such newes But truly Lord my heart hath cause to rend in pieces to see such mercy Oh Lord I see with thee a thousand yeares are as one day 2 Pet. 3 8. Rom. 4 17. Thou callest things that are as if they were not Thirtie yeares of ignorance saped in the world carnall civill saples under the doâ—trine of thy Grace and Covenant it may be also a swearing drunken uncleane wretch to be sure a son of old Adam still an hypocrite and unbeleever Oh! shouldst thou now ere I die prevent hell for me and cause that word of Regeneration which never afforded any favor to me now to shew me that thy Sacrament fortie yeares since cast upon me hath not lost her strength and efficacy Oh Lord methinks now I see plainely why thou wert aforehand with me Even that I might be ashamed I should be so behind with thee That being on the surer hand I might ply thy Covenant the more earnestly Oh Lord if thou hadst not prevented me wth the grace of the Spirit I had slept in death and in thy livery lived and died a Traitor But now since thy Covenant hath entred into mee behold I see well thy Sacrament hath added some strength unto my unbeleeving heart and laying all thy dealing together I perceive thou meanest to heape hot coales of fire upon me that I might at leasure ere I goe to the pit and be no more seene know and feele that blessed use of Baptisme which I never saw Oh Lord I know there is a sealing power in it It s an annex to thy Covenant No sooner did that allure me to beleeve but thy Spirit joyned it selfe to me to second it to strengthen my fainting heart and then I saw If thou hadst meant to destroy me thou wouldst never have spent one cord upon me Iud. 13 23. But seeing thou meanest to save me all shall do me good promise Seale and so I have found it Lord and blesse thee in the view of such experience How many hundreds of my age education and fashion have quite given thee over in the covenant they made in Baptisme But now I doe adore and wonder at this unspeakable love of thine towards me Oh let it never be forgotten Vse 3 Thirdly let it teach thee to examine thy selfe about the truth of the sealing grace of the Spirit in thy Baptisme If the Seale be as large as the Patent to all uses and ends of it the way to trie thy selfe herein will bee this to examine thy self about the work of the word of Regeneration in thee If that have brought thee neere to thy birth lo here is the Spirit for thee to give strength for bringing thee forth to the light For Baptisme truly understood seales up all which the word hath bred in thee Deceive not thy selfe in thinking that the water alone will beget the to God No it
of thou takest not because thou consentest to no promise Thou hast a traytors heart within thee None of all these sixe cordes of this Sacramentall Promise will draw thee no though the cord were made of many more linkes thou wouldest still be the same an unwilling unbeleeving wretch and still warpe withdraw from God and dissent from his offer Thou hast no power to cleave to consent and obey I may say of thy unbeleefe as of Sauls hypocrisie 1 Sam. 15. 1 Sam. 15.30 Though Samuell did sundry wayes convince him and ferret him out of his hole yet so tainted an hypocrite hee was that he would not bee convinced He was at last as at first he sayd Honor me yet before the people and so went away an hypocrite Such is unbeleefe it s like the Ethiopians colour Ierem. 13. or the Leopards spots if these may bee changed then may unbeleefe not else Oh! the endlesse and bootlesse urging of promises upon unbeleefe behold her face in a glasse and abhorre her and say Into her counsell let not my soule come And as I say of her treachery so I say of her Rebellion Shee will be awed with no charge no more than won by a promise Alas she thinkes as Eve thought being deluded by Satan Gen. 3 5. That God forbad her the tree of good and evill for hatred and of evill will all that ever God had enricht her with could not sway her rebellious heart to conceive a good thought of him still he did it to crosse her So doth unbeleefe deale with Gods charges when he tells us Hee commands for our good and not his owne that it might goe well with us we answere No I cannot thinke so its harsh to my ease and sloth to yeeld True but if it were possible that thy rebells heart could stoope it would after seeme pleasant and thou wouldst not for the world but have obeyed This by the way may serve to point out the contrary natures of faith and unbeleefe Vse 4 Secondly its use of admonition to all that would take the Lord Iesus Sacramentall aright To resist carnall reason which resists faith and holds the soule under the Bondage of sense and flesh Many when they come to the Sacrament in the sight of the promise wonder that any man should take Christ and his Nourishment who yet when they bee baffled with carnall reason are so farre off the hookes that they wonder any should beleeve it Beware of this lewde counsellor if once he and thou have talked he will corrupt the simplicity of the promiser and the nakednesse of faith and fill thee with so many crotchets that as they in Iohn thou wilt cry out How can this thing be Can hee give us of his flesh Iohn 6 3â— What a riddle is this This is an hard saying who can beleeve it Surely no man that hath not chased away carnall reason and closed with the promise I doe not bid thee put off sound reason for then I might bid thee with a Papist beleeve that bread is turned flesh and wine blood I bid thee not bee mad but not distrustfull Be not faithlesse ascribe not more to the Pilot than Paul as that carnall centurion did because hee saw no other than likelinesse of shipwracke An Angell of God saith Paul stood by me too night and secured me Act. 27 1â— I beleeve God therefore I see as little hope as any of you nay lesse but yet the promise of God and his charge that I feare not prevailes more with me than all outward reason Oh! do so in the Sacrament in the Supper as I urged before in Baptisme Looke at the word and charge Except baptized of water and spirit yee are damned cannot enter hee that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved Looke at this and say not shall a man enter the second time into his mothers wombe and bee borne againe But honour the promise as Noa Iohn 3 4. when hee was in the Arke was saved by faith and the waters which swallowed up the world bare up the Arke and saved him Heb. 11 7. 1 Pet. 3 20. God had sayd it and he beleeved So Christ hath sayd it This is my body This is my body Why saith carnall reason I see no more here than at home what consequence is this heere is bread and wine therefore Christ nourishment I eate and drinke and take the onâ— therefore I may take the other What sense is here None at all It must bee faith and Religion not sence must rule here not as Popery saith against common sence and true reason to produce a thing impossible but to confute unbeleefe against false and carnall reason Oh! either cut the Throate of it or it will cut thine Lift up the Arke of thy faith above the rockes and cragges of reason or else it will Split Begge the spirit of the promise and of the command to set thee upon the rocke that is above reason Christ and the Sacrament or else reason will destroy both 2 King 6 18. There are more with thee as Elisha told his man than against thee if the promise and command of Christ be for thee It s an evidence from God and subsists in his faithfulnesse power and mercy grounded upon the death of the Lord Iesus 2 Cor. 6 1. Receive not this grace in vaine as if thy eares were stopped eyes blinded hands held and cheyned by thy fleshly sence Rather let this promise of Christ loosen this chaine Salomon saith A gift in the hand prospers whither so ever it goe Oh! here is a gift in the hand Take and eate This is my body given for you and now given to you let this prosper against all the mutters of carnall Reason and say Oh! be there never such unlikelihood as Caleb said of the Anakims yet they shall be but meate for us Num. 14 7 8. If the Lord love us he will give it us So say thou If God have spoken standby sense and be still I know thou wilt be ready to put thy selfe forth in and against each promise but I will have no eare to heare thee if God speake The charge of God hath power to enable thee as well to command thee it gives what it commands as when the Lord Iesus bade the Palfie man rise he put life and motion into his limbes and joynts and left not the worke to the criple So I say resist sence and corruption by a promise and a charge of Christ and it shall stoope unto them The Lord hath put an infinite power into one against the other Vse 3 And thirdly bee exhorted to cleave nakedly to the word of the promiser consent and obey Esay 1. The words are both used to signifie faith Esay 1 19. for a matter not unlike and saith he yee shall eate the good things of the land So say I heere come with an open hand and a simple heart and a naked faith and thou
12.2 Rom. 12 2. Secondly the heart thus broken breakes out into confession 2. Confession and as Hosea saith takes words unto herselfe to expresse her sorrow Hos 14.2 for confession is the true vent of godly sorrow This confession is an uttering and powring of the heart out to God when once sorrow hath filled it to the brimme and therefore in all those texts almost where we have examples of sorrow confession followes immediatly Confession without this open full and affected heart is as saplesse and barren a thing and as unsavory a formality as can bee Onely this broken heart will breake out into open and ingenuous confession which else keepes the impostume within her selfe and hides it Thus David sweetely Psal 32 Psal 32.5 6. saith While I hid my sinne and nourisht an hard heart my bones were consumed and the fire burnt within mee But when my heart thawed then I acknowledged my sinne that is powred out my soule in confession and thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sinne This confession is sampled by the matter which is searched out and according to the sorrow which the heart conceiveth and by both becomes a most humble plaine tender and hearty expressing of sinne to the Lord not onely in the substance but the circumstances of aggravation It s no mincer or lesner of it but to the uttermost enlarges it against her selfe according to eyther the greatnesse the extension and effects the hainousnesse of it by the person committing it the person against whom the heart wherewith the time when place where and all to make up an ingenuous confession against it selfe Oh! that one under such meanes of mercy even in coole blood with the heart of a Traytor should with so high an hand with such spirituall wickednesse offend the Lord say it be by uncleanenesse by living in a course of unprofitable hearing hypocrisy formality vaine glory pride earthlinesse especially unbeleefe or as the case requires yea that I should sinne against such mercies and longsuffering of God leading me to repentance and that to the horrible scandall of Religion and hardning of many in the like sinnes Oh woefull wretch how shall I looke thee in the face Thus confession turnes up the bottome of the heart with shame and detestation yea treading it selfe under Gods feete as unworthy to breathe in his ayre or looke up to heaven and makes it selfe vile and odious comparing it selfe in her filthinesse with the pure eyes of God See the confessions of the holy men in Scripture Dan 9.8 Ezra 10.1 Ezra 9.6 Psal 51.3 Iob 42.2 1 Tim. 1 10. Ezra David Iob Paul and others confounded in themselves for their sinnes Thirdly the soule having thus arraigned and indited her selfe before God doth receive sentence against her selfe pronouncing her selfe by her guilt Thirdly sentencing herselfe to lye justly under the vengeance of God for her sinne and doth justify God in all his sayings that hee may be righteous whatsoever become of her Yâ—a shee brings her selfe even to the suburbes of hell as she deserves Psal 51.4 2 Sam. 24.17 looking at Gods glory above her owne redresse This exceeds any repentance of an hypocrite whose terrors and confessions are but to vomit up the morsells which loade the heart for the present but after are welcome This I say is the third step So to condemne her selfe as to applaud and justifie Gods sentence If hee say shee is a Traytor shee grants it if hee say she is cut off and accursed shee confesseth it righteous in all the Lords accusings and judgings shee prevents him and judges her selfe saying True Lord thy judgments are just If thou should'st make all my dayes miserable it were but just if all at once wrath should seaze upon body name minde conscience goods wife and children all were just yea whatsoever is not hell is mercy hell it selfe being but just and under this confuzion and heape of guilt and wrath shee lies as one held downe with it as one that lies under the ruine of some peece of building fallen upon and oppressing of his body As wee see oddes betweene a face made white with colours and appalled with a disease betweene a vizard and a countenance consumed and worne with lying bedred which though no man speakes utters it owne weakenesse And this spirituall subjection of a penitent heart lying under her sinne and shame the holy Ghost much expresses true repentance by saying of Ephraim Ier. 31.18 I was as an heifer that knew no yoake but after I was corrected I turned yea I smote upon my thigh yea I was ashamed and confounded because I bare the reproach of my youth This holds the pearking proud heart of man under the hand of God wholesomly and sometimes the anguish and confusion of the soule workes upon the body so David and Iob tells us Psal 32.4 Iob 33.20.21 Psal 6.6.7 that the wrath of God turned his moysture into the drought of Summer That his flesh was as a bottle in the smoake that it was consumed loathed deynty meate and was brought to the grave By which we must not conceive pangs of despaire but the wounds of the conscience under the guilt of sinne as sinne and wrath as wrath so much the more bitter by how much more susteyned by God in the hope of pardon for all true Repentance yea each seede of it presupposes some seede of true faith in pardon The fourth and last in this kind is Indignation and holy revenge of a mans selfe as his owne greatest enemy for his sinne The fourth Indignation Which followes upon the other because the soule that loves God hates whatsoever resists his righteousnesse and as it doth hath sinne in others so especially in her selfe because it knowes it selfe best which zeale and anger against sinne doth not onely stand in a meare pang of passion and distaste but even in a revenge of it selfe upon both it selfe and sinne and all instruments thereof in token of utter detestation And why because it meanes no more to meddle with it for if it did it could not attaine to this degree First it conceaves a true enmity against the sin simply as sinne and opposite to the Image of God be it greater or smaller and the deeplyer as it dishonours God most deepely This is a worke of the Spirit putting a contrary Principle into a man to hate that which he loved and love that which he hated a thing which to flesh is impossible for no man ever hated his owne flesh As it was with David that nothing could cause him to hate Absolon neither the murther of Amnon nor deflouring of his Concubines nor treason against his owne person so it is with a naturall man nothing can set oddes betweene him and his lusts the amity with them is so rooted When therefore true enmity is set betweene sinne and the soule that it can say Lord I hate it yea as my rankest enemy it s a
the woefull course which hee hath runne Deut. 29.19 Rom 2 3 4. adding drunkennesse to thirst and heaping up wrath against the day of wrath that hee is as one who hath run out above his ability to pay and therefore his booke of accounts is yrkesome to cast over it is death to him to thinke of it Thus it was with Cain each hundred of yeeres that hee lived the debt of his murther was so encreased by other sinnes and the penalties thereof that at last it became inextricable But repentance in the true children of God causes the view of sinne and the chaine thereof to bee presented with some hope of forgivenesse because although perhaps the conscience is amazed yet it s not privie to that trechery which the wicked were carried by in sinning Psal 51 4. Mark 14 72. And therefore their sinne is sayd to bee ever before them they are sayd to come to themselves Peter is sayd to weigh his sinne ere hee went out which argues that the weight of it oppressed him not Thi reviving of the mind from the horrour and oppression of it is a great mercy in the midst of such misery Iona was infolded as in a labyrinth of Sea Ionah 2 6. Whale and conscience yet in this gulfe hee was not swallowed up but conceaved in his mind a possiblenesse for God to bring order out of his confuzion So that the first occasions of revolt the circumstances attending the degrees following and the danger incurred rather serve to magnifie mercy in keeping the soule from utter Apostacy from the living God than to beate off the soule from hope The 4. Branch The fourth and one of the many is the recovering of a sensible and broken heart after long hardnesse by the deceitfulnesse and sweete baites of sinne Heb. 3 12. A most sweete fruit of the spirit of election For it was not possible for the hard heart of Saul or Iudas to relent upon the checke of conscience there was no droppe of the seede of repentance in them It would seeme impossible that Peter and David after so long a lying in so hideous sinnes Mark 14 72. 1 Sam. 12 3 4. should at the first conviction of Nathan relent and breaking through all the barres of his sinne say I have sinned It was not in the words speaking 1 Sam. 15 24. Mat. 27 3 4 for Saul and Iudas spake the same but in the broken heart which uttered them But the cause was That grace and mercy which lay at the roote Oh! that they should after such mercy once felt and vowes so oft renued so basely handle the Lord and hazard as much as in them lay their title to heaven and sell their birthright And yet should the Lord renue a second charter or rather the first a second time Oh! it pierces them to the quicke This chases away the cloudes of dedolence and impenitency and cleeres the coast againe The fifth is The 5. Branch That yet they doe not so easily shake off their feares the Lord so orders it that either by his word or workes they feele his wrath for their revolt so seazing upon their conscience that it doth worke out and purge their corruption through mercy so that they vomit up their sweete morsells And as one under the Phisition his hand lying in an hot bath sweates out the venome of his disease so is it with a penitent soule Gpd mixes gall and wormewood for them to drinke Hee causes them to possesse the sinnes of their youth with sorrow though long since committed Lam. 3 19. Psal 6 5. hee payes them for old and new at once makes their bed a bath of teares till hee have caused all that sinne which they dranke in with such greedinesse to returne backe with as much loathsomnes Then being under this racke hee makes them feele in their owne spirits how their sinne lyes upon his shoulders and by their owne pinching hee makes them confesse Now I see what my pride ill company stollen liberties come to and must cost ere I be rid of them As I like such sawce so let me returne to the meate againe I thought I had but dallied I cast arrowes and darts into the flesh of the Lord Iesus in sport But now they gugg mee Now I see ihe Lord will not beare all I must beare somewhat and if I provoke him it must bee to the confusion of my face As I troubled and greeved the Spirit of God so the Lord troubles mine this day Iosh 7 25 The shame the ill report the sorrow and sting outward and inward which I sustaine sinne is no trifle The 6. Branch Sixtly the Lord now in season proceeds to offer himselfe in a promise to this revolting penitent And that in two kinds First That their revolt hath not extinguisht mercy Esay 57.17 18. Ier. 3 1 2. See Esay 57 17. I will heale their covetuousnesse Ier. 3 1 2. If a mans wife play the harlot wilt thou returne to her Wilt thou not write her a Bill of divorcement Yet returne to me and I will receive thee after all thy whoredomes And againe I will heale all their backeslidings c. So Ier. 3.12 Rev. 2 5. 3.19 Revelations chap. 3 verse 19. Bee zealous and amend Yea the spirit of grace in that fulnesse of Satisfaction by Christ doth fixe and settle such promises upon the soule so that it heares them not as the sound of many waters but dwells upon and digests them as concerning her So that they leave not a wanzing conceit as in presumptuous hypocrites who sinne that grace may abound But they so fasten upon the promise as a reall comfort to cure them of their falling sicknesse Rom 6 1. Secondly the Lord reveales the promise to them as the due order of their recovery For whereas the ungodly doe returne to their trade See Iona 3 21. â—1 upon the suppozall that their doggish vomit shall serve the turne Lo the Lord alway comes betweene the revolting and repenting of his owne with a savory application of the promise Teaching them that if there were no more but their mourning to make up their repentance Alas It would vanish and come to nought Therefore hee will have them lay hold upon the promise of free grace which may quiet and clense their conscience Psal 51.10.12 and restore them to that former influence which they had from grace And although their pipes are still set in the welhead yet because they are stopped the Lord by faith cleeres the passage of grace for them that they may partake that strength and encouragement from their head which may cause their repentance to bee sound and put new hope of holding out into them Lastly by this meanes They keepe themselves well while they are so The 7. branch and dare not by that experience they have gotten of smarty sinne adventure upon it any more They abhorre to tempt
formality of serving God Matth. 11.28 But to such as know that God will have his yoake put on and hath promised to make it sweete it will become so if they will yeeld neckes to it and beleeve Let none mistake me heerein I know that no man must diminish or take away the least dramme of weight from any service of God Revel 22.18 it were cursed presumption and sacriledge to doe it and cursed be he that doth the worke of God negligently Ier. 48.10 Yet neyther ought any to adde any weight of his owne to the Lords worke and to make it heavier than himselfe hath made it But take it as God hath framed it most light and cheerefull to an heart applyed thereto Now to apply what I have sayd to this Sacrament Yet to the most it is tedious and why What one worke of God among the outward is so shrugged at and wearisome to the most as this of Tryall and receiving the Supper On the one side men feele a great difficulty in the dispatch and on the other side the Kings command is streight a necessity is layd upon them and woe to them that doe it not and what comes of this Surely they breake through it with head and shoulders and doe it as they can their owne ease and sloath they will not shake off and the Lords yoake they are loath to take on Rules against it 6. To prevent this eye-sore I have set downe these few directions which I commend to the teachable as for the foole set in his frame I know though one should bray him in a mortar yet would not his folly depart from him Rule 1 And first generally seeing that onely To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 and nothing bee it never so pure is savory to an uncleane heart whose minde and spirit is defiled Let therefore this be the first rule That the heart and conscience be pure and so preserved daily Rom. 7.24 for so the inner man will delight in the law of God and the bent and streame of the soule will goe that way although wee be not continually bufied in the outward performance thereof as in receiving the Sacrament or hearing c. Whereas they who still abide in their uncleanenesse and their hearts are corrupt within them are at no time fit for any duty whether present or absent for why they delight onely in that which followes their owne principle yea in any thing save that which tends to the honour of God and their owne profit and comfort So then first I say let us get a beleeving heart and a pure minde thereby nourishing it daily and then the inward man will bend it selfe to walke with God in such duties as it meets with bee they liberties or crosses be they hearing prayer or Sacrament nothing shall through mercy come amisse to a prepared heart But as the playing of all lessons is equally seasonable to a well tuned instrument so heere Rule 2 Secondly being set thus in frame we must so goe to worke daily That is wee must live by faith daily apprehending Christ to our selves in his promise for the support of our life by his daily influence and nourishment For seeing the Lord is willing to give us Christ to be our wisedome and holinesse and to be ours to put on and doe all we have to doe in as well any day yesterday and forever as well as to day Heb. 13.8 yea as well every day as at the Sacrament to become our meate indeede and drinke indeede what save unbeleefe should hinder why wee should not take him every day as well as any day him I say with all the benefits as pardon peace and direction both for doing and suffering living and dying welâ— Christ is not for a Pageant or Procession to gaze on once a yeare but for use and to live upon daily as Paul saith Now live I Gal. 2.15 yet not I but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God To this end consider further that wee receive the same Christ in the Sacrament and in the promise If then wee be upholden by faith in the promise daily that Christ will be our patience strength hope and will doe all our workes in us Esay 26.16 Then by the same faith the Sacrament will bee welcome to us although it were as daily as in the primitive Church Act. 2. end Act. 2. because still wee receive the same Christ though in a differing conveyance Deceive not thy selfe about thy life of faith and then thou shalt not bee easily unprepared for the Sacrament The Souldiar that lyeth alway in garison is fitter to encounter the enemy in the field than one that commeth from the shoppe or plough untrained for the battell Rule 3 Thirdly wee must bee vigilant against those evills daily which steale into us whereby we make a separation betweene God and us Eph. 6.18 and so betweene us and his ordinances setting a gulfe betweene us and them so that wee cannot come at them easily as the Sacrament by name And contrarywise wee must maintaine our daily fellowship with God daily in faith patience meekenesse diligent use of meanes meditating of the word absteyning from techinesse worldlinesse pride inconstancy unthankefulnesse remissenesse of spirit busying our selves about other or more things than wee are called to c. Iam. 4.2 Heb. 3.14 Which although at the time of committing them they seeme nothing we not thinking of after-reckonings or what hurt they will doe us yet in the meane time wee are corrupted and hardned therewith ere wee are aware Little dreaming what an ill handsell they make us toward the Sacrament And moreover when we would finde them out and confesse them at the Sacrament wee cannot so easily bring it to passe our hearts being a farre off to seeke through their distemper Psal 32.3 So then in a word keepe we our hearts undefiled and shun occasions as we may and we shall finde our Sacrament worke mightily set forward thereby so that the sollemnenesse and hardnesse of the taske will be well over and we shall come to it not as a Beare to the stake but as to our appointed food for why Is not this our fellowship with grace much furthered thereby Marke but this When we have newly bin at the Sacrament we seeme pretty well affected And what hinders us from being so continually if such scurfe brake not out to defile us but we imagine basely that fellowship with sinne and Christ light and darkenesse may be held together which cannot be 1 Cor. 6 19. Rule 4 Fourthly if we have beene prevented by Sathan our owne loosenesse or other occasions and have fallen into the sinnes before named or the like That wee practise a daily repentance thereof breaking our hearts and fastning upon the promise Lam. 3.40 by which we must get pardon and new strength to obey and abhorre
A TREATISE OF THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPELL BAPTISME AND THE SVPPER OF THE LORD Divided into two Parts The first treating of the Doctrine and Nature of the Sacraments in generall and of these two in speciall together with the Circumstances attending them The second containing the manner of our due preparation to the Receiving of the Supper of the Lord As also of our behaviour in and after the same Whereunto is Annexed an Appendix shewing First how a Christian may finde his Preparation to the Supper sweete and easie Secondly the causes why the Sacrament is so unworthily Received by the worst and so fruitlesly by the better sort with the Remedies to avoyd them both By D. R. B. of Divin Minister of the Gospell Math. 3.11 I indeed baptize you with water but he that commeth after me who is worthier than I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. Esay 25.6 And in this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things c. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes for Iohn Bellamie dwelling at the three Golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1633. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND MY GOOD Lady the old Lady Barington Grace and Peace MADAM FOR sundry causes this Treatise of mine seekes your patronage One is That interest of love and respect which a long time not my selfe alone but sundry of our name and Tribe have received from your Ladiship Another is your loving acceptance of such former service of mine to God and his Church in this kinde as hath privately come to your hands wherein you have ingenuously professed your selfe to be a daily travailer with some fruit Likewise that honourable esteeme which I have ever borne and beare to the memory of that noble and worthy Knight your deceased husband was not a little moment in my thoughts Not to speake of my acquaintance with some of your religious Race of whom I say the lesse as perswaded that they seeke the praise of God not of man Besides all these I adde this That my hope is that from your patronage and protection some of your owne ranke and more of your inferiours who looke after bookes as much for the grace and allowance of their betters as for the worth of their matter might by reading thereof be drawne to love them for the true good which they have gained thereby Yet I must not deny but there is a greater motive than all these Seldome have I seriously conversed with your Ladiship at any time but I have observed some carefulnesse in you to be setled upon some good evidences which might secure you of pardon and favour with God A solemne object I confesse the very thought whereof as you may blesse God for so much more you shal have cause to prayse him in vouchsafing you Which shall come to passe if as alway so especially in this last act of your life you shall give all diligence by reading meditation and prayer to make it sure to your owne soule My desire therefore being that I might conferre somewhat hereto and sithence God hath cast your eye and affection upon my labours which doe cheefely ayme at this marke I beseech the Lord so to guide your spirit in your perusall thereof That whatsoever you passe over besides you may take speciall marke of those grounds of Humiliation selfe-denyall and faith which most concerne the maine point of assurance Neglecting no occasion if by any meanes you may atteine to the resurrection of the dead and the whilst may be satisfied with peace and joy through beleeving That so your heart daily growing more tender and confident upon the bare word of the promise you neede no other support your whole heart and conversation may be moulded into a new creature according to the measure of mercy I will not delay you with discourse about the contents of the ensuing treatise that were but to prevent both the Epistle following and the Booke it selfe As touching helpes for your comfortable receiving which I have noted you to speake seriously of I cannot doubt but your Ladiship hath many though I know not any who have travailed in this kind with me to unite the full doctrine and practise of the supper in one But for as much as it is behoovefull upon such occasions not onely to heare in publique but also to have some reall subject at hand which may present the Truth to a desirous heart and releeve memory therefore I doubt not but this Treatise may ad a furtherance thereto If as the Lord hath with much labour 6. or 7. yeares thoughts at times now brought this poore fruite to the light so he please to adde a sutable successe unto it in his peoples practise I shall have no cause to repent me It is the Lord who as hee is tyed to none of our tongues or pens so yet hath bound himselfe to our faith prayers and diligence To whom therefore commending the issue of your Ladiships endeavours herein together with the prosperity of your selfe and yours an happy end of your long pilgrimage and peace to Israel I rest Your Ladiships bounden D. R. To the Iudicious and vvell affected Reader GOOD Reader I have ever esteemed the Lord Iesus the newbirth and nourishment of his Church to be of all other Arguments and Treatises of Divinity the most eminent and essentiall either for such as preach and write to insist upon or for those that heare and reade to improove to themselves by knowing and beleeving And sithence our good God hath not contented himselfe to vouchsafe to his Church this great gift of Christ onely by the word of promise which yet being grounded upon such unshaken Foundations as his owne decree the death of his Son and the faithfulnesse of his dispensers might well claime the obedience and consent of faith at our hands But also hath added the Sacraments as seales of this his covenant and as the utmost assurance of his good meaning moreouer annexing the Spirit of promise and of seale to them both for the better applying to each soule in particular his part in these good things which he hath beteamed her I have thought it fittest having now leasure more than enough to chuse my argument to light upon this of Christ Sacramentall as giving mee hope of doing the most comprehenâ—â—â—e good and becomming most advantagious to the â—â—â—â—ch of God both for the understanding and use of that â—â—â—trine Every man desires to have that which he buyeth or enjoyeth when the commodity is at the best When men would either shew or buy wares or cattle in the Market they desire to set them forth at the best and when they are in best case to attract buyers we love to behold the faces of them we love when they are at the best for health of body and spirit and if we were as wise to improove every thing to the best as
Sacrament and receive comfortably pag. 232 CHAP. XII The causes why the Sacraments are not received and enjoyed either by the common sort worthily or fruitfully by the better sort of communicants with the remedies pag. 239 The speciall Contents of each Sâ—ction let the Reader looke for in the marginall Notes of each Chapter To the Christian Reader GOod Reader I could not but advertise thee of some cautions in the method and manner of thy reading of these Treatises and here I would frame my speech to two sorts the one weaker and more ignorant the other such as would think themselves more judicious To the former I say this First that whereas weake ones lighting upon a booke of this nature cloven in two and divided are ready to enquire whether part is more necessary and as they fancy so to take what they list and leave what they please falling upon that part which they thinke neerliest joyned with practise passing by the other as lesse needfull Therefore I advise all such to use a better order in their reading and as Iosephs servants did in the search of the sackes to begin with the eldest and first and to end with the last to reade in order from the beginning of the foâ—mer Part to the end of the latter by which meanes it shall come to passe that understanding their grounds distinctly and wisely they shall proceede to practise with farre greater light and savour than otherwise they should do by their confused reading I observe also another folly in weake ones That when the occasion of the Sacrament is offered they commonly catch up some booke of that Argument and while the pang lasteth spend their devotion upon it till they be weary but no whit bend themselves to reade those things which chiefly concerne them and although they should light upon some such point yet the discourse being coherent and they very unsetled can scarse reade over halfe one point Therefore my counsell to such is To turne their sudden pangs into an ordinary habit that is to devote themselves to a diligent reading and coherent perusall of the things as they are handled without slightnesse and needlesse interruption whereby they shall both meete with such things as doe most concerne their estate and shall be able by taking note thereof to turne to them at their neede and not to be to seeke of them nor wander in their reading at uncertainties which will cause their reading to be sweete when they feele gaine to ensue thereby The latter caution to the more judicious is this That whereas some of them affecting to be thought so when they meete with a booke of this nature partly containing contemplation partly practise These I say are in another extreame and thinking the latter to be under their curious braines do quite passe it over and if they thinke to get some new point of deeper nature than ordinary or some distinction formerly unknowne to them out of the contemplative discourse that they will fasten upon and study hard labouring indeed rather to pride themselves with ostentation of some novelties or depths than to edifie themselves with any practicall and savory truthes as they are in Iesus To these I say this That although I have beene willing to handle the Theory of this point of a Sacrament both because its little looked after and also for satisfaction of sober desires of knowledge yet my cheefe scope was rather to draw men to love and embrace the Sacraments for their true gaine and spirituall commodity than to humour any frothy braine in meere discourse to puffe men up withall In a word if the well minded Reader shall purchase any thing towards more sound understanding by these my Collections I shall be glad but much more glad if I should finde that this knowledge of theirs did drop as dew and soake into their hearts and affections to season them with a pious and conscionable regard of the Sacraments a more due reverence in preparing themselves to the Table of the Lord and a more carefull survey of themselves after their Receiving that so their whole course might bee much better and their former errors rectified and reformed Now as touching the scope of this latter part understand that looke what in my former preface and Treatise I have endeavored for opening the Doctrine that I desire to do in this part for the stirring up of practise in men in due preparing themselves and meete receiving of the Supper And seeing it is so holy solemne and hazardous a worke it imports us to looke well to our selves in our partaking thereof Sacraments my brethren are no morrall acts such as the managing of our earthly affaires buyings sellings companies recreations and callings are which yet are holily to bee performed but holy things in their nature eminently spirituall and religious in themselves They containe Christ Iesus for the sealing up of birth and prosperity of the soule As the grace is exceeding spirituall which they exhibit to beleevers so is the curse as poenall which they threaten to the abusers In no one thing doe wee either more aboundantly advantage nor in any one more endamage our selves as wee goe to worke Spirituall ordinances are both spiritually violated and spiritually punished Hoping that this short item through mercy shall prevaile as much as a longer with the wise and craving grace from heaven upon us both I bid thee farewell A TREATISE OF THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPELL BAPTISME AND THE SVPPER OF THE LORD The first part CHAP. I. Of the Generall Circumstances of Sacraments I Begin with these because the doctrine thereof may afford light to the ensuing Discourse And the Circumstances which I would touch upon are these six Circumstances 6. 1. The Name Sacrament 2. The Antiquitie 3. The Necessitie of their handling in the Ministry 4. The Number 5. The Publiquenesse 6. The Time thereof Circumst 1 Concerning the Name Name of a Sacrament it is of ancient use in both Heathen and Christian Authors The Heathens applyed it to signifie a sacred and holy service about theis Idoll worship and especially to an oath which they honoured as a sacred and divine band the Latine Fathers especially the eloquentest Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose c. use it in the same sence for an holy religious complement or performance in which sence although especially they aymed at our two Sacraments yet they also called any other as well by this name as if wee would call the mystery or doctrine of Christ a Sacrament or the Church liturgy a Sacrament or any other publique or private ordinance a Sermon a fast or the like This we see was a very large and generall expression The abuse of it which some moderne Divines following without due judgement used confound divine mysteries and Sacraments calling each signe or type a Sacrament and consequently grant that errour which the Fathers upon due deliberation would have disclaymed viz. that the old Church had more Sacraments than
and the grace of love for the great worke of receiving-Its in him the first principle of life who made them to bestow them Renounce thy selfe thy own sence wil-worship devotion religion It s no moralitie to receive well no act of ours It s a most spirituall act about an object of divine excellencie the relation of a Sacrament the end of it the manner of partaking it require a new bottome and the casting out of our owne till God have stript us of our selves flesh and bloud shall never feele any subsisting of Sacraments they will vanish Onely a word of promise and a seale of the Spirit added to it by and from a God of boundlesse mercie can breede faith to become as reall an evidence and convincing the soule that there is Christ Pardon and Grace to be gotten as ever Pharisee felt false bottome in his owne work wrought carnall and outward devotion and farre greater And this note The Lord is not so to be counted the ordainer of Sacraments as if he had put all his power over unto them to conferre grace to all sorts No no he holds the bridle still in his owne hand if he blesse they shall be blessed if not accursed and all to teach us to seeke him for the grace of his Ordinance to abhorre our selves to pray for the Spirit of the Promise to make the seale effectuall else all is empty and bottomlesse The second thing is the matter of a Sacrament In the which point two branches offer themselves to be considered Secondly Matter Two things First Necessitie First The necessitie of it Secondly The simplicitie Touching the former Elements must be sensible I meane no absolute necessitie but such as the sutablenesse to providence to the impotencie of our nature requireth Such is the wofull blindnesse and dulnesse of our understanding and unbeleefe of our hearts to conceive or apply to our selves the Mystery of Christ that except the Lord should suffer men to vanish wholly in this their wretchednesse hee must of necessitie steppe out of his spirituall â—â—â—rse and temper himselfe to our infirmity declaring spirituall things by carnall And hee doth by this meanes condescend to us First Our weakenesse requires it least we should be offended with the hard things of his kingdome but might even see touch taste them and by speaking to all these sences at once hee might convey the savor and faith of them and in them familiarly to us He doth catch us as it were by this wise crafte which though it bewray much dulnesse in us yet no lesse deepe wisedome and love in God And this course hee hath taken in all times past with his Church for when any promise charge threat or act of his hath passed to corrupt man hee hath beene faine to second it with some signe and outward warrant to the sence to confirme them in the truth of it who were Actors or beholders thereof When the Lord sent Moses as a Saviour to Israel and to Pharaoh Exod. 32. and 4.3 Iudg. 7 38. Esay 38 21. Ier. 13.9 and 24 2 24. 25 15. Ezek. 12.3 c. how did the Lord both ratifie his calling and threats by miraculous signes So Gideon and Hezekiah so the Prophets in their errands as those Stories of the rod becomming a Serpent the drie and wet Fleece the rottten Girdle the Pot with the scumme and flesh sodden together doe witnesse Not to speake of those many Shaddowes and Types of holy things in the Worship of God there being scarce any one materiall thing in the whole Mystery of Christ which had not some one perhaps more spirituall resemblances Yea wee see in the new Testament how the Holy Ghost doth parallell many passages of History to spirituall Mysteries as Hagar and Sina to resimble legall bondage Gal. 4 24. Ierusalem to typifie the opposite libertie the water that supported Noa's Arke to expresse Christ and Baptisme which although I speake not to equall Types and Figures to Sacraments which are of a farre higher nature yet generally they serve to shew what the infirmity of our dull nature doth call for at the hands of God to vouchsafe these Sacraments Vnto which another respect may bee added to wit Secondly For prevention of Idolatry prevention of will-worship As the Lord gave the Iewes an earthly tabernacle and a materiall instruments of worship warranted by his owne Will to restraine the carnall part from devising Idoll-inventions to serve him by So Sacraments serve in a sort to curbe our base hearts from the like errors For if even these be not sufficient to stop our folly in this kinde which will know no God or worship further than we see him then what would wee have devised to our selves if God had not allowed us these Let the many additions of Popish Sacraments and Sacramentalls Images Idols and the Crucifixe c. be evident proofe hereof Vse 1 Teaching us to circumscribe our curious and fickle hearts within Gods bounds and secondly to magnifie his provision in this kinde for the releefe of our dull and slow hearts yea as Manoahs Angell ascended in the smoake of the sacrifice Iudg. 13.20 so let us incorporate and indoctrinate our feeble mindes and soules into the evidence of these divine proppes of the Sacraments As our Saviour said to Thomas Iohn 20.17 Put thy hand into my sides and the print of the nailes he being content that his exalted estate should admit such scars to convince him so in this Sacrament he shewes us his markes bidding us to be not more formall and hardned but faithfull The more wayes the Lord seekes to encounter the dul conceit and the stupor of our understandings yea the blunt edge of our affections in holy mysteries the more naturally and familiarly he deales that he might surprise our earthlinesse sensualitie and heavinesse of spirit slow to beleeve these heavenly things I say let us be the more teachable and pliable to his discipline Let the impression of his Ordinance pierce more deepely into us and work a more through conquest of our hearts to the obedience of him A pen of a Diamond hath tenfold that force to engrave a Figure in glasse or mettall than some ordinary toole So when the Lord seekes to send instruction into us many wayes at once by all the sences eyes tast touch as well as by the worke of the bare word oh let us beware least our resistance of Spirit and hardnes of heart discourage him quite from any further dealing and tearting with us Iohn 3.12 If when I teach you carnall things saith our Saviour for so it was his course to teach nothing save by Similitudes Parables and sometimes reall objects as by setting a little child before them and washing and wiping their feete himselfe in that lesson of Humiliation and Selfe-deniall Ye understand not Mat. 13 2. Iohn 13 4. how shall ye conceive heavenly Meaning if those things which were used as the more
thine heart may be pull'dup to Davids practise Psal 116.10 who finding himselfe in a sad time delivered from the anguish of his spirit resolved to pay his vowes for it in the mids of Gods House and said What shall I give to the Lord If he could take up the Cup of salvation and praise the Lord how much more shouldest thou take the Cup of salvation which the Lord purposely puts into thine hand Yea thou should say Psal 119 57. Oh Lord my portion I have determined to keepe thy Law Yea and I have sworne and by thy strength I will keepe my oath even to obey thy Commandements Surely if men can breake into so many vowes and promises by occasion of a sicknesse or streight that if God set them at large they will so and so requite him which yet proove broken vowes for the most part then what vowes should received sealed mercies produce from us except we be base hirelings and hypocrites where the Lord himselfe is before hand with us in the grace of the Sacrament yea while the smoke yet goeth up how should wee ascend in it as Manoas Angell to heaven Iudg. 13.20 Surely those Papists who abuse Gods Sacraments to cursed ends as to combine themselves in hellish plots and cruelties and to adjure each other to secrecie which is as farre from the end of a Sacrament as if one borrowing his neighbours horse to fetch his rent should abuse him to take a purse yet even their wickednesse shall not be much worse than theirs who vow better obedience and take the Sacrament upon it and shall yet forfeit so solemne a band and returne to their vomit But for this last branch and for this Chapter thus much CHAP. IIII. Of Sacramentall Acts and the use thereof and of the celebration and sollemnitie of the Sacraments Why Acts requisite HAving spoken enough of a Sacrament as touching the constitution thereof it remaines that wee finish the Description by adding somewhat touching the actuall celebration of Sacraments For it is impossible that the excellencie of their nature of which we have treated should reach to us without a communication and imparting them to us The Lord himselfe who ordained Sacraments is the holder out of them also to the soule Now seeing the Sacraments containe partly things spirituall partly carnall the former whereof are to be carried and conveyed by the mediation of the latter it followeth that the externall Elements must be conveyed by externall and sensible agents to sensible objects by sensible Rites and administrations The Lord himselfe the Agent is a Spirit and treateth not with us immediately either by word or presence Needs must he therefore set forth a deputed Instrument to be for him and that is his Minister Againe the soules of the faithfull are invisible therefore cannot immediately be touched therefore their bodily and personall presence is required that so the conveyer and they to whom the things are conveyed may meete and consent together And as formerly I said that the things offered by God to the Church are spirituall under outward Elements so the offering thereof to the Communicants is spirituall and by the Spirit of Christ yet this spirituall offering is made by outward Acts and Administrations which I call holy Rites appointed by God himselfe and passing betweene the Minister and people that so the gifts also offered may therein passe and be conveyed First then a little of the Persons and then of the Acts requisite to celebration of Sacraments that the Lord and the soule may meete each other The Persons are two we see the Minister and people 1. Persons which are two 1 Minister The Minister then is such a sacred person as is lawfully from God by men appointed as a Sequester betweene God and the Congregation serving to this end to be betweene God and the people for the conveying mutually of good things betweene each other and by name the good things of Christ Sacramentall In whom we must consider both his calling and person he sustaines Touching his calling he ought to be a man truely separated from men and this life to God and holy use In whom 1 Calling Heb. 5.4 hee must be called by God as was Aaron and lawfully warranted by men as the voices of God to the Congregation that he is meet for such use Hee must be of competent understanding Ephe. 3 2 4. and skill in all the Mysteries of Christ and godlinesse He must be of competent gifts to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. utter and expresse the same to the people For how shall hee exhibite those Seales as from God which he neither understands in the ground thereof to wit the Covenant of grace nor yet the Doctrine and Nature of the Seales hee offers How fearefull a derogation is it to the Sacrament in which all things should be Symbolicall when he that is in Gods stead to the people shall neither know the nature of the Covenant to be able to preach it nor of a Seale either to teach or deliver it What a confusion is it for the Minister so unqualified to occupie the roome of God himselfe As if the Lord sealed a Covenant to his people and a Seale which he knew not the meaning of The like I may say of the life of the Minister Seeing the Lord is holy 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 7 25. and offers holy things and such an high Priest it behooves us to have as is holy blamelesse and separate from sinners How necessary is it that the Minister be also in this symbolicall That by the grace of his person the Lord may seeme to draw his people to an holy carriage in the Sacrament saying Be yee holy who beare the vessels of the Lord. Esay 52 11. What a Trumpet of prophanenesse is it to the people and a meane to abhorre the Sacrifices of the Lord when even that sacred person which offers the holy things of God is himselfe profane Hag. 2 12. What an opinion might it breed in the ignorant seeing such a sight that God is like themselves in putting no difference betweene the holy and profane Psal 50 21. But if our duty and worke be done any way it skills not how as if all were alike in Gods account 2. Person The second thing in the Minister thus duly called is the Person he sustaines That is laid downe in the old and new Testament Exod. 29 9. Exod. 4 16. 2 Corâ— 5 20. clearely In the old when the Lord bounded Moses and Aarons office he saith that Aaron should be or serve for all uses betweene God and the people in point of worship and spirituall respects And Paul 2 Cor. 5.20 saith Wee are Embassadors for God as if by us God and Christ besought you c. Note then there is a double relation in the Minister as in all so especially in Sacramentals one wherby he conveyes to the people from God his gifts and
hand Wilt thou not say what a shame were it for me to give over him now in the pursuit of his grace when he hath formerly layd a pledge in my bosome of his gracious meaning to forgive and save me Were it not just I should be left to perish with my baptisme of water barred from the true seale of Gods covenant Oh! be vigilant and studious to redeeme the opportunity of grace and to follow all meanes for the obteyning of grace Kill all base enimity and treachery which suggest the Lord to be thy foe say thus Iudg. 13.23 Surely if hee had meant to destroy mee he would never have done any such kindnesse for mee but this preventing freely assures mee of his blessing upon my attending the meanes to get vocation and faith Oh! be not faithlesse but faithful Suffer no base ease self-pride security infidelity to clog thee and hold thee in chaines Iohn 20 27. Doe thy worke the better and neglect no helpe seeing thou hast thy pay before hand But to conclude if the false and hollow are so culpable what shall be said of such as abuse the livery of Christ to debauch themselves in all kind of profanenes pride drunkenesse riot uncleannesse swearing abuse of the Lords day and that lawlesly How much better were it they had never seene the sun than by their contempt of this long suffring of God to heape up wrath to themselves against the day of vengeance besides the unspeakable scandale they give to Atheists From the personall acts I come to the second Generall The 2. Generall grace of it 2 Fold viz. the Grace of the Sacrament of Baptisme which I illustrate by a Diversity viz. that it serves also for Admission into the visible body of the Church This then is the common favour of Baptisme viz. matriculation and outward incorporating into the number of worshippers of God 1 Common and into visible Communion This is as the porch into the house The Lords scope in Baptisme is an inward grace but this generall priviledge is to all equall viz. A badge of an outward member distinction from the common rout of the world Rom. 4 11. out of the pale of the Church The Lord appointed Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith cheeflly yet as an overplus he allowed it to bee the Differencer of all other Nations from the Iewes Gen. 17 12 13 It was as a fence and wall of separation from them in all their converse So is Baptisme now a marke or badge of externall Communion whereby the Lord settles a right upon the person to his ordinances that it may comfortably use them as his owne priviledge and waite for the inward prerogative of Saints by them And yet this as much as men boast of it is but a shell in respect of the other There is an outward implanting of the wilde Olive into the sweet Olive that it may bee exempt out of the state of Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel But there is a better use of it Heb. 12 25. to bring us to mount Zion Heb. 12.25 to the soules of just men to the Assemblies of Saints The first is not to bee slighted the latter to be rested in and honoured Gen. 17 15. Therefore hee who rejected Circumcision was to bee cut off from his people voluntary cutting off was punished with necessary Vse 1 The use whereof is first to teach us to pitty the estate of so vaste a portion of the world as the Lord hath left in their blindnesse of minde and savadgnesse of spirit and cut them off from the Church of God wholly Oh! the fearefulnesse of sin which should lye so heavy upon the Lords heart as to leave so many Millions for thousands of yeares and thousand thousand generations destitute of God Act â—7 30. Ephe 3 5. Word Covenant and hope ordinary I meane giving them up to be a kingdome of Sathan for the Prince of this world to rule at his pleasure Not to speake of the Iewes whom God hath left to the obstinacy of their rebellion contempt of Christ and his covenant and seales How should wee mourne for them and pray for their conversion and the fulnesse of the Gentiles Vse 2 Secondly what terrour should it strike into the spirits of such as yet never saw their naturall condition What doth baptisme teach but this our woefull Apostasie from God by sinne our estrangement from his life Ephe. 4.13 and our excommunication from his people It is not our outward baptisme which can releeve us Onely it shewes how deepely our nature is sunke and revolted from God and how gracious the Lord is in this his Sacrament to give us by it an unconditionall free title to mercy and forgivenesse whereas he hath debarred still an huge part of the world from Christendome Vse 3 Thirdly it should encourage all fearefull hearts that doubt whether the Lord meane as he saith in his covenant and offer to be reconciled to God to beleeve that he is ingenuous and faithfull therein seeing that by Baptisme he hath taken away that objection wiped away the shame of Egypt and the reproach of uncircumcised ones granting a second priviledge to them and a title to heare pray worship beleeve that by this he might plucke them not onely from Infidels but much more from that infidelity and Atheisme which estranges them from God and might make them true free-denizons of his kingdome in grace and glory by regeneration Vse 4 Fourthly its woefull conviction to all such as still disguise themselves under this priviledge of visible members and wiping off this oyle of consecration still abide most uncouth monsters and savages in the bosome of the Church under Gods cognizance living in all base courses open profaning of Gods name and Sabboths blaspheming that God into whom they are baptized degenerated both from the habit of Christians and men and drowned in the gulfe of all excesse of impiety intemperance unrighteousnesse and whatsoever even Heathens are described by Rom. 1. Eph. 4. Oh! Rom. 1. Ephe. 4. how do they cause Pagans to abhorre the hearesay of baptisme and Christ as some Indians beholding the Spanyards in the east parts cryed out If these were Christians they would still keepe their God to themselves and an heathen Physitian spake somewhat like If these be Christians my soule bee with the Philosophers Surely their foreskin is still upon them Ier. 9 25. yea they have drawne it up againe as ashamed of their Baptisme But the cheefe thing here considerable The speciall grace of it is Christ our nevv birth is the true grace of the Sacrament of Baptisme which point is one of the most materiall both for knowledge and use of all the rest Conceive then the Lord Iesus being wholly given of God in each Sacrament though for divers ends this former Sacrament offers him wholly in point of our new birth or the new creature Christ in all
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
that is That the graces of a Christians condition encrease not a man cannot be sayd to increase in Iustification Adoption c. Answer Answer Graces indeede of imputation doe not admit increase but yet are not excluded from being the object of the Sacrament and that in two respects First themselves for though their essence encrease not yet the soule may and must increase in the knowledge and assurance of them Secondly the fruits of them as the peace the cheerefulnesse joy the contentation the confidence the liberty the welfare of the heart may either be greater or smaller and therefore they concerne the grace of the Supper Againe doth Baptisme seale up inherent sanctification to be the soules owne Then doth the Supper nourish the soule in that First in the mortifying and quickning power of it for the Lord Iesus broken and powred out affordeth the soule daily strength to breake the chaines the power of ruling and defiling lusts ignorance errour security infidelity profanesse selfe-love unrighteousnesse intemperancie Also it brings in the power of the resurrection to rectifie and informe the whole man to better him in the grace of regeneration sinceritie integritie constancy courage c. Yea more it betters the Spirit and frame of the inner man with fuller bent of resolution and streame of heart and affections to be for God and to goe in the streame of obedience to him Secondly it quickens and nourisheth the soule in the speciall graces of sanctification wisdome watchfulnesse humilitie love feare faith patience mercy and all holy affections and gifts serving to holinesse Againe doth Baptisme conferre the grace of a well ordered conversation Then doth the Supper nourish that grace take some instances One especiall grace of inward conversation is the life of faith in all estates in all duties meanes and graces The Supper then strengthens this life of faith in all these enabling the soule to be more sober in prosperitie more humble under the Crosse more fruitfull in well doing more diligent and conscionable in all ordinances more effectuall and plentifull in graces Another instance may be of outward conversation standing in marriage liberties calling company solitarinesse the tongue the governement of the family The Supper then serves to better all these to correct the errors wants infirmitie of these and to ease the complaint of the soule for her unaptnesse to these her sloth awcknesse wearinesse earthlinesse hollownesse barrennesse unprofitablenesse unskilfulnesse to serve God aright in all these Againe doth Baptisme settle the conformity of the Lord Iesus his sufferings upon us Then doth the Supper confirme the soule therein to thinke afflictions daily more welcome to count them no strange thing to wait for them to be humbled and broken and powred out by them made by them more sober selfe-denying more patient to beare and more wise to profit by purging out the causes more growing in graces living by faith in streights for an holy use and good issue out of them And in a word the Sacrament is Christ our Influence and Nourishment in all respects wherein the soule is capable of any want or complaint serving to this purpose that wee may be quickned up in our affections and in steed of a decaying uncheerefull course which Satan and corruption beset us with wee may walke in and out with God with peace and comfort and it may goe well with us in all that wee put our hanâ—â— unto Deut. 5.29 both without and within in life and death It is a strengthner of us to duty a supply of needs protection against evils provision of good things It s enough that the Supper is as large as any wants can be No man knoweth where another mans shoe pincheth but his owne but wheresoever the pinch is Christ in the Supper is ease All the difficulty is in the wise application there is none in the point This for the extent or object of Christ our nourishment Quest 2 The degrees Which are foure The second Question will yet come closer to the point viz. What this influence of Christ is in what kinde or degrees it consists The answer is That it stands in foure severall parts and tends to as many ends Prosperity of soule being the adaequate end of the Supper looke wherein true prospering consists therein stands this influence So that by this latter the former will discover it selfe Christ our nourishment by Christ our influence which is the efficacy of it in the soule The severals are health growth stablenesse and fruitfulnesse in grace The Lord Iesus Sacramentall being all these in all such as are truly begotten of him in one measure or other 1 Health of soule 3 Iohn 2. Touching the first Health of the soule is one step of spirituall prosperity Saint Iohn Epist. 3.2 prayes for Gajus an holy yet sickly man That hee might be well or in health as his soule prospered Pro. 3.8 What it is viz. Sustaining the soule in her welfare intimating that one and the first step of prospering is healthinesse Salomon speaking of the feare of God saith It shall he health to the navill and marrow to the bones noting that the soule which truly prospers by Christ is is healthy even as a body is Note then even as when wee see corne hops or the like hold their vigour and colour wee say they will thrive and as the body when it holds it owne and keepes good colour and countenance the bones running full of marrow and the bloud and spirits running well and aright in the veines and vessels then it s called hayle and sound so it is with the soule of a Christian His nourishment is then well aseene on him when he holds that which hee hath received once from Christ when he beares his yeares well when the constitution and frame of his spirit abides sound humble beleeving upright thankfull wise wary holy righteous Wee call health the due consistence of the constitution and humours without either excesse or defect when the body keepes temper and vigor without any clogge or oppression of ill humors or surfeit befalling her So is it here when the soule is preserved from the annoyance and distemper of the wonted bad qualities pride ease infidelity unthankfulnesse envie world selfe-love unsavorines when kept from loosenesse and security and hanging her grace upon the hedge and running out of course to all occasions companies baites profits pleasures vanities whereby the life of grace should be choked and oppressed then she beares marke of some health and prospering then shee seemes to hold her owne in the life of faith and the order of good conversation Now to this first end the Lord Iesus our nourishment serves Christ our nourishment can doe it Sacramentally Psal 119 57. especially in the Sacrament and to this end all true Receivers frequent it viz. That they may fare well and prosper in soule The Lord Iesus is able to doe this and more for them David hath a sweet
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
power of them and that not in doing onely but in suffering also Christ will be a Bulwarke unto them to fence them with courage and armour against assaults enemies Satan and the errors of the wicked that they may not be pulled from their stedfastnesse Lastly 2 Pet. 3. ult the Lord Iesus will nourish them so fully and so roote them in himselfe and set their pipes so in his well-spring so dwell in them that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of waters able to water all their practise Ioh. 7.38 and to make each part of their life fruitfull I say hee shall heale their barrennesse extend their grace so that it shall suffice them for many uses of lif as formerly for few Conclusion of the use Briefely then trie your selves by these markes Sure it is they catch many in their snare convincing them either to be none of the Lords or else to dishonour his Diet and to call the Lord a hard Master who reapes where he sowes not and keepes a bare house Mat. 25.25 whereas the very hired servants of his house fare better than the jolliest and bravest that live out of it Oh! if ye be these children that have their daily portion from Christs trencher as Ierem. 52.54 it is said of poore Iehojakin that prisoner happie is it for you these trials shall not hurt you Ier. 32 54. but if ye be not such certes to try may doe you good and prevent that danger which all bad Receivers are liable unto Which grace the Lord grant you Vse 3 And nextly as in due place whom should I turne my speech unto save unto these Iehojakins of the Lord be not offended at the name seeing its probable God at last shewed him mercy for his obedience I meane such as by this daily portion of his Christ farewell and prosper in goodnesse In two Branches These I must diversely speake to first the stronger sort then the weaker 1. The strong To the 1. in a word this I say That if the Lord in mercy have granted you this portion and these blessed fruits of prosperitie whereby ye are eased and cured of that Epidemiall disease of the age a declining hide-bound unsetled and barren course with God I say unto you blesse God in secret who hath given you morsells and draughts which the world knowes not count your portion to be fallen into a good ground Psal 16.6 and desire not to change it for the huskes of Swine no nor the feasts of Princes To you I shall say more after in the point of enjoying Christ 2 The weake But unto you weake ones let me speake otherwise and take your sad words out of your mouths you cannot deny but the Lord hath both bred you and fed you by his Sonne and by his Sacrament yours they are and as Christ is Gods so you are Christs but yet that nourishment of Christ which I have here described in the parts and degrees of it which dogges do catch at bouldly perhaps you dare not apply to your selves you are affraid that this my discourse will condemne you Dub. for you are farre from the tyth thereof you say farre from improoving the Sacrament to all those ends or in such degrees as the last use presseth your faith notwithstanding all your Sacraments is weake your comfort peace freedome of heart small your grace little stirred up in you to your feelings your inner bent of spirit still faint and your streame weake your conversation full of disorder and the staves of your wheele which should support the race of it pittifully broken your errors many in ruling your tongues families liberties and selves aright and you say if this be the fruit of the Sacrament to make Christians prospering in health growth staiednesse and fruitfulnesse oh what shall then become of you Sol. I answer Hold the Evidences of your Baptisme and regeneration proove your calling to be sound and keepe that you have gotten mourne that you have not improved Christ in his foode and welfare since you knew your selves to bee the Lords perhaps there hath beene a fault this way that you have rested too much in that and too little stirred up the grace of Baptisme by the Supper Let that humble you and covenant for heereafter to make better use of the promises and Sacrament of nourishment than you have done and then for your comfort this I say The Lord hath taken away your sinne you shall not dye the Supper is the nourishment of the weake as well as of the strong All measures are not alike By those which I have heere noted I doe not desire to snare any but to shew Gods bounty and what Christs fulnesse can beteame not what each receiver carries away Therefore bee not discouraged God is like a tender mother who hath both strong children and weake shee hath meate for them all But if any one be poorer and weaker than another that shall have the deintiest not that it may ever looke to lye upon her hand But that being cherisht by her cordialls it may grow stronger and be free from such maladies Therefore in Gods feare if there be truth and a mourning heart for faylings and hunger after the best measures of grace which Christ hath for thee let not this view of doctrine dismay thee Encourage thy selfe to wayte for pardon of old defects and the Lord shall by that I have sayd rouze up thy spirit to an earnest coveting and a true enjoying of such welfare in Christ as thy heart longeth after Desist not thy diligent receivings and holy humble preparing of thy selfe for if thou leave Christ as Peter sayd when those carnall followers departed whither shalt thou go He onely hath both words and foode of eternall life But heere some may step in and say yea wee should have hope of this if onely we had some defects and decayes in grace and goodnesse But its worse with us for we have harboured our corrupt qualities of sloath ease deadnesse yea perhaps a proud uncleane covetous heart yea rebellious against many knowne truths of God sinned against his mercy by much presumption against his threats by security against his charges by contempt and disobedience our hearts accuse us of coldnesse selfe-love unthankfulnesse forgetting of Gods administrations wearinesse of the yoake of a strict walking with God and counted it precisenesse taken the uttermost of our liberties counting them our enemies who have reprooved us And now loe the Lord arraigning us at the Barre of justice we are confounded in our selves and almost driven to despaire when our consciences doe rise up against us and the Lord seemes to leave us to our selves wee seeme to be in hell Is there any hope for such as wee I answer first I wish such to try their Baptisme and the truth of their first calling to be sound of which after in the triall of our estate and if they can proove that they
have ever beleeved the promise and found favour with God then I say the grace of God within you shall stirre up your soules to an unfaigned humiliation and brokennesse and shall recover you to a sight of his promise The Spirit of God shall not suffer you to runne from God with such full bent of heart but your checks and cumbats working with the experience of mercy and former pardons shall revive the seede of God within you So that yee shall not wholly shake off the spirit of regeneration The grace of your Baptisme shall be as a second boord after shipwracke to recover you and shall send you to the Supper with hope of regayning that light and comfort which your revolts have darkened and eclipsed else should the Sacrament be of no power to succour distressed consciences in their relapses But this I adde such shall finde it hard to binde up their breaches and wish they had never revolted Vse 4 Fourthly let this be an rise of Instruction about that one particular of Christ our nourishment in redemption a doctrine seldome pressed in the Sacrament and therefore I will take some paines to presse it The Supper of the Lord offers to all beleevers a portion of Communion with Christ in his Afflictions And as baptisme is our prest-mony to bind us to Christ in all estates to bee his souldiers as well as servants to our end so the Supper confirmeth us in the grace of our Baptisme Therefore know that its not for nothing that we receive Christ crucified both body and blood under bread and wine to put us in minde of taking up our crosse dayly making it our dayly bread That we drinke at this Supper as its wine of refreshing so it is a Cup of blood and the wine of the indignation of the Lord upon his Sonne Esay 63.2.3 Esay 63.2 3. And although Christ dranâ—e the dregges and trod the wine-presse threof to free us from the guilt and curse of it yet not from suffering for Christ The Sacrament is a badge of our conâ—ormity with Christ or at least of our renued courage in his afflictions Phi. 3. Christs cup was so bitter that he praied oft Father take it away So must thou looke for the like that if God should compasse thee about and hedge in thy way Phil. 3 12. adde sorrow to sorrow and make thee a Marah of a Nahomi remooving thee on the suddaine farre from prosperity Oh! Ruth 1 20. thou mayest say The Lord Iesus hath dranke of this cup unto me The extreame bitternesse and anguish of it he hath taken off if thou be his thou mayest say Blessed be God this Sacrament offers me a discharge from sinne curse Satan hell and Death I know the hardest have shot the gulfe of these yet still there remaines a relique of bitternes for thee to drinke to frame thee to the love selfe-deniall patience and victory of thy Master 2 Cor. 5 ult Esay 53.12 and much more to bee content to beare as hee did He bare for no sinne of his owne but thine onely and he bare that he might helpe thee to beare and in all thy afflictions be troubled that he might take the sting and venome of them away and make them tollerable Do not then greet the Lord unkindly and treacherously when the crosse comes as if the Lord had sent it in wrath to cut thee off to take away thy right Lam. 3. and to cast downe thy soule out of her place No although the Crosse may seeme darke uncouth Lam. 3 35. and to have such sad circumstances in it as for the present thou seest not how to winde out of But remember thou receivest the Sacrament no ofter than the Lord Iesus offers himselfe to thee in the heaviest bitterest and most unspeakeable crosse that ever was borne What gall was not mingled with his drinke Mat. 36.46 48. Wherein was he afflicted save in that which was most precious even the love of his Father and for what save for sinne that was more irkesome to him than death If the Lord then crosse thee so not in some petty filip of a finger but in a tedious sort even in what is most pretious consider the Lord hath done it that hee might make thee partaker of his holinesse Heb. 12. conformed to him in his meeke yeelding to his Fathers will to the contempt of the world nay of thy vile and proud heart to selfe-deniall in all blessings to mortification of thy ranke lusts yea hee doth it that thou mightest put thy mouth in the dust and be low when he will have thee so that rottennesse might enter into thy bones and thou mightest have peace in the day of trouble Be then under it as he was whose cup thou dost drinke of and shew what strength thy oft drinking of it hath put into thee Be sensible of Gods stroke in a moderation neither too much nor too litttle Labour to suffer the will of God let it clense thy soule and purge that scurfe which it was sent for and trust God and pray that he would deliver thee from that thou fearest Heb. 5.5 waite for the good of it the whilest and for release of it in due time not consulting with flesh how or how farre or when but trusting him with it who hath infinite wayes above thy reach to effect it If the Martyres could endure their bodies to bee burnt to ashes gladly upon this ground how much more thou who never enduredst the firy triall nor yet the anger of God in thy smaller trouble If he have removed that by his agony bloody sweat and desertion what else save sweat conformity to thy head remaines for thee Let it then be instruction to thee to draw more and more strength from the Sacrament to enable and susteine thee in thy bearing of it Alas we come for the staffe of bread and the wine of rejoycing to fit us to obey But not for the helping us to eate the bread of affliction and to beare the cup of indignation aright as Micah 7 9. Mica 7 9. Oh! what a stranger it is But of this so much CHAP. VIII Touching the Sacramentall Acts of the People and so the third Generall of the Description viz. The End of the Supper NOw my promise made at the end of the 6 Chapter requires that I come to the Sacramentall Acts of the People The which I will handle as the use of Exhortation from the doctrine of the former Chaper falling fitly inâ—o the streame thereof Fiftly then is Christ Sacramental our nourishment Then let all his People obey his charge first to take this body and blood of his to them secondly to eate and drinke them Touching the former I meane this receive and beleeve that this flesh and blood of his is given thee for thy particular nourishment All the former uses presuppose this obey in this and all the rest shall follow duely For the better conceaving of this
which I gave a touch before in the point of fruitfulnesse Secondly walking with God daily as being under his eye awfully purely Gen. 5.22 and soberly approving our selves to him in the way of our life making his Word our delight in both the promises commands and threats of it and so holding the Lord in our sight as loth to forgoe him Thirdly Ascending in our thoughts from our owne welfare in private and forcing our awcke hearts to the service of our time as David Act. 13.36 Acts 13 36. as well as looking that it goe well with our selves of which selfe-love our spirit is full stuffed except this grace scoure it out Remember we that the gaine wee get by Christ in his Assemblies should presse upon us the bewailing of the losse thereof Zeph 3.18 Zeph. 3.18 the beseeching God to establish the Lord Iesus and to set up his King upon his Zion in the power of his Ordinances to demolish the Throane of Satan and Antichrist that the Scepter of Christ may prevaile every where against Popery Atheisme Ignorance Blinde devotion profanenesse and forme of godlinesse Lastly in an heavenly heart as Phil. 3 18. Phil. 3.18 knocking us off from below moderating our liberties for us enlarging us to desire his glorious presence to have communion with him as he is concluding that if these treaties with him at distance as in the Supper be so sweete then much more to eate and drinke it in his kingdome Luke 22 16. Luke 22.16 Oh! if our treasure be there let our hearts be so also and send we them before us in token wee looke to remove thither as our abiding place Phil. 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus doing wee shall use the Supper for the end which it was given for to supply the absence of the Lord Iesus from us Luke 22 35 16 17. Luke 22.16 till wee may enjoy it Thirdly let that good we have got out of the Sacrament The third imparting our selves to others so plentifully abide in us that wee impart it to others The nature of these graces is such not to feede on them alone When those Leapers 1 King 7 12. 1 King 7 12. had filled themselves in the Aramites tents with store of all things their hearts smote them for staying there so long and they resolved to hasten and tell the King and people of it that were sterven in the citie So shouldst thou The Sacrament is called a communion in this respect as well as the former Poore birds if they light upon scattered corne call their fellowes to the heape When Sampson had found honey Iude 14 9. though hee kept the riddle yet he imparted his honey to his Father and Mother The benefits of Christ are not of a secret and private but diffusive nature Let us bee ashamed to consider that other things in the world are so perfected by communion that neither Trades Artes Customes and fashions nor any other thing have cause to complaine but the matters of Christ are now at the barest and lowest Why save that those that should excell in them conceale their skill and experience The Communion day should be our exceeding day and as in feasts so in this we should send or carrie portions and acquaint others wisely and seasonably with our lot and receive from them like intelligence And thus much for the second generall head viz. The grace of the Supper I conclude with the last And that is the particular end of the Sacrament viz. The sealing unto a beleeving soule The third generall The end of it an assurance of that grace which it exhibiteth I have spoke before of this sealing power I will adde but a little for the applying of the genâ—rall to this particular Desiring the wise Reader to looke backe and make use of what I have spoken of this sealing worke in generall and to apply it here in speciall to the sealing of the growth as already I have spoken in Baptisme of the sealing of our Birth or Regeneration A needfull digression to shew the order of the Spirits working And that my Reader may retaine the ordinary view of the two sealing workes this briefely let mee say first that the Spirit of Grace is given by God to attend each Ordinance both the Word of Promise and the Seale of Promise and that to this end to worke perswasion in the soule and to cause it to beleeve the things that are given her of God Then secondly note The object of this perswasion by the Promise is double and therefore the object of perswasion by the Seale is double First perswasion of the soule that shee is truly the Lords truly called regenerated and borne of God That is to say reconciled to him and renewed in him Secondly perswasion that shee growes in the grace of the new birth and shall grow as a lively member of her head till she receive the fulnesse of that part That God is the Author of both perswasions appeares by the two maine heads of unbeleefe which formerly I noted to reside in the soule First that shee dare not beleeve at all that the promise of mercy reacheth to her Secondly that she dare not beleeve that she shall ever reach to any further degree of sanctification than she presently feeles Both these the Lord in his double perswasion confutes The third thing is the Spirit therefore applies it selfe to both these yet not alway in one and the same measure of perswading but according to the neede or proportion of each part By the Promise of the Word sometimes it workes more sometimes lesse perswasion as seemes best to himselfe and so by the Seale of the Sacrament hee doth likewise worke weaker or stronger assurance For though there be a perswading power in an high degree in both yet the Spirit is no servant to his Ordinances but his Ordinances to him they shall perswade more or lesse according as that power of Christ which the Spirit dispenceth is more or lesse conveied into the soule by his perswasion He is never separated from promise or Seale according to the measure of his working by both But that is as he listeth for he bloweth where and how farre hee pleaseth Fourthly note the chiefe and maine perswasion of the Spirit in the Word is the Spirit of the sealing Promise and the chiefe work of the Spirit of perswasion in the Sacrament is the Spirit of the sealing Sacrament And therefore as the Seale with the Promise is above a promise alone So the Spirit of the Seale with the Sacrament is above the Sacrament alone and consequently the sealing power of the Sacrament is above the Sealing power of a Promise the Sacrament being ordinarily the instrument of working the soule to the highest assurance which it can enjoy in this world whether of the truth of her regeneration which Baptisme or the growth therein which the Supper sealeth and perswadeth Sealing
from the Crowne would bee so idle as repaire to the King for they are excluded If the Parliament grant the King a subsidie from his subjects no man that knowes himselfe to bee no subsidie man would prepare any such money for the King for the businesse concernes him not So is it here The Lord calls his free-denizons by spirituall baptisme to renue the Assurance of their pardon peace and adoption at his supper and promiseth there to all such a further increase in the graces of his covenant should then any be so madde as claime a part in this Sacrament who never have beene or baptized called and partakers of the Spirit of grace at all Now then how shall that be discerned True it is those that are free borne and true members know it or may doe as Paul quickely could tell Lysias he was a Romane But who shall stoppe the mouthes of Aliants and strangers such as are of Ashdod and Cham when they come to plead themselves Israelites I meane when hypocrites come to the Sacrament pleading themselves to be Gods people doubtles there must bee some Rules of Triall which will not deceive they must be urged to proove their Genealogie or else bee convinced to bee counterfeits Answer 2 But be it granted that this triall of estate concernes also such as are Gods people yet it followeth not that they cannot use it but they must by and by bee anxious and perplexed about their condition No farre be it from any to thinke so The Lord affords all his To stand fast in their liberties and to be above the bondage not onely of Popish or Iewish ceremonies Gal. 5 1. but of unbeleefe especially and to walke according to that they have received For peace shall bee to all that walke according to rule even the Israel of God Yea as its ridiculous for any such to seeke new grounds to build upon so is it sinnefull to stagger about the old because the covenant of God is with us as the Covenant of Noe as the Covenant of the Sunne and Moone Esay 54 8. yea everlasting after these shall have an end Farre other use are Gods people to make of this tryall at the Sacrament First many know not all such grounds as their faith rests upon although they beleeve unfeignedly ignorance may hinder them Againe although they have had them in a readinesse yet by Satans deluding them with other diversions to worldly objects or by forgetfulnesse or being dazeled by some secret love of evill or by the errour of others these things may be growne strange to them darke and to seeke Besides although it be not so yet may it bee a sweete exercise for a beleever to bee well skill'd in his best Evidences and it may joy him to have the things revived in his spirit which hee hath knowne before and especially at the Sacrament when they may most encourage him Men doe looke upon their evidences of lands for more ends than feare of their Titles And yet I will not deny but that as the case may stand the triall of a mans estate at than Sacrament may and ought to bee anxious and sollicitous yea and that so that for the time he were better desist than proceed viz. when having snared himselfe with some lust which hee cannot easily bee rid of hee questions his estate thereupon and till God have eased the hardnesse and despaire of his spirit through unbeleefe perhaps hee can neither perceive nor yet rellish his evidences as hee hath done This may be one case in which this tryall may bee used with some doubting and distemper Howbeit neither is this so ordinary but to be sure not the onely case Therefore this objection is of no force To proceede then 2 Sorts of tryall of estate 1 Our first calling This tryall of our estate I would call to these two heads as breefly as I can First to a mans first calling home to God Secondly to some essentiall markes either accompanying or following the same Concerning the former of these it shall not be amisse to give the reader a short generall view of calling before I mention any triall in speciall belonging thereto In a mans calling therefore In calling 3. things 1 from what consider first from what secondly unto what thirdly to what end God calls First the Lord calles a soule from an estate of woe and misery through sinne and curse common to it with all the posterity of Adam wherein shee lay plundged deadly from a covenant I say with sinne death and hell wherein shee was wrapped This hee doth by the Ministery of the Law which Eph. 5 â— crying a dismall and lowd alarme in the eares of a drowsie and sleepie sinner awakens him from the dead Being rouzed out of this sleepe it beholdes a deepe gulfe set betweene the Lord and it selfe so that it cannot come at him By this meanes the soule is broken off from all her rotten proppes either naturall through secure ignorance or Religious through conceit of knowledge or the old covenant of workes and performances And whether Publicane or Pharisee before this Law putting no difference condemnes and kills a sinner in point of all his former life and jollitie in sinne holding him under the Arrest of Iustice in an estate of bondage till it be brought to utter despaire in him selfe more or lesse of any redresse Secondly the Lord calles the soule to an estate in grace through the Lord Iesus 2. To what And this hee doth by a most sweete voyce of the Gospell spoken in the eares of it while it lyeth in this Pit of selfe despaire The which doth let in by degrees a Spirit and Covenant of grace into it first in susteyning it from extremities by an hope of possible Deliverance Secondly by presenting the soule with an encreasing light and sight of the All-sufficient price of grace and reconciliation in Christ the satisfyer of wrath and procurer of peace Thirdly by declaring himselfe fully appeased by this satisfaction so that former anger is turned into welpleasednesse Fourthly by expressing his placable and pittifull heart to a sinner in an offer of a covenant with him adding moreover that hee would have him to be reconciled and receive his promise as freely as hee makes it Lastly by enlarging his promise in the apprehension of the sinner both in respect of the infinite many good things contained in the same as also the most free full gracious faithfull heart of the promiser loving strong and sure which cannot lye I say by all these presentments of grace in a most apt sweete and powerfull manner hee workes in the soule such preparations of meditation desire esteeme inquisition restlesnesse of heart and unweariednesse of meanes using That at last this seede breakes out into fruit so that the soule weighing all duly in the ballance to wit the worth of grace offered the mercy of the offerer beyond exception and her unavoidable condemnation in refuzing it
that which he hath built and undoe his owne worke Psal 119.94 As David saith I am thine Lord save me I meane not that beleeving one promise should save us a labour in beleeving the rest But become a good pledge of performing the rest 2 Cor. 1.20 As all the promises of God in Christ are yea and Amen so all speciall ones are yea and Amen in the generall He that hath given his Sonne Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him give us all things Vse of the second ground The use of which briefely is to instruct and convince us of that horrible treason to Gods Alsufficient promise which every one is guilty of who will not cleave to God in his first and maine promise of mercy and redemption Alas what man is there who oft descries not to find God good to him in the Sacrament there to fill him with good things seale vp his pardon purge out his corruption and the like But because hee seekes not to know God in his Covenant how should his Seale doe him good What is a Seale save a relation to a former bargaine If thou never strakest hand with God for his Christ thy righteousnesse how camest thou in for his wisedome sanctification and redemption They belong not unto thee either thou must have all Christ to set thee out of feare or thou hast never a whit of his benefits And to apply this to the present point how shouldst thou come to God by speciall faith in the Sacrament when thou wantest him in the chiefe faith of the first promise Oh! then cuttest off thy selfe thou knowest not from what liberties and mercies when as thou art carelesse to be made sure of the maine Thou shouldst dispute thus The time will come when I shall crouch to God for strength to beare the Crosse to be afflicted in all my afflictions to die willingly c. But then why doe not I the whilest make sure in the maine with the Lord that he might finish his owne worke and save me because I am his Doubtlesse if I dally with this or goe upon false grounds deceiving my selfe the Lord will be guiltlesse in not regarding mee because the time was when hee cried out to my soule Beleeve robbe mee not of my glory distrust mee not in my offer But because thou wert deafe to my cry Prov. 1.24 so its just that I stoppe mine eares at thine goe therefore and seeke releefe of thy idols of ease selfe-love and the world which thou preferredst before mee It is with thee as it was with Israel Iudges Chapter 1. verse 21. Iudg. 1.21 The Lord had given them one promise for all to drive out the Cannanites now because they beleeved not the maine therefore here one Cananitish city there another prevailed and became goades and prickes to them And so hence it is that neither promise of Sacrament or of other Ordinances doe prevaile to purge out their lusts but they remaine as thornes unto them because they never tooke paines to joyne issue with God in the truth of his Covenant to pardon them and make them his beloved Thus much for the second ground teaching that the triall of ones speciall faith rests in the triall of the maine The third ground issues from this second Ground 3. viz. That the triall of our first beleeving may and must make the other easie and familiar It s our great sinne if it bee otherwise For why The Lord gives us assurance of the one in the other yea teaches us to argue from one to another without wavering so far as our weakenesse will permit Excellent is that of Paul Rom. 5.10 Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled by his death how much more being friends shall wee be saved by his life Marke his manner of speech How much more If God made that easie to us which seem'd impossible how much more easie is that which is under a direct promise if God had cast us quite off being enemies we had the mends In out owne hands and could not complaine But having his word to make good our owne desires wee have the Lord tied to us and at a kinde of advantage be it spoken with reverence so that wee cannot be defeated Great is the oddes betweene being an enemy formerly and being now reconciled He that will release a stranger from prison and pay an hundred pound for him will in reason lend a friend twentie shillings Such an argument is this heere Vse of the third ground The use of the point is first to condemne the practise of all such as having found the Lord above their expectation in the promise of reconciliation 1. Conviction yet dare not trust him for some shreds in comparison of blessings of lesser nature as to overcome their passions revenge worldlinesse c. Oh! Thou art like Ahaz and his subjects Esay 7.12 who would not tempt God in asking a signe when as yet they beleeved not without it The Prophet tels them Verse 13. Is it not enough that yee weary men but ye must weary my God also Thou tyrest the Lord when he seeth that none of his wayes will prevaile against thy infidelity But still thou art ever out and in with him as Ioabs sword that could not hold in his scabbard and putst him to crie out Oh! Ephraim Hos 6.4 oh Iudah What shall I doe or how shall I intreate thee Is the worke of faith as farre off now as when thou first beleevedst Oh! weake if not froward wretch how long shall I suffer thee As they in the wildernesse whom no miracles no providence could perswade but were as farre to seeke at the end of fortie yeares as the first day Oh! the Lord loves when his Schollers are apt to learne especially this lesson of faith by many warnings and when our experience teacheth us to buy and sell upon his word 1 King 20.23 But to seeme to trust God with the foiling the enemies of the hils and yet to distrust him with those in the vallies to pretend that they doubt him not for heaven but distrust him for earthly blessings surely it either justly calls thy first beleeving into suspicion or else argues a carelesse heart not able to improve thy Talent of reconciliation to warrant thy faith for a poore supply of this life Vse 2 Secondly it should very much presse upon those in speciall who are to receive the Supper in which the Lord offers the encrease of first graces received in Baptisme to trie their Sacramentall faith with all readinesse of minde Is it easier to doe by many degrees than to beleeve the promise of mercy at first And doth the Lord with farre greater ease as I may say beteame to the soule growing in faith than breeding of it Why then doe they who beleeve come to this triall with so much adoe and bury the Talent of God unthankefully in the earth As those
servants of Naaman told him 2 King 5 14. If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much more then when he onely bids thee Wash and be cleane So say I put case the Lord required the greatest worke of thee would it not seeme small in respect of the good of the Sacrament How much more when he saith Revive thy faith in the promise of the Sacrament If thou wert bidden to trie what almes thou hast given since thy last receiving or what prayers thou hast made or what zeale thou hast uttered against sinne c. oh how wouldest thou plod and gather thy goodnesse together Now when the Lord saith Revive the edge of thy faith once received oft renewed quicken it up in some Sacramentall promise or other ere thou come to the Supper lo how hard a taske it seemes Why save that those morall duties partly are from thy selfe and are mixt with selfe-love But the other is a meere divine grace without thee freely given and relying barely upon the promise and behold how tedious it is whereas thou shouldest say If I were found of God when I sought him not Esay 65.1 how much more easie will it be when I seeke him unfeignedly If mercy were free when I had no promise who should doubt of the more assurednesse of it when God hath tied himselfe Surely the verie ease of it should teach us to dispute strongly for our selves the Lord teacheth us to argue for our selves In other matters that serve for our owne ends wee can argue fast enough but in this either God must put us to it and shame us or else we will lose our benefit for lacke of pleading and so come to the Supper with a dead or unrevived faith May not the Lord repent him of all his cost when he sees so small profit The point it selfe And thus much of this third ground Now having premised these things thus let us apply them to the point in hand The Question then will be how a Christian may try his Sacramentall faith Two waies of trying faith 1 First beleeving I answer by these two wayes 1. When he can prove by good evidences that he hath beleeved the promise of reconciliation already Secondly when he can revive his faith upon the promise of the Sacrament Therefore of these two I will speake a little and so come to the use of the chapter Question It will first be demanded how a Christian may find and trie himselfe to have beleeved savingly How may first beleeving be tried Answ To which I answer this may be done sundry wayes 1. By the meane conducing in the purpose of God to beleeve 2. The Object upon which the soule looketh that it might beleeve The 3. The Roote out of which faith springeth 4. The Act it selfe of beleeving 5. The scope and end which faith propounds to her selfe in beleeving The 6. and last The effects and properties ascribed to faith The order wherein I would lay downe these points is this 1. I would propound the truth of them 2. Shew how the soule may try it selfe about them Which ere I enter upon let the Reader for avoiding of confusion take notice that in the second Chapter of this Treatise under the head of assisting grace I named five trials which doe all agree with that which now I am to speake of the triall of beleeving Onely there necessitie lead me to speake of the end of calling here more specially I treate of saving faith Let not any thinke that I make these two diverse But let him borrow what light that point will affoord for the better conceiving of this and so adde what this point affoords to that knowing that the grace of faith is the upshot of calling This by the way 1 Position The meane conducing to faith Now for the first Position The meane conducting unto faith is the distinct understanding of the Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ both in life and death It was the foundation of Election Ephe. 1.3 not the cause in which the Lord answered his owne Iustice fully to the end that here might set open a doore of mercy to poore Adams lost posteritie Now that which was a meane ordained by the Lord for the declaring of his righteousnesse in saving Rom. 3.25 must be the meane also to conduct the soule to fasten upon the offer of God For why As nothing save a ransome could stop the course of Iustice or cause him to be reconciled with a sinner so nothing can stop the feare of conscience guiltie of wrath nor warrant her that she may be reconciled to God save this propitiation Till the soule come to know Esay 27 4. that anger is not in God she cannot thinke shee may dare come neere him seeing shee knowes him to be a consuming fire Therefore 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Paul grounds a fearefull soule strongly upon this bottome Be reconciled to God poore soule For why 2 Cor. 5.22 Hee hath made him to be sinne that knew none both by obaying and suffering that wee might be the righteousnesse of God in him So saith Elihu Iob 33.24 Iob 33 24. Deliver him for I have received a ransome The triall then of faith by this Rule is this Triall by this Canst thou say truly that in the conflict of thy soule with Gods anger for thy sinnes thy long lyen in deepely died sinnes both of omission commission morrall spirituall offences and revolts thou hast beheld the meane of grace in the alsufficient merit of Christ Hath this stai'd thy heart that God hath cut off his plea against thee in giving his Sonne to satisfie Canst thou say Heb. 10 20. that thine high Priest hath brought thee to God and caused thee to see his face with joy Hast thou sent Satan to Christ and told him God cannot be satisfied and yet angry still Heb. 6.18 Hast thou found strong consolation in the pursuit of Satan from this that thou beholdest this citie of Refuge the satisfaction of Christ as a sure Sanctuary to rescue thee from the avenger of bloud Psal 100.7 Hast thou dranke of this brooke or well-spring and lifted up thine head in hope of being accepted Deny not thy selfe if it hath beene thus with thee it is a good signe I say a good signe if thou hast any condition of faith any feeling of thy burden wrought in thee and sending thee to this meane For why By vertue of this price the righteousnesse of wrath is turned into a righteousnesse of mercy so that it is a meete and equall thing with God having thus received a ransome to forgive yea in Christ God himselfe was reconciling the world and now he doth declare his righteousnesse in justifying a sinner through the faith of Iesus yea thou maist say with David Save me O Lord according to thy righteousns See Rom. 5.26 2 Cor. 5.17 Briefely for the 2. The
object of faith The second object which is the promise which containeth 2. things either the good things offred in the promise or the hearty meaning and purpose of him that freely markes the promise The good thing offred in the promise pardon peace a purged conscience life of grace support in grace the earnest penny of the Spirit and the like serve to draw the affections which carry the soule unto God and to dash out of countenance all false objects of gaine ease pleasure lusts to draw the soule to God in desire esteeme of mercy and in hungring mourning and endeavouring after Christ Secondly the manner of offring these good things being free full faithfull entire and simple exceeding desirous the soule should embrace them Rom. 5. ut supr sorry it should reject them urging it to beleeve serves to put it out of question that the Lord meanes as hee speakes else needed he not to have prevented us at all but seeing even when we were enemies neither deserving nor desiring any favour yet the Lord out of the meere graciousnesse of his heart would needs bestow it upon us Triall by this therefore he would have us conclude he will not repent him of his freedome if wee come in to lay claime and plead this promise Try thy faith then by the promise thus first whence came those dispositions of heart in thee I meane those teares of thine those desires prayers fastings and diligent searching after grace Came they from selfe-love or from an heart of basenesse bringing thy money and cost to God to buy mercy If so thou hast little to boast of but if the good things of the promise wrought them in thee if thou can say that faith and the preparations to faith proceeded from the promise The good things offered therein drew thee to God as with cords If thou canst say that thy good affections could never purchase faith rather that promise which bred faith bred also those affections in thy soule because thou sawest God willing to save thee and pardon thee therefore thou mournest after him prayest unto him Ionas 3.9 and as Nineve couldst not give him over the rising of the Sunne caused this dawning of heart in thee and these making towards grace it is a good signe Secondly try thy selfe thus If the freedome fulnesse and strength of the promiser have truly wrought upon thee then thy base conceits of the Majesty of God are vanish'd I meane thy enmity and hatefull spirit is gone And whereas thou once couldst not thinke a good thought of him but all thy thoughts framed him rather to be angry envious cruell unbeteaming now thou stoppest and as one better setled beginst to say oh my poore soule who couldst never get out of thy slavery and slightnesse thinke of the promise a little better What wilt thou say if by all this offering urging expostulating charging to be reconciled upon paine of hell the Lord meanes thee well Perhaps he may If while he seekes to save thee thou devize how to get out from him will it not be bitter at last Thus weake hope breakes the ice and sets the soule forward Then the Spirit of grace createth in thee both thoughts and affections of such strange goodnesse bounty long-suffering free grace and compassion that thy heart breakes into wondring at him and saying Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult 1 Sam. 24 19. forgiving and passing by the sinnes of his people Who could finde his enemie at the vantage and not destroy him Therefore my soule is even carried into the streame of his grace and perswaded to beleeve I see the good will and meaning of his heart shining in his promise and whereas it was wont to be a barren sound and emptie noise for me to heare a promise now I see it as a vessell standing full and running over yea a streame to carry me in with holy confidence saying If the strength of Israel can lie if free grace if faithfulnesse it selfe can shrinke backe and deny it selfe I am content to perish Thirdly trie it thus If a promise have beene thy Object then thou confessest that the power it selfe to beleeve is in a promise as well as the motives to beleeve The promise is the instrument of the Spirit to perswade And as when the Lord made a promise to the Iewes that if they did come to the Temple to worship hee would keepe their dwellings and goods safe the whil'st Lo this promise had in it such a power as held off all Robbers and enemies from attempting any pillage they durst not they could not so much more in the promise to a loaden heart there is alway the strength of God to effect that which he promiseth and such a soule neede not stand out strangerlike and say here is a sweet promise if I could beleeve But here is a promise strong and able to cause mee to beleeve it If in any measure these trialls be in thee they are all good signes Triall 3. By the roote of it Thirdly trie thy faith by the roote of it which root is selfe-deniall All other graces seeme to have some inherencie and being of their own in the soule onely faith is rooted in the overthrow of a mans selfe This selfe is nothing else save the spirit of old Adam resisting the Spirit of grace and as we see in defenced cities some of their Bulwarkes are out-workes and retrenchments others are maine sorts neere the walls wherein their chiefe strength consisteth So here selfe hath her out-workes selfe-wealth selfe-ease credit and esteeme learning parts experience These are more easily cast downe because Christ and they are of two severall kindes Others are forts of greater consequence in which the heart more trusts as carnall reason and the wisedome of the flesh which Paul in 2 Cor. 10.5 2 Cor. 10.5 calls high thoughts and strong imaginations of flesh setting themselves up against the obedience of faith so also Religious duties and performances whether will-worships of Papists or duties required as Iewish righteousnesse by the Law and all the devotions of carnall Protestants To these I may adde the secret counterminings of the heart mixing it selfe with the preparation to faith and so destroying the worke of God as selfe-mournings desires and use of meanes Now of all these the Scripture tels us That if any will beleeve hee must denie himselfe and be content to be stript of those or else grace will not dwell in him Trust not in thy owne wisedome but trust in the Lord Prov. 3.5 Prov. 3 5. So Paul That I may be found not having my owne righteousnesse of the Law Phil. 3.9 but of faith See how Paul opposes them All the frame of Creation Redemption yea of the whole Word of God prooves it Esay 42 6. God will not give his glory to another He that boasteth must boast of the Lord. Two suites of apparrell may as well agree with
all good signes of faith revived for the Supper Steppe 5 Fiftly try thy selfe by the testimony of a good conscience That will appeare by this It dares not equivocate and dally with God by serving him very studiously in one part of thy christian course but forsaking him in many but say thou with Paul Act. 23.1 I have exercized my selfe in all good conscience continually Try thy selfe then by this rule Triall by it thus Canst thou say as oft as thou art going to the Sacrament Oh Lord I make a shew of very solemne preparing my selfe and trying my faith when I goe to thy table But if it were onely my practise now at this time and at no other I should goe and come from thee with a sad heart No Lord I blesse thy name Gal. 2.20 I doe live by faith dayly I can say with Paul The life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God I appeale to thee who knowest that if I goe to heare the word I mixe it with faith if I pray I looke to my Advocate if I have a Crosse I live in faith in Christ for strength Heb. 4 2. selfedeniall and patience to support me if I prosper I beleeve all is pure to the pure and given me in mercy and in this faith thus trained and set on worke I humbly come to the Sacrament looking that as in other parts of life and of worship the Lord hath beene with me so he will not leave mee to my selfe in this 1 Sam. 7 12. Tell me canst thou say thus in truth be it never so poorely It is a sweete signe of a revived faith Steppe 6 Sixtly try thy selfe by thy Sacramentall experience The Sacrament being one meane of a Christians food and growth it becomes every one having communicated not by and by to vomit up his morsells but to digest the bread of life till hee finde it his owne blood of his veines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone By this meanes every ordinance dwelling in the soule will adde nourishment to it and better it dayly which could not be if it bee forgoten as fast as it is enjoyed Triall by it Let thy tryall from hence be this Dost thou dayly quicken up thy selfe at each Sacrament in the memory and experience of former fruit received especially when thou hast found it sweetest unto thee at any season when thou hast felt thy selfe most emptied in thee faith most cleere and sensible thy soule freest from earth and sensuality and so of the rest hast thou kept this experience by thee as a childe holds a sweete thing in the palate as loth to forgoe it Dost thou by this tryall goe to the Sacrament afterward with more hope and expectation of the like Or if thou have found the contrary that thou hast had but a dead Sacrament of it what dost thou Poast it over and forget it hoping it will be better or dost thou record it often and use it as a spurre of greater care and serious dealing with God next time being afrayd to tempt him and yet loath to forsake him although hee should hold thee off still 2 Cor. 12 8. If thou canst thus revive thy faith by thy experience it is a good signe Steppe 7 Seventhly Gods people so oft as they draw neere to him in duties dare not rush upon him but first humble themselves in dust and ashes as most base wormes and corruption Genes 18.27 Then they pray for assistance in the ordinance meditate and conferre about the right doing Tryall and the fruit of it Try thy selfe then by this When thou goest to the Supper dost thou swell in the conceit of thy former strong faith Dost thou rush upon God without prayer or meditation Or rather dost thou jogg◠the arme of the Spirit as the clapper shakes the corne into the milstone that it may let fall the benefits of Christ out of the Sacrament into thy soule That thou maist come to receive with better savour and strength than thine owne Dost thou begge with the Apostles Lord revive my faith Luke 17.5 Lord make make it a sweet exceeding day Lord let not the meeting of profane blind receivers defile me Let the fellowship of thine Angels and my brethren refresh mee give me that I come for Lord and deceive me not Darest thou not through ease and sloath neglect the sanctifying of one ordinance by another Dost thou engrave the promise thus in thy heart and blow up the poore sparkle within thee It is a good signe Steppe 8 Lastly try they selfe thus Dost thou hold and close with this faith of thine thus revived till thou appeare before the Lord in the ordinance Sufferest thou not Sathan to come betweene thee and home the cup and the lip to rob thee of thy wedding garment but dost thou claspe it unto thee that it may not fall off till it have possessed thee with the gaine thou camest for Dost thou lay in too day now for the bread of the day And each Sacrament doest thou say Heb. 13.8 Christ Iesus yesterday to day and the same for ever It s a signe of faith quickned in thee So come and prosper So much for the latter tryall I conclude the Chapter with some use Conclusion And because the whole is one use of tryall which is the scope the shorter use shall serve I will not trouble the Reader with former uses as to mourne for the woefull faith of ordinary receivers or reproofe of Gods owne for counting this tryall tedious which God hath made a sweet yoake to his I will partly warne partly exhort partly comfort the good receavers and so end Vse 1 First then I warne them that they slight not this duty Admonitiō rest not in former faith thinking the Lord tyed to their girdles Tempt him not to alter his course by your sloth but hold on still this tryall of faith Remember it s the cheefe Sacramentall grace of all the rest All other without this are fruitlesse or counterfeit This must give both being and lustre to all Bring this and feare not The Divell will fight against this as the King of all If he can wrest this away he cares for no more because upon this hinge the doore turnes I meane the joy of well or sorrow of ill receiving hangs upon it Vse 2 Secondly be exhorted to bring this faith Dare not venture without it Exhortatiō Faith in the Supper answers the act of sprinkling the posts of the Israelites doores when they first ate the Passeover Exod. 12.21.22 Branch 1 Tell me Durst any Iew not sprinkle his owne doore with blood Durst he not as well omit the Sacrament Did hee not feare the destroying Angell in case of neglecting it Was not the promise of passing them over when all Egypts first borne were slaine in the doing of it Therefore as thou wouldest shunne danger of greater nature looke to
that can finde them or admonish such as are decayed or scare such from the Sscrament as never had them But I hasten to that which more nearely concernes Sacramentall repentance which is the practise of repentance 2. By the practise of it In two thing 1. Ordinary course Concerning which I will devide my selfe into these two maine heads First The practise of it in an usuall course of Christianity Secondly in our revolts And my method shall bee this First to lay downe the will of God about them both and in what particulars they stand Secondly in the use of the doctrine to presse the tryall of them at the Sacrament with a revived affection For the former then the usuall practise of repentance may bee thus divided eyther to the first understanding part secondly the willing or affecting part thirdly the acting part in the life The Iudiciall part stands in the inquiry and search of those speciall errors abuses and corruptions of heart tongue or life which have passed us from Sacrament to Sacrament or before Eyther in the understanding Lam. 3.40 beginning as hee Genesis 44. Verse 12. at the eldest and ending at the yongest Both spirituall as hardnesse deadnesse and defilednesse of heart of the tongue rash idle uncharitable false vaine offensive or superfluous words morrall of the heart and life hollownesse earthlinesse unprofitablenesse selfe-love pride rancor and bitternesse of stomacke passions of rage As search base feares hopes joyes sorrowes unrighteous unmercifull censorious deedes and passages or the like These although like Saul and Gehazi's booty they lye hidden must be watched as they utter themselves and breake out notice being taken and a Register of them kept by us that they may ever be before us when wee come to the Lord. And if the conscience play booty in concealing or excusing them the soule must goe to the candle of the Lord which searches the bowels of man and begge light to discerne Prov. 20.27 and strength to convince it selfe of them and the curse due to them till the soule bee even caused to stoppe her owne mouth and give up her weapons of defence standing as mute and guilty before God of them Concerning which worke of search because I spake of it in generall in the first Chapter of this Treatise I remit the Reader to that place Heere onely this It were good for us to make use both of our best friends and worst enemies if we would know our selves and not wholly be our owne judges Helpes to search Our friends perhaps see us better than we our selves spy out our secret haunts loose liberties declining in our zeale and falling to our pleasures loving them and such base companions as become us not for our pleasures sake more than Gods secret company or his servants So also our enemies sometimes might tell us our secret corruptions As hee once who fought with his enemy searcht out that impostume which his friends could not Yea Gods crosses as great enemies as wee thinke them if wee would hearken to their voyce would tell our hearts presently what the sinne is which God aymes at perhaps unfruitfull deadnesse under blessed meanes of grace dallying with the ordinances neglect of our family earthlinesse and walking loosely with God And although wee should not neede to seeke out to spy thefaults of others for lacke of our owne yet it were a good way to search our owne in the glasse of the sinnes of these times the desperate formalnesse of men and abhorring of any more religion than will runne in the streame of our ease and wills Idolatry contempt of the best examples To end if some of us would but aske our consciences for what sinnes wee are faint on the sudden to forsake and turne backe upon the Sacrament for feare of shame when yet perhaps we came into Church with purpose to receive it were not amisse And so much for this judiciall part Our Soule part The next is the soule part or the affecting And heere in the first place is required a broken mourning heart for sinne being thus searched out 1. Brokennes and that with uprightnesse and tendernesse as Zachary describeth it Zach. 12 10.11 They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourne as one mourneth for his sonne and heire yea they shall be in bitternes note the phrase that is godly sorrow shall soke and sape them they shall be in the power of it so that it shall over-rule them they shall not easily shake it off yea it shall be exceeding sorrow as that of Hadrimmon for the sadde losse of Iosia and further it shall be fervent and sincere both signified by the secrecy of it husband apart wife apart and family apart as we say He mournes truly that mournes without witnesse Such a sorrow such teares hearty and unfaigned not in a mood comming from a full heart impotent and powring it selfe out before God plentifully because it hath greeved the Spirit of so good a God so patient and longsuffering I say such a one is the true badge of repentance which issues from faith Wherein eyther teares are abundant as at Bochim or Mizpeh when the people drew buckets before the Lord Iudge 2.4 or else in the want thereof the heart sheds teares of blood 1 Sam. 7 6. and the soule sighes under a burden which shee cannot well utter This sorrow usually beares the name of repentance as being a maine companion inseparable from it and that true eating of sowre hearbes required of him that ate the Passeover which hearbes grow no where save in the garden of grace Onely the love of that God whom the soule hath dishonored even in the middest of mercy and when she peirced the Lord of life then was that Lord willingly peirced to death by her that shee might live Act. 2.37 I say this love onely can melt a heart of stone and breake it in peeces so that it cannot but repent whereas before by the hardnesse of heart Rom. 2.4 despising the patience of God it could not repent True search of heart will worke true brokennesse and cause the belly to tremble Habac. 3.16 and rottennesse to enter into the bones that it may finde peace in the day of trouble Yea as the Lord turned the captivity of Iob Iob 42.10 when he prayed for his friends So in this through mourning of heart tne Lord turnes the captivity of the soule and converts it to himselfe No terrours of conscience can soften an hard heart but rather they will harden it and bind it up to greater hardnesse As we see an hammer may breake a bell to gobbets fit to be melted but the fire onely can melt them that so they may be moulded a new So the love of God can onely effect this mourning after God and broken heart a most welcome sacrifice to God till which the soule cannot beteame the Lord herselfe to be offered up unto him Rom.
savoring all occasions offered to draw neerer to God in the fellowship of his graces and in the increase of holinesse And to this course she endeavours as infirmitie will admit to bend the ayme and streame of her spirit her thoughts and affections without wearines walking with God till he come unto her watching to it girding to it Luke 12 35. and standing with her loynes girt and lampe burning that at the comming of the Lord shee may bee found faithfull and well occupied And thus much for a view of a christian ordinary practise of repentance so farre as I thinke meete for this place least any pretending willingnesse to try themselves should alledge they know not how The second followeth that is the practise of repentance by occasion of revolting from God The 2. In revolts For we have hitherto spoken of repentance rather as it is Gods way than as many finde it to bee or practise it They have many starting holes and goe in and out of order as horses out of their traces yea many make the way of God nothing else save a falling sicknesse ever a falling and a rising as those in Iudges did which the Lord abhorres Sometime by their secret and inward declinings of heart and spirituall wickednesses and infidelity hypocrisie formality and timeserving security pride c. Iudg. 4 and 6 and 7 8 c. Sometime by morrall open falls into wordlinesse uncharitablâ—nesse strong Passions and lusts neglect of the meanes In this case the Lord hath provided a repentance of recovery and redresse of such falls for shall a man fall and not arise Shall he lye still in the slough as an asse under his burden No but repent of his Backslidings Ier. 8 4. Ier. 3.14 and make up his breaches and make peace againe But how may some say is this to be done I will give a short draught of this also and so draw to applycation of the whole by way of tryall And that 1. Branch Know then that for substance this repentance is no other than the former onely it differs in circumstance And for the better conceiving of it observe these particular acts of it First as the Lord susteynes his people so even by that seede of his in them that they shall not totally shake out the Spirit nor yet poure out themselves so farre into sinne as to sinne with a full bent and streame of soule but with a checke and controll of grace so when conscience is awaked by any word or worke of God upon them they are kept from extremitie of uttter depaire Corruption through the malice of Satan is alwayes ready to suggest utter deserting of God and that they are cast out of his sight As we see in those pangs of the best of Gods children in Scripture Esay 38 11. Psal 51.11 Ionah 2 4. Lam. 3 18. Hezekia David Ionah and others yea in the Church of God forsaken for a time in captivity all which were by temptation brought to the graves brinke and to thinke themselves cut off from the land of the living Ier. 2 25. and to say No no. There is no hope Here then the first worke of returning to God is To stay and stoppe themselves in this headlong ruine and by some glimpse of God a farre off to bee kept from utter dashing in peeces Thus wee see in all those examples if wee looke into the texts that the Lord wrought a stoppe of despaire Iona in the Whales belly Iona 2 5. and in his horrors yet stayes up himselfe by an hope Yet saith hee I will looke backe to thine holy Temple Lam. 3 19. and the Church in the Lamentations considered and felt the gall and the wormewood that is that God smote her not to cast her off but to draw her to repent and so shee had hope It cannot bee thus with the reprobate who as they fall totally so they want an eye to see God in their horrors but apprehend as dismall and finall desertion of God as Saul 1 Sam. 23 6. Maâ— 27 5. Iudas and others so that they are sent away packing from the presence of God without pity and left to what ends themselves chuze even oft to lay violent hands upon themselves the Lord that caring what becomes of them It is not so heere But some light is given to them that see Gods meaning in the afflicting of their soules with wrath not that he might give them a taste of hell a comming but that hee might pinch them to returne home and turne them from the pit Secondly 2 Branch the Lord addes a more cleere sight of himselfe to his fallen servants and causes them more fully to call to mind his mercies of old and thereby to bee more sensibly upholden This is caused by a reviving of his seede in them which cannot dye So David Psal 119 52. even in his agonies when to his feeling the Lord had forgotten him yet remembring times past was comforted An hypocrite I knew will catch at these things to bane himselfe but children must not be starved therefore They seriously weigh this That neither their goodnesse did first worke their pardon nor yet that sinne truely repented of can cut off their estate in grace for why The gifts of God are without repentance and his Covenant is eternall Esay 54.8 9. Rom. 11 29. 2 Cor. 5.21 Even as the covenant with Noe as the Prophet speakes The Lord Iesus being made sinne all sinne for the elect sinne of offence and sinne of revolt they dare not abridge his merit and therefore conceave the covenant by this meanes established to bee sutable This then is the 2 steppe of the returne of the godly The experience of former free mâ—rcy when they had no title therefore now having a title which sin cannot cut off the elect from they much more are stayed by it By which meanes she sees that even the sinnes of deepe hardnesse of heart yeelding to temptation and the violence of lust secure lying still for a time in sinne or other sinnes as falling to embrace the world cleaving to base fellowship in evill are yet curable revolts with God and there is balme in Gilead for them to heale them not to encourage the soule to tempt God further but in the sence of bottomlesse mercy to returne home for ever as Onesimus by occasion of his running away became better to Philemon Philem. 15. than ever The third steppe is The 3. Branch that grace in the children of God fallen doth cleere up the understanding from that confuzion which sinne else would cause in them and deterre them from God and from any heart to returne Thus it is with the hypocrite his minde doth so present the multitude of sinne in so intricate a manner that it confounds the spirit and causes him to thinke Genes 4.13 that his sinne is above pardon The slavery of his defiled minde is so great when he weighes
none can live by us unfit for a Church or a Commonwealth yet the Lord onely knowes what secret rootes and rindes there abide still Oh! we should not top out the cheefe of the sheafe onely but thresh cleane and fanne our selves throughly of this scurfe Having escaped a gulfe wee should be afraid of a shallow Oh how should wee breake our hearts to thinke what pettishnesse and waspishnesse we walke with in our familie among wife children and servants What pride vaineglory unkindnesse unforbearance doe wee utter therein What crossenesse and heartburning among neighbours if it be but for their fences and cattell What buying and selling of each other for trifles Oh Lord if others of thy people did not more good than I in releeving poore Christians and upholding good causes all must needes goe to ruine I feele what a weake proppe I am I live as if at my death I should dye undesired A clod of the earth and bundle of selfe-love borne for my owne use Wit I have enough to bite in all fruits of love but none to utter them with bounty and beteaming And some of us are so grosse as to thinke that good workes are but boastings of our goodnesse as for us we will renounce them and be saved by faith God keepe mee from thy salvation Learne poore wretch That faith alone justifieth but is not alone in her fruits Others of us if wee be of any use at all by our love yet are puffed up in conceit of our worth and service and how much other hang upon us and how little we upon them whereas we should serve them in love and feele no vertue to have come from us How many of us are farre from ripping up the seames of our soules from distasting of such as cannot brooke us How soone are wee weary and by one act of love thinke our selves exempted from many how many partiall have wee how rare and odd ones are they whom we can affect and humor Oh cast up these morsells deare friends and let all our receivings be with the unleavened bread of sincerity Vse 3 Thirdly let it be exhortation and examination both to get and receive this grace at the Sacrament First get it Exhortation and examination goe over those six branches before and by Prayer importune the Lord to blesse the meditation of them for the breeding of love unfeigned in thee Thinke not the Sacrament to be a breeder of it That onely by faith is there improoved and nourished And secondly revive it at thy comming to the Supper as thou wouldst come from it with cheerefulnesse Some few rules I have heere set downe for thy tryall herein Tryall 1 First If thy right hand flatter thee not and know not what thy left hand doth Matth. 6.3 that thou hadst rather do many kind offices of love though none should know of it than neglect one of them when thou seest God calls thee to it Tryall 2 Secondly If thou canst truly say Thy soule hath not what it would neyther doth any blood runne aright in thy veines so long as thou knowest the Church or any cheefe members of it to lye under distresse although thy selfe dost swimme in prosperity Thinke of Nehemiah and Vriah Nehem. 2.3 Tryall 3 Thirdly If thy heart will not suffer thee to rest content with thy plodding about thy affaires and businesse except thou can in the midst and sweetest thereof breake off and say Now doe I neglect the service of my time and so returne unto it As Ioseph full of affections to Beniamin sought occasion and cryed Gen. 45.1 Have every man from me and so fell upon his necke Tryall 4 Fourthly If the love of God shed into thy heart bee so sweete and make thee so well apayd in thy selfe that thou feelest a pretty ease in dispensing with the base affronts and wonges of ill affected ones or persons who discourage thee That by this peace passing understanding Phil. 4 7. thy heart is so loathed that thy froward sullen qualities and those darts of hatefull thoughts are even quenched in this blood of thy satisfier Also when thou findest thy enemies so displeased that thou canst not reach or win them by all thy love yet even then thou art so farre from wearinesse in weldoing that thou desirest to hooke them in by thy prayers begging their conversion rather for their owne good than to be quit of their injuries Tryall 5 5. If in the desire of the subversion of the implacable and impenitent enemies of the Church thou dare not forestall the Lord or teach him when to send fire to consume but submit thy judgement and will to the secrets of Gods judgement who onely knowes the measure of their malice and the incorrigiblenesse of their hearts Tryall 6 6. If we dare not rest in a propensenesse of our constitution to be curteous loving and usefull which may come from nature and selfe-love or onely loath currishnesse harshnesse out of a morrall distast and cannot rest till we can proove that our love is not from the will of man or from flesh but from God Tryall 7 7. If when wee feele our base hearts streightned in the Communion of Saints then we can even be revenged of our selves for it and can with defiance cast off our owne ends and shreds rather which keepe our hearts in bondage than shrinke in any loving affection or service to which God calls us Tryall 8 8. That our loves channell runne as freely and beteamingly to the Ministers of God or others Gal. 4.14 when they are disabled by age or other infirmities from their former abilities and employments as when they improved themselves to the uttermost and wee rejoyced in their light Tryall 9 Act. 20.35 9. That wee count it a farre greater mercy that wee give than if wee receive Being a kin to that excellent Church of Macedonia whose grace was this 2 Cor. 8.1 to esteeme the Lord farre kinder in lending them an heart to give to Ierusalem than Ierusalem it selfe had cause to bee thankefull for her releefe Tryall 10 10. That in the presence of God we can finde that the very approach of the Supper summons our hearts to cast off all such opposition to love as hath crope into our bosomes blessing God that it is a correction day to us finding in our selves upon and after the Sacrament our love and communion to be as a spring-tide in us Tryall 11 11. If the Lord hath given us an heart to beare downe all discouragements of love from without and all carnall objections from within which might weaken it As that wee doe but flesh our enemies against us and make them more bold to insult over us by our lenitie and forbearance than if wee did deale with them as they have done with us That they are of a dogged base nature and will not bee wonne with any love that no flesh and bloud could containe it selfe in so personall so bitter
them up shufflingly in the bagge of their devotion being unable to give a reason why themselves were baptized when they were infants or why being elder they receive the Supper Vse 2 Secondly to confute the practise of all those who Popishly ascribe to the Supper the conferring of Grace of all sorts and when they receive they thinke that although they never reaped the fruit of their baptisme before neither had faith yet one Sacrament may supply all wants which is to destroy the distinct end of each Sacrament and to plucke up good Land-markes confounding the agreement and disagreement of both for as all Christ is in both so yet for two severall purposes A Divines life we know is to study and Preach he doth both these wholly himselfe wholly is required to doe either howbeit the things he doth are divided acts he preacheth not while he is in his Study nor studieth while hee is Preaching Let us abhorre such profanesse and know all Christ is in both the Sacraments yet orderly and so that who so hath not enjoyed him in the first to beleeve cannot enjoy him in the second to grow Vse 3 Thirdly to teach us how to apply the benefit of these two Sacraments according to our speciall temptations The former thus If Satan tempt us concerning the truth of our Conversion to God telling us wee are in the state of enemies cut off from God aliants and excommunicates from him and Christ whither shall wee recourse To the Supper and our oft receiving No in no wise for Satan can speake Divinitie when hee list and tell us that the Supper is no Sacrament of Regeneration But in this case flie to thy calling and to the seale of it Baptisme if indeede thou canst proove thy calling by the worke of the Law and Gospell else thy seale is to a blanke and presse thy Adversary with the weapon of thy Baptisme sealing it up to thy conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. which shall quench the fierie dart of his temptation and scare him from thee better than all Popish Holy water Againe doth the Divell tempt thee to beleeve thou art an hypocrite because thou hast a dead heart thou growest not in Grace thou art sunke from thy first love fallen to the world pleasures vanities lusts of thy uncleanenesse waxen unprofitable and revolted from God What shall now helpe thee That thou art baptized No hold that close also that thou maist pleade the other rightly But in this case flie especially to the Supper and alledge thus I am sunke too farre into a formall course and the custome of the world but yet Lord to thee I appeale that in truth I have coveted thy Sacrament of Restorative and Nourishment I haue come with hunger to it for the repairing of my losses and decaies and departed in good hope and comfort of recovering life and vigor againe and therefore in despite of Satan I will hold to the end of this Sacrament which is to seale up comfort to the afflicted and strength to the weake and recovery to the decaied and raising to the fallen therefore from hence I will fetch it by vertue of the promise Vse 4 Lastly it teacheth us the excellency of the Sacraments because they have such a gift in them as to represent all Christ at once to the soule Christ wholy and in each part of his merit and efficacie It were an odde and strange Picture which could describe the same man living dying dead raised up and ascending to heaven and all in one person That which no Art of man can doe the Lord can doe by the Sacrament that is above all Images or Crucifixes and can tender to the soule in on view all these the Lord Iesus dead risen ascended the Grace imputed of reconciliation the Grace inherent of holinesse all the particular graces of the Spirit the promises of God made all Yea and Amen in Christ for this life and for a better for all conditions and times and occasions are offred at once in each Sacrament the one to give us right and title to Christ when we wanted him the other to rivet us more into him to enlarge us in faith and the fruits till wee shall neede no more Sacraments or Ordinances And therefore let us much esteeme and honour Sacraments as most divine comprehensions of all Christ and channels of his Fulnesse from whom as our Head We receive grace for grace Iohn 1.17 Iohn 1 17. And this for the second Chapter CHAP. III. Of the substance of a Sacrament in generall The Description of it propounded and examined Substance of it HAving spoken of the Circumstances the agreement and disagreement of Sacraments Next wee come to the substance and nature of a Sacrament Which will be understood the better by the description and particular handling the parts thereof Description of a Sacrament in generall A Sacrament then is an Ordinance of God wherein by some materialls duly appropriated and united and by some acts duly administred the Lord signes and seales up to the soules of the Elect the truth of his Covenant and receives a reciprocall seale from them of their covenant with himselfe For the clearing hereof I would have the Reader conceave that in this place I take the word Sacrament in the greatest latitude not onely for the substance of it in it selfe but also as it is administred and performed in a solemne manner betweene God and his Church So that hereby two things arise to be considered Two Generals First Substance Secondly Administration In the Substance foure things 1. The Substance of a Sacrament in all her constituting câ—uses 2. The due administration and performing thereof in the Ordinance Touching the first we are to consider these foure causes 1. The efficient and supreme cause of a Sacrament 2. The mâ—â—erials of it 3. The true formall cause 4. The finall Where first the generall end Sealing Secondly The branches two First Gods sealing of the truth of his Covenant to us Secondly returning backe againe our owne covenant sealed to him In the latter member also viz. The Administration wee consider the acts of Ministers and people and the spirituall dispensation of God in these externals attending thereon for the ends mentioned Of the first of these in the first place 1. The Author of the Sacraments all and each Old and New is one unchangeable Eternall and onely Wise and Gracious God And no wonder for first First the Author God Proofes of it In his bosome of eternity lay hidden that purpose of entring Covenant with man fallen from the grace of Creation Reason 1 It was free to him to relinquish him finally in that revolt of his in that he did not it was free mercy doubly greater than the love of Creation If the devise then of a gracious Covenant with man was onely in the power of the Creator who shall be supposed to be the Author of seales to this Covenant save the same
God Reason 2 Secondly If the Lord onely found out his Sonne to be the foundation of this Covenant meant him sent him made him enabled him to ratifie it by the bloud of the Covenant accepted all this offers it seconds and assists it by his owne Spirit to make it effectuall Who can doubt that he onely is the Author of these Seales whereby this effectualnesse is convei'd Reason 3 Thirdly If he onely be the Author of blessing the word of promise to breede faith in the Covenant which is the lesser Who but hee shall breed the assurance of faith and the reflexion thereof upon the soule that it may know it selfe to beleeve Now how is this done ordinarily save by the seales If hee then be the Author of the lesser efficacie who but hee is the Author of the greater by the sealing Ordinance Reason 4 Fourthly If no externall blessing accompanying the Covenant for so the Lord was wont to perswade obedience Deut. 7. and Chap. 32. Deut. 7 32. Hos 2. Ezek. 33 c. can come from any other Author save the Lord as the blessings of raine dew plenty health long life successe Deut. 5.29 Deut. 5 29. and the like who shall dare usurpe the authority of Seales and Sacraments which are the most eminent annexes to the Covenant of all other Reason 5 Fifthly If the Lord Iesus himselfe was the onely stablisher of the Testament and Covenant by his death and bloud for without death no Legacy is of valour then who but himselfe shall make Sacraments which are in effect nothing else save the power of his life and death Reason 6 Sixthly If the Lord onely can authorise divers signes for the Sacraments as supr Chap. 2. if he onely can abrogate old ones if he one day shall abolish all old and new their nature and use as past use who but himselfe shall frame Sacraments It resting in one and the same power to make Lawes and to abolish them I conclude then that God alone is the Author of a Sacrament Conclus As indeed the Scripture doth witnesse The Lord only Gen. 17. Gen. 17. appointed Circumcision The same Lord Exod. 12. Exod. 12. ordained his Passeover the Lord extraordinarily gave commission from heaven to Iohn to appoint Baptisme Luke 3 1 2 3. Luke 22 18. and the Lord Iesus with his owne sacred presence and hands ordained the Supper before his death Seeing after his Resurrection he could not being partly an act of humiliation and so all Sacraments were given by the Lord in their severall kindes for their severall uses as in the next points shall appeare And to say the truth if it be once granted that the Lord is not the sole ordainer of Sacraments what a wide doore must of necessitie be set open for both usurping Ordainers and counterfeit Sacraments Where should the period be or why should not hundreths as well as three or five be admitted to the heape Vse 1 For use therefore hereof this teacheth us to abhorre all Sacraments which have not God and Christ for their ordainer If they cannot shew their pedigree in the Lords Genealogy Nehem. 7 63. nor be bookt in his Records nor have his stampe set upon them Math. 22 21. we say of them as our Saviour of the Penny Give unto Caesar that which is his So give to the Pope his Vnction throw him backe his Sacramentall Orders and Penance wee abhorre whatsoever savors not of God as copper coine Yea and we loath whatsoever of Gods first ordaining they by their abuse have corrupted namely as corrupted and seeing God and Christ never gave us a Sacrifice for a Sacrament wee abhorre to meddle with it as a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead and for their Baptisme we loath it also as administred by them as an horrrible defiling of Gods Ordinance professing to depart from their Sacraments both for their new inventions and for their adulteratings of the old and bidde them take them as their owne for now they have used them thus they are no longer Gods As for their distinction of Apostolicall and Divine we take what they grant if they be not Divine although an Angell from heaven did ordaine them wee should abhorre them How much more when their Pope or their Clergy or the body of their defiled Church For were their Church a chaste Spouse shee durst as well forsweare her husband as cast off subjection in embracing his Sacraments and usurping power to appoint other which is so farre beside her commission that she may as safely devise a new Covenant Scripture and Doctrine as doe it Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth us to esteeme so much the better of Gods Coyne as wee scorne the base stuffe of Popery Gods stampe upon the Sacrament should make it honourable and precious in our eyes If some civill ordinance hath honour in it because God hath put it upon it if marriage be so solemne if the Crowne of an earthly King be so sacred how holy is his Sacrament He who profanes it by sacrilegious adding detracting or profaning either by superstition or unprepared use shall finde God will not hold him guiltesse for taking his Name in vaine Wee delight when wee have any curious thing of a choise workeman to say It is a Picture of such a ones drawing It is a Musicall Lesson of such a ones setting a Watch of such a ones making How should Gods Master-peeces than affect us Not to over-prize them to keepe them in Pixes and under Canopies of gold but to preserve them in their spirituall integrity Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach us to behold them not in their outside but as they are in Gods ordination not the outside of a man which we see but the soule which is not seene is the man so not the outward thing but Gods Ordinance in it is the Sacrament Of which more in due place Vse 4 But Fourthly and especially seeing God is the Author of Sacraments let us be â—uled by him in the right manner of receiving them Looke what Iosia 2 King 21 23. 2 King 21 23. said to the people Keepe the Passeover to the Lord your God according to all that is in the Booke of the Covenant so heere I say Receive to the Lord be ruled by him in Preparation in action and the fruite of both It s onely in him that ordaines to order also and prescribe the due manner of using them Take we this item with us before wee come to the Doctrine of right receiving that it may set a spurre in our sides to quicken us to due preparation and using of them for he who gave them to his Church will most severely punish all ignoraâ—â— rash unbeleeving unrepentant uncharitable indifferent commers to his Sacraments and every such one stands to Gods Tribunal as we shall heare in due place Vse 5 Lastly let this point teach us to whom to goe for the spirituall life of faith
s the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. ult which must doe it 1 Pet 1 22 as Iam. 1.16 Of his free will hee begat us by the Word of truth Iam 1 16 Trie thy selfe then by the usuall acts of the word of Regeneration and so thou maist gather that this Spirit belongs to thee This is no place for mee to digresse I will cull out onely two or three things which may serve for this use Deceive not thy selfe and God will not deceive the Didst thou ever then feele in thy selfe that this immortall seed cast into thy eare did so descend into thy heart as to worke any immortall hope in thee 2 Tim. 1 11. The Gospell reveales immortality and glory to the soule Did it ever bring to light any such thing to thee Did it ever conceive in thee a sensible distaste of all hopes below and raise thy affections above Did it ever cause the things of the earth long life health successe welth money pleasure to be despised in comparison of the hope which is set before thee Camest thou ever from the word another man in thy aime appetite savor and love than thou wentst Did thy heart ever burne within thee there And when thou camest with earthly base thoughts did the Lord so dash them by heavenly doctrine and the hope of Christ that thou returnedst to thy house with a distaste of thy selfe for them Wert thou ever so touched and taken with the promise of the word that thou wert loath to forgo it for any delight In particular try thy self thus Instances of the words working 1. Hath the word of the Law cast a destroying seede of death into thee taken a way that life of old Adam jollity in sin Hath it defaced thy old Image discovered thee to thy selfe to be an Alien from the Life of God and common-wealth of Israel the son of an Hittite and Amorite as odious as one of thirtie old would be to thee who never was baptized Secondly hath the Gospell cast a better seed of hope in Christ by the Covenant of reconciliation into thee In thy hearing of this glad tidings hath the Lord bored an eare in thee by which this seede might conceive and kindle in thy heart Hath it wrought the preparation of heart in thee by brokennesse tendernesse humilitie unweariednesse of paines selfe de-deniall c. Hath it setled and digested in thee as a thing of such beauty as in comparison of which all the glory of the earth is drosse Hath it abode in thee and brought an undecaying sweetnesse into thee Hast thou felt in thy wombe the paines of true life and the new birth viz. How corruption of nature selfe and infidelity have rebelled against the work both of the Law and Gospell Gen. 25 22. Hast thou with Rebecca in this combat gone to God with thy complaint of the infinite lets that have held thee from beleâ—ving And hath the Lord by his Promise and perswasions fastened thy anchor of soule upon his bottome of free grace and truth renouncing thy owne hopes feares performances So that now thou hast him close bound to thee in his word from ever forsaking thee Then I say to thee thou art he whom the word hath breed Christ in and formed life in thee by faith What wanteth then Oh! thy heart is fickle and too weake to buy and sell upon the bare word without wavering yea thou hast much adoe to get victory over thy uncertain heart Well no wonder Thou seest nothing and to resist sence is a great worke yet be faithfull with God and give not over his promise and by due cleaving to the bare truth of the Lord begge further light and rest not in thy measure much lesse yeeld to any love of sinne to darken and defile thee And so doing I assure thee that to thee and to none but such the seale of baptisme belongs thou shalt find the Lord will by his Spirit convince thee deeplier the Spirit of Baptisme shall bring forth Gods pledges shew thee them Ioh. 16 9.10 convey into thy faint heart strength confidence and courage of faith and set thee above thy distempers as if they had never annoied thee If I say hee have purposed such a decree of grace unto thee he will effect it in time else know that howsoever yet thy service is blessed and thy faith hath brâ—â—d the life of regeneration in thee Branch 1 Forthly let this be exhortation to urge us to apply our selves to Baptisme for the sealing work of the Spirit therin To young Novices And first I direct my speech to yong novices under the means Slight not off the first incklings of this sealing Spirit The 1. layes heates of the holy Ghost and fire doe usually breake forth in youth Consider it s not a dayes worke nor a thing easie to settle the Spirit of sealing upon thy soule there be many steps to it Oh! looke to it yee young beginners One cause why old Christians walke so heavily is because they never heeded or hatched the first motions of the Spirit in their beginnings If then the Spirit of God doe call and stirre in thee by early affections love zeale enquiry answer Speake Lord for thy servant heares put him not off by ease or bondage 1 Sam. 3 9. If such a thought come as this What a dramme of Grace and Life of Christ is worth or what vow thou madest in Baptisme and how retchlesse thou hast beene to keepe it dally not with such items shake not off either pangs of terrour by lusts of youth or pangs of hope and love with ease and sloth for so the Spirit of sealing is fore-stalled and the faire forwardnesse thereto will hardly be recovered Put in thy foote presently upon the Angells stirring the poole Ioh. 5 4. if thou have an heart none shall prevent thee heere as there If these seeds were not choked and these buds cropt they would proove the assuring sealing Spirit of grace in due time Through contempt of it the Lord leaves youth to that hideousnesse and ripenesse in sinne yea a spirit of desperate debauchednesse in drinking oathes Rev. 22.11 and villany as would not bee beleeved of such youth Branch 2 Secondly I speake to all other apply your selves to the Sacrament of Baptisme for this last evidence and seale of the Spirit To elder oneâ— to let yee know that yee are the Lords Lin not till the Lord hath seal'd yee for his owne set his marke upon you not to be blotted out Looke up at each Sacrament each Baptizing ye see to the Lord that which in the former point I speake as hee hath applied the grace of Baptisme by the promise unto you so now hee would apply is Seale of assurance unto you by his Baptisme Let not such a mercie be there to be had and you not aware of it Thinke it not too good to receive if God will grant it What is
doth at last cast her selfe upon the promise resigning up her selfe to it so farre as to beleeve it to be her owne portion 3. Why Thirdly the Lord calls the soule from misery to mercie to the end that it might enter into a covenant of holinesse and become a Saint by calling Rom 1 7. called to sanctification and the image of him that called it That as the soule lives by grace so grace might live in the soule And this hee doth by the voyce of the Spirit of Regeneration and Baptisme The which by the immortall seede of the word sheddeth the love of God into the soule to the end his seede may beget the image of God in it By which meanes the whole bent and frame of it is changed subdued and turned from sinne to God so that now Gods Spirit is that unto and in it which old Adam before was according to the capacity of the soule This Power the Spirit of Grace workes in the beleever because it is that Spirit of Christ which cannot be divided in her parts of Reconciling and renuing but carries the soule into Christ for both More plainly and breefely this Spirit writeth the purpose of the covenant in the soule to wit Iere. 31.33 that it may have the law engraven in it it may be cleansed as with pure water and may be caused as by an inward new Principle to walke in the Obedience of all Commandements of Law and Gospell as compting them an easie yoake and perfect freedome These three are wrought according to the measure of mercy in every calling one and are not so much the markes as the parts of effectuall calling and who so is thus called is also in covenant with God and by vertue thereof hath true right to the Sacrament of the supper for the growing up in the grace of the covenant Howbeit because it is hard for a Camell to goe through a needles eye 2. Triall of estate by markes of calling and every poore soule can not receive all this whole frame all at once to try it selfe thereby I will helpe it a little by taking it so into peeces that each severall triall may enter in at the narrow dore the more easily Let then the soule that would try it selfe about her calling proceede in this or the like manner First hath God called thee Try it by his Preventing grace canst thou say 1 Make Preventing Grace That when thou thoughst of nothing lesse than grace yet God was found of one that sought him not Did the Lord so mightily over rule and so order thy occasions of education company acquaintance calling ministry placing employments that in all thou sawest God spreading his net for thee that thou mightest not run thy course but bee taken in it and bee brought homewards Did the Lord by this way of Providence make thee of a dead unsavory peece of flesh to beginne to hearken after and savour the things of God It s a good signe Secondly canst thou say That the Lord suffered thee not to content thy selfe with vanishing devotions and groundlesse hopes or wishes of good But by his word wrought thy heart to see into thy corrupt heart and course Did the Lord discover thee to thy selfe either in thy particular lusts or generall bad course or in thy Originall poyson of heart Did he knocke thee off from all thy colours shifts and excuses Convince thee of sinne and curses and cause thee to stinke in thy owne nosethrils It s a good signe especially when the 10. Commandement did it Thirdly did the Lord keepe thee from extremities in this case Either from revolting backe to thy old lusts as one weary of Gods yoake before the time or rushing into desperation or falling into a presumptuous loosenesse and peace of heart in this thy dangerous condition I say did the Lord hold thee downe under his hand of the Spirit of bondage till thy ranke jolly and lusty heart were kill'd and tamed in thee It is a good signe Fourthly when thou wast in thine owne sence as one hanging betweene heaven and earth at an utter losse joylesse in any earthly thing and yet voyd of spirituall did the Lord yet in secret put some poore hope of not utter perishing into thee and whisper thus Yet what if the Lord will turne away his fierce wrath And didst thou feele thy selfe by this meanes stayd till better newes came It is a good signe In the 2 place I aske hath God called thee Try it by his Assisting grace 2. Marke Assisting grace thus Did not the Lord leave thee thus but ply thy heart with the word and nourish thy feeble hope with more and more light in his Promise Canst thou say this light was no Moone light darke and doubtfull but as the light of the morning dawning and encreasing in thy soule It s a good signe Mat. 24.27 Secondly did this light vanish and fleet away into flashy pangs of joy without any abiding or did it draw thee to behold something in God able to bottome thy hope as the Law was to unsettle thy rotten peace Did it cause thy spirit within thee to goe aside and hide this pearle digest it the worth the weight of it Mat. 13 44. To ponder the truth and warrant of the promise thou that mightest see how able it was to beare thee So that thou wouldst not in so weighty a thing as this leave all at sixe or seaven and trust rather than try It s a good signe Thirdly when thy Affections were up in armes to pursue this grace with a broken hungry heart and desire felt'st thou the resistance of thy selfe and selfelove to breed in thy soule even the paines of conception or quickning in thee Did this cause thee to discerne selfe in the worke selfe pride selfe unworthinesse selfe feares selfe hope carnall reason cavills objections Felt'st thou Satan heere to plye faster with buffetings and temptations than presently the word it selfe could stay thee Did this conflict of selfe against the light of the word so affect thee as the strugling of the twinnes in her wombe affected Rebecca when she went to God for counsell Didst thou enquire still for counsell and by degrees labour to see the heavenly rest and ease of a promise the wofull restlesse pudder of selfe within thee Did this still make thy soule more to loath selfe and dive into the freedome and fulnesse of Christ in the promise It s a good signe Fourthly when thou couldst not feele such an overuling power in the word as thou desirest but rather selfe and doubting over ruled the word canst thou say that in this suspence and darkenesse of thine thou yet strovest to hold to the naked truth of God To his faithfull covenant in which he cannot lye Sawest thou enough in that to satisfie thee although thou wantedst a bucket to draw up this water out of the wells of Salvation And did this sustaine thee in the others