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
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
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
as a marke of the wisedome of God plying thee with the Supper as hee knowes thy dayly spirituall ebbings and decayes require And doth the hearesay of each sacrament turne the spirit of thy mind towards it as a solemne object which may not be wanted Doth it possesse thy thoughts and memory more than common objects and passages of this life Doe thy thoughts so minde it heede it doth thy memory so reteine it as that it survives other occasionall matters thy selfe longing while they be over tha this may possesse thy spirit and doth thy preparation unto it cause all other things to lye by It is a good signe of reviving Secondly proceed to thy Affections I noted in the former Treatise in the chapter of the Supper that the good things offered in the Supper are manifold Looke backe and reade them I spake also there of those ends which the Lord gives them for viz. That the soule may bee healthy growing setled and fruitefull Try thy selfe also by this ground Tryalls by this Doth thy heart by the considering of all those good things revive and summon up all thy affections of love joy thankes zeale desire after them Doth not thy minde rest in a bare view of them till all the affections are up in Armes to covet them And is it with thee as with a crazie diseased man comming into a Physitians closet and there is shewed a boxe wherein his medicine lyes which being applyed will heale him Doth not such a man fasten his eyes upon that boxe Will he looke off Is not that boxe pretious to him for the medicines sake Doth he not stand upon thornes till it bee taken out and put into his hand Doth hee not thinke each minute an houre and doth hee take thought for the parting with his money to buy it Even so here Math. 13 44 Dost thou digest the good things of the supper till thou have caused thy heart to conceive an heate of appetite and love of them Dost thou ponder them so as to leape for joy to thinke that thou shalt bee healed there of pride selfe wrath and filled with meekenesse an heavenly minde and gifts for thy place It is a good signe thou hast revived thy faith for the Sacrament Steppe 3 Thirdly the Lord offers the good things of the Supper in the like manner and with the same heart wherewith hee offered whole Christ in the first promise and covenant of grace Hee offers Christ thy food and restorative with as free beteaming honest and full an heart of love as ever he did the other There is no oddes except for the better for heere in this ordinance above all other the Lord seales up his gift to the soule that is conveies it with the best strength he can Try thy selfe then by this rule Tryall by it Dost thou revive and quicken the blunt edge of thy weake faith by this consideration Dost thou beate out deadnesse benummednesse of faith by this ground Feelest thou as free and naked an assent of heart to this offer Take eate drinke as thou didst to the first promise Be eased Luke 22 19 20. Mat. 11 29. Take my yoake and my refreshing to thy soule Dost thou charge upon thy selfe strongly to resist thy unbeleefe in the Sacrament heereby Dost thou urge it thus my soule except the Lord should meane as he speakes he should doubly falsifie himselfe His Sacrament is a double strength there is both a covenant and a seale in it therefore it is a double confirmation or else a double deceit Oh! darest thou thinke the Lord can lye in that wherein he seekes thy double assistance If thou dare not Heb. 6.18 then let faith heere double her strength and edge If the strength of man be but weakenesse to Gods then what must this weakenesse be how should weakenesse it selfe gather life and spirit from it 1 Cor. 1.25 If thou canst thus revive thy dead faith at the Supper it s a good signe Steppe 4 Fourthly and especially I told thee before that each ordinance hath his speciall promises annexed to it as prayer and fasting Mat. 17 21. thankesgiving c. As that one of these shall cast out Divells which else will not goe out And that he who prayseth God Psal 50. ult glorifies him So the Supper hath speciall promises Take eate this is my body Drinke this is my blood of the new Testament Both are given and shed for you My flesh is meate indeede Luke 22.18 Iohn 6.55 my blood drinke indeed He that eateth my flesh hath eternall life shall not dye shall be satisfied shall not hunger nor thirst any more with many others Triall by it Try thy selfe above all by this ground Doth this promise really present the truth of God in speciall to thy soule There are thousands of receivers in the Church of God But doth this promise speake in speciall to thee as if there were no more receivers save thy selfe Is the promise of thy soule such a securitie as a specialty is from an able debtor for the paying of a great debt So that doe thou but sue the bond and the law will restore thy debt Is it so here Thy name is not written in the Scripture yet the promise assisted by the Spirit of Christ layes the grace of the Sacrament as it were in thy lap as Baez did the barley into the lappe of Ruth so that the Lord speakes by it in thy eare thus Ruth 3 15. This flesh is meate indeed and this blood is drinke indeed for thee Take it drinke it 2 Cor. 2 5. It is a sweete signe Againe doth the power yea the omnipotency of God shine in the promise to thee so that whereas thou doubtest how Christ can be in heaven bodily and yet in the Supper Spiritually thou wondrest how he should bee in thousands of communicants at once and how poore alements should bee one with him to convey him to thee yet the power of a promise can effect this Dost thou see that all the attributes of God attend his love least thy soule should be frustrate It is a good signe Againe doth the promise settle and beare downe the feare and bondage of thy heart arising from thy present sence of unworthinesse darkenesse and deadnesse Doth it worke thy spirit to a holding fast of Christ although unbeleefe would stave him off And whereas that would give God the lye ten times during the space of one Sacrament yet doth he promise still hold thee close to him till he answere thee so that as that poore dogge Math. 15. Mat. 15 27. rather than the Lord Iesus shall send thee away empty scraps and crummes shall serve thy turne Canst thou feele such succour from a promise notwithstanding thy formality and flatnes were great before thy experience of fruit by former Sacraments be small Dost thou thus strive in hope against hope and fight for life against thy base Spirit These are
death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. We see the Saints of old could make Songs of the Lambe and his deliverance Moses and Miriam gave not greater prayses for deliverance from Pharao Exod. 15.3 than they could make Songs for Christ But how should we doe so Surely if we would take the like course with our base hearts at the Sacrament which they could do without it we should do as they did They filled their soules to the brimme with the meditation of his benefits So should we doe at the Sacrament The Lord gives us a feast of him in all his dishes wee may chuse which our appetite most longeth after all summed up in the seales of his body and blood Meditate of that love which made him forget glory and become shame a worme of the earth continue with long-suffering and basenesse 30 yeeres upon earth that hee might be called and annointed to suffer and dye Consider his misery reproaches and indignities from the vassalls of Satan his being tempted by the Devill spending dayes and nights in fasting and Prayer willingnesse to be taken by his enemies and to endure his Fathers wrath to the uttermost and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Cull out what parcell thou canst from the cratch to the crosse such as affords the deepest the divinest grounds of meditation able to conquer and ravish the soule and to blow up that sparkle of love and thankes which is kindled in thee Thou canst turne thee no way but matter will offer it selfe to thee to raise affections to the Sacrament 2. Heart raysed thereby Matter being thus raysed set thine heart on worke therewith Let admiration at this love of Christ so set upon thee a traytor a rebell when thou wert not the most unprofitable or unworthy but most trecherous of a thousand others let it cause thee to cry out Iohn 14 22. To Admiration of God and Christ Phil. 2 4.5 Why shouldst thou thus reveale thy selfe to me and passe by so many What should move thee to empty thy selfe to the bottome of all thy excellent contents that thou shouldest obey even to the death of the crosse and that for such a wretch as I. Oh! how my soule is linked to thee How doe I love thee What parts wealth esteeme hopes welfare yea life it selfe should not bee dung to me in respect of thee Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.24.25 or whom in earth to be compared to thee Yea this abundance of thankes to Christ should carry thy heart through him to God the Father Col. 3 17. as Paul Col. 3 27. speakes O Father how couldst thou spye out such a sinner as I out of a thousand to chuse and call me home how couldst thou forgoe thine onely Sonne and suffer him to bee made the of-scouring of the earth Michael 7 â—nd rather than I should perish Oh! who is a God like unto our God forgetting and pardoning the transgressions of the remnâ—nt of thine heritage Oh! my soule magnifieth the Lord and my flesh rejoyceth in God my Saviour Of the Holy Ghost From both the Father and the Sonne let thy thankes proceede to the holy Ghost Oh blessed Spirit who blowest where thou listest what mooved thee to make this Sacrament such a sweete seale of pardon and heaven to such a staggering distrustfull creature as I am Why hast thou assured my soule by these sweete pledges of security that I shall not perish nor for ever be separated from thee My soule shall never forget such a blessed Spirit as hath conveyed his best assurance into my soule so barren and empty thereof before I say thine heart should fasten upon God the Father Sonne and Spirit with all admiration and thankes and from this thankes should issue into thy soule all peace joy complacence and delight in the Lord. All thy thoughts desires affections 2. To complacence delight and joy purposes endevours and abilities should pitch themselves in his founteyne wholly resigne up themselves to be at his command mourning that the fruit should be come to the birth Luke 1 47. Esay 37.5 and no strength to bring forth Yea besides this joy thy soule being thus warmed and inflamed with the bounty of the Lord should shake off deadnesse wearinesse inconstancy and renue her covenant with God for time to come saying thus oh Lord thus hast thou magnified mercy above justice towards me a sinner But what can thy servant do to thee 3. To thankefull expressions Psal 116 9 10. What shall I recompence thee with for all thy love Oh! I will take up the cup of Salvation and prayse thee I will not approach to thee with flockes of Lambes or with rivers of oyle but with an humble meeke and righteous walking with my God! Oh! that there were such an heart in mee of faith love and uprightnesse as to walke in and out with thee in all thy Commandements that it might goe well with me for ever Oh that there were not rather Deut. 5.29 Psal 19. ult such a base heart of sloth ease selfe world and sensuality to withdraw me Oh! Let the thoughts of mine heart 4. Indignation at out basenesse and the covenants of my soule and tongue be ever accepted and ratifyed with thee O Lord my God! Then should I goe 40 dayes to Horeb even from Sacrament to Sacrament in the strength of this thy feast 1 King 19 8. Yea this congregation wherein I stand which is partaker with me of the like mercy should be a witnesse of my faithfulnesse and in the midst of thy courts and Temple should I performe the vowes which I have made yea and that grace which I have found at thy Sacrament should goe with me Psal 116. ult and follow me through my life to season and sanctifie all my course my prayers my worship my marriage my company my blessings my crosses my whole conversation This may serve for a breefe view of Sacramentall Thankesgiving or remembring the death of the Lord Iesus The second duty is perpetuation 2. Duty Perpetuation Luke 22 20.21 Intimated in that clause of our Saviour For so doing ye shew forth the Lords death till he come I will touch it but breefely First know it is not with the Sacrament of the Supper as it was with that dayly Sacrifice which the Iewes offered to God morning and evening That was destroyed when the Temple of Ierusalem was ruined by Titus Vespasian But the Supper of the Lord Iesus typified in part thereby Esay 66.23 The Sacrament eternall in the Church is to last till the worlds end in one part of the Church or other Popery by their cursed Masse and other heretickes by their devices for many hundred yeeres together through Satans enmity interrupted shrewdly the Purity of Christ Sacramentall They brought in a Sacrifice for a Sacrament and defiled this ordinance so farre that they quite defaced it
grace of the Spirit one part of our calling and how Page 40 Prejudice against the ordinances and Ministers a great meane of ignorance Page 77 God offers all his good things by and through a promise Page 82 Few men seeke a promise to conveigh Gods good things unto them Page 84 All particular promises are planted in the generall promise and how Page 85 Warping from the first Promise most deadly and dangerous Page 86 Tryall of faith by her properties a good signe of faith 98 Pretiousnesse of faith is one 99. how to try that ead When Props of faith faile oft time faith is at best Page 107 108 The Parts of Repâ—ntance are a marke of tryall whether it be sound Page 112 Practise of Repentance is a speciall marke of the soundnes of it 114. And that both in the understanding will and life Page 115 The Lord affords his promise to his revolted servants to restore them Page 128 The Lord preserves his owne in a good estate when once recovered out of their revolts Page 128 Partiality of love purged by faith Page 143 Pride purged by faith from love Page 145 Such as have prepared for the Sacrament must also come and not be letted by any occasion whatsoever Page 215 Patternes of holy receivers Page 217 Perpetuall memory of Christ how to be continued at the Sacrament Page 219 Preparation to the Sacrament may become sweet and familiar to a Communicant 232. and how Page 233 Profanenesse a cause of ill receiving Page 140 No Pondering of the worth of Christ a lot of good receiving Page 243 R. FAith in the cheefe promse must be tryed by the Roote of it selfe deniall vid selfedeniall Reviving of faith at the Sacrament how to be performed Page 100 101 102 Repentance in what dâ—gree necessary for the Sacrament Page 108 Tryal of Repentance at the Sacrament necessary Reasons why 109. And proofes ib. Repentance a marke of faith 110. and welcome to God Ibid. Substance of Repentance a good Triall of the soundnesse of it 100. That is the spirit of regeneration ibid. Repentance is tryed by the mother of it which is faith Page 111 Revenge a marke of hearty repentance Page 119 Renouncing of sinne a signe of true lively Repentance Page 121 Returning to Gad another signe of it Page 122 Repentance upon our Revolts necessary for Sacraments Page 123 Gods owne people to be blamed for their venturing to receive without renued Repentane 133. Especially for foule falls Page 133 Exhortation to bring renued repentance to Sacraments Page 134 Raysing up of heart to God in all thankes must attend Meditation at the Lords Table Page 119 Restlessnesse of the soule till it bee satisfied a good Tryall of Desire Page 205 Renuing of Repentance dayly a speciall helpe of preparation sweetely Page 237 Causes of bad Receiving inward and outward Page 239 S. STeddinesse of spirit a meete posture of the Soule for worship of God contrary to giddinesse Page 4 The Supper is Christ in a mistery Page 65 The Supper is the Churches marke to judge of her Childrens growth Page 66 Sacramentall Christ a Provision for all wants of his body Page 51 Spirit of God not alway tyed to act his grace in us while we sleepe Page 56 Search of our wants aswell as our prayses necessary Page 50. and 59. Sensiblenesse of the shame of our wants needefull Page 62. To trust God for Salvation and for Christ and distrust him for particulars is sinfull Page 88 Faith in the maine promise must be tâ—yed by our selfe deniall Page 94 True search of our selves a signe of judicieus Repentance and how Page 115 Helpes of true Search of it Ibid. The Soule part of Repentance in the will and affections a good Tryall of the Practise of Repentance Page 116 Sentencing of our selves a marke of hearty repentance Page 118 Spirit of God and seede of God cannot be shaken wholly out of the elect Page 120 Laying to heart the sinnes and sorrowes of the time of others as our owne a Tryall of repentance Page 237 Straightnesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Selfe love purged by faith Ibid. Seldome commers to the Supper reprooved Page 213 Survey of our receiving a speciall part of carriage after the Sacrament Page 227 Survey of our selves in case of our disappointment upon receiving how to be perfomed Ibid. Page 228 Survey in point of want of feeling after receiving how performed Page 228 Survey in case of satisfaction upon the Sacrament what it is Page 229 Vpon Satisfaction at the Sacrament we must doe somewhat presently somewhat after Page 229 Superstition a cause of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 239 Scandall a great meanes of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 242 T. SAcramentall Tryall necessary for a Communicant what it is Page 1. 2 Tryall and preparation differ vid. preparation Tryall at the Sacrament is a duty required of all sorts Page 6 Each communicant is to Try himselfe Page 16 Tryall of others not excluded 7. The Reasons 8. Yet not to be trusted 9. The oddes betweene them Page 10 Sacramentall Tryall wherein it differs from other religious Tryalls legall penitentiall or morrall Page 11 12 Sacramentall Tryall hath her issue eyther to encourage or discourage the soule from receiving Page 13 What course both the good and the bad must take after due Tryall had Sundry counsels and Caveats about it Page 14 15 16 Sacramentall Tryall not arbitrary but needefull and divine Page 16 17 18 Reasons of Sacramentall Tryall Page 21. 22 Its difficult to Try aright and why ib. Properties of Tryall are five 1. wise ingenuous close faithfull direct Page 25 26 Exhortation to Try our selves Page 31 V. VNion the forme or essentiall cause of love Page 148 Vnsavorinesse and inappetency of desire hath nothing to doe with the Sacrament Page 199 Vnbeleefe a maine enemy of Sacramentall appetite Page 202 Most receive unprofitably and why Page 239 W. VVOrship of God must bee set purposed and a separation of the person from other services for the time Page 4 Objections of the weake in the matter of their estate answered Page 48 Weake in knowledge comforted and admonished Page 80 Tryall of our wants the second preparation to the Sacrament Page 49 All Gods people have their Wants and in how many kinds viz. in the grounds manner measure and ends of their actions in duties graces ordinances Page 50 Wants of Gods people are eyther Defects in grace or decayes Page 53 Wicked men have no wants onely they have one maine one Page 54 Christians may be comforted in their Wants because they have a stocke of Grace Page 57. 58 One want hinders all sence of many wants and how Page 57 God upbayds not his people for their Wants but supplies them Page 58 Le ts of Tryall of our wants to be avoyded Page 59 Wherein tryall of wants consists Page 59 We must have our wants summed up in a readinesse for the Sacrament Page 63 To rest upon a bare Word and from one word to goe to another a sure signe of faith Page 96 97 Comfort to Weake beleevers in the poore reviving of their faith at the Sacrament Page 106 Objections of the Weake against their revived and strong faith answered Page 107 God causeth the sence of Wrath and his judgements to seaze upon the consciences of his people being revolted to recover them Page 127 Willingnesse to be informed of sinne and reprooved a good signe of repentancc Page 135 Weake penitents comforted Page 139 Weakenesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Comfort to all Weakâ— in love if hearts be sound Page 192 Watching daily against the enemies of a good course a speciall helpe to make the preparation to the Sacrament sweete Page 236 Worldlinesse a shrewd enemy of a good mans well receiving Page 243 With the Remedy Ibid FINIS
than no where what better proofe of the Lord Iesus at his best than this that he is offered to thee in no lesse mysticall union for the end of a more mysticall one I meane as united to poore bread and wine that he might also unite himselfe in the whole grace of his Sacrifice to thy soule and body What better und easier conveiance couldst thou wish than this for so feeble and weake a spirit as thine is When once that people which followed Christ sitting upon an Asse Colt and riding as a King to Ierusalem cryed Hosanna and sayd Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Thinke we not that they saw Christ at the best Why did they else except they had beheld his spiritual Kingdome cut downe Palmes and strew them in the way stripping themselves of their garments to set him thereon Surely they were not so offended at the meanenesse of his palfrey and basenesse of the outside but they saw in this his riding a cleere representation of his glorious grace and the Maiesty of his person So shouldst thou in this union of Christ with base crummes of bread or drops of wine behold a more spirituall presence of Christ who careth not for such creatures but for thy soule and being farre from stumbling at the basenesse of the Asse or Elements raise up thy soule to a more heavenly sense of the Lord Iesus comming into thy heart and spirit bringing thee to God and uniting thee to the fountaine of thy blessednesse in a farre closer manner than ever Adam was And is not this union the Lord Iesus at his best yes verily From this Sacramentall union proceeds that exhibitive nature of Sacraments carrying the Lord Iesus into the soule of all the elect that communicate For to what end is union Sacramentall save that the Sacraments being thus possessed of the Lord Iesus mystically in them might exhibite to all and effectually carry into the bosomes of the elect the power of this Lord Iesus and convey as Vessells channelles and Pipes that grace which they containe I doe not meane that by vertue of the worke wrought or by the force of Divine institution there is any naturall holinesse put into them or magicall power of inchantment to take hold of the soule No in no wise for how many thousands are there both young and old who after the enjoying of the Sacraments doe put most woefull barres in their owne way that the power of Sacramentall union might never come at them So that when the Covenant comes to bee dispenced unto them they fare as persons utterly disabled to receive it Nay neither dare I thinke that by vertue hereof it s of absolute necessity that all Elect Infants must receive conversion of grace just in the act of their Baptizing for what were this but to ascribe more to the Seale than to the Covenant yea to invert their order and to ascribe greater power to an ordinance under which they walke 20 30 40. yeeres carelesly without discovery of any grace at all rather than to the lively power of the Covenant preached and working from that time forth an apparant change So that although in charity I am bound to thinke no other save that all such as receive Sacraments duely concurre with the grace of the Spirit for future improvement Yet to tye the Lords hands behind him and to make the Lord of Sacraments to become their underling as if hee had put himselfe out of Authority and office wholly to be subject to his Sacrament what indignity were it for the ordainer No not so But so farre so often and where it shall seeme good to himselfe to make use of his Sacrament for the good of his Elect for whose good they serve there doubtlesse these Ordinances doe both present and conferre the grace which is put into them Else to what end should they have it except they might convey it Now summe up all and answere Is not the exhibitive power of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus at his best Is not a reall tender better than a bare signe or a promise onely without performance He that promiseth an hundred pounds to lend or give to his poore friend and presently tenders the money that he might be before hand doth he not lend or give at the best Nay more than this not the Sacraments onely are thus exhibitive of Christ to the soule But by vertue of the union I have spoken of the Lord Iesus himselfe is there present where his institution is duely observed to be the Baptizer of his members and to be the steward and nourisher of his family that is to bestow himselfe upon the soule Touching Baptisme first true it is That our Lord Iesus himselfe never baptised any outwardly howbeit as then so much more now being ascended he it is who in the outward Baptisme of the Minister doth give gifts unto men and doth still baptise all his with the holy Ghost and fire A poore sinfull man doth what he can doe but further he cannot goe He dives the infant into holdes it in and receives it out againe from the water baptising it in the name of the sacred Trinity But this our great Baptist he is all in all for the doing of the worke It is he who casts in the salt of his divine healing power into corrupt and of themselves accursed creatures and Element and element he removes the curse death and barrennes of the waters utterly unable to engender he takes off their base uncomelinesse he darts and plants in them the efficacy of his owne death and resurrection both for merit of pardon and of holines he sanctifies clenses them that they may become hallowed and purging instruments And as a planter takes the sien of the Apple-tree and pitches it into a Crabtree stock so the Lord Iesus takes the pretious sien of his owne Righteousnesse the Power of his owne death and grave the strength of his resurrection and exalting and pitches both into water so that water becomes Christ-water Christs death and life so that the soule is washt with the one as the body with the other The soule by faith in the covenant feele her descent into the water to become a spirit of diving her into the laver and blood and grave of the Lord Iesus her being under the water to become the spirit brooding and fructifying the water to become a seede of life abiding in the wombe of the soule to regenerate it to the life of Christ Her arising up from the water to become a spirit of Resurrection as Peter excellently speakes 1 Epist cap. 3. verse 21. and a baptising of the soule with the activity and raising of her up with Christ from her death grave basenesse and misery unto immortality and glory Yea in all three the soule feeles the power of a new and omnipotent creation of her to God ingrafting her in God never to be pulled from him any more as at first And as the
to their forme and inward excellency which is nothing else save the Impression of God stamped upon them by his owne hand for speciall signification and use Now the whole workemanship of Christ about the forme of Sacraments may be reduced to this double head First Appropriation Secondly Vnion Two Generals here First Appropriation The former of these is precedent and preparing to the latter and it s such a worke as concernes the remote signification of Sacraments The latter more belongs to their exhibiting and sealing power but both essentiall to the being of a Sacrament To begin with the first Appropriation hath in it these two maine acts In it two things First Propriety First Propriety to signifie 2. actuall ordaining to Sacramentall use Touching the first The Lord in making a Sacrament beholds the materiall Elements in their naturall aptitude and peculiar Symbolicalnesse to expresse such a thing To open this Consider that things are said to be apt and peculier to resemble either by a made aptnesse which is not in the thing it selfe but put upon it accidentally or else is apt by an agreeablenesse in it selfe so to doe In Latine we would thus distinguish them Proprietie double First Accidentall Apta facta or Apta nata of the first sort are all such things whether Reall or Nominall or Notionall as have their signification from an outward consent of them that impose this aptnesse As I know when I heare the name of London Yorke or Dover what places are and what are not signified and meant Why How comes my conceit to fasten upon such a citie by the mention of such a name Surely from no naturall aptnesse in the names to signifie one city rather than another but by imposition and consent or custome which is as good as a naturall aptnesse to decipher such a place men will so call it therefore it prevailes to be apt to it Of this kinde are all watch-words Dan. 3.5 Dan. 3 5 When the noise of all kind of Musique sounded then was it thought a fit season to fall downe and worship the Image Why It was so consented and agreed upon Such is not the aptnesse here meant A second therefore is naturall Secondly naturall when a thing hath peculiar aptnesse in it selfe to resemble although the things are of never so different kinde yet in their kinde they concurring in one third notion looke what is in the one doth or may incline to describe the other even of it selfe And thus a shaddow is apt to expresse shortnesse or changeablenesse of mans life Sacramentall matter is apt naturally a deepe well apt to resemble the depth of a mans heart so water is apt to expresse a cleansing bread a strengthning food and wine a â—efreshing of the heart And this latter is the aptnesse which our Saviour beholds Elements in such a peculiar aptnesse as might alone carrie the minde of the beholder to that which is signified And hence is that of Austin Except Sacramentall signes had a Symbolicalnesse with the things they represent they could be no Sacraments meaning they could not be so apt to resemble For howsoever the Lord might by his power have made any signe to become a Resemblance and that because hee so pleased yet seeing in this hee sought not the declaring of what hee could doe but of that which is best for the convincement of distrust and dulnesse of our nature he rather chose such Elements as might out of their owne congruity resemble things spirituall Appropriation then requires a naturall aptnesse to resemble The latter and maine peece of Appropriation is divine Secondly Application of Elements by divine institution Proofe of it and peculiar application not onely in generall to serve for holy use but in speciall to note out typifie and describe to the soule the Lord Iesus Sacramentall for breeding and confirming the soule in grace Now this is a further thing than the former determining the propertie of the creature and the fitnesse thereof to resemble unto this speciall resembling of Christ Crucified in his washing qualitie and his nourishing propertie Although there were never such aptnesse in a creature to doe thus in it selfe yet it hath nothing to doe to meddle with a Sacrament except the Lord doe specially appropriate it to serve for such a purpose and then it begins to have in it a Sacramentall proportion and power to raise the soule from earth to heaven whereas else it selfe being earthly it were more likely to naile downe the heart to it selfe and to earthly thoughts and affections But so potent is the worke of the Ordainer who hath put this peculiar property into it that although it be but a creature yet it carries the soule from earth to heaven in a most familiar manner And marke how this stands in the power of the Word Wee know that the common blessing of the creature to feede and cherish the body comes from the Word Man not living by bread but by the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God How much more then must the vertue of the Ordinance come from God to make this carnall nourishing creature to be a spirituall nourisher Hence it is that Austin saith Accedat verbum c. Let the Word come to the Element and there is a Sacrament This Sacramentalnesse of the Elements stands in a word Illustration of it 2 Cor. 4 6. Gen. 1 4. God that said Let light shine out of darkenesse Let there be day night Let the earth bring forth fruits grasse c. effected it with a breath so the word of Ordinance Let Bread and Wine be representers of the body and bloud the merit and efficacie of Christ Crucified to replenish the soules of the faithfull hath caused these Elements for ever to have such power to represent these things so that no age or time shall ever prevaile to weare out this Impression yea and not onely to represent them in their kinde but also in their fulnesse So that as it was one charge concerning the Pascall Lambe that hee must be wholly eaten or burnt so by this Appropriation the Sacramentall signes doe resemble fully as well as properly And as in the compound of Bread and Wine there is not only a supply of drie but also of moist nourishment that so both hunger and thirst may be satisfied and the body both made strong and cheerefull to service so by the Ordinance these signes convey Christ in his Sacramentall fulnesse of nourishment so that nothing is lacking to the soule which Christ can supply it with if it beleeve Reason for it Now to returne take away this third act of Christs Word and institution giving this peculiar power to the signes to resemble the ends of the Sacrament Tell me what is there in the world which hath in it an aptnesse to resemble but might be a Sacrament Whereas now wee see not aptnesse but Approbation of Gods Word determining such an apt
grace of faith to unite Christ Sacramentall unto thy soule Say thus Are water bread wine inseparable from Christ why so Doth God care for oxen as Paul saith or careth he to be one with bread and wine 1 Cor. 9.9 Are these the subjects of his delight poore base corruptible Elements 1 Cor. 6.19 Heb. 12.23 No no those lively Temples of our soules and spirits of just beleeving ones are the places of his delight Oh! then say so Lord this union serves for a better that thou and my soule be one by the convey of the Sacrament that I might eate drinke Psal 24.7 enjoy thee Oh lift up thy head my dore be thou lifted up in me oh eternall gate of my soule that the King of glory may come in Let faith unbolt set you wide open that Christ may enter and take you up for his habitation be your head as the husband is the wives to procure her all good as a Prince in his governement as a Master in his family nay as the soule is in the body Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17.26 ult to act rule frame purge them to encrease the power of faith in adoption reconciliatiō to enlarge the graces of his spirit love meekenesse patience thankfulnesse to fill the conscience with joy hope peace to cause these to flow out of the belly of the soule as waters of life unto eternall life yea not onely better hearers worshippers of God but more wise to rule more faithfull to obey righteous in buying selling exemplary in our Christian practise harmles upright sober to purge us of our wrath uncharitablenes unmercifulnes unprofitablenes that the Lord Iesus Sacramētall in the spirit of him may become more lively powerfull and fruitfull in us Oh! pray and give the Lord no rest till he have bred faith in thee to these ends Vse 6 And to conclude if the poore creatures thus hold their union with Christ and thou by unbeleefe remainest destitute of him know these dumbe Elements shall one day rise up in judgment against thee condemne thee for they have kept their union which is but subordinate and serving to a better end But thou hast rejected thy union spirituall with Christ in the increase of his graces Oh wretch In naturall things and in vicious things thou art ripe and quicke enough to apprehend yea more than thou oughtest No sooner doth the name of that which thou takest pleasure in as the Taverne or Alehouse in which thou hast often disguised thy selfe come to mind no sooner the name of thy Farme which affords thee such a Rent Revenue offer it selfe to thee no sooner doth the name of the harlot whom thou hast consorted with the glasse in which thou canst reflect thy owne face upon thine eyes stand before thee but instantly thou feelest an union with those lusts which those names and notions present to thee thy spirit savors drunkennesse covetousnesse uncleanenesse and pride Onely the Sacraments are offred to thine eye by the Lord in which Christ is nominated nay actually exhibited and united and here the union is so strange a thing from thee that any other base object will sooner offer it selfe alone without any other occasion than the least apprehension of Sacramentall Christ come into thy thoughts or affections eyther to beleeve in love joy in or much lesse to be knit unto and made one with that all his excellency and grace might be thine that fatnesse and sweetnesse of his might be conveyed by faith into thy soule How shalt thou be able to answer this sensuality estrangement of spirit from the Lord Iesus Iustly may that curse light upon thee 1 Cor. 16.22 The 4. is the end twofold primary or secondary which Paul pronounceth upon al such as love not the Lord Iesus Thus much for the forme of a Sacrament be also spoken I proceede to the last generall in the definition which is the end of a Sacrament And that is double eyther concerning us from God or God from us Both as I noted are the scope of a Sacrament The reason whereof is because the Sacrament intends full as much and neither more not lesse than the covenant doth I meane the covenant of grace But the covenant of grace is reciprocall That God be our God Both essentiall Gen. 17.1 and wee be his people that God be our God al-sufficient and we walke uprightly before him I doe not meane by reciprocalnesse any equality in working as if our obeying or uprightnesse could worke God to be ours as his being ours workes us to be upright But that indifferently the one as well as the other part and condition is interchangably requisite on our parts as well as the Lords As then the seale of the covenant assures the one so must it the other it must secure the Lord of our upright walking as well as us of his beeing our God both must needs goe together Yet I meane not that the Sacraments doe equally seale up both for Gods sealing grace to us is strong our sealing backe to him of duty is weake the Sacrament is the Lords and therefore principally aymes at our good yet I say God lookes for it that the same messenger of his unchangable love to us revived at the Sacrament should carry backe to him our revived covenant of upright walking The Lord so comes to his oath and seale for our security that hee lookes we also come to the oath of Covenant with him hee will not be tyed and wee be loose First then of the former of these two ends Gods end concerning us What God covenanteth Touching which let us conceive what God covenanteth and so we shall see what the Sacraments doe assure Touching this point of the offer and Covenant of God I having elsewhere largely spoken Practic Catech. Part 2. Artic. 3. therefore I doe here referre my reader to that discourse to spare a labour Onely thus much in a word when Adam had lost his integrity by disanulling the covenant of creation the Lord had it in his bosome what he would doe with all his posterity if hee had quite destroyed them all it had beene but just In this demurre grace cast the skole and brought him out of his meere good pleasure to purpose to recover a Remnant out of their ruine And as hee meant this within himselfe so he thought it meete to expresse so much to us not by including some and excluding others but by a free unconditionall offer of grace in respect of any thing in man to covenant with him to be his God and to become propitious and favorable againe unto him as if hee never had beene offended This covenant he establishes with us in the Blood of his Sonnes satisfaction requiring of us to beleeve that thereby his Majesty is reconciled with us and that therefore we be reconciled to him This he urges us to beleeve nakedly upon his bare word and covenant and that we seeke no
his breadth height depth and length Christ for being and regeneration Perhaps for the simpler sort it might be enough to use the Apostles words of him are we who is made our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 or to adde thus much All Christ is given us 1 Cor. 1 30. either for our calling or for our imputation or for our sanctification Howbeit for my owne exercise in part and for the clearer view of Christ sacramentall in the water I would adde a little more desiring the weake reader to pardon my distinctions as more meete for such as better conceive or would at least the gift of Christ in his extent and fulnesse Distinction of it to be marked The grace then of Christ bestowed in baptisme is either first grace or consequent upon it The first grace I call either that which maketh us accepted or that which is freely given to in here and abide in us Concerning the former kind Grace accepting is eyther grace of meanes serving to atteine acceptance or the grace it selfe atteined The former of meanes in one word is the grace of vocation in al the passages thereof preventing assisting and perfitting this acceptation of the soule The grace it selfe of acceptance atteyned may be distinguisht into grace eyther of maine essence or of priviledge Grace of maine essence is double eyther justification of our persons from sinne of guilt and blemish or of curse wherein Gods acquitting us in judgement by remission and pardon properly consists or reconciliation by which being pardoned we returne to grace and favour againe as before our blood being restored and we beloved Then secondly grace of priviledge is double positive or privative Positive priviledg in a word is our adoption which besides favor restores us to the former conditioÌ„ yet much bettered of childreÌ„ sons daughters heires and so to the priviledges of a beleever according to the severall occasions of his life course Privative in a word stands in redeÌ„ption that is freedome froÌ„ all the evills dangers enemies crosses within without bodily ghostly which threaten annoyance to our happy estate in Christ Thus for the 1. sort The second are graces inherent in us in a word Sanctification of the whole man body soule and spirit standing both in Conscience and conversation And this is double eyther mortification and consumption of the old man Gal 5 24. renouncing him with his affection and lusts crucifying theÌ„ all with Christs or else quickning up of the soule in the bent frame intent and streame of it to the life of God and grace Thus of the first grace The consequent upon this is the proper issue fruit of each of these first graces which they leave behind them in the soule The proper issue of vocation is union and bringing to God by the instrument of faith The proper issue of justification is peace and quiet of conscience The fruit of reconciliation is holy Complacence and contentment or joy of the Spirit in God her Saviour as Mary speakes The fruit of adoption is Luk. 1 47. the honour liberty and excellency of beleevers with the Spirit of children confidence and calling God Abba resting upon him for all good things a true right to earth heaven and all therein All things being ours we being Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. â— 22.23 The fruit of redemption is assured â—ecurity of heart from evill conquest and triumph in Christ true deliverance of soule from Sathan to God and for God in all obedience The fruite of sanctification is the blessed guard and furniture of Graces resident both in the minde as light purenesse wisedome discerning in the will all habits and uprightnesse integrity cheerefulnesse faithfulnesse in the affections of love hope feare and zeale in the conscience sensiblenesse tendernesse quietnesse In the whole man serviceablenesse to God in the conversation and whole course of it This short draught I have the rather inserted in this due place to give light and order to such things as I have handled in the three Articles of my second part and the fourth fith sixth Articles of the third part of my practicall Catechisme that the Reader may see how all those good things issue from Christ distinctly I meane the use of meanes the strength against lets and the right to all priviledges both conditionall and actuall But especially to lay downe a view of Christ our union and communion Sacramentall But The expressions of the holy Ghost it shall not bee amisse to touch this point as the Holy Ghost in the word expresses it Sometimes therefore hee expresses it in generall termes and sometimes in particular Generally he calls it the holy Ghost and fire See Matth. 3.11 Matth. 3 11. Matth. 3 16. meaning the Spirit of Christ in the efficacy of his grace which should purge as fire Even as our Saviour Christ is said to have the Spirit descending at his baptisme and lighting upon him meaning that he thereby received the unction of the Spirit and the gift thereof even the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes So also it s called by the name of new birth Ioh. 3.5 Heb. 1 9. Ioh. 3. â— Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter c. So the washing of regeneration Tit. 3 5. renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so also it is sayd to save or deliver from wrath as the Arke from the flood 1 Pet. 3.21 In particular this regeneration is distinguished into the washing or purging of justification by the merit or the washing of sanctification by the efficacy of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1 7. See Acts 22.16 Ephe. 5.26 The former we have in 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Iesus purgeth us from all sinne The latter see Ephe. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word To present it without spot or wrinckle in his glorious presence Gal. 3 26. c. Both these are expressed Galathi 3.26 They who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ as their garment both of covering in the one and of warmth in the other all Christ in both But there are two phrases in the Scripture by which the holy Ghost delights to describe the grace of baptisme The one by remission of sins the other by dying unto sinne and rising up unto righteousnesse Of the first there is frequent mention Luk. 3.3 Iohn baptised to the remission of sinnes Luk. 3 3 Acts 22 16. Rom. 6 3 8. Act. 22.16 Wash away thy sinnes and be baptised Of the latter Paul speaketh much in Rom. 6. from the 3. verse to the 8. So many as are Baptized into Iesus Christ are baptised into his death Therefore we are buried by baptisme with him into his death that like as Christ was raysed up from death by the glory of the Father so might we walke in newnesse of life For if we
can heale worse diseases the disease of my nature the distempers of pride envie worldlinesse selfelove impatience 2 King 2 14. infidelitie and what not As Elisha having the cloake of his Master with the promise of his Spirit smote the waters and caused them to goe this way and that till he went o-over dry so doe thou cry Where is the Lord God of Baptisme The Lord Iesus in the water the Spirit of regeneration Oh! let the Arke carrie mee safe and free from the gulfe of wrath and destruction 2 Kin. 2 21. First O holy Lord let thy Spirit cast his salt into these waters which my sinne hath made barren and accursed even as all other creatures and sanctifie them by union and put a blessing upon them implanting the root of the Lord Iesus into my soule by dipping me into them that so as verily as I behold my childs face and my owne flesh cleansed from spots by outward water so surely we may find our soules and spots thereof to be washed by the bloud of Christ this true laver of the new Birth unto remission of sinnes and eternall life Thus much of this point I now come to the third and last The 3. general The end of it The third generall in the Description is the end whereto Baptisme serveth And that is the sealing up of all the grace mentioned before to be the soules owne in assured perswasion and possession I say not that this is the end which all baptized ones attaine unto nay not all who yet by the word and faith doe attaine some comfortable fruit of Baptisme But this I say is the end which God intends in the Sacrament To seale up the soule to an assured feeling and reall partaking of those holy things of Christ which are here offered I meane not that this sealing of Baptisme is inherent in it To seale our regeneration so as if the Spirit of regeneration were but an attendant to Baptisme no in no wise but this where the Lord meanes to bestow upon a beleeving soule which though it relies upon his Word and Promise yet finds many doubts and feares this grace of knowing it selfe to beleeve to be regenerated to be elect to be heire to heaven which reflexion is the worke of the holy Ghost there the Lord useth the Sacrament of Baptisme to be the instrument of this assurance and to make up the evidence of the word full and effectuall For even as the seale annexed to an evidence makes it past question as I said before so doth this Seale added to the word perfect the evidence of it and therefore we may truly say carries in it the last best and uttermost evidence which the Lord hath to bestow upon the soule to put her out of question To repeat things spoken already is not my purpose By looking at the Covenant onely apply the generall to particular The seale of Baptisme lookes at the extent of the Covenant Thou knowest what it is to have the Lord to be thy God in Christ I spake even now at large of the grace of Baptisme The selfe same is the extent of the Covenant it reacheth not one inch shorter than that I spake there Now marke as large as that is so large is this Seale of Baptisme and the Lord keeper of the great Seale is the Spirit of Christ he it is who brings it forth to the soule that needs it and hungers after it by the taste of the graciousnesse and sweetnesse of God in the Covenant And he aâ—kes the soule and saith Poore soule have not I oft convinced thee by my promise of my faithfull meaning Have I not said I will never faile or deceive thee Yes Lord but I am sold under carnall sence and infidelity Well but what saist thou if I bring forth the markes the wounds the water and bloud of the Lord Iesus side sprinkle them upon thee when Tamar knew not how to convince Iuda lo she sends him the cloke staffe Gen. 38 25. and signet asking him Whose they were and when he saw them he was convinced This course was better than words it had a reall relation in it So here the Spirit brings out the very instuments of assurance and laies water upon thy flesh to secure thee Christ in his life and death is thine and shall not this be a reall relation above the naked word unto thee Yes surely if together with the outward presenting of the things he also clap the Seale upon thy soule and leave a print upon thy soft heart which may assure thee he hath been there to fetch out thy slavish feare and infidelitie Ephe. 1 13. Reade Ephe. 1 13. where this Spirit is called the sealer of the Promise it s called the earnest of our Inheritance and purchased possession Reade also Ephes 4.30 where it is called the Sealer of our redemption Ephe. 4.30 By which phrases all the whole grace of Christ is meant viz. That the Spirit in Baptisme seales our Vocation our Iustification Adoption Sanctification and the rest one as well as the other Vse 1 Now for use Branch 1 If this be true what cause of mourning is there for us in these times that the grace and sealing power of the Spirit in Baptisme is so unknowne to the body of Congregations in this Church How few behold Baptisme with such an eye Oh! how do the most turne it into a ceremony Some of the richer sort making it a ceremony of Pompe and sensualitie the poorer of common passage and forme which when it s over the Pageant is done The better sort acknowledge but an initiating ordinance serving to make men visible Christians But as for grace especially this exceeding grace of the sealing Spirit of Adoption and assurance what one of an hundred sees it Oh lamentable We reade that when certaine disciples of Iohns baptisme at Ephesus Act. 19 2. were asked by Paul If they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved They answered They knew not so much as whether there was an holy Ghost or no. So may I say of our people Alas they are so farre from the Seale of Baptisme that they know not whether there be any such thing or not They know not that God hath any Ordinance of so high nature or no as this to convey assurance into a man of his regeneration And how can such chuse but live a sad drooping course Branch 2 Nay to this I may adde that it is the case of thousands of Christians whom we should highly offend if we questioned them who scarse see neede of such a sealing Ordinance They praise God they have beleeved their salvation and since that they have been rid of all feares and doubts and walke on and on without ayle or annoiance Indeede they found some adoe with themselves ere they could attaine faith But when they once got it they got all at once and since feele small doubts or oppositions to
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
of an ill conscience in it as commonly in worldly contents there is either by the person or by the things either the user is none of Gods or the things are ill come by and impurely used But here is neither impurenesse of person or of things each are pure to other Tit. 1.15 Tit. 1 15. whereas the conscience of the impure is defiled Hence it is that this mixture marres the feast As wee see in Belshazzars jollity there wanted no mirth Dan. 5.4 5 but the Lord caused such an horror to fall upon it by that handwriting that all the joy vanish'd As he in the Fable who all the while he was feasting had a naked sword hanging by a bristle with the point downewards hanging over him As once one said when he had shewed a friend all his Treasures But what if a man should goe to hell with all these When Haman had related all his contents to Zeresh and his friends he addes Ester 5 13. Yet all these doe me no good when I see Mordecai sitting in the Kings gate The sweet meate of the wicked hath sowre sawce but these dainties are pure meat and sawce are good in themselves they are holy so to them pure 3 The compleatnesse The third perfection is their fulnesse In all other contents there is a scantnesse in respect of the number that men have not enough of them If men of poore become rich then they want pleasures if both then they want honour to make their content full So they strive still for an earthly Paradise which is lost and when they have all yet their soule hath not enough But these dainties have a fulnesse and comprehension in them able to satisfie the spirit there is an equalnesse in them thereto Gen. 45.25 both are eternall The heart hath enough as Iacob said when hee saw the Chariots and although it longs after more for measure yet it findes rest and quiet even in the kinde of the things which are perfect in their nature When men take money in a market or for their rents still they like that they love but yet they want and there is an hole unstopt the barren heart cries as the grave Prov. 30.16 give give and why save because they have not enough yea though they had enough for a mediocritie is enough for a sober minde yet because there is not a qualitie of content in them their increase workes no full satisfaction A man that hath spending money enough wants a stocke another hath money to buy him one sute but hee wants for change or he hath enough to buy one of cloth but not of velvet or if he have that which will suffice for apparrell yet considering that children diet sutes of Law and friends call for more expences that he hath joyes him not so much as that he wants So are all the fulnesses of this world they have a scantnesse not unlike to a coate made scant which comes not over the wrists or knees or bosome but leaves them bare But this nourishment and fulnesse of Christ is as is described in every kinde and a full supply as I noted before and especially out of Revela 3.16 by an enumeration of all things for use and price Revel 3 16. The 4 Durablenesse The fourth and last is durablenesse and continuance When folkes go to Pageants and enterludes oh how they are tickled How they could spend dayes in them But when all is done they are al a-mort As I have heard of some besotted Epicures who were not able to subsist when their games and drinkings were over therfore so laid the matter that the end of one should beginne the other till at length with rotten bodies and wasted consciences and emptie purses and tired spirits they fell dead over their cups and games Alas though this were a prodigious yet not a perpetuall lasting and yet such a one as made themselves last but a while But lo the things of this feast are durable meate drinke riches and honour No wonder they issue from a fountaine Ier. 2.13 Ier. 2 13. not a broken pit A Fountaine we know though it be but a fingers deepe yet outlasts a lake that is up to the middle the one payres with use the other is fed with a Fountaine Durablenesse in kinde and durablenesse in succession is great perfection If a man could buy cloth which would last all his life without wearing and yet daily weare better and better oh what a market would he thinke he had when those fading and blasted crowns of Lawrell and Wormewood are withered mens gaines feasts brave clothes games and companies then the garland of a Christian made of Semper-vivum not the herbe but the grace of the Sacrament shall flourish and survive upon the heads of the beleeving receivers and when some of them blast at their death yet they cease not till another crowne of immortality succeede for ever and ever Rejoyce in the Lord Phil. 4 4. but how long Not as in froth and the cracking of thornes but alway and againe I say rejoyce Vse 1 Let this then be both to disgrace the feast and mirth of fooles and to advance this feast and these dainties of Christ in his Promise and Sacrament First I challenge all sensuall ones whose complacence is in their brave buildings fashions and fethers meetings and pleasures tales and trickes to fill up and passe the time away come in set these to the contents of the Lord Iesus and if ye can make equall in any of these foure kindes wee will renounce our portion and cleave to yours we will cry with you Great is Diana of the worldlings But if Christ exceeds yours in all foure wonder not if wee come not in unto you but tremble you for your sitting so long upon the divels deafe egges throw egges and nest upon the dunghill and come in and joyne with us cast your lot in with us and let us have but one Portion We would not change with you although we might have this boot to tell money all day and have it when wee have done although your lusts commonly strip you even of the outward also Rest not in a short ruffe and running pull of joy and to say Would there were neither Preacher nor Puritan in England Alas your time is short and your sorrow will be endlesse Let Husband and Wife looke backe and say each to other What fruit have we had of all under the Sunne Surely neither safe pure full nor lasting therefore let us forsake it in time for a better while there is season Vse 2 Secondly let it exhort all Gods people to set their hearts to eate these good things for all their fourefold excellency to delight in fatnesse Exhort to enjoy it and to enjoy the portion with sound complacencie and content which the world knowes not nor shall ever enter into Tell me why doe men sow purchase build labour Is it
these is wrought in thee as yet no condition of them no knowledge no feare of the worst no degree of desire endeavour If Gods deare ones who have tasted his grace yet finde themselves so unfit to receive when they have fasted prayed worshipped and walked with God all the weeke long where shalt thou appeare who never wert so in covenant at all Renounce all thy false errors and counterfeit signes colour not with God who will not be mocked pretend not thy good meanings civility keeping of Church paying of debt being in charity giving of almes shedding of teares these amount not to the markes of a calling but say rather Oh Lord by all signes I see I want the faith of the covenant of God and have run into a premunire with justice all my life long and each Sacrament hath seal'd up my judgement God hath long suffered me I dare heape up wrath no longer I will a while cut off my selfe from the communion that the whilst I may get the faith of the covenant Do so and prosper Num. 12.14 Remember Miriam and how she was served when she abused Moses and would have yet abode in the Congregation the Lord forbad her saying If her father had spit in her face should shee not separate her selfe seaven dayes So doe thou and make use of thy separation to humble thy soule And yet doe not abuse the Lords cutting thee off for a time to lowre and quarrell with him saying This tryall hath hurt mee I had beene quiet and well if I had beene let alone and gone to the Sacrament but this searching hath snared me and now I am further off No this is nothing but Sathans delusion who would for ever pull thee from the Sacrament whereas the Lord would hold thee off onely for a time and shut thee up as a Leper for seven dayes â—eriâ— 1â— till the Lord Iesus the high Priest have beheld thee and clensed thee by beleeving This sicknesse is not to death but life endure affliction in thy spirit a while pray God to blesse this triall unto thee Repent with Miriam and thou shalt returne with Miriam and blesse God with Onesimus that thou departedst for a time that thou mightst returne for ever So much for the first sort Vse 2 Secondly this is exhortation to Gods owne people that even they also looke to this worke of trying their estate Exhortation to Gods people Perhaps such will say they have tryed it often and hold it by faith daily and therefore its needelesse so to doe But I answer yet honour this ordinance and renue your comfort by reviving the memory and presence of it The oftner you doe it the easier is the worke and the gaine Yee will object Christ Iesus is the same Heb. 13.8 yesterday to day and for ever True but your unbeleefe is great your inconstancy admits infinite feares wastings doubts and distempers Revive therefore the sence of former mercy and apply it each Sacrament a new Bee not weary of getting daily more sweetnesse in the promise and proove your calling and election more sure to your selves as it is sure in God â— Pet. 1 10. Pray for more insight savour and tast of this worke and injoy the comfort thereof at the Sacrament The lesse rust yee have gathered the lesse filing of your soule may serve Take either the three points of calling before said which are the surest or sometime revive the other markes and fruits of conversion Doe not divide them but try thy selfe by them all together if thou can if not then chuse out some few concluding markes and apply them to thy selfe if it be hard seeke to God to teach thee to search them in thy selfe mourne for any decay of them and humble thy heart for it and give not the Lord over till both thou know that thou hadst them and in measure they appeare to thy selfe presently Recover thy losse Heb. 12.7 quicken that hath wanzed strengthen the feeble knees or hands and so doing blesse God that by the occasion of the Sacrament thou hast seene those graces to abide in thee which thou thoughst thou wantedst For the Lords wayes tend not to destroy but to edify and not to turne thee off from the Sacrament with feare but to send thee thither with stronger consolation and hope So that thou shalt have small cause to repent thee for obeying God For loe in this thy strength thou maist goe to the feast of the hills Esay 25. to the Lords fat things and fined wines the which if the Master of the feast bid thee to neyther have any other nor thy selfe authority to forbid thee Object But heere some will object Put case many a poore soule do stagger and alledge if these be markes of a receiver I am none for I cannot proove my calling by any of these markes But rather call into question both my calling and the fruits both faith and holinesse for alas I feele not my selfe to live by the one and I sinne often against both the law and grace I am held under with lusts and corruptions I answer Answ For grosser breaches of duty the Lord taskes thee to serious humbling and repenting but not giving over thy confidence As for ignorance or infirmities unavoydable they shall not hurt thee If thou can say I have beleeved formerly I tell thee the seede of God in thee is immortall As appeares by thy longing after the Sacrament If then thou suspect the worst by thy selfe for thy omissions declining to ease to world to other evills if thou desire to know the worst by thy selfe to vomit up thy morsells and to recover thy hold upon the promise if the fruite of the Sacrament be so precious to thee that so thou mightst finde thy selfe an invited guest thou wouldst not bee kept from the Table of the Lord for the world then I say There is fire under the ashes rake them off that it may appeare and burne out Claspe about these markes though but but in poore measure and when measure failes cleave to thy uprightnesse and let not Sathan or selfe bereave thy heart of courage and hope to get by the Sacrament but know these must not beate thee from it Objection 2 Yea will some say But when all is sayed that can bee If I want faith it selfe the cheef grace that serves to cover all my unworthinesse I cannot come Now I feare I have it not For why faith overpowres and prevailes in a true beleever above doubting and carries the soule above all feares to the assurance and feeling of mercie and fills the heart with comfort and joy these I want therefore I have no faith Answ I answer Try thy selfe by that I have spoken about faith before and let that stay thy spirit Farr bee it from us to affirme fayth so to consist in the full sayles of perswasion and in the flaming out of comforts that where this measure is lacking the soule is to
when yet his heart was with him But these lusts will come againe as Absolon and that with more violence and sway afterward because the heart is not turned from them and set in a contrariety Hatred is not become love nor love hatred outside is not inside and inside outside Still old love abides and the falling out of old friendly lusts prooves a renewing of love A bad signe 3. By the forme Thirdly try it by the inward forme and nature of renovation which is the worke of the Spirit infusing the habit of Gods holinesse into the soule and letting in the efficacy of his power into the same to forme it to a new creature in righteousnesse and according to the Image of the Creator Ephe. 4.22 It s the second breathing of the Lord the breath of life not to be a living soule 1 Cor. 15.45 but a quickned spirit Try thy selfe hereby if repentance bee in thee then the Lord Christ is in thee and stampes thee for his owne sets his superscription upon thee as upon his coine Ier. 31.33 causes thee to be like himselfe and endues thee with his owne savour and qualities purgeth thy old caske and sweetens thee with new liquor Now purenesse innocency faithfulnesse thankefulnesse sobernesse and contempt of the world with deniall of thy selfe are powred into thee If then thou finde no presence or operation of new savour instinct appetite and affections to be wrought but old Adam still as he was wont as sensuall carnall proud selfeloving thou hast no repentance 4. By the parts Fourthly try it by the parts of renewing quickning and killing By quickning 1. Quickning I meane that power of Christ his righteousnesse and resurrection not onely in a dead habit but in a revived power Rom. 6 8 9 10. Rom 8.11 whereby thy dead spirit to the matters of God is stirred and changed to a lively life of grace We doe not say that a man is alive to his trade and businesse when he lies on his deathbed though he live yet hee is not lively unwearyed active and cheerefull to it Againe by killing 2. Killing Rom. 6.6 7. Rom. 8.10 I meane that other part of the Spirit of Christs crosse and grave which destroyes that old life and vigor of sinne that rankenesse jollity and crowne of pride which was in corruption For though sinne be call'd but a privation yet by the law it conceaves a kind of being and becomes living turbulent rebellious and venemous in the soule till the power of the Law of Christ doe suppresse this strong man and spoile him and tumbles him into the grave of Christ that he may lye and putrify there This is an excellent tryall when a man can say I was once dead to goodnes without the Gospel but now I am lively to it Rom. 7 9. I was alive to sin and where I would be but now dead to it as a woman to a dead husband as Abigail to dead Nabal A living death and a dying life is in my soule and a stirring spirit in both 1 Sam. 2â— enâ— My owne dead and living spirit is gone and Christs both dead living spirit is come in place and in both my heart is stirring and on wing neither flat in mortifying evill nor unoccupied in good but to both set at liberty I say this is good Fiftly try it by the extent both in parts and degrees 5. By the Extent If it be sound renewing it will be both universall and encreasing In the first respect it is like Leaven which being hid in three peckes of meale leavens all and sowers all Mat. 13 33. So doth this Leaven of renewing it seasons and sweetens all the parts the understanding judgement and memory The will and choice thereof the passions the spirit and conscience the appetite of nature the sences and the members Though it be weake in all yet it is entire and through all body soule and spirit And it is encreasing in all for life is growing as life is decaying Try thy selfe by this also For it is with most of us as with one that is in debt who perhaps would sell off some peeces of his land lying out of the way and lesse looked at But as for his faire lands of inheritance which lye close and about his Mannor he will not deface them nor sell them for any price So it is with most men Their renewing stands in some outsides they can tip their tongues or colour their braines and commande their sences but when Gods Image must bee in the inner man also they will none of that Rom. 12 2. Their spirit must still run it owne streame to dye for it And so for their growth many have some violent offers of goodnesse as mercy zeale and religion but alas All they doe addes no one cubite to their former stature they keepe not the good they had much lesse put it to advantage 2 Iohn 8. growing to to more sweetnesse and ease by experience or cleaving to God with fuller purpose of heart Act. 11.23 when they see the most to warpe This is a bad but the contrary a good marke 6. By the combate 1 Cor. 13. end Sixtly by the combate of the Spirit within it selfe For because we live heere to be conformed to our head Christ therefore we cannot be wholly spirituall and mortified but we abide in part renewed in part old not because Christ cannot make us better but because wee are not capable of perfection till we live by sence Therefore Grace will worke a perpetuall sence of strife in our soules against the law of sinne in our members Not onely a desire to be with our head in fulnesse of glory Psal 137.2 Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 But the whiles to grone and sigh under our burden till every drop of blood thereof be spent especially to warre against our strong personall beloved lusts which fight in us till we recover strength and get victory till the house of Saul be downe and the house of David be up We shall feele this combat in us Gen. 25.22 as Rebecca felt in her wombe by her twins Till the Lord answer us The elder shall serve the yonger Try then thy selfe heerein if this strife be held up in thee by the spirit not in thy judgement onely against thy ill will and lusts But in the very same part of thee in which corruption fights judgement against judgement will against will affections against affections conscience against conscience grace against sinne it is a good signe But if sinne rule and there be not scepter against scepter if there be much foyling many falls few or no resistances but rather willing slavery and bondage both by sinne and to it it is a poore signe And this is all I will say of a mans trying the roote of renovation in himselfe Perhaps the view of these may doe some good to comfort an heart
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
and intercept this fuell of thy lust even by revenging thy selfe upon thy selfe and giving that to the poore 2 Cor. 7 9. or a good use which hath been the instrument of fulfilling thy lust It is a good signe Triall 9 Ninthly if God call thee to suffer for a truth of his about which thou feelest a strife on the one side it is suggested to thee that there be greater truths to suffer for in which thou shouldest finde more comfort than in that truth thou art called to suffer for on the other side thou canst not denie the lesser truth to bee a truth in such a case to be willing to suffer for any truth commending thy selfe to God and craving that thou maist not bee afraid to suffer for greater if called to it yea to count the price of any truth to exceede thy best contentments it s a good signe Triall 10 Tenthly if not onely thy knowledge doe sway thee to duty but thy conscience also And if there be wrought in thee not onely some generall awe of God but also a quickning power acting and putting thee forth to the lively delight in good and hatred of evill whereas an hypocrite hath onely a dead hearted knowledge without power its a good signe Likewise when the experience thou hast of sinne and of grace is no dead but a stirring experience quickning thee to goodnesse and mortifying of corruption it is a sweet signe I might be larger but I leave the Reader to collect others from former grounds By the paw judge of the Lion Thus much for the triall of revived repentance at the Sacrament Vse 6 Consolation Lastly this Doctrine affords us use of Consolation which belongs to all the poore servants of God that cannot as they would comfort thmselves in their triall of repentance Oh! say they our life is a continuall revolting from God but rare repenting If say they repentance be such a thing as stands in the renewing of the soule the ordinary practise of the life and recovery out of our falls wee cannot say much for our repentance Well but I demande of thee Are these wrought in thee for the kinde Is there a sound heart in all though much weakenesse Then thy weakenesse shall not sunder thee and the Lord at the Sacrament But why then will you say doe you presse repentance so strictly I answer Not to urge repentance in perfection here for that is for heaven but to provoke all beleevers to the greatest measure that they can here attaine unto And let such be comforted that the Sacrament belongs to them for their further encrease It is as if a poore Lazer should have said Hee was not worthy to step into the poole when the Angell had roared the water Oh! But if the poole served to heale such an one it had beene a wrong to have deprived himselfe of the poole by that argument which rather served to encourage him God sees not the unavoidable defects of his owne nor imputes them he lookes at that which is good and his owne in them and passes by the bad which is theirs In this case thy faith must fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10.4 when thine owne is too weake That must be thy chiefe Robe to cover thee though thine under-garment be worne and thinne Oh! but they cannot mourne they say their hearts are dead and senselesse no sooner doe they resolve upon a forsaking of sinne but it salutes them againe presently They keepe no Covenant almost which they renew at the Sacrament Well I praise you not for this yet I hope you mourne that you are so mournelesse and you are not dead so farre forth as you feele it Strengthen the feeble hands Heb. 12.12 and make straight that which is crooked Revive the edge and furbish the blade of your repentance But to refuse the meanes of your growth and encrease because you are weake were to conclude That because you are but poore therefore you must starve your selves Nay rather you have the more neede of strength Goe to the Sacrament that your complaints may be fewer abstaine not because you feele cause of complaining For so you may adde oyle to the flame and the divell will rejoyce but to be sure your selves shall be the greatest lozers And touching the triall of repentance so much CHAP. VII Of Sacramentall Love and the triall thereof The 4. grace Love I Come now to the fourth grace required of all true partakers of the Lords Table which is love A most maine grace for the Sacrament and of speciall familiarity with it Entry Three things And for the better conceiving hereof I purpose God willing to handle these three things First I will shew what this love is secondly I will prove the truth of the Point by Scripture and Reasons thirdly I will make use of the Doctrine and therein I will propound the trials of this grace Premising still this caution that as needefull a grace as this is yet I make it not of that essentiall nature for the very act of receiving as faith though otherwise most necessary for the Supper because its that grace which improves and beautifies the whole Commumunion of Saints and much more the Communion for so we call it of the Supper 1 What it is For the 1. of these three Sacramentall love differing no otherwise from the grace of love than as reviving of it differs from the thing it selfe is a grace of the Spirit in the soule of man and the daughter of faith renewed by occasion of the Sacrament in all true receivers whereby they are so united unto all that are their fellow members that they enlarge themselves to all occasions of their good for the ends of Communion Sixe things in the descript In this description are sixe distinct things 1. The author of it 2. The begetting cause 3. The circumstance of reviving 4. The forme or being of it 5. The act of it 6. The end it propounds For the first I call it a sanctifying grace of the holy Ghost in the soule 1 A grace of the Spirit Vsually wee plant love in the affections and concupiscible part But here I plant it in the will of the soule ascribing to it an higher seate than an appetite or passion as being grounded in the choise and purpose of the soule planted by a far stronger agent than affections are and to an higher end But of this I say the lesse That the spirit is the workeman of it appeares by direct Scripture Gal. 5 22. Paul gives it the birthright of all fruits of the Spirit The fruites of the Spirit are love joy peace c. And the like he saith in sundry places Rom. 5 5. For the Spirit shedding the love of God into the barren and hatefull heart of man causeth it to conceive like love to them who are begotten as that was in him that begat Hence that of our Saviour Thou evill
servant Math. 28.32 Did not I forgive thee all the debt even of many Talents How then oughtest thou to forgive him the debt of pence Till then the soule be seasoned with the love of God in pardon and holinesse both to save and sanctifie it cannot possibly love his brother spiritually Can a rush grow without mire Iob 8 11 Or can love be in us till a principle of the Spirit infuse it It is commended by the Lord Iesus himselfe A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love each other Ioh. 13.34 Rom. 13 9. 10. All the Law is fulfilled in it It s infinitely magnified in all the Scriptures in 1 Cor. 13. It s described by abundance of both negative and positive properties all which shew the Originall to bee divine But especially in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.11 3.10 4 7 8. 5 2 c. where it is made first the charge of God Secondly the offspring and birth of God Thirdly A marke of the Elect and saved Fourthly That which especially is occupied about brethren such as are borne of God members of the militant Church All these argue of what kinde and seeede it is not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Vse To discerne this coine of heaven from all counterfeit stampes in this kinde There is a deepe vicious love contracted by the fellowship in sinne Simeon and Levi Gen. 49 5. brethren in evill yea this is almost as strong and deepe as hell Theeves have their league and drunkards their love union and fellowship yea sworne brotherhood The spirit of error and heresie is strong to linke the heart in love yea Iesuites are so knit to their Catholique league that death can not dissolve it And yet Paul imployes that this may want true love 1 Cor. 13 1. Men have a garish humour of love and pangs of affection so that in a moode they pretend the greatest love but on the sudden they either stabbe each others or else hate each other more than ever they loved As the bands are which tie men so is their love Carnall lusts gaine sweetnesse of manners politique respects to make use of each other naturall regards likenesse of manners or professions or disposition of soothablenesse and curtesie derived from Parent to child or a civill love standing in an entercourse of mutuall offices love mee and I will love thee or such like all of them are a sort of love which Religion doth not disanull but season and subordinate in the elect to this fruit of the Spirit even as the powers of the naturall and sensible soule are subject to reason A Christian hath other love yet from a better principle of spirituall love 2 The Parent The second thing is the begetting cause of it and that is faith effectuall and unfained Hence Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 saith Love proceedeth from a pure heart and faith unfained and as a workeman both makes a toole of his trade and workes by it also 1 Faith breeds it so faith begets this love and worketh by it Now faith in thus worke doth two things 1. It breedes it 2. Purgeth it first it breeds it and that two wayes 1 By an infusing qualitie 2. By a perswading The infusion of it is this Faith having possessed the soule with the love of God in reconciliation Rom. 5 5. diffuseth this love into the facultie of the will planting it there and causing the sweet thereof to dwell in it Christ comes not into the heart without the Spirit of Christ Now the Lord Iesus his manhood was filled with this grace of love the Spirit of the Godhead shedding it without measure into him Ioh. 1.17 That from his fulnesse wee might receive grace for grace Looke then what a loving heart tender mercifull See Act. 2.22 Mat. 11.19 Luk. 7.13 23.34 c. Act. 2.36 forbearing forgiving doing good to body to soule looke what amiablenesse gentlenesse sociablenesse usefullnesse was in his heart that is shâ—d into the beleever Now what that was his whole life shewed he loved and prayed for his rankest enemies died for those that crucified the Lord of life converting three thousand of them at once hee loved Mary and her sister Martha and Lazarus and Iohn his disciple most deerely Ioh. 11.5 36. See Acts 2.22 How he went about doing good even to all healing diseases preaching converting This Spirit then of the head is derived to us to be a privy marke unto us whether wee are his or no for hee that loveth not is not of God for God is love 1 Ioh. 4 8. 16. and hee who loveth dwelleth in God Secondly by perswasion For this see 2 Cor. 5.14 2 Cor. 5 14. The love of Christ constraines us for wee thus judge c. Marke There is a secret perswasive in this love to cause us to love one another and that by judgement and good reason This is that which Paul presses to the Ephesians Ephes 5 2. Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us as an offring of a sweet savour So againe Col. 3 13. Put on as the Elect of God the bowels of mercies kindnesse forbearing c. Why Even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye This is a strong dispute from relation of head to members reaching to all holinesse but especially to this branch For what a disproportion were it for us to joyne the body of a Lyon fierce and cruell to the head of a lambe loving and meeke What villany were it for a man dealt mercifully withall by his Master to take his fellow by the throte Ephe. 2 13. If Christ hath destroied enmitie broake downe the wall of separation and made peace for me when I was past hope how should I love and live with my brother Christ ought me nothing but I owe him him my selfe Should I after such love ever know any enemie Or if I should Philem. 19. should not such love as this quash it for ever If I should live in heartburning jealosie bitternesse and hatred should I not looke that the sweet morsell of mercy should come out at my nostrils 1 Ioh. 4 10 11 Hence it is that Saint Iohn so presseth this point Herein is love not that we loved him but be us Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Secondly faith doth purge love from manifold corruption By name from these eyesores First from all partialitie Secondly faith purges it 1 From partialitie Wee restraine and limit our love to such persons as wee our selves affect for some parts and indowments others are not so precious in our eyes wee cannot affect them because we see closenesse harshnesse techines pride and selfe to abound in them But love is unpartiall as well reaching to the undeserving provoking as to the amiable in point of soundnesse
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
out in his colors that the dead spirit of man might behold and esteeme him as an object well deserving her best affections Hence it is that in the Song of Salomon so many allusions taken from carnall objects of desire Much described in Scripture Cant. 6.5 are used to provoke the soule to the like spiritualnesse of desire As when he is brought in like an amorous bridegroome of choise personage beautie and proportion and that from head to foot as if some curious Absolon were to be seene in whom from top to toe there was no blemish His head lockes eyes lips body and all his liniments are painted out to us that it may appeare he is the chiefe of ten thousand The like course takes our Saviour himselfe Math. 13. ver 44 45. in the Sermons and Parables which passed from him wherein his chiefe drift is to magnifie grace under the name of the kingdome of heaven meaning nothing else save the power and efficacie of the Gospell offring to the soule his satisfaction and sanctification for pardon and life eternall And sometimes he compares himself to a pearle of great price which he who found sold all to buy it Also to a Treasure hidden in a field which so affected him that saw it that he bought the field it selfe to purchase it Hence also it is that both in old and new Testament the Lord expresses the grace of Christ by the similitudes of all kinds of creatures which either by their preciousnesse or by their usefulnesse doe draw mens affections Rev. 3.18 Psal 45. Luke 15. Esay 55.12 Of the first ranke are gold silver precious stones wrought gold robes apparrell and white linnen treasure ointments of the latter sort are bread corne wine oyle milke hony waters c. Not as if these were as good as grace but that hereby the carnall soule of man of it selfe easily snared with the love of such things yea meaner might understand that look what excellency is in al these together for the content of our outward appetite that infinitly much more is in this for satisfying of the soule sith all these are used but as shadowes to discover this And to say the truth let us marke well Illustration of it and we shall perceive one principall scope of Paul that chiefe of Apostles in all his Epistles is this to set forth the priviledge of Beleevers to be such as doth not consist in some shreeds but in admirable glory He would have us to know Christianity is not making a shift to rub through or some covering of our infirmities supply of some wants or clensing out the staine of some odious sins But an estate of excellencie choise welfare and curious contentation to the soule such as Adam at his best never enjoyed Reade these Texts Col. 1.9 10 11.12 Col. 1.9 where he speakes of a beleever thus as That he may be filled with all spirituall understanding That he may walke worthy of the Lord unto all welpleasing That he may be fruitfull and encreasing in the knowledge of God That hee may be strengthened with all might unto all long-suffering and joyfulnes So Eph. 1.17.18 Ephe 1.17 he desires that They might know the hope of their calling the rich inheritance of the Saints and the glorious power of Christ mortifying them and quickning them by the power whereby he raised himself So Eph. 3.17 Ephe. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that being rooted in love ye may comprehend the bredth and depth c. and know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God See also Philip. 3.3.10 Phil. 3.10 I count all things but dung in respect of the excellencie of Christ The power of his resurrection the fellowship of his suffrings and conformity to his death Nay in one place he saith Col. 2.9 10. Col. 2.9 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. That in him we are compleate Saint â—eter also witnesseth that Christ is no bare gift but that The Divine power hath given us all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through him To what end do I heape up these Surely that the Lord Iesus his excellencie rests not in himselfe but is derived to all his members and that to the end that he may be all in all with them and winne the honour and love of their affections Sacramentall desire must have her object To come a little neerer then to our matter in hand it must be some eminent object in the Sacrament which must draw the soule to it in this Sacramentall desire It must be more than the eye can see for that 's no object of any affection at all scarce so much as a naturall appetite But what is that Surely that spiritually which the Elements resemble naturally I meane full and compleate nourishment If the soule can see this it will draw desire without question Now we know that Bread and Wine united containe in them perfect food and cheerishing to the whole man that is to the body and spirits of nature Even so Christ our nourishment in the Sacrament is comepleately so to the soule both for renewed peace and holinesse And to open this wee may see when the holy Ghost lights upon Christ Sacramentall he forgets his ordinary stile and rises into an unusuall one Pro. 7.1.2 for then it makes the Father an extraordinarie great housekeeper brings him in as a man that builds himselfe a sumptuous house upon seven hewne Pillers prepares his fatlings and dainties Esay 25. his wines and spices Nay then it tels us that in those dayes the Lord wil make a feast in the mountaines Luke 14. a feast of all choise delicate things fat meats and wines throughly stale and refined Nay then it brings him in as a King who is disposed to magnifie himselfe in the making a feast to his Subjects at the marriage of his Son So that looke what is in a feast either for quantitie fulnesse of dishes variety of choise dainties or for qualitie as rarenesse pretiousnesse exquisite dressing musique company safetie of things eaten without feare either that they make surfeit the guest or breed ill bloud All that is to be applied to the feast of the Lord Iesus our nourishment which God the Father makes to his Church at the Sacrament of the Supper And yet that is not all for whereas that may be easily thought to come frow the magnificence of the master of it but as for poore wretches and hunger sterven soules how should they come neere it The answer is That onely for such it is prepared even for beggers and such as are found among the hedges and by the high-way sides for lost and forlorne ones It is the office of Gods hand-maides and Ministers to invite to bring in yea by all arguments of perswasion to force even such not the fat lusty and fed ones to this feast of the King Now if
it hath beene I have hung zeale and esteeme of Christ upon the hedge other matters have defeated them of their birthright Secondly 2. Vnbeleefe bee warned against unbeleefe This takes off the soule from all her right to Christ to Christ and therefore marres her plea If I be the Lords I have right to his nourishment and cannot chuse but pleade it as the infant pleads with the mother for the brest But if Satan doe get in so farre as to dazle the soule with unbeleefe lo all the ground of gracious appetite is gone and then what succeeds but fulsomnesse and staggering Vnbeleefe is the death of the soule Doth the dead child misse the breast No no above all things abhorre this wofull enemy of infidelitie and nourish faith to the conservation of the soule Heb. 10. ult Heb. 10.38 If the soule be upheld in her life and being life must have nourishment and want of it will proove hunger But if the soule have once withdrawne it selfe from the body what is it but a carrion Thirdly Thirdly surfeit of lusts cast all superfluitie out of the soule which hath secretly soked at unawares into it The wombe that will conceive must be cleane from all former conception it will not conceive upon conception If then a proud heart loving it selfe if a techy revenging spirit if the love of gold and silver if gallantnesse jollitie and pride of life scorning to take it as we have done if uncharitablenesse slighting and neglect of meanes defile us as alas what is easier if a man be let loose to walke after the guise of the world how can appetite last 1 Pet. 3.1.2 If ye will covet the word purge out all your superfluities for they oppresse the seate of appetite and while they lie there small appetite will appeare Fourthly Fourthly excesse of liberties Pro. 23.2 cast out the tickling excesse of all lawfull liberties eating drinking feasting recreations pleasures and vanities of all sorts To goe beyond our bounds in these under pretence of warrantablenesse doth as much jarre with the spirit of a Christian as open offences for by these colours Satan withdrawes the Spirit from a close cleaving to God selfe-deniall and faith poisons it with libertie bewitches it with ease and corrups it with a declining of heart from that diligence sinceerenesse power and delight wherewith it formerly walked Adde to these such as thou hast felt to dampe affection in thee perhaps ill marriage a bitter root of infinite branches jealosies suspicions and ill affectednesse to each other Never looke that the appetite after grace can hold while such scurffe is nourished I tremble to see by wofull experience how farre some dare venture in this kinde So also crossings in our estates and health and businesse which drawes the heart off for the most part from God as also too much businesse and padling in the world many irons being in the fire at once to distaste affection and to craze the sweet temper of it for Christ and his Sacrament Vse 4 Fourthly let it be a short exhortation Exhortation to all Gods people in these dangerous dayes wherin scarce one of an hundred quits himself without some crack and flaw to look to spirit fervencie of desire and affection to all the wil and waies of God constantly as farre as our weakenesse will permit to file off our rust and scrape off the barren mosse that will overgrow a tree of righteousnesse Vse all helpes and motives to cast our Snakes skin and Eagles bill and to scoure our selves upon the salt marshes as sheepe doe that health and appetite may be preserved I meane afflictions wisely used Be wary of thy company keepe the watch of God preserve tendernesse and jealousie double the use of best means set God above them and renue thy Covenant daily This will easily worke Sacramentall appetite in thee Come with it to the Supper emptie thy stomacke bring not thy browne bread and cheese in thy pocket to feed on at Gods feast the fowlest contempt which thou canst offer him Remember desire after Christs fulnesse is the most proper and peculiar worke of a guest if he would have his inviter thinke well of his presence Marriage feasts poure out men into affection without it such occasions are odious but to God much more If a Iudge oppresse being in the place of Iustice it is horrible So for a communicant to come with a dead heart and no stomacke to Gods feast is most wofull Say to Christ as once he said to his Apostles Lord with desire I have desired note the phrase Luk. 22.15 Luke 22.15 to eat this Passeover with thee Lord nourish it in my soule I desire Lord pardon my indifferencie Thou seest that commonly looke what thou seekest earnestly thou gettest eagar pursuit of mony of wil or lust cōpasseth them so desire of the Sacrament shall attaine her end Esau with teares sought a blessing not a spirituall Heb. 12.17 but a temporall if he had an heart to have craved a better he had it Take heede least the Lord thus lode thee one day for thy fulsome receivings and let all this be some quickning of thy soule to receive aright Vse 5 Fifthly come to the triall of this grace with thy selfe seriously whether it be renewed at the Supper or no some few markes I will mention leaving the Reader to judge of other trials by these Triall 1 First Triall of it this is one maine one Luke 5.8 If the sight of that fulnesse of grace that is in this feast of Christ doe emptie our soules to the bottome of all selfe-sufficiencie of our owne Contraries applied to each other doe greatly enlarge one another ignorance with knowledge purenesse with corruption the modesty of a Matron with the impudence of a Harlot Try then hath the Lord Iesus his fulnesse emptied thee of all thy base counterfeit shewes and left thee confounded in thy selfe for thy seeming vertues thy barrennesse of grace thy fulnesse of corruption Thou seest what Christ is doth thy owne spirit beginne to smite in thee to consider what thou art compared with him Alas if there were no more to lay thee open to thy selfe than now and then to meete with here a shred and there another of sinne thou wouldest be oppressed with selfe-love and waxe a dunghill of drosse Onely Christ can truely perfect the discovery of natural poyson If then all that is said of Christ leave thee as it found thee it s a signe of a wretch But if confounded and emptie a good signe Triall 2 Secondly it will not there stay neither but thy emptinesse will so pinch and disquiet thee that thou shalt finde no rest in thy selfe The Spirit of Christs Sacramentall fulnesse will affect thy spirituall stomacke as long fasting will thy bodily Thou knowest what a grievous paine thy stomacke will feele and how thy veines will shrinke and take on with intollerable grinding till
Oh! thou shalt have thy belly full of it one day with aking and sorrow when conscience shall present thee with thy sinne and shew thee how many Sacraments and the fruit of them this gulfe of the world hath devoured without recovery And what a narrow entrance into heaven it hath caused to thee who if thou hadst beene enlarged to Gods opportunities as they to thee mightst have found a large doore opened unto thee Then shalt thou bee weary of those cauils which thy covetous heart hath cast upon the Sacrament as these Where finde ye that so much cost is required to the Sacrament that men must lay aside their businesse and looke after that Nay where findest thou that the matters of so divine a Nature must stoope to thy base trash And so ingrosse thy hurt that when holy things are in hard thy soule is no where lesse than where thy body is So that that hadst as good doe never a whit as never the better The Remedy is Resigne up thy selfe and ends to God make him the Moderator Remedy and hee will not defraude thee of thy worldly due if thou wilt be ruled But if thy selfe be judge the Lord must needes prove the loozer More causes added To these I might adde more As that men make a dead worke of the Sacrament they live not by faith in it they walke not humbly and tenderly but suffer smaller evils to lurke in them and defile them till they feele conscience crazed they make not up their breaches by speedy repenting but soder and crust them over they ply not Sacraments with other private and personall helpes meete to preserve the grace thereof but in the midst of their slightnesse vanities and pleasures which they mixe with holy things they looke to fare as well as those that watch closely to those succors wherein as they are foulely deceived so let them know that the Lord is righteous and will not conceale the labour of love in his better servants to equall the slight and carelesse with them in blessing Remedy For remedy whereof let them looke backe to the Chapter of Repentance Conclusion of the whole And thus at last I have also finished these few advices added to the Doctrine of preparation Conclusion of the whole Craving therefore of him who is Alpha and Omega and hath now brought us to an end of our purpose that be would set home this doctrine of the Sacrament to the hearts of the Readers I finish the whole Booke FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the second Part. A. ASsisting grace of God one marke of our effectuall calling Page 38 And how ibid. The Act of faith one speciall triall of our faith 96 and wherein it stands ib. The stirring of the Affections up by the good things of Christ Sacramentall a speciall meane of reviving faith Page 101 Application of the promise of the Sacrament ib. Act of love is negative or positive 179. 180. In what particulars both consist Abandoners of Sacraments terrified Page 213 Admiration of God Christ and the Spirit necessary to raysing the heart in the Sacrament Page 218 Severall Acts and Passages of the Sacraments require due carriage called Accommodation of the soule Page 222 In six particulars Page 223 Affections cannot be sacred except they have a due object Page 193 Trusting to former Affections an ill quality in Receivers an enemy to desire Page 202 B. BRokennesse of heart and mourning is one signe of hearty repenting Page 116 God recovers the soules of his being fallen to new Brokennesse and mourning Page 126 Behaviour of a Communicant at the Sacrament must be holy Page 209 Behaviour there must be sutable in body and soule Page 215 Behaviour of Communicants must be due both in respect of the whole Sacramont and the particular passages thereof Page 216 Better sort very unfruitfull in Receiving with the causes Page 242 C. COnfusednesse and indiscretion in the worship of God sinfull Page 3 Cavilling about Gods Commands under colours an ill marke Page 19 God may justly punish those who obey his Commands in an andue manner aswell as the disobeyers ib. Markes of effectuall Calling necessary for our tryall of estate Page 37 The fruits of Calliog a speciall marke of our estate in grace and what they are Page 41 42 33 Curiosity in prying into other mens wants makes men blind in seeing their owne Page 54 Excesse of Care and sorrow overloding Gods people for their wants sinfull Page 55 Carelesnesse of our wants comes from grosse sin and is dangerous ib. Each ordinance includes Christ in it as their sappe Page 82 Cleaving to the promise against bondage and Carnall reason a marke of faith renewed Page 103 Testimony of good Conscience at the Sacrament a signe of faith renewed ib. The Christian Combate one sound marke of repentance Page 114 Confession a great tryall of hearty repentance Page 117 Carnall and hypocriticall receivers of the Sacrament are in a dangerous case Page 130 Crossing of our selfes in our sweet lusts a triall of repentance Page 137 Censoriousnesse purged from love by faith Page 148 Comming to Sacrament necessary and commanded proofes reasons of it Page 209 210 211 Commemoration of Christs benefits necessary behaviour in receiving Page 216 Due Carriage of a Receiver after the Sacrament necessary Page 224 Contentation and well apaiednesse in God ought to be practised by such as have beene satisfied at the Sacrament Page 229 Care a speciall grace to bee practised after our Receiving Page 230 A pure Conscience daily preserved so a sweete meane to make preparation to Sacraments sweet Page 235 Conceit of a civill condition without being in Covenant a meane of bad Receiving with the Remedy Page 241 Sundry Causes together of the ill Receiving of the better sort with their Remedies Page 244 D. NOt to discerne the body of Christ in the Sacrament dangerous Page 60 Dalliers with God in point of future repentance dangerous Page 131 Little hope of Delayed repentance to prove sound Page 132 Dissimulation purged from love by faith Page 147 Diffusivenesse of love Page 182 Dissemblers of love at the Sacrament are bad Receivers Page 186 Desire of the Sacrament a necessary grace for a Receiver Page 193. 197. 198 Object of Desire is Christ Sacramâ—ntall described Page 194 How Desire of the Sacrament may bee attained Page 198 Such as come without Desire to the Sacrament terrified Page 199 Want of renewing of Desire a great sin in Gods people at the Sacra Page 220 Ab helpes and motives to be used to stirre up Desire Sacramentall Page 204 The triall of true Desire Page 205 E. TRiall of our Estate in grace the first Object of Sacramentall triall What it is and the branches thereof 32. Objection answered ib. How farre a Christian may be doubtfull and solicitous about his Estate Page 43 Our Estate in grace is to be tried by our calling and how 35. In three things ib.
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
body is it not of the body Be humble for thou hast nothing from thy selfe but from Christ by the channell of the Church Cleave therefore to the Church as members to the body if thou desire to get any blessing from her nourish love to the body as thou tenderest the good of thy selfe a member Vse 3 Lastly be as frequent as thou canst in the Congregation The Church is the Mother of us all as the Children flocke to the mother so let the people of God to the Assembly even as the youth of the wombe and as the dew falles upon grasse Psal 110.2 Circumst 6 The last Circumstance is the season The season of Sacraments In which I will be briefe because somewhat will be offered againe to speake in the doctrine of them Onely thus much As in the old Testament the Lord appointed a set day for Circumcision noting as some of the Fathers say the Resurrection of Christ so in the Gospell Baptisme hath no rigid season yet a proportionable Gen. 17 12. there ought to be a proportion Not that we are so tied to a day as the Iewes were but yet to declare our reverend esteeme of the Ordinances For as wee are not overmuch to hasten Baptisme which some doe without just cause so neither too much to protract it in respect of honour to the Ordinance The Lord esteeming it one part of his honour when his worship hath a predominant respect with us above our owne affaires or ends Touching the Supper although the Lord Iesus instituted it at night yet that being for speciall reason The season of the Supper altered justly because the Passeover was then to be eaten bindes not the Church but may be altered Which I speake to rectifie some mens consciences in point of tendernesse For to the end they may disproove some supposed abuses in the Sacrament they argue from the circumstantiall practise of our Saviour not seeing how many wayes crazie their argument is For is it not a jarre with the nature of a Supper to eate it in the morning Yes doubtlesse the Church hath her liberty in all such Circumstances as doe necessarily concerne worship So that she use it to edifie and not to destroy It is good to defend truths upon warrantable grounds least when wee rest upon unwarranted ones when they faile wee faile and suffer the truth to perish As touching the frequencie of the Supper which borders upon this point no doubt of it The frequēcy of the Lords Supper the Lord would have his people not onely to have an eare to heare him where he hath a mouth to speake but also a mouth to eate where he hath diet to impart And how can a man comfort himselfe in his hunger at any time who when God offers his dainties turnes his backe upon him I am not so punctuall as to condemne them who upon any tearmes receive not perhaps speciall unpreparednesse in a journey when its suddaine or after a journey or when Sacraments hold a weeke together or in some unavoideable perplexing occasions may fall out to excuse But the charge of God is for frequency He saith not As seldome as ye doe this but as oft as ye doe it speaking to them who did it dayly Acts 2. and 4. Continued daily in breaking of bread and prayer Vse 1 The formality of some in this kinde argueth a deepe leavening with Popish blindnesse who thinke that oft receiving may derogate from the honour of the Sacrament As those that come to some great mens feasts once in the yeere must looke for no more welcome there till next so heere Once at Christtide a Landlords feast and once at Easter Christs feast to come oftner were sawcie No no the seldomer thou commest the more unwelcome thou art to this Master of the feast If thou foundest it a feast the Lord should heare oftner of thee thy bare and starven soule is the cause why thou makest so poore haste to recourse thither And it is to be feared they who never receive though they may save at Easter never fast but in Lent that they never repent till they die Gods peoples wants pinch them so that they can neither fast repent or receive too often And when thou seest others of thy brethren to communicate oft and thy selfe depart doth not a voyce tell thee that either thou thinkest it too hard to prepare much or needest not so much as they What is this save to condemne the generation of the righteous Or to justifie thy selfe above them Vse 2 Secondly this serveth to teach us to enlarge our selves not onely in the substance of worship it selfe with all our strength and courage but even in the circumstances our gestures our seasons and like behaviours looke what time doth best sute with our spirits for more cheerefull affection for more zeale and intention likewise what gestures we finde to be aptest to quicken us from dulnesse and deadnesse wandring or wearinesse that ought we to chuse especially that the Lord may have the best of us and herein the Apostles tooke liberty to change the Supper of the Lords season from night to morning not as if they did determine it as an indifferency but for edification sake because the more early such solemne duties are performed the better is it for soule and spirit and wee owe the Lord the first fruits of all both of the day of our strength of our bodies and spirits if any Season be more golden precious stirring and provoking to goodnesse that we must chuse to prevent corruption The Lord deserves at our hands to be served with the best The rigid season of Baptisme at the day of Iewish Circumcision is removed howbeit either to over-hasten or to prolong or so neglect such a season of Baptisme as the Church deemes in her judgement to testifie our reverence and to preferre to it base ends of our owne is a contempt of the Ordinances which though I am farre from thinking any prejudice to the infant yet its a grosse blemish in the Parents Concerning which I shall say more in the particular discourse upon that Sacrament Let us so order our selves in the worship of substance that we neglect not the very Circumstances for although the circumstance be not worship in it selfe because undetermined yet when wee tender any we worship God in it and therefore had neede to looke to our selves that wee be as spirituall and carefull in it as we can that it may helpe the chiefe substance of the worship And this may serve for the first Chapter CHAP. II. Of the agreement and difference of Sacraments NExt we are to treate of the consent and dissent of Sacraments and first of the old and new Touching the which first of the consent Papists enemies of consent then of the difference In the former we have the Papists our maine opposites affirming that the old Sacraments were signes and Types onely not conveiers of grace and so in effect
was as weake in the grace thereof Act. 2. end and the sealing power of it The Gospel hath more fulnesse of seede and begets more unto God than the Law could doe and therefore Baptisme is a farre fuller Sacrament to confirme the soule in her new birth than the other was So for nourishment The Gospel exceeds by many degrees the ministery of the Law in Point of her building up and nourishing the soule in the grace of the new birth the Gospel hath filled the brests of the Church with farre more milke and stored her with farre more provision than the old Testament could doe For thereby the Spirit is powred our upon all flesh Ioel 2.28 Esa 44 3. Looke what difference there was betweene them and us for the fulnesse of bodily food that in a sort may bee said for spirituall fulnesse How many Creatures for kind or for Circumstance as in case of blood or strangled might not they touth the Hog the Conie the Hare and many other both beast and foule tame and wilde which to us are cleane and sanctified How much more doth the Lord afford us fuller feede of the Sacrament of the Supper than their passeover Even as a feast exceeds an ordinary Therefore Paul calls theirs a ministry of the letter ours of the Spirit not because they had not the Spirit but in comparison of the fulnesse and power of ours The new more effectuall Now for us our Sacraments are farre more effectual The very change of the old into new argued the excellenter efficacy of them As the traine of a Prince personally riding in progresse is richer than an Herald or Harbinger The Sabbath wee know was changed at the resurrection to honour it So the Sacraments at his annointing to his office and at his passion to magnifie them How should they so doe if their Trayne were not greater I meane if the spirit of Christ and his sealing perswading setling comforting pacifying power were not greater Also except that blessed traine of his Graces more glorious and plentifull as humility heavenly-mindednesse patience hope love zeale ability to walke with God more closely to discharge our callings more fruitfully to suffer more willingly to live by faith more setledly and the like gifts of Christ Sacramentall attended them Hence is that of Austin so common Our Sacraments saith he are in efficacie greater than theirs in profite more gainefull in performance more easie and in number fewer Beside ours in their understanding are most sublime in observation most pure and in signification most excellent They lived in the Porch of Sacraments we in the Parlour Let us take heede least as they in their age when no Nation under heaven enjoyed any Sacraments save themselves were so puffed up by their priviledge that they disdained all as Dogges in respect of themselves cleaving onely to the barke of these Ordinances without any seeking after the Spirit and power of them and so opened a way to Gods wrath to bring into their steed the Gentiles who alwayes thirsted after them so let us feare least wee stand so much upon our dignitie above theirs that in the meane time there shall be found even among us baptized ones and communicants far more blinde prophane carelesse than the Iewe was yea and some of us who goe for better be found as formall barren as far from the Covenant as estranged from forgivenesse and as destitute of the life and sealing power of Baptisme and the Supper as they of their Circumcision and Passeover If it be so our dignitie shall so lift us up to heaven that it shall throw us downe to hell and I will not only say the Lord will not be pleased with us as with them 1 Cor. 10.5 1 Cor. 10 5. but as it is Heb. 2.2.3 Heb. 2.2.3 by how much more powerfull grace is put into his Sacraments and by how much more eminent waies and ordinances hee hath honoured us by so much the more shall our condemnation for our unbeleeefe be more fearefull than theirs who had so dimme a Covenant and so weake Seales in comparison of us Rather let us labour to enjoy the priviledge of our priviledge above them in carrying about us that evidence of faith and that peace of conscience and that joy of soule which our Sacraments seale up to us that wee may be as much better than they as our Sacraments excell theirs in efficacy and then that kingdome of Christ within us as well as that without us shall be a kingdome not of words onely and signes but of power also And so much of the former generall of this Chapter Agreement and difference of the 2. new Sacraments Touching the latter how farre Baptisme and the Supper doe differ or agree briefely understand that as they agree in Circumstances concerning Sacraments in generall so also in the definition of a Sacrament wherein as specialls contained under one Kind they communicate They are both ancient and within three yeares one as ancient as the other they are both alike publique as being equall legacies of the Church militant they have both one founder although the one by mediate Commission as Baptisme by Iohn the Baptist by extraordinary calling the other immediatly by Christ himselfe they both agree in the Name Necessity of a Sacrament Againe whatsoever is true of the definition of a Sacrament is equally true of both these as in the next Chapter shall more fully appeare For why In both the Lord conveyes spirituall grace by visible resemblances set apart by himselfe and furnisht with power to that end But in a word that I would say of their mutuall agreement Their Agreement is this First they both agree in the offer and representation of whole Christ joyntly and undividedly to the soule Touching the first 1 In the joynt offer of Christ Know that when we call the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacrament of entry and ingrafting of us into the body of Christ and of begetting us to Christ yet wee divide not Christ imputed from Christ inherent wee must not thinke Baptisme gives us an estate in Christ for justification onely for it estates us in Christ wholly both for wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption though justification makes us truly the Lords yet because the Sacrament conferres whole Christ therefore it conferres him as God offers and the soule needs him that is both for justification and sanctification Christ our pardon and Christ our life for without both equally ours all Christ is not ours A speciall point to be noted for the better understanding of the act of faith in applying Imputation and Sanctification both at once to the soule of which point I treat elsewhere So againe the Sacrament of the Supper conveyes Christ to the soule wholy and undividedly Practicall Catechisme not onely for the encrease of our Sanctification but our Iustification also Part 3. Article 2. For although Iustification as it is a benefit of Christ
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
thing to such an apt use is the very life bloud and marrow of a Sacrament There is no doubt but as the Scripture teacheth a Christian wise man will picke out holines out of each resemblance an housewife that is godly will not boult out her flower from the bran but her heart will carrie her to our Saviours words Satan hath desired to winnow you Luke 22 31. c. An Husbandman will not use his Fanne or Floore to dresse or cast his corne in but he will muse of that finall separation of the drosse from the Wheate But there is great odds betweene a voluntary act of our owne devotion and an obedience to a Sacramentall charge As the Text saith Luke 4. Luke 4.27 There were many Leapers in Elisha's time and many Widdowes but not many to whom hee was sent So the world yea the world is full of resemblances but not of such as Christ hath set his stampe upon to bee Sacramentall The setting of a young child before the Disciples and the washing of their feete with his owne hands were Christs acts still at this day apishly followed by the Pope but neither appointed to be Sacramentall but onely naturall resemblances to an holy heart which hath a gift to make use thereof of a spirituall grace of humility Appropriation then especially stands in â—â—is determining of the Elements to such an use by the word and ordinance Vse 1 Ere we proceede this first point may be of speciall use 1. To blesse the Lord as for the releefe of our stupor by outward Elements so especially for the aptnes thereof chusing such as without any more adoe might easily acquaint us with such holy things of which before And to teach us to beg of his Majesty heavenly hearts which might be capable of his meaning herein Vse 2 Secondly this must keepe us within holy bounds as concerning our devising and setting up to our selves resemblances of holy things as Crucifixes the Image of the blessed humility of Christ to behold and worship Who allowed us these The Sacraments serve as a Supersedeas from all such inventions All Popish trash of forged Sacraments heere falles to ground Vse 3 Lastly let us learne to familiarize with Gods Sacraments in the point of the institution of Resembling the Lord Iesus Let us not be dull and blockish in appropriating them to their use but learne still to climbe up by them to heaven If the minde be at Yorke instantly at the naming of the Citty when yet the body is an 100. miles distant and no sooner doth a woman heare her husbands name but shee is present with him though he be in a farre Countrey by the velocity speed of the Apprehension stirred up by such a relation Oh! how dull and slow of heart are they who in the midst not of artificiall humane or naturall but divine appropriations are so carnall and heavy that scarsely the Sacrament will ingender one lively representation of the Lord Iesus to nourish us cheere us But as we come so wee sit and so depart as Strangers and Idiots as if Christ and we were devided as farre as heaven and earth The causes of which are these 2 Causes of our dulnesse herein eyther that wee are not those new Creatures in whom God hath renewed the powers of understanding and affection and therefore want the discourse and the spirit of relation in a word want the operation of a new Creature which is faith stirring the soule to a lively meditation of Christ by the word the ordinance and promise of God and then what wonder if Sacraments which should bee the most active meanes become all a-mort dead and dumbe with us and wee being held and taken in all our lims at once like numbâ—â—alsie-ones can neyther stirre hand or foote towards Christ or else wee abuse the gift of faith and the power of the new creature by disabling our selves and disinuring our soules from this worke and disguising that image of God in us which serves to carry us to God by setting it upon trash world profit pleasure ease and sensuality till it seeme tedious unto us to set it upon holy thoughts in the Sacrament Caveat thereto To prevent this it were good counsell to trade our spirits to heavenly things even by earthly occasions as well without as within the Sacraments He shall not finde his spirits so flat loy and lazy in meeting with Sacramentall Christ who inures his dead heart daily to an holy nimblenesse in comparing earthly things with heavenly Hee that cannot see a Pismire but hee will thinke of providence Prov. 6.6 not a garish harlot dressing herselfe for an adulterous wretch but will taxe himselfe for his lesse loving Christ shee that cannot lay a leaven Matth. 13.33 but thinkes of the kingdome of Christ and in a word hath a gift to be heavenly and to turne ordinary properties of the creature or common occasions to holy meditation he shall not have his heart in another world when the Lord presents unto him the Lord Iesus by Sacramentall resemblances And thus much for the first The second part of the forme of Sacraments is union The second part of forme Vnion Which yet comes nearer than the former as more closely conveying exhibiting the Lord Iesus to the soule Yet wee must know the former makes way to this the aptnesse and speciall application of signes to this use helpes much the minde to conceive but this is the more immediate object of faith to fasten upon Christ that the Sacraments are no longer the bread of the Lord but bread the Lord wine the Lord and water the Lord. And this Sacramentall union is an act of Gods ordeining Spirit and Authority by vertue whereof the Lord Iesus in all his merits and efficacy is not onely resembled and presented by apt likenesse to the minde but really made one with the Elements that by them and with them he might be carried into the soule inseparably for assurance of union and Communion with God Hence it is that the Scripture speakes in such a phrase This is my body This is my blood of the New Testament Luk. 22 19. 1 Cor. 5 7. Ioh. 6 32. yea in the Old Testament Christ is our Passeover The Rocke was Christ I am that Manna which descended c. All which phrases denote a realnesse and union with the Elements true and unfaigned And indeede all divine unions are Reall All unions reall although they differ in their severall kinds yet by vertue of the ordinance and the power of him that hath so made them they are no shaddowes of empty things no dumbe Pageants as we may see in other unions Sorts of them There is an intellectuall union in nature betweene the mind and object in which respect we say the mind is all things meaning in and by this comprehension and union The object and the mind are one by vertue of this power of God
signifie and intimate a spirituall and a spirituall be represented by a carnall yet each distinct in their nature the Sacramentalnesse perishes simbolicalnesse and resemblance being wholly extinct by mixture and confusion of things united Then secondly of materialnesse 2. Materialnesse For if we admit such an union as is transubstantiate which indeed is no union of two in one but an excluding and swallowing up of one by another what shall remaine of the Element behind If they answer the accidents of them This being premised that its impossible accidents can subsist without their subject I answer meerenesse of accidents take away materialnesse or corporalnesse and therefore disanull as much the substance of a Sacrament as if wee should hould that the Elements could swallow up the things signified But secondly the end of a Sacrament will easily admit such an union of things as whereby the Lord Iesus and all his good things may bee conveyed to the soule really this being as much as a Sacrament serves for and concurring equally and fully with the scope and purpose of it whatsoever is more is superfluous And therefore resisting that end must needs be a false and erronious union not from God Vse 3 The use of this whole doctrine is manifold It is first instruction to teach us what must discerne and judge of this Sacramentall union what nature it is of Surely not Popery not flesh and blood for they being destitute of the Spirit of this union cannot comprehend it It s a Riddle which onely hee can conceive who plougheth with the Lords Heifer Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 2. which onely conceives it Carnall men cannot judge of spirituall things because spiritually discerned If wee would know eyther what this union is not to wit popish and carnall and locall or what it is to wit reall yet spirituall then judge what eyther the nature of the things united or the scope of a Sacrament will admit and there rest goe no further If then it seeme strange how a thing may be as truly reall spiritually as carnally seeke the Spirit of God who is the knitter of this knot and that will teach thee that the power of the word which appointed light to be and it was and the evening and the morning to be a day and it was and man to be and he was did also ordaine the Body and Blood of Christ to be really one with the Elements without locallnesse or mixture and therefore so they are Vse 2 Secondly looke what difference there is in the things united in the point of their Sacramentall union the same difference and distance must bee observed by the Communicants in point of partaking them To wit that still the severall nature of these things be preserved entire and yet by the one carnall thing the other which is spirituall be bettered and enlarged Touching the first the soule the spirit the faith of the receiver looke at the spirit of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus crucified The hand the eye the mouth of the receiver looke at the Elements onely Doe not thinke then that the carnall part can meddle with the spirituall nor the spirituall with the carnal as it is so but the outward man sees touches tasts and digests the outward the spirituall beholds tastes and enjoyes the spirituall each must keepe his owne bounds If I would discerne an outward thing in the Sacrament I must use my sence my touch my tast and if these convince it to bee carnall so it is Againe if I would discerne a spirituall thing there I must consult with my inward man and the inner sence of faith and thereby I must pronounce an inner thing to be present If I want eyes and sence I can perceive no outward thing If I want faith in my soule I can perceive no spirituall thing each thing or object must bee perceived by the proper instrument belonging to it To the end I may perceive there bee true Materialls in the Sacrament and not onely bare accidents without a substance the outward sense is triall sufficient sight touch and taste will not easily erre about their owne objects as our Saviour tells his Disciples Looke upon and handle me for a spirit hath no object of Touch Luke 24 39. flesh blood and bones as ye see me have Againe if the question be of a spirituall being or body and blood of Christ let sense and teeth goe there faith and the Spirit of Christ must convince it if that feele the beames warmth and see the light and tast the influence issuing therefrom then certainly they are there for the Spirit cannot bee deceived about her owne object Onely this I adde Neither of these can be severed from other for by the externall the Lord hath appointed to convey the spirituall and not without them and in that relation of each to other even the meanest ought to be honoured and the outward sense ought to bee so busied about the objects of sence as thereby to helpe succour and strengthen the weakenesse of faith in the object that is spirituall More of this in the Act of Receiving Vse 3 Thirdly therefore this Doctrine of Sacramentall Vnion confutes this Dotage of Popish Transubstantiation The Papists not content with the vnion we speake off cast oyle into the flame and maintaine a conversion and confusion of Christ and the Elements by a corporall presence and realnesse And as one once demanded by Boner whether Christ was not blood and bone in the Sacrament made him a merry answere let me so disgrace Popery that yet I may speake with reverence yes my Lord I thinke not so only but that there he is boots and spurs and all Meaning that such is Popish excesse and ridiculousnesse in this that it deserves to be esteemed in the Church as a laughing stocke And sure it is as themselves also say they receive not from God a Sacrament of Vnion but offer up to him a sacrifice of their owne for propitiation I say the Papists by this foppery under colour of magnifying the Sacrament doe quite destroy it Marke then what I sayd before Vnion still must be conceived according to her kind not corporall but mysticall and by ordinance As then its a truth except the Elements and the Lord Iesus were one no bad receiver could be guilty of eating his owne condemnation so yet if this vnion be conceived as transubstantiall it is impossible it should be Sacramentall For Sacramentall union still is symbolicall which its impossible to conceive in things changed into a naturall samenesse and substance As wee know in common speech we say No like thing is the same because a like thing is like to another Identity then in Christ and the Elements disanulls Sacramentall union and therefore the Sacrament it selfe This error of theirs as it came from the forge of carnall reason first and the savor of the kitchin How popish errour grew so it received varnish from the erronious conceiving of
continue unto them the fruit of Baptisme but at the houre of death or that the soule could in faith use the Sacrament of feeding which had refused the first Sacrament of begetting or as if God needed such our wisdome to preserve grace and intercept sin 1 Cor. 1.25 Let us beware of such wilworship The foolishnes of God is stronger and wiser than our best strength and wisedome The Second branch Secondly I adde consisting of water which is Sacramentally Christ Touching Sacramentall union I treate nothing Onely note that although the Grace of Christ must neither be equalled nor tied to a dumb creature yet he hath freely yeelded to unite himself with his creature so oft as he pleaseth to use it for the good of his owne and for his glory and that to this end that wee might learne to adore him in all such Ordinances by which he drawes neere to us for our comfort and to set a mark of honor and esteeme even upon those meane things which his wisdome hath devised for the releefe of our dulnesse deadnesse of heart and infidelity Vse 3 To teach us where he hath cast honour upon uncomely parts yea united himself for the gracing of a meet helpe to further us to himselfe there to account reverendly of his Ordinances and not commonly Act. 10.15 That which God hath not thought common beware we of thinking so Hath he taken water and joyned it with a kinde of equall necessitie with himselfe in this kind of conveyance Hath he said He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved and Except a man be borne againe of water Marke 16 16. Ioh. 3.5 c. And shall not we fasten both our eyes upon Christ and water Christ Sacramentall in and by water Better with it for our ease and helpe than without it Shall not he who despiseth water appointed to such an inseparable holy end despise the ordayner of water Shall wee take his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 by slighting that by which he makes himselfe and the power of his Word and Spirit manifest to beget the soule to him and bee holden guiltlesse When Christ hath put both in one Matth. 19.6 shall wee dare to say the one is strong the other is base Shall wee slight it slacken our haste to it our holy preparing of our selves to it our abiding at it our offering up prayer for blessing it our making it the joynt object of our humiliation faith reverence and thankes Farre bee it from us so to abhorre that Popish hyperbolicall esteeme of it and the merrit of the worke wrought of it that wee run into another riot to disesteeme it Doubtlesse he that cares not for Christ in the word Christ in the promise Christ in the Minister Christ in the water Christ in the bread and wine Christ Sacramentall cares as little for Christ God Christ flesh Christ Emanuell By these he comes neare us And he that despiseth you despiseth me Matâ—h 10 40. and him that sent me Beware we of such contempt even in the secretest of our thoughts and affections and let Christ in the water be honoured as Christ for that sweet union and fruit which hee brings to a poore soule thereby 2 Kings 5.14 Ioh. 5.2 1. Generall in the descript Persons If Iordan be precious when God will use it for the Angels healing by it much more this The next point concernes the due acts and performances of meete persons in the applying of water The persons are the parents the Congregation the Minister and the infant The acts are the mutual carriages of these toward each other Sacramentally Touching the which in breefe thus being loath to digresse much from the streame of the point Duty 1 The parents are to have competent knowledge the more 1. Parents duty Psal 51 4 Luk. 9.2 the better if sanctified both of the woefull pollution of nature which by themselves their child hath contracted to blesse the Lord for mercifull dispensing with it in the penalties deserved to be inflicted even outwardly upon it for the deformity of sinne in the markes thereof maymed blind halt lame monstrous yet in this not satisfied they ought to behold the inseparable inward defilednesse of the infants nature and spirit the more the Lord hath done his part the more tenderly to commiserate the wretchednesse of the inner man of it deprived of the image of God by originall sinne to mourne and sigh for it to God by deepe groanes and confession to pray and bee instant with God for the pardon of it the purging and the sanctifying of it Duty 2 To blesse God who hath ordeyned such a remedy as the Sacrament Rom. 6.3 not to abolish but to kill the poyson of sin to remember that the child of it selfe hath neither sence or favour in Baptisme Ephe. 2 11 12. no nor right thereto of it selfe it being the priveledge of the Church further than in and by themselves and their right to the covenant 1 Cor. 7 17. it partakes an holinesse Duty 3 Therefore they ought seriously to revive their faith in this covenant to offer their infant to God by vertue of that promise made to the righteous and their seede that God will be their God to many generations Duty 4 Gen. 17 7. Exod. 20 6. In this strength they are to plead their owne right for their child to beseech the Lord not onely to vouchsafe it his outward livery and cognizance of a visible member but further to extend the efficacy of Christ crucified Christ as presented in the water to the inward ingrafting it into his invisible Church when and how he shall please if it dye soone by baptizing it with the spirit of Election and Adoption Sanctification and renewing of the holy Ghost ere it depart If it live continuing upon it the power of baptisme by attending upon the ordinance of the word upon the offer of the covenant of grace that by it in due time it may be admitted to the condition of faith and faith it selfe by the calling of the Gospell and so receive the seale of it in due time with assurance and comfort Duty 5 In the confidence whereof they are not to distemper themselves about the estate of it whether it dye or live but cheefely apply themselves to use the meanes for the atteyning hereof Duty 6 And so with reverence they are in due season early and betimes setting aside all by-matters to addresse the infant to the publique assembly to the Minister by name desiring him as deputed by the Church to conferre the Sacrament to it Duty 7 Also giving it such a name as may savour neyther of curiosity nor vanity nor superstition nor profanenesse but rather edification and holinesse savouring of the graces offred by the Sacrament Duty 8 And so joyning with the people in humble supplication confession and thankes to devote it solemnely to God and his service carefully watching over it for
have beene planted together with him into the likenesse of his death we shall also be to the likenesse of his resurrection And note this further that as the holy Ghost expresses the meriting causes diversly now by one then by another part of his mediation so sometime he applyes that his merit to one frâ—it sometime to another yet so that by one merit we understand all and by one effect of it all the rest Take a Text 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto baptisme now saveth us not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience in the resurrection of Iesus Christ Marke the resurrection of Christ being the compleatnesse of his satisfaction and the declaring of it is made here the meriting cause of the grace of Baptisme But by it all the satisfaction is meant And the effect of this Baptisme is called The answer of a good conscience which is the peace and security of it properly issuing from pardon of sinne and guilt yet in and by this all are meant both justification and sanctification The selfe same phrase is used Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10 22. Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodyes washed with pure water that is with peace For this blood Hebrewes 12. cryeth better things than that of Abel The phrase of sprinkling compares Baptisme to the Israelites sprinkling their doore posts with the blood of the Lambe If they had not done it Exod. 12 22. they had beene in danger of slaying by the Angel But having done it Heb. 10.24 their heart was at quiet and peace through the promise So baptisme is a better sprinkling of a better blood upon a better object to a farre better peace even peace of conscience as being passed from death to life By all these places not unmeet to be conferred together we see that whole Christ crucified Christ in water Christ in our Regeneration Christ in our union and by it all his benefits are the extent of the grace of baptisme And that the Minister standing in Gods stead applying water to the Baptised doth by it apply the power of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit accompanying the same to create a new birth of Grace and life in the soule The which worke of the Spirit I shall more revive in the first use of this point Vse 1 This use is exhortation to all that bring or behold children brought and offred to the Lord in his Sacrament of Baptisme to lay in by faith for the Spirit of Christ in the water whereby the Lord would vouchsafe to thy child and renew to thy selfe if ever truly converted the Lord Iesus for regeneration and the new creature To this end doe two things First 2. Things 1. Behold the truth of the word Behold the truth of this offer of the Lord Iesus in the water by the helpe of the word and not so onely but what the word of Regeneration can worke of it selfe in the soule and therefore much more can further it by the Sacrament Secondly by and through this Word apply the merit and power of the Sacrament to thy soule in particular For the former know although a Sacrament be above a word yet it is so by a word and with it and not else Behold not a Sacrament without a word for then thou seest a meare empty vanishing Element Behold it in word and thou sest no lesse than Christ in the water true regeneration offred thee Take all those Texts I cited before looke up to God by prayer to see the truth of them Ephe. 4 22. as they are in Iesus to rivet every of them in speciall into thy spirit that so thou maist feele a bottome to thy faith out of a word Labour to see what makes this word so powerfull even the truth of a promiser the merit of a satisfyer who died shed his blood was buried and rose againe by the power of God that he might fill a promise with efficacy and perswade thy heart that seeing all that he suffered was for thee to make himselfe thine in remission of sinnes and renewing of the holy Ghost therefore the promise that offers this to thee in the Sacrament is sound and effectuall Reade and ponder that place I named Ephe. 5.26 Ephe. 5.26 Washing of water by the word And so be resolved if the word of a true God tell thee That he will wash thy soule by Christ in the Sacrament it shall be so it cannot be otherwise and if he have said Christ in the water water is spirituall birth regeneration renewing purging burying in the grave with Christ rising up with Christ then so it is This word will give a bottome to thy feete to stand upon while thou reachest out with thine hand to take Christ so that thou shalt not stagger Consider that the same word which hath held Christ and water in so strong an union can also hold thee upon sure ground Alas mens going to worke without a word marres the power of Baptisme and causeth the soule to be present with any object more than with Christ in the water It goes with the Spirit Further bee assured this word of Christ in his promise of the Sacrament never goes alone The truth of it alway is annexed to the Spirit of Christ in the water All the word is full of this tells us the Spirit is that which assists the Sacrament The Spirit quickneth 1 Ioh. 5.6 water profits nothing alone It is the Spirit which must joyne with the word with water and unto Christ to both in the soule or else the things of the Sacrament are as farre off as heaven and earth But the Spirit of Christ crucified water and blood meeting with the Sacrament fetches out all the power of Christ into the soule and makes the promise of blessing effectuall Hence it is that nothing is so common in Scripture as the Spirits concurring with Baptisme Matthew 3. Matth. 3.11 Hee shall baptise with the holy Ghost and fire Tit. 3.5 Water of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit 3 5. As it attended Christs baptisme so it must ours if it bee efficacious else not These two things being forelaid bring forth thy faith in the word Spirit of the Sacrament both for thy child and thy self These two things brin faith for begetting or reviving of Christ to regeneration And as the hand puts on the apparell upon the body yea as thou beholdest the Minister to dip thy child in water so concurre with him by faith and behold God the Father putting the Lord Iesus upon thy soule and the soule of thy childe for pardon peace joy confidence security grace and holinesse and fasten upon the Word and draw thereby the Spirit of Baptisme to helpe and satisfie thy soule with Christ in all these As thou wouldest put on a garment upon thy naked body How this 1 By the stripping
of thy selfe so be stript and empty of all good and grace in thy selfe feele in thy soule an utter absence of life of sence motion and power towards the inner man of grace Lie before the Lords Sacrament as a forlorne wretch Say thus If thy baptisme Lord be for my regeneration what am I without it A dead dogge a very lumpe and masse of sinne and curse utterly void of the least dramme of life savoring nothing but earth vanity lusts world pleasures a very slave to these and a very carcasse of all goodnesse and being of God Oh Lord strip me starke naked plucke off my mufflers shame me drive me out of my selfe as one poore miserable blind and naked This is the first worke of faith to put off the soules ragges and to void all conceit of life hope or grace in it selfe and to set it before the Lord as Adams red earth lay before him when he was to breathe the life of Creation into it Now the Lord is creating thee anew by his Sacrament Remember Creation is of nothing Baptisme never made new creature where it finds any thing of ones own Baptisme should then not create but rather draw somewhat out of our owne principles to make us somewhat to which we bring matter of our owne Oh! people come to the Sacrament full of their owne devotions and looke that God should make them new creatures of their owne stuffe this were to patch and soden our old not to create a new man in us Apply our selves to the Word Secondly being thus nothing in our selves apply wee our selves by the word to the worke of the Spirit of union Sacramentall bare poore empty water which hath in it selfe no Sacramentall substance yet by the vnion of the Spirit of Baptisme incloseth the Lord Iesus to regeneration in it If thou canst say water is not a more beggerly Element in the Sacrament without Christ than thy soule is emptie unsubsisting without regeneration Looke to the Lord by thy faith and pull hard at him for the Spirit of Baptisme to renew a life a spirit and being of pardon and holinesse in thee If while the word lasts and the Spirit of Baptisme endures even to the worlds end Christ and water shall never be sundred from the Sacrament Beleeve thou as firmely that Christ as water shall never be severed from thy poore soule that lies humbly before him destitute of all life in thy selfe and lost for ever except Christ be thy life and succour I say the Lord Iesus shall never be wanting to such a soule in the point of regeneration Plead then thy cause strongly with the Lord behold here is Christ in water What letteth why thou maist not be baptised Actâ— 8 16. as Philip said of the Eunuch Shall water ever lose her cleansing Were it not madnesse to thinke so And shall Iesus Christ then lose his power to cleanse the soule Hath hee not annexed his cleansing to waters cleansing Is it possible that all the divels in hell can dissolve the Sacramentall Vnion of Christ and water Oh Lord why is this Vnion and for what serves it Is it good for any thing save as it is Sacramentall Was it Christ before Is it Christ after No sure but during the Sacrament onely And why so Surely to teach me all this Vnion is for me Christ water serves for my soules washing He delights not to be one with a base Element for it selfe but that in and with a creature of a cleansing quality he might flow into my soule with his renewing Spirit Oh Lord I beleeve thy word Lord let thy Spirit convey thee with water into my soule Be it Oh Lord as thou hast said Separate not thy Spirit from thy Sacrament but give it the power of begetting mee to the life of faith and a new creature 3 Abhorre carnal reason Ioh. 3.9 Thirdly look off from all thy carnall reason and the sillinesse of the creature Say not with Nicodemus How shall this be Consult not with flesh and bloud cavill not 1 Ioh. 5 8. Mat. 3 ult aske no further signe thou hast three in heaven and three in earth bearing witnesse to Gods truth Water is one of these it is the instrument of the Spirit though it be on earth yet that is from heaven call not for a voyce from heaven the second time it s enough that in the Baptisme of Christ it as manifest Hold close to the Word and Promise Go teach and Baptize and lo Mat. 28 ult I am with you till the end Let all conceits of Reason vanish in the truth of God and when corruption hath done all it can yet roll thy selfe upon the promise and by the Perspective glasse thereof thou shalt see that grace in the Sacrament which else is invisible to flesh and covered under the ashes of unbeleefe Let all be quâ—sht with this My soule God hath said it I see nothing but water but there is Christ with water to regeneration Lastly cloze with the Spirit and meete it at the Sacrament 4 Close with the Spirit of the Sacrament If thou meete it not there it s because thou bringest not faith with thee for that is there for ever inseparably Grone in thy spirit unto the Spirit of Christ that thee may susteine thy bottomelesse heart in her desire after the grace of the Sacrament Say thus Oh blessed Spirit of Baptisme remember thou wert given by the Lord Iesus at his ascension for thy Church Ioh. 7.56.57 Now Christ is glorified Ioh 7 56 57 now let thy Spirit be given to bring the life of the Sacrament into mee Once when the world was a Chaos the Spirit of creation fostred and brooded the waters and brought forth order and matter for each part of the world Oh now come downe with thy fire and warme this water make it effectuall for the scattering of my darkenesse errour rebellion corruption Gen. 1 2. and the purging of old Adam the mortifying and consuming of my concupiscence and lusts And then travell againe with mee in this thy ordinance till Christ and the new creature be formed in mee Make mee thy off-spring Gal 4 19 and generation breede the thoughts affections and disposition of the new birth in me Oh make this fountaine â—nd laver blessed and fruitfull to be the seede of Christ in me Once thou didst so worke with Iordan that the washing of a Leper 1 King 5 12 caused his flesh to returne as the flesh of a child Take away my leprosie also Ioh. 5 3.4 and make me as a little child Once thy Angell so stirred the Poole that who so stept in next was healed of what disease soever he was sicke Oh stirre this poole also make it an healing water put into it the vertue of him that with a word spoken could cure all maladies Heale mine Lord by this poole if an Angell could heale a lame legge a blinde eye a deafe eare thy Spirit
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
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
for the present enlarges it selfe further and gives the soule a taste of that eternall joy which it shall possesse hereafter when it shall put off this corruption and earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands Secondly the Spirit of sealing hath fulnesse of faith in it It s therefore compared to full sayles of wind Heb. 10 22 which carrie the ship an end Is it so with thee Art thou free in good measure from a life of sence from judging things of God by the outsides Canst thou rest in this that although thou neither hearest voyce from heaven nor seeest shape yet there is a Sun within the clouds There is a God and all the fidelity truth and love is still in the promises which ever was without shaddow of turning Art thou by this faith carried above those feares doubts distempers Rom. 5 2 3 4. which when the coast was mistie thou wert annoyed with Walkest thou now with cleerer comfort joy and perswasion of Gods love providence promises Is thy heart as the Arke above the rockes Gen. 7.10 Is it farre otherwise with thee in the frequencie the dismalnesse of thy unbeleefe than formerly Are thy buffetings temptations lusts well blowne over Then hold and nourish this fruit in thee knowing it is no common thing But Oh Lord where is the man to whom I speake this Thirdly nourish thy liberty Was it wont to be an usuall thing to thee to be clogged with the weight of sinne Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 vexed with the fiery darts of Satan and his noysome buffetings tossed with strong lusts Was the worke of God irkesome painefull to thee hardly drawn to it soone unsetled How is it now 2 Cor. 3.17 The Spirit of sealing is a free Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is a Spirit where he is there is libertie Dost thou now walke in and out with the Lord as a sonne in the house Luke 1 6. well provided for Rid off thy old chaines enlarged to runne the Commandements of God with chearefulnesse Hast thou freedome from thy old feare Psal 119.32 Hath the Lord both overthrowne the court of sinne and bad conscience and all the officers of it Canst thou meete the Bayliffe securely Canst thou as a free man Gal. 5.1 looke upon Satan hell death without horror Nourish it and be thankefull for it Fourthly Hast thou the boldnesse of the Spirit of adoption Canst thou come to the Lord in prayer with holy confidence Is thy slavish heart gone Rom. 8 15. Verse 26. Zach. 12.10 Darest thou call God Father by good proofe and triall Doth the Spirit of God teach thee to pray Doth it purge out thine owne spirit of selfe of gifts of forme and teach thee to pray wisely with feeling and groaning under thy corruptions seeking more mortification of heart and spirit Art thou so fervent and frequent as one that knowes his welcome Canst thou lay in daily for thy selfe and others Blesse God for thy portion and prise it So fifthly Hast thou the spirit of holines purenes If thou be sealed by the assuring Spirit thou are sealed by the holy Spirit of God How doth it appeare Is there love of purenes and holines a loathing of all falsehood and profanes in thee Hast thou gotten a pure title unto Deut. 33.16 Tit. 1.15 and use of all ordinances blessings and administrations of God towards thee Art thou able to say To the pure all things are pure Dost thou grow more fruitful and plentifull in holines all holy means meditation fasting conference holy duties compassiâ—n mercy love pietie sobernes holy graces 2 Pet. 1.5 8. 2 Pet. 3 ult 1 Cor. 15 ult as faith hope patience Dost thou adde grace to grace so as thou maist not be unprofitable but grow be rooted and setled still then I say nourish these I assure thee this world is not for such matters blesse him that hath called thee out of it in the strength of this seale of Baptisme walke on as Elia did to the mount of God 1 King 19 8. Ephes 4 30. Grieve not this sweet Spirit by any lusts or roote of bitternesse keepe the world under the girdle of this Spirit provoke him not to forsake thee but having felt his sweetnesse let him not depart from thee till hee have conducted thee into the land of righteousnes And know if this Spirit be given thee thou keepest a costly thing which not all they have who yet beleeve in this measure deceave not thy selfe about it and if thou have it nourish it carefully For as the traveller who hath nothing to lose is carelesse of theeves so know thou that hast such a charge hadst need be jealous least Satan the world and thy evill selfe rob thee of thy treasure Ephe. 6.18 And this be said of this 3. generall also of the end of Baptisme and so of the whole doctrine and use of Baptisme the more largely because I shall touch it no more as I purpose to doe the other Oh! how is it to be lamented that the knowledge and use of it is no more understood by our Ministers and people CHAP. VI Of the Supper of the Lord. The description and parts of it And first of the Sacramentall Acts of it I Come now to the Doctrine and discourse of the Supper of the Lord wherein as I foresee that those things which do peculiarly concerne the handling of it will take up much more roome than the former of Baptisme as being the Sacrament of growen ones and therefore having in it more life for present administration and use than the other of Infants So also I see much labour is spared me in this latter because of those generals which unavoydably have been handled in the former I say so far as those things do agree to the Supper subjects only being changed So far then as ought hath beene toucht before of the Order the Constitution the Acts Grace or Sealing of Baptisme which may sute and agree with this of the Supper let none looke for the Repetition of it onely in such grounds I will content my selfe to point to the speciall application in few words and dwell the longer upon things peculiarly proper to the Supper And those are these three The Acts to be performed The distinct grace offred in it The speciall end of it which stands in the sealing power and the object wherabout it s occupied Description of it The Supper of the Lord then to describe it first is the second Sacrament of the Gospell consisting of Iesus Christ exhibited in the Bread and Wine wherein by certeine Acts duly perfourmed about the Elements whole Christ-body and Blood is conveyed to the Soule for the sealing up of her Growth and encrease in the Grace of the Covenant 1 Branch of the order Vse First I point in a word at the order In the first Sacrament I noted the impudency of such as will invert Gods order Now in
to be so and blessed him Do thou so and prosper Vse 4 Lastly by all this blessing of the Minister in the Name of the Lord Iesus wee meete with no step of Popish Consecration neither in point of their five blessing words nor yet of inherent holinesse put into the Sacrament thereby Touching the first wee see no warrant for the Masse Priests inchanting the Elements by his whispering the five words over them for lo the Consecration was ended ere any of those five words were pronounced and therefore not those words but Blessing and Prayer to God in the vertue of his first institution and the promise made thereto doe sanctifie the Elements Which words of Prayer and Blessing our Saviour did not as a Sorcerous Priest murmour over the Bread and Wine but openly and clearely uttered them to his Father in the hearing of the Disciples for their edification The dumbe Elements have no eares to heare such a voice but are meere patients in the Sacrament And therefore wee abhorre that Popish turning of the Priest from the people to the signes as a base inchanting ceremony fitter to worke a blind and carnall devotion in a superstitious heart than a sensible reverence and holy confidence of a beleeving soule For the latter observe that our Saviour begges for no inherent holinesse to be put into the Signes save onely a conveying instrumentall holinesse that the Lord would vouchsafe to use them to the ends of a Sacrament that is to make dumbe seely creatures incapable of any reall grace to carrie reall holinesse into the soules and spirits of beleevers onely capable thereof Much lesse then did he either by these or those five as they misreckon Transubstantiate them into his body When God blessed the Sabboth day and hallowed it Did hee infuse holinesse into the day Are dayes garments vessels houses capable of inherent holinesse No it s enough they attend holy things and ought therefore decently to be kept otherwise neither are they holy inherently nor yet actions and things therefore holy because there done but because they are so in their nature and institution I hasten to the latter branch of his thanks Thankes Thankes is the second branch of Christs blessing And so of the Ministes act in the consecration of the Sacrament Wee have to note that thus it was in other blessings Why joyned with Prayer When Salomon dedicated the Temple one branch of it was solemne thanksgiving to God that had ratified his word and promise 1 King 8 24. enabled Solomon to perfect the temple and made good that which he had spoken The ascent of thanks is so great a glorifying of God that cōmonly it becomes a rich descent of blessing And when prayer is offered to God without thanks it s no signe that the soule fastens upon God for the granting of those things which have bin desired But our Saviour here having had a commission from his Father to ordaine the Sacrament takes it for granted that hee was heard by him in this his request for sanctifying thereof to his Church and therefore together with the prayer doth also here annex his thanks for answer Prayers and praises ought ever to attend each other especially for things formerly received that by the experience of former answer from God God our hearts might not be to seeke of confidence and hope for the present and for time to come For sure it is our selfe-love doth so sway us in seeking what wee would still get that the acknowledgement of what we have already enjoyed from God is forgotten Nay rather even while they pray for blessing from God upon any of his Ordinances or otherwise it is our duty even then to give thanks so farre as ws feele our selves to have praid in faith and in the name of Christ for faith in a manner presenteth the thing which we doe warrantably seeke unto us And although I grant such a blessing may actually be denied us yet our thankes shall returne in such a case into our bosomes and shall be accepted of God But in this case of our Lord Iesus and his thankes Causes of his Thankes Three The first cause Ioh. 11 41. the case is altered for hee gave thankes in assurance of being heard and upon promise thereof from his Father without faile and therefore he might with more confidence offer up thankes even with prayer Sometimes it so fareth with his members that even in the act of prayer the Lord intimates their spirit that they have prevailed as we reade that some of the Martyrs had a kind of propheticall spirit given thē so that some things which God had enabled them to aske in full assurance of faith they received an answer from God that they were granted and therefore their prayers commonly brake out into praises and themselves wrote and spake of those blessings as present though there were some yeares still to come ere performed And no doubt such cases fall out still in the experience of such as are neerely acquainted with God and strong in faith that they have answer with Iacob they have prevailed even in their wrestlings and therefore what doubt is there Gen. 32 28. but that then Thanksgiving should be answerable Vse But I will not digresse to other meditations The thanks and blessing of Christ here should be full of comfort to the poore Minister of Christ and all his faithfull people in their blessing of the Sacrament that they come to God for that which is already granted to Christ and that even so assuredly while he praied for it that at the instant hee received it as granted and blessed God for it and withall added his owne blessing to his Fathers and gave his Spirit of blessing to the same Sacrament from his Father and from himselfe so to attend it that it might never be absent from it in the matter of union Sacramentall and further in point of true sanctification of it to all his members to the end of the world who should come in faith and repentance to receive it It s not under a desired blessing onely but a granted one acknowledged and therefore assured Oh! that any should come with a drooping and sad heart doubtful and staggering to that Ordinance upon which at the first institution so great a handsell of grace was bestowed and a promise of so great future blessing granted The second cause A second cause of his Thankes was for that he foresaw even now at his death and departure shortly from the earth that his Father would not suffer the memory of his satisfaction and death to be razed out but eternize it as a lasting monument in his Church Hee foresaw that infinite honour and glory which hee should receive as a perpetuall tribute from his thankefull Church and what praise the Father by him should obtaine at the hands of the faithfull for the continuing of so lively powerfull a memoriall of his death and perfect Sacrifice offered
called had beene Sacrilegious Even so here in the Elements resembling his separation and death But for the act it selfe consider two things first Two things in it 1. What it was What was it Why was it For answer to the first The breaking of Christ was a taking of the loafe and a breaking thereof with his holy hands into gobbets and morsels meet for his disciples not minsing the bread and cutting it with a knife into small bits nor yet into overgreat pieces but I say into morsels competent I doe not quarrell with the custome of cutting with the knife for as I said before of sprinkling the water so I say of this I disanull not the Ordinance thereby yet still I say I would rather chuse to cleave to the institution in so plaine an act of our Saviour if it may conveniently be done than to balcke it And the rather because it may savor of some Popish nicenesse For as they weare white gloves when they meddle with the Elements and touch them not with their bare hands pretending more reverence to be in a beasts skin than a mans naked hand so some thinke it too homely perhaps to breake the bread with their hands in comparison of cutting it with a knife To such I say that they are too nice herein and the institution of Christ much more to be followed the Minister himselfe breaking it and no leaving it as sometimes is used to the Clarke or Sexton to be done 2. Why was it Secondly why was it I answer for sundry causes first to parallell the Sacrifice of the Passeover a type of Christs Supper which was to be slaine and the bloud of it sprinckled about secondly for a more meete apportioning of the bread of the Sacrament and the Wine to the easier use of the Receivers than in the whole loafe or flagon thirdly and more principally to represent the voluntary offering up himselfe the next day upon the Crosse for an oblation to God Else he would have chosen some other to breake and powre out but in doing it himselfe he typified his laying downe his life freely Ioh. 10 18. when as else none could have taken it from him for when his apprehendors were cast upon the earth then did he yeeld himselfe to their hands fourthly to signifie to the Church that although the Lord Iesus were in himselfe the fountaine of all life and nourishment to his Church yet his Church could no otherwise be capable of him to such ends than by vertue of his being broken upon the Crosse He was as a sealed fountaine before Zach. 13.1 but now set open for the Church This Reason I would have well noted No other way but to be broken could make him meate and drinke indeede The Butt of wine in the Celler hath wine of excellent quality in it selfe but except it be broached none can be the better for it Hence the Church in the Canticles cries out Cant. 1 3. Thou art as an oyntment powred out in the savor of thy oyntments we will follow thee Ioh. 12 2. As that box of oyntment Iohn 12.2 which was broken upon him and powred out upon him so that all the house smelt of it Hence the holy Ghost especially dwells upon his powring out of his soule unto death his being broken for our transgressions Esay 53 12. Rom. 3.25 and other the like phrases there Esa· 53. And Saint Paul dwels upon his bloud-shed Rom. 3.25 ane in twentie other places to shew that nothing but death could make us the better for him either in pardon or Sanctification No incarnation of his no Innocency Miracles no Compassion Teares Love Reproaches Preaching Prayers without his being broken could make him usefull to us Fifthly as he could doe us no good save this way so there is a further thing in it for Christ could not be broken for nourishment till hee was for expiation and attonement By being once broken by death he both paid the price of wrath and also became meete nourishment Christ being made ours to pardon is also made ours to feede and furnish our soules with all graces of his Spirit the Supper is so the Sacrament of our growth in the Lord Iesus as first hee is our growth in faith and Iustification and then of holinesse Objection But here is an objection How can Christ be broken for our nourishment whereas the Scripture tells us Iohn 19 36. Not a bone of him should be broken Answer Answer No necessitie lay upon Christ to be broken according to the uttermost measure of breaking Onely essentiall breaking and powring out of his soule by death lay upon him and this was necessary to make attonement for sinne else no union could have beene purchaced with God nor any fruit thereof in either restoring of life or continuing welfare unto it restored The Providence of God was such in the alleniating of the Crosse and breaking of Christ that hee was dispensed with as touching those excesses extremities indignities which else might have lighted upon him had not the excellency of his person and his sufficiencie to satisfie taken them off Therefore whereas the Law was that the bones of the crucified should be broken to hasten their lingring death the Lord Iesus his bones were not broken he being dead before and so it was with him in the continuance in the hellish measure of torment that hee was freed from them It was enough that hee was so broken that the bande of soule and body was dissolved and his soule was powred forth unto death Vse 1 The uses are weightie first of Confutation of Popery And that first in this that they make a meere apish Pageant and Poppet-play of this Sacrament yea rather an enterlude to please and delight the sences of the blindly devout than a resemblance of the crucified body of the Lord Iesus for the comfort of the Church But especially that they destroy the essence of this act of Breaking In steed whereof they come and bring an whole unbroken Element made of a fine delicate wafer round and whole And as for powring out the wine to the people they never powre out nor allow any at all unto them but keept it quite from them Thirdly they professe not to act the part of the Father reaching out the broken body of Christ to his people but their Priest sustaines rather the person of a false Church and an Idolater to offer up to God a Sacrifice of Christ for expiation destroying the power of Christ our onely Oblation offered by himselfe never more needing to be offered And whereas we presse this argument against them they flie to a shift which overthrowes their cause saying They offer an unbloudy sacrifice in their Masse not bloudy as that of the Crosse In all three respects being the most wofull enemies of the Sacrament Hovv Papists enemies to a broken Christ For first they act it as a thing of mirth not as a broken Christ
Iesus his nourishment to thy soule in renewed grace Spirit of prayer of uprightnesse watchfulnesse bearing the Crosse well issues from thy renewing of faith in his reconciliation and forgivenesse If thou have lost thy peace by an ill conscience beware thou come not first to the Sacrament to fetch strength to returne to thy former course of walking with God till first thy pardon and peace be renewed that were to soder not to mend thy breach yea it were to dawbe with untempered morter Christ is first broken as a satisfier of wrath and then as a nourisher of a poore emptie soule Touching the second Learne to apply the Lord Iesus broken in the Sacrament for thee in a confident manner 2 Act. If hee have beene really thine broken for thy renewed pardon yea the oftner the better lay thy soule in the clift of this Rocke Exod. 33 32. get thy selfe into his wounds and lie in his sides and thence shalt thou draw nourishment to sustaine thee whence thou drewest strengh to make thy peace This broken Christ his bloud his powring out containes both thy peace and thy grace and by an inseparable union of the Spirit is given for both Lesse than the bloud of Christ dead upon the Crosse could not save thee and lesse than it can not restore any grace of his Spirit decaied in thee as the Spirit of prayer watching sobernesse heavenlinesse of heart But if the Sacrament have revived the one feare not the other will follow There is a knot of unions in Sacramentall broken Christ get one and get both faith will teach thee how to get both and doth sweetly claspe with Christ for welfare in both Touching the substance of which I speake lesse here because I shall handle it in the second generall head of the grace offered in this Sacrament Vse Onely this one thing I adde here that the broken body and bloud powred out of Christ is offered thee in this Supper to nourish thy faith in Christ crucified afflicted wounded for thee that hereby thou mightst draw strength from his Passion to suffer and overcome in him or for him whatsoever the Lord shall thinke good to lay upon thee whatsoever then thy Crosse be especially if bitter wearisome unusuall darke and tedious to be borne come to the fountaine of patience and victory the Lord Iesus broken for thee Hee hath overcome the chiefe dint of all crosses in taking the fire wrath and sting of sinne out of thy conscience and this is one maine helpe to settle a restlesse heart under deepe affliction that Christ broken hath taken away guilt and brought pardon and peace And secondly having so done hee hath overcome the force of the Crosse and hath brought patience selfe-deniall calmenesse humblenesse under the same into thee so that in him thou shalt be upholden endure and beare thy yoke not murmour not thinke long not use shifts but by the promise sealed by the Sacrament beleeve the Lord will in due season give thee beauty for ashes Esay 61 3. and the sweet fruit of righteousnesse and patience more sweet than the trouble was grievous These the Sacrament doth confirme and settle the soule in daily if Christ broken bee wisely applied and put on by faith To conclude all I say if the Lord Iesus Sacramentall be a broken Christ for all uses Vse 6 Sixthly how cursed is the condition of all such receivers as are yet to seeke of him in any benefit of his Sacrifice and Crosse Oh! how fearefull is the Sacrament to all such as never understood the Doctrine of Christ broken How shall they be the better for the Supper Oh! what terror should it worke in such consciences as can not by experience speake one word to their soule of the benefit of Christ in either Surely if the Lord Iesus broken were never given them no other benefit of his Adoption or Sanctification either in grace and glory can be theirs And by consequent that fulnesse of Christ which here is exhibited to the faithfull to save and refresh them becomes by their unbeleefe as unfruitfull to their soules as if Christ had never dyed nor Sacrament ever beene offered them For they are still the same neither good day mends them nor bad payres them for any pardon or grace that ever Christ broken could yet helpe them withall But for the third Act thus much Now the fourth and last ministeriall act of the Supper The fourth Act. The distributing is the distribution of it to the people with a charging them to receive it as from God For its expresly added that our Saviour having taken blessed and broken the Elements did give them himselfe to his Disciples He called them not about him and suffered them to serve themselves of them but dealt out both Bread and Cup to each of them and susteyning a double person both of the divider and of the thing divided charged them each and all to receive and apply them as the offer of God And to say truth to what end served the former acts save for this last Touching the severall distribution of Christ I doe not thinke that he did severally give it to the person of each disciple immediately but that reaching out the severall morsells he gave personally to them who were nearest and so by them he conveyed it to the remotest sitter till all were served And this he did not onely in the bread but in the Cup also as Saint Luke doth particularly mention and so the other 1 Cor. 11.21 Luk. 22.20 and Paul 1 Cor. 11. expresseth Now in this last act I consider two things Two things heere First personall Secondly peculiar application of the Sacrament For the former he would intimate thus much 1. For personall application that the Minister in his reaching out the Elements to each receiver is the hand of the Father applying the Christ of the whole Church to such a man and such a woman in person And as each communicant susteines a double person eyther of membership as hee is belonging to the whole body or of person as he is to answer for himsefe to God so in the former respect he communicates no other Christ than the Christ and head of the body and so calls God our Father and Christ our Christ seeing he hath no right to any Christ save in the Communion of Saints By vertue of which he approves himselfe to be a true member of the body clayming no right to Christ otherwise than the Christ of his whole militant Church But in the second respect as each person or beleeving receiver stands in his owne place and receaves speciall grace for himselfe so hee calls God my Father and Christ my Christ and therefore comes not to receive any implicite Christ Iohn 10.28 or as the Church receives him but comes to receive him for himselfe in person for his owne pardon assurance peace support and so his owne as no mans else Each Christian hath
the Lord Iesus that so it might never faile nor wanze away any more Then surely it behooves that the Lord Iesus be as well the keeper of this life and the nourishment thereof as hee was the first the breeder thereof Answere 4 Fourthly the Father to this end must really convey into the person of Christ all such power and vertue as may enable him to be the life and nourishment of his members and therefore he must fill him with himselfe bodily and make him the treasury of all graces wisedome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption all good things necessary for the making of such as are not his to become his and such as are his to be more his or his in a more full and assured manner to prosper grow and thrive in him unto perfection Answere 5 Fiftly he must also qualifie the Lord Iesus with the gift of conveying this holy nature of his and this blessed nourishment of his unto his people and this he doth not onely by the union of flesh with God but especially by the death and satisfaction of Christ by which as by a wide dore he opened the treasure of life and nourishment which was in him and merited that the life of grace in forgivenesse and holinesse might be theirs and that himselfe in his flesh and blood broken and powred out might bee a most effectuall seede of life and foode of life to support them Answere 6 Sixtly to this end hee hath the authority to send forth the word of reconciliation and of nourishment unto his people and as by the power of vocation to call them from death to life that all who heare the voyce of God might live so also to create in their soules by that word of his Esay 57.17 the gift of faith to pull them to himselfe to unite them to himselfe and to convey his owne spirituall life by this union of faith unto them causing his blessed Spirit to concurre so with the word as to settle it upon them and having so done to give them this priviledge that they shall as truely bee maintained at his cost Iohn 17.11 be kept in his name be upheld in grace prosper in it be defended against all enemies within or without which might impeach this their welfare growth fruitfulnesse and perseverance as ever he bred life in them at the first Answere 7 Seventhly and lastly they receive by this priviledge as true right to claime plead for and expect the Lord Iesus to be their nourishment as the poore dumbe creature by the instinct of nature being brought forth runnes to the Damme for milke Or as the Infant comming forth of that wombe which gave it life cryes for the brest of the same mother and pleades to be nourished by her By these steps it may be conceived in generall how the Lord Iesus is made of the Father the true foode of his members The second question viz. How Christ is so in the Supper But as yet here is nothing of Christ our Sacramentall nourishmen Vnderstand therefore the Sacrament to stand in relation to the word of promise wherein Christ is made the poore soules owne to feede her As I noted in Baptisme so heere againe observe Christ in promise and Christ in the Supper differ not save in the manner and degree of exhibiting him out nourishment Looke then what the Spirit of the promise workes for the soule that it much more worketh by the Sacrament First persents the promises Take some instances First it presents the soule of every one truely bred with those choise promises of Christ her nourishment searching them out of each corner Tells her Esay 25. Esay 25.7 That the Lord makes her a feast upon the mountaines of fat things of wines refined and pure and the dishes of the feast are Christ in his graces plucking away the veile of darkenesse remooving death and feare bringing joy and peace Esay 55.1 Esay 55.2 he offers him in all kinds of things usefull and nourishing wine honey oyle bids her eate good things and delight her selfe in fatnesse In Pro. 7. Prov. 7.1 he invites her to his feast and provision of all choice dainties not for necessity onely but for fulnesse for delicacy for variety and delight for safety for durablenesse In Psal 23. Psal 23.3 hee leades her as a shepheard into his pastures streames folds guards her against dangers and death annoints her head with balme Cant. 4.13 and fills full her cup. In the Canticles he makes himselfe her husband to marry himselfe to her and bestow all at once upon her his garments smell of mirrhe Cinnamon and Cassia In Psal 84. Psal 84.11 he denies her nothing that is good for her either for light or defence in those Parables he makes her a feast Luk. 15.23 brings out the Calfe In Iohn 6. Iohn 6.55 tells her his flesh is not onely life but meate indeede and his blood drinke indeede And plainely saith They that live in him shall abide in him and out of their belly shall spring up waters of life they that eate him shall not dye but live for ever In Revel 3. Revel 3.18 he offers himselfe to her in all respects Attire for nakednesse Gold for poverty eye-salve for blindnesse himselfe a supply of all necessities How much more then doth hee leade her to this great Sacramentall promise mentioned in the Text This is my body given for you this is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood 2. Brings the fulnesse of Christ into the promise Againe the Spirit of the promise brings the Lord Iesus and all his fulnesse of nourishment into that promise the spirit of nature doth not so prepare the nourishment of the infant and seale it in the brest for more easie fastning than the Spirit doth settle all the fulnesse of Christ in a promise so that it offers it selfe to the hungry soule Besides 3. Puts the truth of the promiser into it it put the faithfulnesse of the promiser into the promise all the tendernesse and compassion of Christ to the wants of the Church and the truth of his meaning not to faile her in any good thing he can helpe her with Furthermore it strips her of all her owne strength 3. Strips the soule of her selfe tells her that although shee be borne of God yet except hee cleave to her as a feeder as a father a nurse a supply she cannot subsist shee will goe to worke else with her owne tooles and compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles Esa 50. ult and deceive her selfe with her owne trash shee cannot doe any duty get out of any temptation beare any trouble of her selfe without Christ shee can doe nothing Moreover hee sheweth her 4. Leads her to the sufficiency of Christ all her sufficiency is from Christ The worke and life of grace requires his daily hourely acting power in her to set it on
worke or else all shee hath in her is in vaine the principle of life shee hath will not worke will not helpe except it be jogged by the Spirit that gave it as the hand that stirres the saw to quicken the operations of life no meanes no diet can nourish without this 5. Takes measure of all her wants in speciall And so I might bee endlesse For this spirit doth by a promise offer the Lord Iesus to the soule as one that knowes all her wants takes measure of her defects as one should doe of a body for apparell to make it fit and sutable So doth Christ provide all nourishment apt nourishment for every part against each corruption temptation affliction for every duty for marriage for liberty for company for Sabbaths hearing and ordinances yea to draw to an end the Spirit by the promise doth stirre up first sight of Christ her nourishment 6. Workes application of the promise secondly affections after him thirdly an hand to reach him take him put him on apply him faith to digest and draw from him whatsoever he offers her freely cheerefully confidently sensibly Faith carries her into the streame of his welfare the floods as Iob speakes of his butter and honey and venturing upon his word takes him as he offers himselfe and not by a base and trecherous heart putting him off with his store and plenty as if it were too good for her to receive Conclusion Now then to end this point if the Spirit can thus worke the heart to imbrace Christ by a promise how much more by the Sacrament of the Supper in which I may truely say the Lord Iesus is brought forth in his likenesse eminently even in the instruments and immediate manner of nourishing all Christ whole in respect of his obedience and death pardon and holinesse as a diamond not to be broken and yet broken also upon the Crosse divided into portions as the meete morsells of each poore receiver that needs his flesh and blood True bread to be her staffe of life and wine to be the cherisher of her spirits Oh! the bringing forth of these flagons in so sensible a manner to affect all her soule and to overthrow infidelity must needs be a more effectuall instrument of the Spirit to perswade her that Christ is all in all unto her for her support in grace and holinesse than eyther the word alone or any other ordinance The Lord having in speciall set the Supper apart neyther to bee a breeder at all of grace as the word preached is nor to be a nourisher in an ordinary manner as other publique or private meanes in each of which Christ conveyes himselfe his communion to the soule but an ordinance onely tending to nourish serving for the nonce and to no other purpose and therefore having no other scope must needes be most effectuall for the end it serves for Each thing is most prevalent in her owne predominancy and Element If then the spirit so can worke by the promise alone how much more by the Sacrament which represents that which it offers under the shaddow of the signes and tells the soule Ioh. 20 27. Behold the print of the nayles behold my side behold my selfe heere is my body heere is my blood given for thee shed for thee Verse 28. Be not unfaithfull bue faithfull Sooner shall bread and wine cease to nourish thy body than my flesh and blood to nourish thy soule to eternall life The conclusion is the Spirit doth more eminently convince the soule by the Supper of her nourishment by Christ than it can by the Word alone for as much as the Sacrament with the Word is above the Word The third and last question remaines 3. Quest Wherein Sacramentall Christ for our nourishment stands Answer twofold The first The object expressed many wayes wherein Sacramentall nourishment consists The meaning of which question is double The first concernes the parts of it The second the degrees of it The first lookes at the object how many wayes Christ is the nourishment of his The second rather lookes at the influence it selfe of what kinde or measure it is Touching the first As I sayd before of Baptisme that it affords to the soule Christ to be her seede in all respects of true being and regeneration so now I say the Supper offers him to the soule in each of those particulars for welbeing I have oft thought of two Texts which will expresse the difference That of Paul Ephe. 1.3 Ephe. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things by Christ doth note unto us the grace of Baptisme as all the Chapter following prooves in which the distinct essence of those blessings consists There is another in 2 Pet. Chap. 1 Vers 3. 2 Pet 1.3 His divine power ministring to us all things for life and godlinesse hee meanes not the being of those things but daily supply and increase influence from the Spirit of Christ to uphold the soule in them which hath them and this denotes the grace of the Supper Now if wee marke wee shall see the Scriptures speake of this nourishing grace of Christ sundry wayes Psal 84. Psal 84.11 Psal 37.4 He shall deny them no good thing Delight in the Lord he shall give thee thy hearts desire Doe but think what it is which of all other thou wouldst have finde out thy want and the Lord shall be thy supply noting that how infinite so ever the needs and decayes of the soule are God hath supply enough in Christ for them This is most generall Sometime the holy Ghost shortly knits up particulars as in the same Psalme The Lord shall afford light and defence to his By light including all such good things as wee call positive graces as pardon peace ability to duties c. By defence all privative grace as prevention of evill strength against enemies assaults of Sathan world flesh streights and crosses Sometimes hee is more large â— Cor. 1.30 saying that Christ is made to us wisedome to make us more and more understanding in the truths of God and direction to live accordingly righteousnesse to know our selves justified by better and surer evidence Sanctification to grow holier more mortified daily abler to walke with God in the course of our conversation Redemption to uphold us in all our troubles with more humblenesse patience faith and experience and to helpe us against all enemies till we be fully delivered from all Especially by applying it to the graces of Baptisme But as I take it the most convenient way to expresse the extent of this Grace will be to apply the Supper to all and each branch of the grace of Baptisme Breefely then marke Doth Baptisme give us an estate in Iustification Adoption Reconciliation Redemption Then the Supper confirms nourishes them Objection Heere by the way a doubt may be soone made and is as soone answered
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
bitternesse Verse 23. save onely that lust hath chained up your senses and hearts that ye feele nothing amisse and ye doe but abide under this chaine Iohn 3 ult till the day of wrath and vengeance Oh that ere that wofull houre sweepe you to hell the Lord would awake you either by his Word or Workes to see in what a wofull condition ye stand Seeing the Church doth not excommunicate you oh that you would cut off your selves as Alians from this Communion Oh that your flesh might be destroyed and your jollity subdued that if possible your soules might escape in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 Vse 2 Secondly let this be reproofe to such as goe for religious and perhaps may be so for wee cannot tell Reproofe but leave it to God and themselves to try to whom after all this long while of Sacraments the doctrine and mysterie of the Supper is both unknowne and untasted What juster complaint can wee take up among many than this that Christ the nourishment of his people is so little knowne Looke to it if the Gospell and the pearle hidden in it be yet hidden from you 2 Cor. 4 4. the God of the world hath blinded you with the ease and forme of an emptie profession that the glory of Christ should be still eclipsed from you Beware least there be not in you still a common heart a of the world which causes these spirituall things to be so harsh and unsavory With examination The first and that in five But to such as desire to be affected with their ignorance in this kind I say but this Examine and trie your selves about this weightie matter I meane the knowledge and use of Christ in the Supper and let this make amends for your ordinary egresse and regresse to this Ordinance without searching your selves I know right well Sacraments were never so common so monethly so ordinary and here and there Sermons or some kinde of preparative are made before them but who is he almost that knowes what Christ offers to be unto his truly bred ones the youth of his wombe in his Supper To whom are those flouds of Hony and Butter knowne Iob 20.17 which are in Christ for the soule that is starven and needs him Oh if Christ in the promises of nourishment were your delight your neede would make you seeke out and search after the seale annexed to the Promise that by it your bare faith naked and barren soules of the power of Christ to purge and sanctifie you might be doubly refreshed Tell me in particular Did it ever enter into you that the Lord Iesus serves to feede as well as to breede all his To nourish his in those graces of the Spirit which Baptisme hath begot in thee Doe ye know the way unto him by the Supper as to the Church by the path for making your Iustification Adoption Reconciliation more evident to your soules Doe ye lot upon it that there if any where even at the feast of Gods mountaines the broken peace of your consciences the joy of your soules the confidence contentation and liberty thereof to goe in and out with God is to be revived Why make ye then no more use hereof Why doe Sacraments then as clouds passe over your heads leaving so few of these drops upon them Oh! if you knew the gift of God truly that here is the fountaine for you to drinke at Ioh. 4.10 to quicken and enlarge the graces of the Spirit faith love courage thankes uprightnesse mercy patience and fitnesse for the Crosse all which you so infinitely want how could it be but that honest and good hearts would presse in for a childs portion as oft as God offers it Who shall beate ye off from this house of Gods provision if ye were privy to those bare walles at home from whence yee come If it could but sinke into you indeede that there is no want no disease no sinne temptation let enemy Crosse but the Lord Iesus hath there a supply for Physicke ease strength redresse Oh! a man might as soone rate a Begger from some great house of almes as discourage you from the Supper If there the Lord Iesus emptie his treasures of wisedone and direction for the order of your tongues marriages families companies buyings and sellings and so to make your whole round of conversation sweet reformed Oh! how is it possible that yee who complaine so much of your wants in all these should not come to Christ here as those sterven Leapers fell upon the full tents of the Aramites here catching up meat for hunger 2 King 7.8 drinke for thirst apparrell for nakednesse gold and pearles against povertie both for the present and for time to come But alas yee know it not Secondly trial in foure particulars Againe if ye shall say yee hope yee have got these in the Sacrament I answer I know some doe but seeing I speake to the body of Christians who doe not it cannot hurt any to try that also I may truly say All such as find Christ such nourishment to them may be knowne by their fruits Oh! they are healthy and prospering they discredit not Gods diet are not meager evill favoured surfited with ill humors pride ease the world revenge hypocrisie This Physicke and Diet of Christ broken and crucified hath given corruption her deadly bane more or lesse in point of reigning and deluding and defiling them they loathe to decline from Gods truth and the power of it the wayes of starters and revolters and time-servers are as vile to them as drunkennesse or uncleannesse They hold their own towars God in some poore sort and this pulse of God as it s counted although indeede restorative flesh and bloud of Christ is made flesh of their flesh and runs in their veines and ministers vigour spirit and life unto them to keepe them in Christs body in the midst of all the pollutions and declensions and coolings and cursed examples of this world Secondly this Supper of the Lord Iesus battens and makes them thrive in grace makes their grace more more savory better qualified enlarged in measure more humble meeke patient and heavenly than when they first beleeved This grace of the Sacrament heales them of an hide-bound heart dead and stale weary and ready to stand still in grace Every Sacrament addes a little of Iesus Christ his tallnesse thicknesse depth and makes them increase in favour with God in credit with his Church to reach further than formerly they did and to be enlarged in holy abilities for God and his Service loathing to stand still as much as to bee quite dead Thirdly they shall find it by their setlednes of spirit and holy purpose of heart to keepe the commandements Psal 119.57 and to cleave to the Lord as Barnabas saith Act. 13.27 Act. 13.27 They shall wax more rooted grounded both in truths especially the maine and in the
not for the fruit Vse all these in their kindes but enjoy these and in so doing ye have the perfection which nothing else can and these doe affoord to the soule But heere yee will say is the difficulty I answer I will point briefely at two or three branches of direction and so conclude Directions for it three The first delight in God Psal 37. The first is this Delight in the Lord for this perfection of soule-content which he offers in his Christ The perfection of love is joy let him have perfect delight of thy heart for his perfect nourishment If David said well Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire how much more then set thy heart upon him when he hath already done it that hee may doe it more Vse the Ordinances of Word of Prayer yea of this Sacramentall Christ our nourishment as a stirrop to get up into this full safe pure and durable object of delight in the Lord his Christ and Spirit who when all these poore helpes which serve to proppe up a Pilgrims travell as so many baiting-places till he get home shall faile yet shall be the eternall delight of the soule in glory Beginne this complacence and well apaiednesse of heart heere and if it be hard pray to God to give thee a judicious heart to understand the weight and worth of the things and to delight groundedly in those things which are best approved of God to deserve it As if a Iueller assure thee of the value of a pearle he neede say no more And pray also that all thy affections may follow love joy feare to forgoe it sorrow if weakened and all the rest as in a Gentlemans house let the Master welcome a stranger and all the servants will striue to doe the like Beseech him that his Spirit of comfort by faith may not only shew thee the good things he hath given thee 1 Cor. 2 12. 1 Cor. 2 12. but shed a lively sweetnesse and joy in them into thee so that as the Vine said Iudg. 9 11 13. Thou wilt not forsake this thy fatnesse and sweetnesse for any thing Beseech him to purge thy conscience from all creeping defilements of thy selfe world Satan or crosses which might dampe it and so raise up thy soule by them above all this earth which might eclipse it If it be an heaven upon earth now and then to beleeve a promise to savor a Truth to receive a Sacrament to be in good company to resist a lust to revive a grace what should he be who is all these and whereby should the heart be sooner raised up to him than by that which makes all this good cheere the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Oh! maintaine no melancholy distrust against this But as Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 1 Sam. 1 1â— when she had heard Eli was quite another and wept no more so be thou Peninna still was a chokepeare and so shall there never cease some thing or other to correct thy content but yet Peninna now was no more thought of Remember if food and gladnesse alway go together as Act. 14.17 Act. 14 17. How shalt thou hold up thy face before the Lord of this feast if thy sad heart poison it Secondly 2 Maintaine communion with him adde thiâ—â—s maintaine this Communion with God daily As the influente of Christ in the Sacrament is a speciall peece of our communion with God so when wee are gone it should make us fond to hold it that wee might bee as it were drunk with the wine of his cellars and the pleasures of his house That so wee may keepe a communion with him daily from Sabbath to Sabbath and be alway breaking bread and receaving as those disciples at Ierusalem who attended the comming of the Holy-Ghost David was so ravisht with that hee felt in the house of God that he saith had I but one thing of God this it should be Psal 27. That I might behold his face in the beauty of his Temple and holinesse and yet he might never come into the Priests Sanctuary much lesse rhe Holy of Holies to see the merciseat and the Arke under it covered with glorious Cherubins which wee may doe daily This is to spend our whole life in Gods House Psal 23. ult Psal 23 6. Not to be never out of it which old Anna her selfe could not but to retaine that savor of immortalitie and hope of eternall life which the communion of Saints in the world and Sacraments doth breed in the soule Oh the smell of these spices in the garden which the North-winde of the Spirit doth afford to our nostriles Cant. 4 16. Cant. 4 16. should so perfume us as all other fellowship should stinke unto us as no douht Peter his nets did and all the world when he was with Christ and Moses and Elias upon the Mount and would have built three Tabernacles Math. 17 4. and said It is good to be there As those brutish ones longed When will the Sabbaths be gone and the new Moones be past meaning those feasts of continuance for weekes so shouldst thou long for them When will they come And with David Psal 84. Psal 84.3 Oh my heart fainteth and my feete long for to goe to thy Temple How rare are such in these dayes in which though our cups and vessels be of silver and gold yet our receivers are wood and stone for the most part and such as savor not this bread of life and food of Angels How should we be afraid lest this Idoll of forme eate up all as those leane Kine in Gen. 41 18. Gen. 41.18.16 20. and lanke eares devoured the fat and full ones Where is hee who so comes to the Sacrament as loth to leave it and to goe into the aire of the world againe I â—â—mmend not the excesse of these old Monkes who forsooke the course of the world for to live alway in holy services But this I say few such there are who doe so much as hold any savor of this communion of Christ Sacramentall a few dayes after Oh! then such as have found this hoord of grace in the Supper keepe it daily also that it may attend ye fortie dayes till the Mount of God Directions for it Therefore let our daily course hold this communion But how may some say I will adde one or two words of direction First in the due exercise and quickning of the graces of the Spirit within us both the life of faith in all estates blessings and crosses in all meanes ordinary and extraordinary in their season as well as the Supper all having their particular use also in all duties of both Tables and the fruits of this faith I meane the graces of hope love to the Saints the partners with us in this communion Psal 16 2. Psal 16 2. and patience humilitie courage thankfulnesse and the rest of
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
is the highest perswasion and Sacramentall sealing the highest sealing We doe not limit God to his Sacraments but ordinarily we say he limits himselfe in this kinde Lastly I adde the most apt way to get the perswasion of the Spirit in an higher measure is to hold close to the lower measure As in the promise the best way to get the perswasion of the Spirit of promise is to cleave to the bare naked word and truth of the Promiser for himselfe So the next way to compasse the best measure of sealing perswasion in the Sacraments is to come unto them with faith in the perswasion of a promise for marke the Spirit in multiplying perswasion doth never lose the former measures but holds them still as grounds unmoveable He that can now swimme without bladders yet retaines the skill he got first by them and he that makes true Latin of his experience and art yet forgets not his Rule by which he first attained it still the power of the bladders abides in the man who swimmes alone and still the power of the Rule is in him who of himselfe doth suddenly speake true Latine Even so the promise still abides in the seale of the Sacrament and the perswasion of the sealing Spirit although it be above a promise yet it is not without it but holds the relation close Even as the seale and delivery and seasin of a purchase is above a Covenant yet never without it but alway relating to it and adding a superiour strength which it had not before of perswasion and assurance Vse Terror in two Branche◠Now I finish with the Vses First if the Sacrament of the Supper hath this end to seale the assured growth of the soule in grace let it be terrour for two sorts 1. Papists who pervert the end of the Sacrament to base hellish ends of their owne of which before Secondly profane ones who come in their sinnes who turne the Table of God into the table of divels yea turne the seale of the grace of Christ into a Seale of Gods Curse into gall poyson and the water of triall of the Adulteresse The Sacrament is not given thee to beget thy soule to God but to nourish it being begotten When then thou commest to the Supper bearing the Lord in hand that thou art the Lords Lo thou callest for vengeance if thou be an unregenerate one still Thou saist in effect Lord let this Bread and Wine be my bane if I belong not to thy Covenant As shee that durst drinke the water of jealozie knowing her selfe defiled implied her craving the rotting of her wombe So I say to all such If they come not hither for the right end of God they cannot chuse but come for the wrong either for the better or for the worse A seale it must needes be no man can hinder it yea to a covenant if not to the Lords then to such a covenant as they belong too that is a league with hell Esay 28. a league with their lusts adultery pride c. As if the Lord should say Bee thou yet more filthy still by rebuke of my Sacrament more proud more profane Adde drunkennesse to thirst Fulfill thy measure It s not my Sacrament which causes thee to bee so but thy uncleane dungill which dare offer it selfe to the pure beames thereof As Ieremie Lam. 3. Lam. 3.65 So doth this ordinance cry in Gods eares Lord seale them to an hard heart which is thy curse to an hard hart which cannot repent mourne beleeve because they have abused all thy calles in the word all thy patience and meanes and dare come hither in their sin send them hence with thy blacke marke upon them for the scaring of others Nay the Spirit of this seale cryes after yee ere yee bee gone out of the presence of God saying how durst thou sit here to catch the food of my People with a dogs impudencie with that heart which thou bringest with thee frō the alehouse or thy harlot or oathes Goe thy wayes never fruit grow more upon thee No raine no dew fall upon thy hard heart That which was a snare to Iudas Iohn 13 26 even the Table and soppe of Christ be a snare to thee to fall and rise no more If thou wouldst avoyd this let this Doctrine of the seale pull thee to the knowledge of the Covenant Vse 2 Secondly let it be an use of mourning to us that we have so few to whom the end of this Sacrament pertaines Sure if it be the Sacrament of any it s theirs whose hearts want sealing of faith in the Promise question the perseverance of their faith their comfort hope peace Doubt that these decay so fast as they shall hardly recover them and feare that Gods measures of health growth setlednesse and fruitfulnesse is too good for them But alas where are these now a-dayes Hath not the streame of this age carried them into another extreame rather of formall presumption and securitie What shall then this Sacrament doe if there be so few whom it concernes Shall it returne in vaine to him that sent it No it belongs to those few for all are not alike whom the Lord loveth and will seale to the day of the full assurance and redemption The Spirit of sealing shall not be quite streightned for all the sinne of others Mica 2 7. Vse 3 Therefore thirdly let it be admonition to all such that they slight not this end of the Sacrament Admonition upon two grounds so that it should not effect that end which it serves for To which purpose remember these two items First that this holy seale annexed to the legacies of Christs last Will and Testament doth beare date from the first Institution and was purposely then ordained by Christ because he knew the next day following it was to be in his full vertue immediatly upon the Testators death as wee reade Heb. 9 16. Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 8.56 If then those rejoyced in this sealing day a farre off ere it come and saw it as Abraham and others by faith then what excuse shalt thou pretend who seest not this power and end of the Sacrament being after the death of the Lord Iesus and being offered under the Signes of his death thou mighst not doubt of the effect of it Secondly the Supper hath the preeminence in this kinde Grounds not onely above other Ordinances of growth but even the Word it selfe wherein although there be a power also of Sealing yet not under such Evidences of the Lord Iesus crucified nor under so great an authoritie and commission to Seale Vse 4 Lastly therefore let the Lords end in the Sacrament be thine even every poore soules portion which groanes in spirit for further perswasion of her growth and increase in pardon holinesse and glory Put not off any measures or the Seales thereof which the Lord offers thee Let there be no effect of any Ordinance which thou shouldst count strange
naturall acts of applying G. SAcraments are Glasses to resemble Christ in Page 56 Growne ones must looke backe to their Baptisme Page 80. 100 Grace of Baptisme what 83. the handling of it Page 84. 85 The Grace of the Supper is whole Christ for spirituall nourishment of them that live in him Page 146 Spirituall growth is a second degree of soule prosperity or nourishment by the Supper 156. how Christ doth this Page 157 H. HOlinesse and hope of glory fruits of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirituall Health of the soule the first part of prospering by the Supper 115. what it is ib. I. INfants the object of Baptisme 78. yet not onely they ib. Baptisme of Infants proved 78. ib. and reasons for it 79. against Anabaptists Infants how capable of the grace of Baptisme 79 ibid. not by faith ibid. Idolatry prevented by the ordaining of Sacraments Page 33 Imparting our selves vid. Communicating L. LIberty from the Spirit of bondage one fruit of the sealing Spirit Page 103 M. MAtter of Sacraments must be sensible and corporall and why Page 32 Sacraments serve to be Memorials Page 56 Matter of Sacraments adulterated by Papists or disanulled Page 33 34 Minister a necessary person for Sacraments 65. His calling and person must be sutable Page 65 66. Ministeriall acts about Sacraments many Page 68 Ministers duty in Baptisme manifold and what Page 76 Matter of the Supper Bread and Wine 10. It is sensible ib. Ministers must bee reverend and holy in Taking Blessing Breaking Dividing the Sacrament vid. Breaking c. The Minister honourable for his undâ—r stewardship dealing out the portion to Gods family Page 143. N. NEcessity of teaching the doctrine of Sacraments threefold Page 5 Number of Sacra small Page 6 New Sacraments clearer fewer and effectualler than old from p. 13. to 19. Young Novices must make use of their Baptisme Page 99 Christs Body and Blood for Nourishment of a Beleever is the grace of the Sacrament 146. and how in six particulars Page 147 Christ in the Supper becomes Nourishment in all respects as Baptismâ— becomes seed Page 152 153 Christ our nourishment stands in foure parts of spirituall prosperity Page 154 Christ the Nourishment of the Beleevers a feareful Terror to al unbeleevers Page 163 Triall of the soule about Christ her Nourishment in five things Page 165 167 O. OLd Sacraments were curses to many through error See prefa Old Sacraments darke wherein and why Page 15. 16 Old Sacraments more in way of resemblances and why Page 17 Old Sacraments weaker than new and wherein Page 18 19 P. PVblikenesse of Sacraments Page 7 Popish colours for abasing the Sacraments of the old Testament 11 12. their colours answered Page 13 Papists see not the distinct use of our two Sacraments but confound them Page 26 Propriety of Elements twofold Page 38 Papists ill judges of Sacramentall union and why Page 46 47 Sacraments are pledges and seales of Gods truth and covenant The point opened 57. 58. Also of our fidelity to him Page 61. ibid. Popery abuses the Sacrament to prophane ends Page 63 Persons occupied about Sacramental acts who Page 65 Person of a scandalous Minister weakens but disanuls not the Sacrament Page 67 Parents duty in Baptisme what Page 74 Popish darknesse in the signes of the Supper and in the doctrine of it Page 110 Popish bravery of Sacraments confuted Page 111 Perpetuity of the Supper Page 118 Prayer the first part of consecration of Supper elements 119. and why 120. ib. what it containes ibid. Personalnesse and Peculiarnesse two causes of distribution of Supper Page 137 Popish denying the cup wicked Page 140 Peace and joy confidence one marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirit of Prayer another marke ibid. People must cling to the Supper for their owne portion Page 144 R. RElapsers or revolters must make use of their former Baptism Page 101 Receiving of the Supper vid. Taking S. NAme of Sacrament how used Page 1 Season of Sacraments Page 8 Sacraments to be applied according to our necessities Page 26 Substance of a Sacrament what The description of it Page 28 Simplicity and meannesse of Sacraments for two causes 35. first for generality then for safety ibid. it should excite in us spiritualnes Page 36. ib. and 37 Gods security by Sacraments is best of all Page 60 Sealing power of Sacraments vid. Pledges The Spirit of Christ is the inward Baptist what it doth See preface Selfe-deniall or stripping of our selves requisite for applying Baptisme Page 89 Spirit of Christ the true steward to feed the hungry soule See preface Markes of the sealing Spirit of Baptisme Page 102 103 104. What the Supper of the Lord is Page 105 Order of the Supper Page 106. ib. The Sensiblenesse of bread and wine in the Supper vid. Matter of Supper Simplicity of the Supper-elements Page 11 Teaching spirituallnesse ead Separation of the Elements the first part of Taking 114. Setling the Elements to their use the second part of Taking ead Christ our Steward to be magnified in the Supper for his provision Page 141 The Supper is to the promise as the assumption to the proposition Page 142 Christ in the Supper exhibited as nourishment more fully than in the promise onely that in 6. respects Page 149 Stablenesse and setlednesse in grace is a third degree of soule prosperity by the Supper and how Page 258 159 A view of that order which the Spirit useth in Sacramentall sealing of the soule in foure branches Page 194 195 Sealing power of the Sacraments a terror to unbeleevers Page 197 Sealing power of the supper to be mainly sought by the good Receavers Page 198 T. TRansubstantiation confuted Page 48 How it grew Page 49 and Page 108 Taking of the Bread and Wine the first act of the Minister Page 114. 117 Thanksgiving a second part of Christs consecrating supper elements Page 125 Why Page 125. ib. 126 127 Taking the supper aright an act of the Receiver concurring with the offer of the supper in all the properties of it Page 173 174 All lets of Taking Christ by faith in the supper to be abhorred Page 184 V. VNion a maine part of Sacramentall being 42. the sorts of union Page 43 Vnion Sacramentall is not corporall but reall 45 46. and mysticall ibid Vnion Sacramentall inferres no confusion of the signes with the grace Page 47 Vnion is appointed for familiarising Christ with us Page 49 The wofulnesse of Vnbeleefe in not taking Christ in the supper Page 176 W. APplying our selves to the word necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 90 Wisedome of God in uniting all Christ in each Sacrament Page 133 Weaknesse of our nature the occasion of ordaining Sacraments Page 33 Weake ones must not deny Christ in his supper to be their nourishment Page 168 Little sence of weakenesse in Receivers hinders the worke of the sealing spirit Page 198 FINIS THE SECOND PART OF THE TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS Wherein the Doctrine of our
due Preparation to the receiving of the Supper of the Lord is handled together with our due behaviour in and after the same An Appendix shewing First how a Christian may finde his Preparation to the Supper sweet and easie Secondly the causes why the Sacrament is so unworthily or fruitlesly received by the worser or better sort with the Remedies By D. R. B. of Divin Minister of the Gospell 1 COR. 11.28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. Verse 29. For who so eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes for Iohn Bellamie dwelling at the three Golden Lyons in Corne-hill 1633. THE SECOND PART OF THE TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS CHAP. I. Concerning Sacramentall Triall in generall the Description of of it and the duty it selfe propounded reasoned and urged HAving treated hitherto of the Doctrine of the Sacraments wherein the use of Baptisme was urged it now remaineth that wee come to the exercise of the Supper of the Lord Entrance Whereunto this second Treatise shall serve if God will and wherein somewhat more largely the Doctrine of our Preparation to this Sacrament shall bee propounded The rather seeing it was the chiefe scope of the Booke it selfe and which occasioned at first the former Discourse That so the religious Reader might in one view both understand what a Sacrament is and how to be received Concerning which I purpose to describe what this preparation is and then in speciall to descend to the branches whereof it consists with the use and application thereof and so with some directions and caveats at the end to conclude the Treatise Sacramentall Preparation and Triall is a duty required by God Description of Sacramentall preparation at the hands of all and every that desire to receive worthily by the due exercise whereof a man may discerne whether or no he be qualified to receive and accordingly either proceede to Communicate with comfort or else desist for the present till better prepared I will briefly touch upon the severals of this description Six branches which are these six First what difference there is betweene Preparation and Triall Secondly that Triall is a Divine command Thirdly the Persons who are to try Fourthly what the due exercise of trying is Fiftly the different sorts of religious search and how this Sacramentall search differs from them Sixtly and lastly the end and scope hereof The second and fourth of these I reserve to the last place as most essentiall to the duty Touching the rest in their order I shall first speake a little of them and so of the two other In what respect preparation and triall differ And first let none cavill at my differencing Preparation from Triall I know well that they agree in one and that the former word usually is taken for the whole Triall of a Communicant My meaning by it is to shew what a man who would try himselfe aright is to doe ere he set himselfe about the worke That is Preparation is more generall to bring himselfe within some such compasse as may fit him the better to close with a triall of himselfe Not onely to sequester himselfe from other businesse and objects of the world and his calling that he may do but one thing at once but also to call in and to calme his thoughts and affections so that he may be himselfe and gather up his loose garments and gird the loynes of his soule to do this maine worke well that is with a close reverend and intent purpose of heart Salomon hath a sweete speech Prov. 18.1 For a mans desire he will separate himselfe that is lay aside for the time all other businesse and thoughts of lesse consequence that he may doe the maine thing to be desired Mat. 13 44 in a more due manner And when the Merchant had found the Pearle he is said to withdraw himselfe that is to go apart and to weigh well the worth of that he had found And in the story of Rehoboam the holy Ghost uses this phrase of preparing the heart to seeke God noting that to seeke God either in the worke of Conversion or in any service and ordinance requires a separation of the soule from the usuall affaires of the world which distract the minde from weightier objects As Solomon speakes of the foole so it may be said of most men who yet thinke themselves wise Their eyes are in every corner of the world that is so busied and hurried about a thousand vagaries and fancies abroad that they are no where lesse than where they should cheefly be in the meditation of heavenly things Hence that complaint of most that meditation is so difficult to them others their memories are so fickle because they divide and cut themselves as Martha into many peeces Luke 10. ult who should rather unite themselves closely into one and because they have stuft and fraught their mindes and hearts with so manifold thoughts and have so many irons in fire at once that one hurts another as in the crowding of a multitude at a small wicket at which one by one might enter easily we set its long ere any one can well get through Vse of it A point of singular use 1. Reproofe condemning first that brutish prophanenesse of many who to bewray what hearts they have can hardly bite in their common talke and thoughts of base carnall things when they are to kneele down to prayer in their families but mixe one so with another till they breed irkesomnesse in others and a pollution of holy things to themselves Perhaps all are not so grosse as once one was in his saying Grace before meate who brake off usually in the midst to bid his servant to set his dishes aright but surely the sinne of most men is great in this kinde Except God will take them as he findes them deepe in their businesse and over head eares in other matters he must pardon them for Triall at the Sacrament for indeed they have used thēselves to such a course that either they must defile Gods worship with their own vanities pleasures profits either they must serve God and Mammon at once or not at all they never knew what an empty heart meant unloaden of her usuall thoughts and affections prepared for God serious and withdrawne from it selfe They count it impossible to attaine to it To whom I say As good never a whit as never the better Vse 2 Secondly this instructs us about the nature of Gods worship It s a separation of the whole man for God Instruction and that not in publike onely where our shops and trades and affaires must be cast out but in secret also To have some few wandring thoughts after God to cast in a word by the way of religion to heare a chapter read in the clutter of houshold businesse is no worship for
used by the Apostle The difficulty of this triall 1 To discerne hypocrisie from soundnesse is not a word which aimes at some defect in the measure of our grace onely as the triall of light gold may be dispatch'd by weights which any man may use but it especially signifieth triall of substance and soundnesse of mettals such as onely the Goldsmiths skill can finde out the Touchstone and the Fornace onely can trie gold or separate the silver from the drosse Even so it s not a common skill nor easie worke to discover the soundnesse or falsehood of the heart in matter of grace There is nothing more hard than this discovery 2 Cor. 11 14.15 Satan and Hypocrites can transforme themselves into Angels of light and make men to think them so And the hollownesse and depth of the heart and the selfe-love of it in easily beleeving our selves to be that wee would be and yet are loth to be is unspeakeable Nothing more easie than to pray for such things as indeed wee would not have if God would give because then our hearts and courses must be changed and yet wee thinke wee pray aright Nothing more easie than to looke upon our selves in our outside of duties and performances and reflect an opinion thereby that wee are true worshippers No grace but a false heart will counterfeit and the depth of the heart is such that there is no shew of meekenesse innocencie tendernesse of spirit thankefulnesse love of Gods people but a bad person may accommodate himselfe unto and act a part therein The soundnesse of the heart is very hard to discerne 2 To discerne soundnesse where it is Secondly although there be soundnesse in the heart yet it is not alway discernable As it is not easie to finde a Pearle in the dunghill nor a needle lost in rushes so its hard to finde out a little truth of heart and faith when they are so covered and mixed with abundance of drosse Besides it is no easie thing although a man finde them yet to walke constantly with God in the practise thereof 3 To discerne our not improving of grace Either in our privacie 2 Iohn 8. It s with us as with the foole who not knowing the worth of gold stoppes here a peece in an hole there another in the thatch and forgets it So doe wee slight tha grace which should rule us in each part of life lose the good things which have cost us labour to come by It s hard to improove the things wee have heard and learned and to bring them forth in due season they are to seeke with us patience when wee are provoked faith when wee see no likelihood of Gods hearing or answering our prayers and so of the rest as it is with tooles seldome used so there growes a rust upon the gifts of God in us for lacke of watchfull improovement Sloth and ease do fret into us as a kanker and creepe so insensibly upon us that they marre us ere wee be aware The Talents of God which wee have received become unprofitable in us The greatest part of the duties we do is not the least of them we omit in the use of meanes and Ordinances formality and commonnes unreverence unsavorines defiles us and the life of faith in crosses blessings duties is very poore and wanzing in us It were endlesse to speake of all Or in our outward course Now if it be so hard to trie our grace how much hard to trie our whole course in which the wearisomnesse of our hearts doth tire us so that the errors thereof in so manifold parts cannot be reckoned as the sinnes of our single estate or married state our callings dealings in the world lawfull liberties company solitarinesse with other innumerable occasions wherein as it is hard to survey our selves distinctly so it s as hard to watch to our rule unweariedly Much more is it hard to trie our corruptions To conclude if the triall of our grace be such what is the triall of our corruption Who can perceive the danger whereto the best lie open by the unspeakable sweetnesse of their personall and beloved sinnes How secretly doth Satan and lust creepe in as sleepe to one warme in his bed even to an honest heart ere it be aware By what fine slights is it at first entertained either because it is but one or small or soone shaken off And having once entred how doth it defile the conscience When once the tendernesse and sensiblenesse of the soule which is the Sentinell is gone how soone doth sinne grow upon it and increase That whereas at first it seemed a great thing to attempt now it seemes little to goe through with it and that which seemed little now becomes as nothing till at length it foulds up the heart in selfe-love and carelessenesse and growne to a custome and falling sicknesse that it is a great difficultie for a man to picke out an end in this confusion of estate or to know where to beginne or where to end So then if triall bee so hard a taske how due and conscionable ought the practise of it to bee seeing the Lord hath set the Sacrament to bee the awer and holder in compasse of our course Reason 2 Secondly except wee trie our selves before wee come the Lord who searcheth and trieth the reins will search and trie us to our cost and little to our likeing Hee will revenge our profaning of his Seale with sealing up our soules and giving us over to those evils in which we presumed to come so that they shall become our scourges penalties to harden and defile us draw impenitencie over our spirits that although we would we shall not repent Perhaps if we may escape present judgement upon our persons Rom. 2.3 to be smitten downe suddenly with a thunder-bolt or to be plagued in our bodies and children with sicknesse or death as those Corinthians wee are content the Lord should deale with us otherwise as hee pleaseth 1 Cor. 11.29 But oh wretches To be accursed with barrennesse for ever with an insensible dedolent heart with a dead benummed spirit to be stript of those gifts wee seem'd to have to be sent more emptie away from God than wee came to be pull'd out with that guest that wanted his wedding garment and cast into utter darkenesse Mat. 22.11 these are curses tenne times greater than the former Thou eatest and drinkest thy owne condemnation as Iudas did the handsell whereof was this that upon the eating of the soppe Ioh. 13.27 Satan entred into him and fill'd his heart ripened his treachery and seal'd him up to a desperate resolution that he would finish it though hee went to hell for it They that judge not themselves make worke for the Lord to judge them finally 1 Cor. 11 30. and although it appeare not to men yet the wrath of God abides upon them and shall in time smoake out as
thy cavils thinke not thy case desperate Say not there is no hope for so saped a wretch as thou Who can tell Perhaps the Lord may bring hony out of a carrion and even out of thy long contempt fetch humiliation and repentance I have knowne some touch'd more by the Sacrament than by any terrour beside That the Lord hath so long spared them in patience they have concluded hee hath done it to breake their hearts Perhaps the Lord will turne away his fierce anger that thou perish not Howsoever it fare bee doing humble thy soule and chuse if thou must perish to perish in thy triall rather than justly to runne hazard and rush into assured miserie by not trying Vse 2 Secondly this should be exhortation Exhortation to all sorts Minister and people strong and weake all who would behold the Lord Iesus his face with joy in his Ordinances to submit themselves to this triall 1 To Ministers Iude verse 23. The Minister first knowing this terrour of the Lord let him with compassion plucke as many out of the fire as hee can by a carefull instructing of the people in this way of triall It s not one of the least objections which are made against it that they have none to direct them No bucket for this deepe Well no man to thrust them into this poole How shalt thou answer the losse of so much bloud of soules when God shall call thee to account I know indeede that where the Minister is most faithfull many people are contemners but their bloud be upon their owne heads save thou thine owne soule and let them not perish by thy sinne Secondly let all godly Ministers doe their uttermost to debarre all open despisers of this Ordinance from partaking it Though they have but small power of the keyes of censure in their hands yet let them use the key of Doctrine so much the rather to stoppe as many as may bee from running upon the pikes of vengeance Likewise let all faithfull receivers looke to this dutie 2 To the people and upon no colour either of their knowledge or former use of it or other occasions neglect it either for themselves or their families committed to them The Lord will accept a little endeavour and judges us not according to that we want but that wee have if there bee faithfulnesse And let none thinke that this dutie is so urged as if there were any merit in it from the worke wrought No thy searching it selfe stinkes and thy very cloathes may defile thee if thou looke at thy selfe But looke at him that commands it and hath promised a blessing to it that is So let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup Let this welcome encourage thee And because I have already laid downe some properties of triall for thy direction I say no more but seeke the Lord in prayer and deniall of thy selfe to helpe thee to put one these cords and ragges to come out of thy ill custome And to shut up all let mee encourage all faithfull endeavourers to trie themselves I know there is cause for many tender hearts foile themselves sore in this worke and make the remedy worse than the disease They say These rules are so strickt that they shall never practise them and therefore cannot bee prepared yea they say the more they search themselves the more drosse and scurffe they meete withall To whom I answer First let no difficulty of selfe-triall in the point of the measure thereof dismay any let sloth contempt and wilfulnesse be absent and the Lord will both admit of their honest endeavour to trie and also the weaker they are so much the more welcome them to the Sacrament which is more especially belonging to the weake than the strong Secondly I say Although by triall they meete with much corruption yet better to be met with than concealed Neither doe they meete with it to favour it but loathe it and they so meete with more corruption than they dream'd of that also they finde a Pearle in their Dunghill and more grace than ever they looked for unlesse slavish feare and unthankefulnesse doe blind-fold them Let them thereby the more praise God who pardoneth these their transgressions and say Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult and then although they must adde who is so corrupt a wretch as I yet mercy shall drowne their sinne in the Sea never to appeare more Therefore let them bee comforted and looke what hath beene said in the generall touching Triall let them wisely applie to the particulars following to helpe themselves forward in the practise thereof This much for the Vses 2 Generall Object of triall threefold Having thus spoken of the properties of triall I come to the Object And that is threefold A Communicant is to trie himselfe either Estate first about his estate in grace Wants Or secondly his wants or else Graces thirdly about his Sacramentall grace concerning which God willing in the following Treatise more shall be said in their order CHAP. II. Of the Triall of our estate toward God Trial of estate COncerning which Triall although I know there be such strange spirits stirring in these our dayes as take for granted that all those that are baptized and live under the Gospell in a visible Church are undoubtedly in good estate of grace without any more a doe and therefore will reject this as needlesse to trie our estates by surer warrant yet because I know none of indifferent judgement but abhorre their conceit I shall take libertie to confute them with silence and to proceede to shew what better triall of a mans estate towards God may be found Objection against it Only one objection of greater moment I most first remove out of the way to wit that the calling in question of our estate toward God upon every such occasion as the Sacrament may seeme to inferre that a Christians estate is a very staggering condition which may easily bee doubted and suspected as also it may seeme to turne Christian liberty into a slavish and fearefull bondage Answer 1 To which I answere That it is no such matter The reason of the Triall is this First the Sacrament being a seale of the covenant of grace as oft hath beene sayd and no converting meane of the gracelesse unto grace properly needes it must bee that every one who would finde it as a seale to his soule of the encrease of Grace received must first approve his estate in grace to bee sound except the Spirit of God should bee made a servant of sinne and subject to the presumption of hypocrites willing to set his seale to a blanke Things standing in relation import an excluding of such as are out of that relation Ex. gr If the Prince should graciously proclaime that hee would renue the Charter of some Corporations in such a Countie No village Townes or places that never had any such priviledge
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
absence Did the absence of that thou wouldst have make thee so restlesse after further measure that yet thou didst quietly submit to be the whilest as God would have thee To be very glad and boast of thy nothing that the glory of grace and the name God might bee magnified That God might have his ends in meere grace to such a base emptie one than thou thy owne ends in being filled to the brimme This is a speciall good signe Fiftly didst thou continue striving thus till the Lord drowned thy selfe and thy Distempers both on right hand and left in the truth of the promise And dost thou labour thus to hold it according to it as the truth is in Iesus Without hookes or crookes resisting the dayly recourse of slavishnesse ease selfelove puâ—ling up worldlinesse Eph. 4.22 or any lust which might defile the sweetnesse of Christ and waken thy faith in him Are these markes in thee true and soundly wrought Then are they good though weake Thirdly art thou called Try it by the perfecting and fulfilling grace of God Canst thou then say That the worke of saith is finisht in thee with Power and perswasion Canst thou say if thou have beene deceived in beleeving God hath deceived thee If thou perish by beleeving thou art content Canst thou buy and sell upon Gods Word And doth the Spirit of the Promise deliver thee into it Dost thou finde that sealing of heart thereby which fills thee with peace and joy through beleeving Then is thy sparke growne to a flame and the Lord hath brought forth thy judgement to victory Lesse measure than this may yet be a true signe but this is a fuller signe Secondly is the love of God in thy soule as coales in thy bosome 2 Cor. 5 14. Doth it constraine and hemme in thy heart to love him againe To thinke no duties too hard no measure too much Doth it worke life in graces in Meanes using and workes of piety and charity to God and man Or is it a love comming from a dead faith Iâ—â—â— 2 20. which will suffer thee to bee proud and selfe-loving unmercifull carelesse barren in fruits worldly coveteous Thy faith is vaine and thy love rotten But canst thou say The love of God is a fire in thy bones to purge thy drosse to kindle thy heart to all love thankes uprightnesse humblenesse innocencie and fruitfulnesse It s a good signe Thirdly hath God declared his righteousnesse unto thee from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 both of kind and measure Trie it then For the former thus God hath given all his a double Portion standing in a coppy hold and a free hold the one by grace imputed which the soule takes up by the Court Roll of the Promise holding upon another The other by a grace inherent which it takes by the livery and seasin of the sanctifying Spirit Try then Canst thou say thy faith hath both a hand to take the one and the other To take both righteousnesse from faith of justification to faith of sanctification Darest thou not sever those things which God hath joyned It s a good signe of a faith pretious for kinde if by the same faith thou canst receive both kinds of righteousnesse though by a severall conveiance Fourthly try the measures of it If God Righteousnesse be from faith lo faith it proceedes from one step and degree to another gettes to it selfe more Promises more evidences yea stronger and greater Canst thou say it is so with thee dost thou grow from faith of salvation to faith of government Is thy cheefe religion thy living by faith Is thy faith thy bottome for law obedience and not thy Morality the bottome of thy faith Is Christ reveald to thee from faith in his Priesthood to faith in his Prophecy and Kingdome to guide thee and rule thee Doth the peace of thy King so awe thee that rather than thou woldst forgoe it thou wouldst for go all And doth the Law of the same Spirit of Christ which hath freed thee from hell act all thy whole man the powers and members of it so that in some measure not thou livest but the LORD Iesus in thee to doe all thy workes for thee It s a sweet signe Fiftly Try thy selfe in the Bent and streame of thy Spirit Though thy errors and defects are many yet if still thy spirit bee upright thy Course taking it generally is sound thy frailties are covered the Lord lookes not upon thee and thy sinnes but upon his grace in thee Feare not it s a good signe And thus might I be large But I content my selfe with a draught in steed of many Now because this first tryall of calling Triall 3. Fruites of calling and of a good estate toward God is more large and full than some weake ones can reach At least they may be dismaid by the weightinesse thereof Besides these I will yet adde a second sort of markes that is some severall fruits of grace as the soule may discover them more easily in it selfe to flow evidently from faith of Gods elect of this sort are these following in which I observe no method but name them as they offer themselves let every man take notice of himselfe by his owne earmarke Mark 1 First if wee abuze no truth of God to wantonnesse and security it s a signe wee bee those children for whom Gods Bread is prepared For example these are holy Truths of God and blessed encouragments The Righteous fall 7 times a day The Lord sees no iniquity in Iacob Pro. 24.16 Numb Whom God pardons one sinne to hee will pardon all No beleever can fall totally from God GOD loves his when hee afflicts them for their sinne In many things wee sin all No man heere can bee perfect but our perfection is the sight of Imperfection GOD compts our endeauours and wills for performances Faith is not the excellencie of apprehending and feeling the good of the object but our cleaving to a word All things even sinne turnes to the good of Gods elect None come to Christ save such as are drawne by God Our comfort stands not in our repenting but beleeving especially and the like Now the triall is If these bee snares to us causing vs to fall to sloth and soosnesse it s a signe we are dogs but if they worke kindly to provoke us to jealozy and more awe it s a signe of children For example the sins of Gods people God turnes to their good Rom. 8.28 and hee loves them when yet hee afflicts them for sin Oh then how much more gracious will hee bee to such as walk with him Those that truely beleeve are elected Oh! how then wil my soule strive for Faith that I may proove my election Not be desperate because if I be elect I shal beleeve In a word when such Truthes are used for encouragment to the tender not occasions to presume it s a good signe Mark 2 Secondly if wee find the
Arguments of the world to work in us by contraries As for example if when the world argues for loosenesse by the custome of the times As Eph. 5.17 wee argue then for so much the more closnesse in walking with GOD and then above all thinke its a season for us to draw neer to God Psal 73. the end Mark 3 Thirdly if when we may for ought man knowes scape well and avoid the mark of a sinner yea when we are in most secret privacy from men yet our Conscience checks us and keepes us as free from it as if all eyes were upon us And besides if the secretest passages of evill gall and sting us although but omissions of some good or defect in the secret passage of our spirit wandring remisse formall in a Sabbath in prayer or worship if then we are brought upon our knees with confuzion when men magnify us for the duties we doe it s a blessed signe Mark 4 Fourthly if we shrug and start not at close and neer Truths as too hot and heavy for us if we shun not information of such but seele a spirit joyful in us that truth is brought touseven with the losse of some lust Se Gen. 39.10 which the ignorance of it did nourish in us it s a sure signe that the more the Lord costs us the more wee love him and would lose any thing for it Mark 5 Fiftly if when wee feele that God payes us home for any sin or liberty wee corruptly lived in we then think it a cheape penny worth and cost wel bestowed if thereby wee may be purged and reclaymed And mutter not at the way of it Mark 6 Sixtly if that which setts us on to suffer bee the preserving of the honor of God and the purenesse and Power of godlinesse more than any respect of our owne praise or zeale 2 Sam. 6.22.23 it s a signe that we love the truth for it owne sake Mark 7 Seventhly if Gods way bee not liked because it runs in our streame but when our way runs in Gods streame If we preach not pray not worship not God because our streame of credit commings in welfare content to the flesh pleasing of man lyes that way But our zeale and service runs in Gods streame and fights under his banner and good Conscience it s a good signe For by this wee shew that wee chuse rather that our channell stand dry when Gods is full our crowne wealth gifts be cast in the dirt so the Lords crowne may stand upon his head than that our streame and ends should runne ful the Lords dry and empty When we take no more care for Gods ends than himselfe lookes for abhorring to thinke God cannot spare us except we serve him throughly with a craz'd conscience this is a sweete marke in this bad world Mark 8 Eightly if we picke out and devise duties for God when yet he streightens us so that when we cannot doe what we would yet wee doe what wee can if not openly yet secretly this argues wee serve God with our best wisdome and seek not handsome shifts not to serve him at all Mark 9 Ninthly if wee so serve God as none can but such as wee in our condition abhorring to serve him in a generality and with reservations For example If in bad times we onely rest in our faith and repentance family duties and such as all times require Act. 13.38 But serve not our time and Generation in the peculiar duties thereof Also if being rich learned honorable Ministers Magistrates wee content our selves with such Religion as any poore idiots meane ones and private ones may doe but for the duties of the rich as are rich to honor GOD with our wealth honour parts wee are farre from it This bewrayes us to be such as are nearer to our selves than God The contrary to this bad signe is a good one 10. Marke Tenthly if not onely we hate that calling and company and occasions which admit us not to serve God But also rather chuse to forgoe otherwise a lawfull calling if to us necessarily encombred with conditions of an evill conscience chusing rather to endure any streights and to trust God in a pinching crosse it s a good signe Many markes might be added whereof good bookes are full and the soules of such as are the Lords are convinced as to love a Saint as a Saint even a poore one that is so better than the tichest that is not To bee fruitfull in grace as well as gracious to change no religion with the time to mourne for sinne more than for sorrow our owne sinne more than others and yet for both sinnes and sorrowes of others as our owne to keepe the Sabboth closely and with a thousand more but these few I have chosen as perhaps agreeing best with these times and because many are not so convinced of them as were to be wished And thus much for the triall of our estate to God necessary for such as come to the Lords Table Vse Admonition in generall 1. The unregenerate Now I breefely end with the use of the doctrine First to all sorts better or worser this I say Try your estate All unregenerate ones doe it more fully toze your consciences by the parts and markes of true calling and grace And the regenerate also doe it yet with more quietnesse and lesse anxiety of heart as knowing these markes belong to them The former sort labouring to get some sence of sinne to rubbe their secure hearts to the quicke and get off their deadnesse of spirit awakening from the dead that Christ may give them light God is not the God of the dead Matth. 22.32 but of the living The Sacrament serves not to be put into the mouthes of the dead men enemies of God and strangers from the life of grace but into the soules of the living that they may prosper and grow 3. Ioh. verâ—â— How should such dare to receive the seale of a covenant of grace being in a covenant with hell and death Deceive not thy selfe If thou bee in covenant with God the fruit of the lips hath done it even the effectuall Ministery of the law and Gospel else thou art still as thou wert borne in old Adams rotten stocke There is no communion betweene lusts and Christ 2 Cor. 6.15 betweene a proud adulterous hypocriticall worldly wretch and grace Trust to it if the Lord never called thee thou art not in covenant so as by an actuall faith if God never stopt thee in thy lewd course laid it as a loade upon thy shoulders presented thee with better hopes even the hope of immortality by the Gospell digested in thy soule the value of this pearle till thou bought it Act. 15. Except the Spirit of God have purified thy soule through beleeving never count thy soule spirituall in the covenant and therefore presume not upon the seale of it Alas poore creature No seede of
balke the Sacrament and lye downe in the could Couch of the Law and water it with teares conntinually till this fulnesse bee attayned For to say truth These are the effects rather of faith when judgment breaks forth for her unto victory Mat. 12.20 than the Act of beleeving 1 By concession One thing I must freely confesse That there was never more cause than now in this forlorne Age full of formalitye and dissembling in which the Divell and the error of the wicked wold deceave the very elect if possible to presse upon the soule the necessity of faith with power For weake faith hardly will beare out the strong fiery darts of Sathan which now in this subtill world are on foot to try our effectualnesse of beleeving Men heare preachers say Faith is as true in the least sparkle of it as in the whole fire and faith may as much excell in infirmity to hold the promise upon former experience as in the greatest strength c. Now as I said before what use doth Satan make hereof in hyopcrites save this They need not bee so earnest for faith for the kind of it must save them not the measure and the weakest may bee saved as well as the strongest I could in this respect wish that so oft as Gods Ministers fall upon these Arguments they tooke as good paynes to stave off the dogges as to encourage the faithfull-weak ones For when error hath once defiled a man in the root and truth of faith then he growes presumptuous to thinke that each wanzing motion and Pang after faith is as good as that which is attended with selfedenial and cleaving to the Promise Whereas faith of the true stamp although it come short of some feelings stirrings and much more that overpowring of spirit that quashes unbeleefe yet the Spirit of grace putts forth it selfe in combat against their infidelity setts it in the forefront of Gods battery as Vriah was sett by Ioab maynteins no ease or sloth in them but rather mourning for their standing so at a stay with continuall care to proove themselves to be in the faith and their calling to it to bee effectuall And in this warfare they looke for no discharge till God have answered them in some measure But to answere the objection and so to conclude 2 By Solution I affirme that not only the weak in faith simply but even the decayed in faith yea the fallen into sinne if recover'd by faith are not to be debarred from the Sacrament till they become partakers of overpowring grace of the Spirit It were exceeding absurd for a Physition to say to one tormented with a burning ague want of sleepe or like payne That hee must forbeare Physick and lie under his disease untill he get more strength and recovery What shall Physick availe him after if hee die before Or what needs it if he be recovered the Sacrament I say still is rather the portion of the weake childe than of the strong man so that a loose dallying heart bee abhorred and to such this ordinance serveth And to say truth such poore soules need not bee urged to more sorrow than they feele for what sorrow is like theirs who mourne under unbeleefe and yet even such as experience prooves have found the Sacrament effectuall to send them away much settled and confirmed And so for answer of these doubts and also the triall of our estate in grace ere we come to the Supper thus much bee sayd CHAP. III. Of the Tryall of our wants NExt to the triall of our estate fittly offers it selfe to our view the Triall of our wants Tryall 2. Of our wants The method whereof God willing shal be this First to lay downe the grounds of this Triall Secondly to shew the Nature of a Christians wants and what sorts they are of Lastly in the use to teach us in what duties the Triall of our wants standeth 2 thing 1 The ground of this triall 2. Al have their wants The ground of this triall is manifold First the necessity of Sacramentall trying of our wants appeares in this that as the Lord enjoynes al that receave to proove themselues to have grace so he suppozes al such to have many wants therin So lōg as this body of death and back-byas of Corruption cleaues to the regenerate soule to retarde and weaken it to defile to disable to dismay to quench it a poore soule shall never want matter to cry out even when grosse evills are farr off Miserable man who shall deliver mee Rom 7.24 How shall I doe to get out of this my dead luskish lazy and unsavory course Who shall supply my wants Now then if these wants be unknowne how shall the soule bee thankefull for the releefe of them How then should a Christian search them out and marke them In the duties of both Tables in the use of the ordinances in graces of the Spirit in the order of whole conversation For the Search 1 1. The circumstances of all duty what wants have they In the ground of our Actions how ignorant are wee of GODS particular will how erroneous in discerning the colors of good and evill and easily mistaken how unwise in weighing the fitnesse or inconvenience season or vnseasonablenesse safety or scandale of our Actions Why is it so save for want of wisedome and Iudgement Search 2 2. In the manner of doing how impure unsavory inconstant irresolute why save for want of holines heavenlynesse of minde courage Search 3 3. For the measure how remisse lazy cold backward and content with any thing Why save for want of soundnesse integrity and fulnesse Search 4 4. In the end how corrupt selfeseeking forgetting both Gods honour our owne peace and the good of others Why but through want of love uprightnesse and selfedeniall And so I may say of duties in speciall How hard doe men find it to keep a mediocrity and avoyd extremities In worldly busines to goe betweene loose carelessenes or else extreame carking either wholly improvident or buried in the earth In the duty of Charity and mercy who understands himselfe bound to giue according to his estate but rather under it In our words who keeps a meane betweene silence or jangling In judging of others who shuns partiality credulity prejudice censoriousnes Search 5 The like may bee sayd of vsing the Ordinances In hearing what want of waking attendance reverence mixing the word with faith In the Sacraments what sildomenesse unpreparednesse rashnesse and profanation In prayer what formality commonnesse and distrust It were endlesse to insist in all Search 6 In the exercise of graces what carnality and sensuality is there to weaken the life of faith What one grace of the spirit Patience Love Communion of Saints mercy to the afflicted Thankfulnesse Humblenesse or the like which hath not her langour and infimity Search 7 As for the order of our Conversation what weaknesse appeares not Who observes GODS Administration towards
say They hope to doe as well as the most precise of them all Tremble Oh yee woefull men The LORD hath a feast of all good things but you are incapable of them yea bid him take them to himselfe they want none of his dishes Psal 4.6 7. They aske who shall shew us any good good bargaines marriages fellowship at the Alehouse Psal 17.14 gold and silver or if they bee full of GODS hidden treasure it is from the earth they are full and want nothing therefore all that GOD powres into them runs over Oh! doth it not scare yee that yee are bereft of any right to the Supper and that whether yee come or come not the LORD hath sworne yee shall not taste of his Supper Luk. 14.16 That hee will turne yee backe at death and bid yee satiate your selves with the things yee have gotten Oh! bee sensible and pray or rather desire others to pray for you that if possible the wickednesse and cursed barrennesse of your heart may be forgiven Vse 2 Secondly here is admonition to all who would receave aright Admonition that they beware of such evills in this kinde both on the right hand and left which might hinder them On the right hand let them be warned of two things Branch 1 First that they rest not too much upon their quicksightednesse into their wants their espiall of their usuall infirmities no nor yet their compleynings mournings and teares for them except due Tryall of wants doe attend these There is a white Divell which will tell them Oh! there be few Christians who marke themselves so narrowly as you you are happy None he puffes you up Triall of wants stands not in these onely Their wants may perish with them if there be no more but fight and complaint of them and yet I say also that many come not so farre Branch 2 Secondly when the Lord hath truly humbled yee for your wants seene and mourned for doe not so overloade your selves with them as on the other side to bee swallowed up with excesse of sorrow as if the fight thereof must needs drive yee from the Sacrament and as if none were such as you Extremities are easily runne into but the Lord will have your sorrow moderated and alayd with thankes and faith that yee may come to the Sacrament for supply Others are sensible of the same with you and no wants have yet met you save such as are incident to the godly The Lord would not shew yee your wantes to question your estate but to supply them at the Sacrament Therefore be not discouraged but argue thus If the Lord would have cast mee off hee would have left mee voyd of grace and suffered mee to runne into grosse offences rather than humbled mee in the sence of those wants which his owne may be guilty of that so hee might make mee better and according to his owne heart If I could see these wants shall turne rather to my good than drive mee away from God altogether Branch 3 Other terrours there are also on the left hand which this Doctrine meets with The one is carelesnesse the other foolishnesse For the former beware least we grow through a degenerate ease sloath of heart surfetted with the love of some lust or other to shake off the sence of our wants in a good course and so fall to delight in a spirituall decay commonnes of carriage to thinke that if wee can make a shift to rubbe through the day weeke or moneth in a smooth manner without the taint of foule sinnes it skills not although they bee passed without any closenesse fruitfull spending the time meditation watching to heart tongue and actions If this errour once take hold of thee it will turne thy wants quickly into secure contempt and loose profanenesse Abhorre it therefore Branch 4 Secondly take heede of the error of thy conceit mooving thee to thinke that the Spirit of of Regeneration which is in thee will act and provoke thee to improve the grace of God whether thou stirre or sit still sleepe or wake It is a pestilent dotage True it is the Spirit of grace is an active principle in the soule of the regenerate it is a full eternall working Spirit of it selfe able to supply all wants Phil. 4 19. as Paul speakes Howbeit not whether we will or no it s a willing not necessary or compelling principle and is given us not to let it lye by but by the daily use of meanes without and within especially by the hand of faith to be continually jogged and set on worke The sharpest saw may lye upon the timber long and neere enough but it will cut never the sooner except the lively hand of the workeman stirre and move it duly How shall the Spirit of grace worke upon thee outgrow and repell thy errors amend and supply thy wants while thou sufferest it to lye rusting and unprofitable in thee both at other times and also at the Sacrament Vse 3 Thirdly this point affords comfort and encouragement to all those who have tryed themselves about their wants Comfort Branch 1 First hereby they may know themselves by this marke to belong to God because they are daily occupied in the marking and laying to heart their wants Poore soule even that which most dejects thee should most encourage thee Objection Alas thou sayst if I had the perfections of such or such an holy Minister or Christian such tendernesse and zeale and heavenlinesse of minde as I see such doe walke with it were somewhat Answer 1 I answer thee That these holy men and women whom thou honourest so much came to their measure no other way than by feeling their wants and if they doe not still feele them as they have cause thy estate with all thy wants is better than theirs in all their perfection Sence of wants is our best degree in this life Which I speeke not to hinder thy desire of greater grace but to comfort thee against them Answer 2 Againe I tell thee thy wants argue thou hast a stocke of grace already and therefore mayst bee comforted Objection 2 Object But it is but a poore stocke Answ I answer The Lord is the maker of the poore and rich and according to his admeasurement so is thy stocke lesse or more and if thou have a stocke from the Lord thou shalt not beare the blame of the smallnesse of it so thou seeke to encrease and occupy till thy Master come All cannot have great stockes It is in the spirituall stocke as in the temporall A stocke of twenty or forty pound for a poore man is as good as hundreds to a greater man So here Those talents of knowledge and faith nay though it be but one so it be not buried in a napkin which a poore soule hath are sufficient for his estate Perhaps such a poore tradesman may by sundry occasions want heere twenty shillings there forty and so borrow and
richest are so covetous nor fine cloathes because under them is hidden many a rotten body So neyther let men mislike knowledg for the sins of them that have it No it s their hypocrisy their profanenes which defiles their knowledge It is just with God to suffer ungodly men to defile each other and them that know to lay offences in the way of the ignorant 2 Tim. 3.13 that both the offending and offended might fall and perish because neyther love the truth True it is That knowledge is not sufficient a man with it may perish but to be sure he must perish without it So much for these cavills And also of the first branch The second followeth What knowledge there is requisite 2. Generall Question what knowledge I answer First the more knowledge a man brings if conscience be thereafter the better too exact knowledge cannot be had And heere I will crave leave of my Reader to digresse a step or two mourne to consider that which according to that little experience I have had in my Ministery of late yeares I cannot but say O that I were a lyer in this A digression and caveat to ungrounded Christians viz. That hundreds of poore people in our countrey there are of whom I am perswaded they are the Lords and shall be saved who yet by all the cost and meanes which the Lord hath for 20. or 30. yeares beene at with them never came to see such sweet light order and direction by the Catechisme that they can give an account of their faith and sound knowledge therein They rest in heere a snatch and there a catch at a good point in their good affections innocent lives and blamelesse carriages But as for discerning of things peisons doctrines that differ holding that which they have spent many a weary step to come by grounding themselves upon the word for their estate and actions and seeing how they have their warrants not from a Preacher whom they love and like but from the strength of truth which cannot lye growing up in knowledge that so their hearts might waxe better and themselves more setled in Christianity Oh these things are as the sound of many waters unto them farre above them Shall I prayse you in this I speake to you of my owne flocke No I prayse you not Especially where there is a manifest defect of that which might bee As for invincible weakenesse and want of reach I am so farre from dismaying such that I doubt not to say The Lord will cloath their uncomely parts with the more honour and supply some want of judgement with much integrity and uprightnesse of heart Alas poore soules 1 Cor. 12.23 if yee wanted this too what should become of yee And because I know not whether I shall ever speake to you any more let my words sinke into you Enjoy your portion in truth and singlenesse of heart as a jewell exceeding all the skill and cunning of hypocrites Vex not your selves too much for the want of that whereby God doth so humble you for who knowes what yee would proove if your knowledge did equall some other graces and affections in yee Exhortation to others But to others this I adde Seeke as much light to guide you in this deceitfull world as possibly yee can Let not all doctrines be alike with yee Prize all but above all those which teach yee your selves and Christ and the well ordering of your conversations Psal 50. ult be wise as Serpents as well as doves in innocency let not the cunning jugling of Sathan and diceplay of men Ephe. 4.14 Eph. 4 14. so gull yee as to picke out heere one truth there another while he hath left you barren so that all is one with you whether yee live under an idle empty fruitlesse ministery or a grounded and fruitfull And the like caution I might give yee in other respects But I forbeare onely let that hope and opinion which God and his people have conceived of you bee upheld in you with honour least the Lord doe crosse you both with a staggering life and a doubtfull death because of your dallyance And so I returne againe to the point and answer Answere that it is one thing to speake of that measure of light which would doe best another of that which is simply requisite Not exquisite but competent knowledg required When I teach that knowledge is necessary I speake not as if every one who fails short of exact and cleare and full knowledge were to bee rejected God forbid for the grounds may be soundly held by many who yet faile in these As for example if I should question with many a Christian in what nature Christ subsists or how a person and a nature differ or how Christs humanity is not a person but a nature perhaps I should gravell them whereas yet they beleeve firmely the Lord Iesus to be flesh and truely God and both made one Christ for the working out their salvation The like may bee sayd of other points which to the skilfull are taken for granted yet to them are not so cleare As how Christ should satisfie and yet not tast of hellish torments in what speciall office the act of satisfying standeth To what part of the Catechisme each article of truth as the Sacrament belongs So I am perswaded many a poore soule conceives not of each mystery in the Sacramentall union although he beleeve Christ to be there present in his word and Spirit to a faithfull soule Therefore of such knowledge this I say The more the better but many who want it may yet be good receivers I know I cast bread to dogges in thus saying but weake ones must not want their due let none abuse that to slightnesse and ease which onely aymes at releefe of the weake But the question is what knowledge is needefull What this competency is Answer 1 I answer the Sacrament being one linke of the whole cheine of godlinesse must necessarily presuppose a competent knowledge both of it selfe and also of those doctrines which it depends upon For example the Supper is one of the Sacraments of the Gospell Necessary therefore it is that a man at least know what the other â—â—crament of Baptisme is upon which it dependeth Answer 2 Secondly both the Sacraments are part of those divine meanes ordayned by God to build up the soule in the power and practise of grace Needefull therefore it is that a Communicant know what the new creature meanes what sanctification is what lets it hath from sinne Sathan and world what priviledges a beleever hath annexed by God to encourage him and what those meanes are which God hath afforded the soule to susteine it from decaying in the spirituall condition Answer 3 Thirdly the new creature and sanctification being impossible to be conceived of aright without the grace and gift of faith and the Spirit of the promise necessary it is for the soule to
habite of that we know but set it on worke to the end it serveth These and such like Trialls may serve for this use which if we shall sanctifie to our selves by prayer they may stand us in some steed for the triall of our knowledge Vses 5 To conclude because I doubt not but the weake and tender christian wil be ready to snare himselfe with these rules Comfort and rather hold off himselfe by them than encourage himselfe to the Sacrament 2 Caveats Therefore these two things let me adde 1. Be not dismayed in thy selfe by thy small measure of knowledge so long as there is soundnesse of minde in thee which may bee aswell in a little as much The Lord will require of thee according to that thou hast and no more Bee faithfull in a little and thou shalt bee ruler over much Excellent is that of our Saviour Iohn 7.17 If any man doe the will of the Father he shall know of the doctrine more and more and if a man keepe my word I will come unto him and acquaint with him Looke to thy obeying heart and that hath a promise of knowing yea and that experimentally which is better than all rules or conjectures Againe if thy knowledge be sound though weake yet let this bee no let of receiving the Supper for that serves for the weake both in knowledge and in all other gifts Christ Iesus is given of the Father to be unto thee wisedome aswell as righteousnesse come to his feast and it is a good time to aske it for him hath the Father sealed in the Sacrament to be thy Prophet Iohn 6.27 and he will give thee of his fulnesse even knowledge for knowledge yea Iames 1.4 richly and without upbraiding And for this grace of Sacramentall knowledge thus much CHAP. V. Of Sacramentall faith and the triall of it I Take it for granted that the wise Reader will remember that which was before said Entrance that faith is not required as all other graces are that is onely for the better receiving of the Sacrament But that it is above all other the most essentiall grace and the immediate instrument of receiving that which the Sacrament exhibits By how much the more diligence ought to be used by a Christian Communicant that this grace be tried to be soundly wrought in him and revived at the Sacrament This caution being premised I come to the matter it selfe For the better conceiving whereof what this triall of faith in the Sacrament imports I thinke it meete by some steps to ground this point in the Readers minde Grounds of this point named and to lay downe these three things 1. That the Lord offers the good things which he bestowes upon his faithfull ones onely by and in the way of a promise which faith laying hold upon in speciall takes the name from that promise as Sacramentall faith is so called from a promise of a Sacrament Secondly that each particular promise depends upon a former maine promise that is the promises of Sanctification upon the promise of Iustification and the promises of more grace and growth upon the first promise of reconciliation and spirituall or lively being in grace so that he who would trie the latter viz. a promise to grow by a Sacrament must first trie his interest and part in the maine promise Thirdly that who so hath by sound evidence prooved his right to the first may and ought with hte more ease proove his right to the latter faith in the latter depending upon experience of the former The 1. ground Heb. 4.13 Step. 1 Touching the first of these three viz. That God offers and conveighes all his goodnesse by a promise alone externally conceive it by these few steps First it being God our Father alsufficient with whom the soule is to trade for his graces as Saint Iame saith Iam. 1.17 Every good gift and giving commeth from the Father who of his owne good will begat us we must know God is infinite immortall and incomprehensible Needes then must it be that this infinite good convey himselfe to a finite subject by such a meane and way as the poore weake carnall creature can reach it For else what proportion is there betweene one and the other How shall flesh comprehend a Spirit No more than a little childs short arme can reach a thing farre beyond it Therefore the Lord conveyes himselfe to the poore soule by an ordinance which is such a thing as consists of a spirituall and yet unexternall or sensible nature An Ordinance is the subject to which God communicateth himselfe and his goodnesse with a power of his Spirit to carry them to the soule as by preaching of the Word to the eare through the sound of a mortall voyce By prayer consisting outwardly of sentences order By the Sacrament also standing of outward weake Elements The Lord carries to the soule by these most inward and spirituall things Step. 2 Secondly though an Ordinance have Gods good things contained in it yet still there is a great gulfe set between us our spirit and minde and betweene the good of these Ordinances for we are blinde and they are mysticall and heavenly Wee may sit and heare and receive the Word or the Sacrament and yet we may be held off as it were at staves end from the good and life of an Ordinance There must be a second meane to bring us and them together This meane must be the flesh of the Lord Iesus in an Ordinance All Gods good things being first given to Christ our Head and Mediatour that so by his flesh they might be conveied to us familiarly needes it must be that except Christ be in an Ordinance as our Prophet Priest and King that so by him they might be united to us first sensibly after savingly it can not be that any Ordinance can doe us good wee shall still bee strangers to it though our bodies and sences be never so neere it For example Prayer is an Ordinance by which God imparts himselfe deepely to the soule yet except the soule cast anchor upward by faith upon the flesh of our Advocate giving strength and life to it Prayer is but a morall devotion and a meere shaddow in respect of uniting those good things to the soule Likewise the Word of God preached if it want the flesh of Christ our Prophet and Head it will carrie nothing save by a bare sound into our eares The words he speakes are life and spirit and must be carried by the spirit of our flesh into us Ioh. 6 63. or else not at all And note this The more of Christs flesh an Ordinance containes the more it imparts Gods good things to the soule And so the Sacrament of the Supper consisting of the very materials of Christ flesh and bloud must needs be very powerfull meanes of grace to the soule and must needes carrie the good things of Christ born in point of satisfaction
and of sanctification pardon and holinesse into the soule in a more peculiar manner as being the instruments of both Step. 3 Thirdly as Christ in an ordinance is the way of Gods conveying himself So Christ is conveied in an ordinance by a promise or els not at all Take away Christ and an ordinance is nothing and even so take away a promise and Christ in an ordinance is of no effect to thee The ordinance is excellent because Christ is there Howbeit thou art never the better for it because thou wantst a promise by which Christ conveies it to thee So many ordinances as God grants thee so many promises he makes to thee of blessing one ordinance is not the better for the promise of another Prayer cannot looke at the promise of hearing nor hearing of a Sacrament because each of these are severall meanes of conveying Gods good things unto thee But each ordinance must have a speciall promise Christ in it comes in and by the way and channel of a promise The cause is plain because no ordinances can be savory except mixed with faith and faith there cannot be where there is no promise for it to worke upon The conclusion then of this first ground Conclus of 1. ground is this If God will give his graces to the soule it must be by the meane of an Ordinance of Christ in an Ordinance and of a promise A promise is the immediate way by which Christ in an Ordidinance is made ours As the promise is so faith beares her name faith in a promise of the Sacrament is Sacrmentall faith and he that would try whether hee gets by the Sacrament must trie his Sacramentall faith This for the first ground Vse of this ground Ere I proceede let this point teach us to mourne for the common sort of Christians and Reveivers of the Sacrament of whom I may say as those in the Acts Act. 2. said to Paul of the Spirit They never heard whether there were a Spirit or no. So these worshippers of God and hangers upon Christ and his Ordinances yet cannot tell us whether there be any promise or no any faith in a promise or no. They will keep their Church and come to the Ordinances pray and receive but the way of faith in the promise they have not knowne To whom I say save for fashion sake What differs a Popish corrupted ordinance from a pure Ordinance of God I say in respect of good to thee yea what dâ—ffers thy absence from thy presence in this regard Oh tremble at this all ye that professe God and yet know not a promise nay I say professe to beleeve and yet know not a promise Was it ever heard that faith could subsist without a promise Oh therefore I say to all such judge what case yee are in ye are without God in the world and are still barren of all his good things either of Reconciliation or of Regeneration your Baptisme hearing and receiving are emptie and never doe him good For you never got any thing by a Promise A promise never wrought upon you any life of God or growth in that life ye never saw neede of Gods good things never emptied your selves of your selves by selfe-deniall If yee had these would have presently brought yee to a promise to bee sustained by as the Woman of Samaria drew her neighbours to Christ I conclude therefore the faith which such pretend is an Idoll a faith hanging upon the bare story of a God a Creator a Christ a Redeemer not in God and such a faith is a meere hangby and formall notion of a thing a farre off it s a faith of the Church a faith of contemplation a faith not of adherence to a promise but of meere hearesay of things which thou never either feltest any neede of or soughtst any part in And therefore whosoever thou art whose faith is no other know that thou livest a most wofull life without any of Gods gracious influence and when thou diest except thou be changed thou shalt die without comfort or hope Therefore to this thy hearesay of God and his good things adde faith in a promise and thou shalt enjoy God in an Ordinance and by name in the Sacrament savingly really and comfortably Oh! let all thy wearisome and mispent former time sting thee for thy unprofitablenesse and now in time looke about thee I come to the second ground The second ground of this point Every particular promise of good things from God is planted in a generall and maine promise So that he who would try him selfe whether this or that good thing be his or no as the gift of patience right use of the crosse growing by the Sacrament c. must first trie whether he be in the Covenant or no which is the wel head of the rest For this one Covenant to be our God reconciled includes yea gives a being to all other promises that God in this or in that will be our All-sufficiency True it is each poore soule sees not this The reason is because they judge of the chiefe promise according to the limit of their present feeling that is because in the agony of their loden spirits they feele most need of Christ to ease their conscience of guilt and to settle peace therefore they see it not to reach further than their present neede Whereas Christ being such a gift as either is wholy denied or wholly given cannot bee divided 1 Cor. 1 13 but is by the soule if she knew it and were not too narrow to contemne it received as he is given all at once Onely the soule retailes him in particular as shee meetes with her needes of him and then by recoursing to the maine promise finds her right to all the rest As the smaller boates tied to the great ship follow their motion so is it heere At leasure the soule comes to see her penny worths which at the first appeared not even as a purchase of worth doth not all at once appeare to the buyers sence but at leasure as the coÌ„modities of it come to hand Now when the soule comes to behold them then she sees all couched in a generall gift of Christ made to be her peace and pardon Secondly the reason of this is because God is the God of order He first sets the soule out of the danger of Adams forfeiture of grace because the soule is not else capable of any good thing Now in taking away this guilt he assumes the soule againe into union and fellowship with him in all the good things which she enjoyed before When the gulfe is taken away which separated the soule then the way lieth open to the soule to recover all her priviledges in time past Thirdly this is true in respect of congruitie of providence For having once granted a being to the creature of spirituall life he doth therein binde himselfe to a supporting of that life else hee should plucke downe
one body at once as selfe and Christ in equall termes to a soule The red earth had never had the breath of life put into it if it had not beene a meere dead patient and at Gods dispose to be as he would have it The flesh of Christ had no subsisting in it selfe save in the Godhead Rom. 11.32 and what is else that of Paul God shutting up all in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all Not of the willer or the runner but God c. Rom. 9.16 The Doctrine of imputation what doth it import saue that righteousnesse stands in counting that as ours which is none of ours What else is that of the Apostle Romanes Chapter 11. verse 6. If of Workes not of Grace Rom. 11.6 else Workes were no Workes If of Grace not of Workes else Grace were no Grace Trie thy selfe then by this Rule Triall by this Dost thou observe this backebyas of corruption in thy soule alway playing her parts and resisting grace Is this spirit of originall sinne as irkesome to thy spirit as the most odious sinnes of swearing or theeft Is it so much the more suspected by how much the more fine spunne and subtill running in the streame of thy best Religion Dost thou feele it in the Worke of the Law of the Gospell of Sanctification still resisting Grace and starting as much from the Word as the Sacrifice from the Knife of the Priest Dost thou wholly set thy selfe against it both selfe on the right hand deceiving thee with thine owne hopes and deserts and on the left scaring thee with feares of unworthinesse Art thou as well afraid of a white Divell as a blacke yea more Dost thou tremble to thinke that selfe should share with God in thy conversion Dost thou chuse rather to bee as base as dung and dogges meate yea when thou hast done all dost thou thinke thy selfe no neerer heaven thereby than if thou wert a Publican Dost thou confesse that there is no bloud no merit no congruity in selfe to purchase any dramme of grace And that it is just with God rather to seeke himselfe glory by abasing all flesh and carnall proppes than to suffer selfe to perke above him or mixe with him Yea canst thou say oh Lord I chuse to lie as the dust under thy footstoole and to be at thy pleasure as a fatherlesse Orphan to doe with mee what thou wilt yea when thou art under the deepest abasement and selfe-desertings and without a subsisting in thy selfe canst thou say Verily gladdly will I bee under this buffeting 2 Cor. 12.9 though it bee as a pricke in the flesh that Gods grace may bee another selfe and a new principle of comfort to stay my selfe upon Yea in this want of carnall stay I wait upon the promise to be my stay If it be thus in any true measure in thee it is a sweet signe The fourth ground I come to the fourth ground of trying faith to wit by the act of it The act of faith And that in two things First in the naked and free consent of the whole soule to the truth of God which is that he will ease the loaden soule comfort the mourning and satisfie them that hunger after righteousnesse Math. 5 4 5 6. The Lord requires that the soule simply relie it selfe upon this bare Word of his because he will performe it without descanting this way or that against it Esay 1.16 Psal 32 1. Secondly in the relying upon the meere and free act of Gods not imputing sinne or imputing righteousnesse to the soule yea a righteousnesse inhering in another and not in thy selfe The Lords act of esteeming and reckoning to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ is as reall an act as if hee had infused a reall habite of it into the soule to dwell personally in it as it dwelt in Christ Triall by this Trie thy selfe then by this rule thus First canst thou say truely that in the beleeving of Gods promise thou didst directly goe from a word to a word without adding or mixing the slime of thy owne conceits to defile the purenesse of it Didst thoâ— with Peter emptied of himselfe obey and say At thy Commandement Lord I will let downe though else I should not Luke Chapter 5 verse 5. Luke 5 5. Canst thou say oh Lord thou bidst a loaden wretch come unto thee to take ease as if there were no more circumstance in it than onely so Lord I have found my soule loden and pinch'd by thy Word therfore I come to thee for ease beleeving that seeing thy selfe art the Author of both words therefore thou who wouldst so really lode me canst as truely ease mee Canst thou say Lord in thy words is neither hooke nor crooke and therefore as I seeke to adde nothing to it so neither doe I detract nor dare I Revelation Chapter 22. verse 18. Rev. 22 18. Ephes 4 21. but take thy truth as it is in Iesus even truth it selfe subject to no exceptions or cavills of flesh I enquire not why thou dost it or why for mee and not for many hundred thousands that lie in their blindnesse still Secrets are for thee but revealed promises are for mee and therefore to thee I leave the one and claspe so much the more closely to the latter by how much the former is more above mee If thou canst find in thy heart thus freely to concurre with free grace saying Luke 1 38. Luke 7 30. Bee it to thy servant as thou hast spoken I dare not despise thy Counsell for my salvation or gainesay and give thee the lye but put my seale to thy word that it is true I say againe Iohn 3 3â— if in any true measure thou canst doe thus it is a sure signe And secondly if the Act of God in heaven justifying a poore wretch by his bare accompting him his righteousnesse when yet corruption abides in him exceedingly yea his perfect righteousnesse can so farre prevaile with thee as to say O Lord thy one witnesse and approbation of mee is to my conscience as a thousand though I neither see thy face nor can heare thy voyce yet O Lord I accompt my selfe as thou esteemest me even thy perfect righteousnesse in the midst of my greatest sinfulnesse and all because thy accompt is a done deede and my faith compts it done in earth because it is done in heaven I say this act of thy faith is a good signe The fifth ground is from the end of thy beleeving The 5 ground The end and that is that God may have the glory of his rich grace in saving a lost soule The last and full end of God in thy pardon and savation is not that thou mightst be happy but that himselfe might be glorified This the Lord so lookes at that all other ends are but second hand ends unto him although reall ends Try thy selfe also in this The tryall of this
of this tryall both in Scripture and reasons For the former whereof First the Analogy of the old Passeover will proove it wherein sundry charges were given which typifie repentance and that in each part of it As wee know the sorrow and yrking of heart and mourning bitterly for sinne committed was urged under the ceremony of sowre hearbes Exod. 12.8 not onely to shew what it cost the Lord Iesus ere he could satisfy But to shew what they are who come to this Sacrament even such as peirced him by their sinnes Zach. 12.10 and therefore ought to come in bitternesse to the signes of his body and blood and eate this sweete meate with sowre sawce So also the Lord required a separation from the filthinesse of the heathen when they came to eate the Pascall Lambe Ezra 6.21 Ezra 6.21 yea from all legall pollution Numb 9.6 Num. 9.6 which as it concerned the Iewes alway in any offering or worship so especially at the Passeover And the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 5.7 urgeth one other solemne ceremony of casting out leaven He that kept in his house any leaven at that time more or lesse was to be cut off Now least wee should thinke this to have lost his force under the Gospel he saith Purge out therefore all sowre leaven meaning their Communion with that incestuous man which sowred their holy assemblyes that yee may be a cleane lumpe even as yee are unleavened And why For Christ is our Passeover sacrificed for us therefore let us eate him with sincerity and repentance And the weaning and abstinence of the poore Lambe from the damme foure dayes before Exod. 12. â— typified no lesse than separation of such as worship God thus from the love of their sweet lusts and liberties that they might bee free for the Lord And when the Apostle urges the Corinthians to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 what entends hee save that having defiled themselves by their love feasts they would search and cast out that sinne ere they came to the Sacrament Secondly from Reasons Now for Reasons First every ordinance requires repentance least the ordinance be defiled 1 Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things not onely meates are pure But to the impure all things both blessings crosses and ordinances are defiled The sinne of man can put no defilement into the things themselves but it makes them so to the sinners that use them It is a rule concerning both Minister people Esay 52.11 Psal 26 6. Prov. 28 9. 1 Tim. 2 8. Be ye holy that beare the vessells of the Lord. And I will compasse the Altar with washen hands And the prayers of them that turne their eares from the Word are abominable S. Paul requires us to lift up pure hands 1 Pet. 2 1. without wrath and doubting And S. Peter bids them that would heare to grow thereby to clense all superfluities away Epist 1. Cap. 2.1.2 Reason 2 Secondly no man can comfort his owne heart that hee hath saving faith except he have repentance Act. 3.26 Act. 15.15 But true repentance argues faith because it onely purifies the heart True faith workes by love 1 Tim. 1 5. and the end of the commandement is love from whence from a pure heart and whence is that from faith unfaigned Levit. 10 3. See Gal. 5.6 Act 24.16 2 Cor. 5.17 Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord will be honoured in all that draw neare to him None can honour the Lord in their worship save the holy and repentant Those that presume otherwise the Lord will be honoured in their destruction Reason 4 Lastly holinesse affords sweete confidence to the soule that it shall be welcome to God None shall ever see his glory without it Heb. 12 14. 1 Pet. 1 16. therefore none should behold him in his beauty of holinesse or in his ordinances without it Bee yee holy because I am holy These few may serve Tryalls of repentance But I hasten to the triall of it And first very breefely of the substance of it wrought in the soule 1 By the substance Tit. 3.5 This may bee tryed by the roote of it No repentance can subsist without an inward principle That is the spirit of renovation wrought by the word and Baptisme putting into the soule a seede of God and the image of God as farre as in these suburbes of heaven I meane in the militant Church may be obteyned Now for the opening of this to the Reader let him in a few points conceave and try himselfe about it First in the mother and nurse of it In sundry particulers 1. The mother of it That is faith shedding the love of God Rom. 5.5 into the soule being of it selfe destitute of all such list ability life or savour The Lord in reconciliation by faith becomes our sanctification God having freed us from our old yoake will put upon us a new most willingly which eases our heavy hearts and pacifies the conscience sets the minde in frame and shewes us Christ in his true and lively colours not a Christ of loosenesse but as the truth is in Iesus Ephe. 3 18. 2 Cor. 5.9 That having the roote of his love set in our hearts we may conteine his sweetnesse and it may let us on worke yea constreine us to doe the like to him Oh! How should this try us What is our repentance Is it a cutting off some shreds of evill or a pang of goâ—d devotion now and then in tempest thunder and lightning in our passion of feare or when God pleases us Or is it an inward workeman at the roote of our hearts and doth it engraft and inoculate us into his stocke Pro. 6 27. Doth it as a corner stone hold in and encompasse us that wee can more forbid fire in our bosome to burne us than the love of God to compell us to love him and turne our heart to him It is a good signe Secondly try it in tne materiall of repentance 2. By the matter Act. 26.18 It s a conversion or turning home to God from our Idols a setting of our face backward from evill and our backes forward to goodnesse and that in a contrariety As if a foole going on pilgrimage to Rome and her Idols should there be smitten and turned home with Naaman to the true worship of the living God This tryall will search also for the repentance of most is no such turne Men have rectified thoughts sometime of a good course and their sinnes yrke them and tyre them and cause them to ease themseâ—ves by complaints and turne aside from them in their accusing moode But it is with them as it is with Sea-men who can hold their course as well when they coast about as when the winde is on their backes So doe these their lusts keepe still in their spirit though they keepe them out of sight as David did Absolon 2 Sam. 14.24 forbidding him his presence
and hatefull provokings and wrongs c. The like cavils wee have against all other actions of love as giving lending c. So in Law cases if we be led by the rules of necessitie quitting of our selves from injuries which else we could not also love of peace serving providence for the manifestation of right and although we be losers yet resting in Gods will and learning to deny our selves to be more patient and content to offer and waite upon him who will pleade our cause abhorring all covetous or reuenging ends of our owne Many more trials might have beene added but I referre the Reader to the former grounds to helpe himselfe Vse 4 The last use is consolation encouragement to Gods people of two sorts Branch 1 First to all such as walke in love Consolation and make it their path and way Many a good Christian will say I cannot boast of many evidences but this I thank God I can say that my heart goes with the cause of God to his religion covenant Ordinances I love the Saints c. My affections and endeavours go that way yea when I cannot goe yet I can creepe and methinkes the dogge of a good man is welcome for his masters sake I abhorre that selfe-seeking and selfe-love which reignes in the world I practise compassion and love to all both meane and great knowne and unknowne neere and farre off and my prayers are cast in as a lot among the prayers and petitions of the Church I desire no welfare save in hers and as she fares so doe I desire to doe Oh! rich soule be comforted The Lord hath set his marke upon thee and called thee Hephziba Esay 62.4 one in whom his soule delights his Love his Dove his Vndefiled one Thy name is as a precious ointment therefore the daughters follow and love thee By thine example many have lost their brutish and savage qualities and bene taught to feede with Lambes They say of the Panther that she hath so sweet a breath that she allures all the beasts to her thereby So that hereby she hath her name So is it with thee the savor of thy amiablenesse shall honour thee wheresoever thou becommest till at thy death thy workes shall follow thee Marke 14.9 Act 9.9.36 10.2 Though the Scripture be witten yet as the name of Mary that annointed Christ and Dorcas and Cornelius are in the word so shall thine be in the Church Oh! enjoy thy selfe and come to the Sacrament with comfort for the Lord Iesus stands there ready with open breast to welcome thee Branch 2 Lastly it may also affoord encouragement to such as feare themselves in this triall of their love And I confesse as the manner of the world now is there is so little practise of this grace to be seene that it were enough to quench the love of the first Therefore I wonder not to heare so many to complaine of crackes and flawes in their love and to see that men learne to halt of them that are lame to be froward with the foward sullen testy unkind and unthankefull with such as are so Thy complaining therefore of thy selfe is just yet beware lest hereby thou debarre thy selfe of the Sacrament Tell me then Art thou heavy to feele such scurffe in thee That thou carest not how others fare so thou canst sleepe in a whole skinne And that the practise of gentlenesse and mercy Iames 3.13 doth so hardly fasten upon thee Dost thou combat within thy selfe against all naughtinesse in this kinde and nourish the motions of that spirit which is pure peaceable gentle and full of goodnesse and beare downe the other as much as is possible Deceive not thy selfe and I dare not barre thee from the Lords Table Although thou hadst poore fruits to boast of yet sith our Lord Iesus hath not forgotten a promise of reward to a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet Math. 10.42 I cannot exclude thee from the benefite of the Supper Onely take heede least thou catch at such an encouragement to any evill end that still thou maist keep thy conscience defiled with the like pangs yet venture to receive But let the Sacrament bring a speciall reviving of love unto thee the very sight of thy brethren at the house of God let it renue that poore sparckle that is in thee Heb. 12.25 Thinke that thou art come to the soules of merifull and holy men and art as in a corner of heaven while thou maist sit among them And if this encouragement belong to thee it shall worke kindely and not by contraries And for this use and the whole triall of love thus much CHAP. VIII Of the desire after the Sacrament and the triall theof WEe are now come to the last The 5. grace Desire Entry but not to the least of those five graces preparing for the Sacrament which is desire or longing after those good things contained in it Concerning the handling whereof I shall not hold the Reader long in the grounds of this grace as I have done in the former Because those points which serve to the opening of desire either concerning Christ himselfe our alsufficient nourishment or else the triall of our owne wants of both which I have both in the former and in this latter Treatise spoken shall not here neede any repeated discourse Onely my method shall be this 1 I will briefely speake a word of the object of this desire 2. I will prove the Doctrine 3. I will make use of it sundry wayes and therein if any thing may be added either for the procuring of or the triall of the soundnesse of this desire I shall mention it and so conclude Affections are strong and vehement things in their pursuite and not stirred up or provoked in us save by objects of great allurement and perswasion especially spirituall affections require eminent objects to raise up to improve them Natural affections of joy love hope sorrow feare or desire must have sutable objects to quicken them up otherwise they lie flat upon the earth How much more must it needs be so here in holy and divine affections whereunto our nature is lesse enclined and the flame for lacke of daily supply of oile and matter to nourish them doth easily decay and vanish Sacramentall desire and longing therefore must needs presuppose some more than ordinary object to excite and maintaine it else neither would a carnall heart easily rise to it nor it a good heart hold appetite and desire to it long together The object of desire is Christ Sundry wayes therfore it pleases the holy Ghost in Scripture to expresse this object to the eye of the soule The thing it selfe being in substance one the Lord Iesus the nourishment of the living soule in grace and goodnesse yet the eloquence of the Spirit appeares in no argument so great as in this one to wit the due laying him
Perhaps one hath beene sicke or upon a journey and his wife was loth to receive till they might goe together I doe not mislike the joyning of couples but if God by disease have hindred thy husband or by absence must his wife needs hold off what scurffe is this for sinister ends to balcke the Sacrament Oh! the qualmes of cold undesirous Communicants should justly stirre the faithfull to loathe it in themselves Such as come not with desire either may come or not come upon any base pretext as because they see others come or because t is Easter or because they thinke it is a better thing at so holy a time to be among devout folke than to sit in the chimney corner at home alone So alas Many come because they came not last time and they are loath to be noted to absent themselves too often or because some of their neighbours receive to day Oh fulsome beast Avant from the presence of that God who will be followed in the savor of his ointments Marke 9.50 who will receive no sacrifice from any but such as have salt in them and season it therewith Who abhorres a dead beast with the throat cut and not raised up and burning upon his Altar If the least drop of relish were in thee could these be the motives to bring thee to Gods table God give thee an heart to tremble at thy sottish profanenes and if meere ignorance have hitherto caused it adde no more drunkennesse to thirst least the Lord by some fearefull hand rend thee from thy companions with horror at thy death or else leave thee a most saped senselesse conscience in thy presumption Tremble to thinke how many thousand of affections of Gods Ministers both by Sermons and Sacraments must finally be lost upon such stones and stockes If ye lay sicke upon your beds and your stomackes were lost what an outcry would your wives make in the eares of the Physitian saying Helpe for Gods cause my husband is a dead man he takes nothing But Oh thou beast Thou takest neither droppe nor crumme of the flesh or bloud of Iesus Sacramentall and yet feelest no aile Beware least sence be reserved for thee in hell except thou repent Vse a reproofe Math. 11.10 Secondly here is also reproofe even of Gods owne for comming to the Sacrament without renewed appetite It is with many unsavory receivers as it was with Iohn Baptist hearers at the first they rejoyced in his light but shortly they became so fulsome that their savor was gone So that our Saviour upbraides them saying What went ye out into the wildernesse to see a reede shaken with the wind Or a man wearing soft raiment Their zealous devotion was turned into forme and custome So it is with these Those sacred layes of first Love which shined in you at your first receivings then when the Sacrament was as honey to their taste lo now they are damped and cooled Plenty makes no daintie now with you but except God rouse ye up to meditate of the object which first drew your affections to burne within you while he preached and reached out the Sacrament unto you so that the same fulnesse makes as great daintie as ever and the oftner the greater God shall not hold ye guiltlesse of this forfeit I tell thee the very besotted Papists shall rise up against this saplesse age and condemne it for they as Esay saith inflame themselves under every greene tree with their Idols They burne in their adulterous desire after their Wafer and their saplesse god their Agnus Deis and Crucifixes Images of the Virgin and the Saints But as for us the Lord Iesus preach'd and offered in the feast of a Supper leaves us as barren emptie and saporlesse as a chip Oh brethren be zealous and amend What cold or surfeit hath taken us that the things of God should wax as dry Manna to the Israelites Num. 11.4 Could the Lord endure their brutishnesse Did he not sweare they should not enter into his rest Heb. 12.11 If there be but a dramme of old appetite and sparke of old fire left upon the Altar take Gods bellowes of indignation and blow it up that it die not Strengthen the feeble knees and hands Heb. 3.12 12. that they faint not Hath the day beene wherein the morning watches of a Sabboth have beene more precious than all the dayes of the weeke And yet every houre in the day appointed for Gods honour more sweet than the houres of eating and working and is now meate drink gaming and pleasure so full of taste that Christ and his Supper can afford no appetite The Lord recover it in thee if thou be his he will by some smarty Crosse or sting of conscience rather than suffer thy affections to lie buried in the earth Doe as those do who must carry home logges or timber which are sunke and buried in some dirty ditch or quagmire first they must raise it by their skill and unsettle it and then being loose they may carry it and carry it home So doe thou if there were ever true desire in thee lo it s sunke into some dirtie pit of the world leud company sloth and ease raise it first out of it and after thou shalt the better carrie it home with thee to Gods house Oh! I touch a sinne now more frequent than I know any in the Church viz. of sleepy dead Sacraments without affection If thou seest that the Lord will not take of this cover off darkenesse Esay 25. â—7 and dampe of undesirousnesse from the body because of their long desperate carelesnâ—sse yet steppe in for thy owne soule that it perish not in this common yea Epidemiall lathergie Vse 3 Thirdly let this be admonition Admonition to all that know what this point meanes to be weary of all those enemies of desire which haunt the soule in an insensiblenesse and indifferencie of appetite toward the Sacrament They are these first 1. Against resting upon former affections a resting upon former affections in receiving and supposing they are still the same when as yet they are oppressed and surfeited with such scurffe as hath choked them and therefore are not now at hand as they have beene to cheere us at the Sacrament whereas affection had neede be revived daily in secret above all things What should be a Christians daily exercise but this to try how those promises of the Sacrament can affect us as this Christ is my feast of full nourishment his flesh is meate indeede c. These would have affected mee in time past but now they will not stirre mee As that Courtier told Alexander that hee would appeale from him drunke to himselfe sober so had wee neede to doe when wee feele neither judgement nor affections tender and open to the Sacrament nor perhaps to any thing else either word or workes of God shake thy selfe before God and say It is not with me as
them to looke after the Sacrament They tell themselves in secret That such holy things are not for dogges Swine more become the trough than the Table Matth. 7.6 The Divell also takes on and torments them if they dare looke toward the Sacrament and tells them They have another trade to thrive upon their whoring their riot their roaring and emptying themselves into their lusts without all controll and stabbing all that give them a crosse word must bee their joy and delight and in stead of all Word and Sacrament And thus they desperately goe on saying There is no hope Remedy Ieremie Chap. 2. Vers 25. The remedy is That they submit to Gods terrours and stoppe their ungodly courses and try if the terrours of God can came them and bring them into some generall compasse A fourth cause is conceit of mens civilitie Fourth Cause Conceit of civility being out of Covenant innocencie and good life among men but voidnes of grace and being quite estranged from the life of Religion Now how can such finde any relish in the Seale of that Covenant which they regard not It s enough for them that they keepe their Church shunne the Alehouse and drunkennesse be no open profane offenders but they keepe quarter with their owne Idoll and set up that in stead of God his Word and Sacrament their harmelesnesse and curtesie must goe for pay with men though they be never so fulsome in Gods account I condemne not civilitie nay I praise it yet the resting in a principle of our own sterves the heart of Gods grace when a man resolves there to pitch Let these men learne to be out of all savor with themselves Remedy knowing that their excellencie stands in a thing which is quite underline of grace and so seeke to season their soules with true understanding of their enmitie with God and care to keepe covenant with him which onely can make the seales savorie Some outward causes there are also of this First the want of the Ministery 2 Externall causes 1 Want of meanes and meanes of knowledge of Gods Ordinances and the Supper by name How should Ministers preach of the Seales that understand not the doctrine of Christ himselfe Nay I mourne to speake it divers Ministers neither unlearned nor unpainefull in their kind nor ungodly yet in point of the Sacrament doe little acquaint either themselves or the people with it almost through the yeare except in a passage a farre off Remedy I dare not boast my selfe I know well mine owne wants but if I might draw any to emulation I durst say That whereas my poore labours for twelve yeares were more upon this than any other one point I am not ashamed to say I found the argument more fruitfull at the end than all the while And doubtlesse many good people there are who mourne for the barrennesse of their Ministers in this kinde as much as their owne deprivall of the benefit Secondly base example Sinne 2 Base example 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.18 goes strong in the streame of tradition When as in a towne you shall have twentie families into which the knowledge and savor of the Sacraments never entred how should it descend into their children 2 King 17. ult No But as 2 King 17. ult that worship which those Samaritans had learned was continued many hundred yeares after even till Christs time Iohn 4. So heere looke what unsavorinesse of Sacraments was in the grandfather and father or mother it descends as an inheritance to their posterity Remedy running in the blood as a disease The remedy is that young ones doe withdraw themselves from such cursed customes of profanenesse and suffer the word to season their hearts more deepely with grace and the love of holy things more deeply than lewd custome hath leavened them with the contrary 3 Scandall Thirdly Scandall When the bad stumble at the actions and lives of such as are frequent receivers who may bee hypocrites and when they see that such dare cogge and cozen men of their estates undoe men by breaking and running away and sometimes be as joviall and merry companions as themselves as to lye traduce others breake promises play the worldlings and the like Oh! they conclude There is no great matter in receiving the Sacraments and if this be the religion of such let us abide still drinkers c. Oh fearefull scandall Thou shouldest bind thy selfe by receaving to an inoffensive course of meeknes and love that thou mightst win honour to the Sacraments But for redresse heereof Remedy let such consider the woe to all that offend others and all that are offended at others It s just with God to set one against the other that such may perish who love not the truth One shall not neede to mock the other This for the first 2. Better sort Causes 1. No pondering the spitualnesse and worth of Sacraments Now for the better sort even with them also it is not well They debarre themselves of the sweete fruit they might enjoy And why Surely because the entire value and honour of the Sacrament is not nourished in their hearts the true gaine of them continues not in their soules They ponder not the spiriâ—uall nature of them they beleeve not that God can blesse them as hee hath promised they hold no strength from them any time but forget it by their vanity and giddinesse They cannot see how the Spirit of Christ gives efficacy to the Sacrament to purge them from the wrath revenge lightnesse abuse of liberties and the lesse they gaine by them through their owne sin the lesse they love them Much lesse doe they consider the sealing power of Sacraments to give the soule assurance of that which other Ordinances alone cannot The remedy whereof Remedy being that which oft hath beene pressed I neede not urge it Onely I aime at this that I may give the Reader a view together of these diseases for his better recovery Secondly even the better sort are much given oft times to hide their owne follies 2 Cause Hiding of their sinne and to beare with themselves too much even in those errors which breake out openly enough to the eyes of the wise observers Now if the sight of our wants is not all that God requires of his people what shall be said to such as in selfe-love applaud themselves and looke so much at their few commendations that they are lothe to acknowledge their blemishes And sure it is he that walkes with sence of few wants mâ—kes God superfluous in his Sacraments For remedy hereof goe to the Chapter wherein this point is purposely handled Thirdly many of these are deepely tainted with worldlinesse and have no measure in their earthly businesse 3 Deepe Worldlinesse whereby neither their preparation to the Sacrament nor their survey of it either before or after can finde roome with them All is too little for worke worke
spirit whereby the Lord offered up himselfe was so is the power of the same spirit to the soule begetting and renewing it Eternall also so that the never dying power of baptisme keepes the branch of the vine thus one put in to abide for ever ingrafted and planted into the person of Emanuell so that himselfe the stocke shall as soone wither as the soule which by faith is in him shall perish No more baptisings shall neede than one because Christ ever liveth in the soule and recovereth her by his unrestrained influence from all her swouning decayes and wanzings to her former integrity no more Barkes are required after shipwracke save this one Now if Christ himselfe in person not the poore Minister with all his acts onely be the true Baptist can it be otherwise but Baptisme must needes be the Lord Iesus at the best Lastly to adde one word also of the Supper The sinfull tongue and hands I say not of a wicked Masse Priest but even the best consecrater of the Sacrament that lives cannot blesse sufficiently But the Lord Iesus our steward he is the Administer of it completely he is the true consecrater yea the foode and feeder of the Soules of his owne with his pretious body and blood unto eternity None whom the Father hath given him to be his living ones can decay pine or wither under his hand while he lives to make them Provision He told his Desciples he would eate and drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine till hee dranke it in the kingdome meaning till he spiritually without mouth or hands did present himselfe with his Church Sacâ—amentally there to feede them But in that sence he promised to drinke it with them to the worlds end He it is then who as the Master of the feast and the feast also welcometh provideth for and encourageth his guests to eate good things and to delight in fatnesse He it is who not onely in the Ministers person still consecrateth but by his might and strength derives all his blood spirit marrow and nourishment into the bones and veines of his poore members by his union with the elements whereby he saveth and sustayneth all his true borne ones that cry after his brest and succour he cannot suffer them to lacke And as himselfe in divers phrases expresseth he feedes them in his Pastures leades them to the waters he cherisheth them as his spouse nourisheth them as his branches and by him as the doore they goe in and out finding pasture For he hath made himselfe one with bread and wine that man not living by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God may in and by these Elements draw a secret foyson and increase to the soule and be therein susteined with faith and the fruits as after in the Treatise God willing I shall more fully declare He whose flesh once eaten is immortall yet offers himselfe often for the releefe of daily defects And is not this the Lord Iesus at his best in this Sacrament also Endlesse it were to recite all which might convince thee of this excellency of Christ Sacramentall Who would not confesse that friend to shew his love at the best who should most draw neare to him in his greatest troubles And is not Christ Sacramentall for the nonce To what end then doth he offer thee his blood and bid thâ—e drinke it save to conforme thee to a sweete meekenesse of spirit in suffering and to a fellowship in all his Afflictions with confidence of overcomming in his strength Againe if a man should promise to doe thee a kindnesse wouldst thou not interpret his kindnesse at the best if it lay in such a kind as should supply thy peculiar want What kindnesse is counted of like that which is most seâ—sonable That which releeves not some defect may be thought superfluous Even so is Christ Sacramentall a releefe of each soules personall peculiar diseases wants decayes distempers Like to the man of Baalshalisha 2 King 4.42 who brought loaves of Corne and presents to the Prophet when there was a necessity of famine and a multitude to bee fed But I end in a word Wherein can it more cleerely appeare that the Lord Iesus is offered thee in the Sacrament at his best than in his blessed fulnesse If thou shouldest visite thy friends house tell mee when shouldst thou most thinke thou camest at the best than in the middest of a feast So I say heere The Sacrament is the Kings feast at the marriage of his Sonne The feast of the hills the feast of God and heaven a full feast of all refined wines fat and delicate things If Gods ordinarie be so good is not his feast of Christ Christ at his best Wherein thy soule may fill it selfe for the present and for afterwards with choice Deinties as the Aramites campe and the fulnesse thereof filled the leapers But now what is the upshot of all Oh! sad mourning That we are at our worst when Christ is best Oh mourne that after 70. yeeres liberty of the word and Sacraments in the Church yet by the sinne of man such mysteries as these should lye by disesteemed because unacknowledged True it is as once it was a deepe conceit with the Iew that his Messia must neede be some speciall person But when the true Messia indeed came they knew not what to make of him he was a strange wonder unto them So now it deepely dwells in most men that in the Sacrament some mysticall thing lyes hidden but when they come to it they receive they know not what The cause is their carnality and sensualnesse which is offended at the spiritualnesse of them which makes them alleadge oh they are darke matters and for great Divines not for such as they to meddle withall And thus in time corrupt ease breeding error that errour growes to proove religion and as at first men thought them difficult so at length it s their best devotion to rest in blind and superstitious reverence of a thing unknowne As those Athenians who set up an Altar to the unknowable God blind devotion being the meere falling short of faith If this disease had infected popery onely it had beene well â—uâ— this Popish leaven of carnall Sacraments which sowred the first reformation with a consubstantiate Christ hath tainted us with as dangerous an error even to rest in a carnall devotion and the opus operatum of a devout blinde receiving counting it the top of religion Alas poore soules To what purpose doe we so crake and boast of our Sacraments of the Gospel that they are above those of the old Testament in al respects as indeede thy are when as its cleare by good experience that setting aside some places enlightned by the word our Sacraments to the body of our people are as dimme and dumbe representers of a Christ already crucified as to the Iew they were darke pretendings of the Messiah to come Oh! How woefull
know what a promise is what saying faith in a promise is what the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is which is the worker of this faith Answer 4 Fourthly the promise depending upon the Merit and Satisfaction made to justice without which God should be a lyar in promising to be reconciled to the soule most necessary it is and that above all other things that a man know who it is who hath satisfied the justice of God the angry judge what the Lord Iesus is both in his obedience and death how by vertue of both the Father having accepted a ransome from his Sonne offereth most freely and faithfully the fruit of it to a sinfull wretch Answer 5 Fifthly this reconciliation presupposing an estate of enmity and wrath necessary it is that the soule know by what meane wrath is discovered to belong by nature to every soule And that is the Law of God Also by what meanes the Law brings the soule to stand seaz'd before God as guilty of this wrath and that so as it may bee plunged into utter woe by it in respect of any ability of it selfe to wade out Answer 6 Sixtly because wrath in God and enimity in us presupposing in us some cause by which we contracted it which is sinne needefull it is that the soule know what it is and how it came upon us by whose sinne and what viz. The Rebellion of Adam and how that becomes setled upon us how unavoidable it is and what a staine and guilt it hath brought upon all flesh none excepted Answer 7 Lastly least it should be thought that God made man thus corrupt to damne him its necessary to know man was not made thus sinfull and cursed at the first but created in integrities of nature in all the parts and in the Image of purenesse and holinesse even his who made him and so should hee and wee have continued to this day had not wee wilfully forsaken and defaced it by revolt from God Conclusion of the answer By this draught of the truth of God its apparent upon what principles the Sacrament and the knowledg of it depends viz. immediatly upon the knowledge of the meanes of salvation next upon the knowing of the state of regeneration next upon the knowing of the worke of faith and a promise next upon a satisfaction and the Lord Iesus the worker of it next upon the worke of the Law convincing of the curse next upon the knowledge of sinne next upon the knowledge of creation I goe backward that the simplest may understand the coherence so that by this cheine of doctrine the last linkes whereof that is creation and the fall are the first in order and so downeward every one may see that a meere receiver is not onely to know the nature and use of the Supper But of sinne of the Law of pardon Christ and the new creature without which a Sacrament severally considered is a meare shred an Idoll an object of blinde devotion To apply what I have sayd both negatively and affirmatively Application of it This I sayd That although in all these seaven som-what there is which every receiver comprehends not fully yet the substance of truth in generall is to bee knowne by him except he will come to he knowes not what nor why For example Perhaps some poore soule distinguishes not the meanes of Salvation one from another Publicke private ordinary extraordinary in the name and nature of each one yet its necessary that he know the Supper to bee a meane of Gods ordeining for his growing in grace So againe perhaps every one cannot distinguish betweene the habite of a New creature and the operations of holinesse issuing thence yet its necessary that hee know all Gods people must be holy Say againe All cannot tell how many kinds of faith there are By what steps faith is wrought What is conteined in a promise What Christ hath in speciall obey'd in or suffered what the severall workes of the Law are how many kindes of sinne there bee and by what meanes Adams is derived to us yet necessary it is that he be convinced of all these in their natures generally and finde them wought in himselfe particularly And surely if none may receive at all save he who is in the state of grace needes it must follow that the lesser must bee where the greater must be I meane that knowledge there must bee of all these where faith must be to give a man his speciall portion in them Howbeit because now wee are about the triall of knowledge apart from the other and doubtlesse many both ministers and people teach and heare this point of knowledge as a thing sufficient to enable a Receiver though I abhorre their opinion as shall appeare in the sequele yet I would by this I have sayd stoppe the mouth of any such as dreame of a knowledge which is not competent to salvation Sure it is a knowledge incompetent for salvation cannot bee competent for the Supper A demand Some might here perhaps aske how they might bee directed to know these points soundly to wit of the Supper and Sacraments and all Those doctrines which they depend upon Answere I answere that belongs not to this chapter but the Reader shall finde them all handled in my Practicall Catechisme at large and briefly toucht in the second Chapter of this second Treatise And the doctrine of the Sacraments especially the Supper is handled at large in the former Treatise the three last Chapters to which I send the Reader with this caution That I handle these things at large here and there not to the end that my booke should never come into their hands save when they come to the Sacrament for to what purpose were that but that they duly exercise themselves in reading of the whole That noting those especiall things whiâ—h they most neede in the matter of knowledge and tryall they may be able to turne to them and make use of them familiarly when they come to the Supper I should now come to the third branch how a man may try himselfe about this knowledge But I consider that this will better come in in the use of exhortation I will referre it therefore to that place and being the breefer in other uses insist somewhat more fully in that Vses 1 First then let this doctrine teach us to abhorre the wofull superstition of Popish Sacraments and the wofull ignorance of Popish Receivers Exhortation with confutation who not onely in practise but even in doctrine maintaine ignorance to be the mother of devotion and so hatch in their bosomes all ignorant ones as principall members of their cursed Synagogue And to say truth their sacrifice of the Masse being it selfe a masse of confusion having no colour of bottome out of the word who but the blind are meete for it Who but the deceived as willing to be led by blind guides as they are to leade them would endure a Sacrament in an
Hast thou sought the name of God as cheefe to bee shrined and set up in the most inner man and secret of thy soule above all thine owne ends Hath the wisedome of his way of saving his elect entred into thy soule with admiration Hath it more affected thy poore humbled soule that God one day shall bee admired in thee and them that beleeve 2 Thess 1.1 because they obey'd the promise when they heard it than that thou thy selfe shalt bee admirable and glorious for so thou shalt bee in that glory of his Are all thy springs in him All thy thoughts on him thy delights love and affections in his most rich wise and glorious grace in Christ Is thy Spirit wholly drunke up in his wisedome 1 King 10 5. Rom. 9 1. as the Queene of Sheba's in Salomons Couldst thou chuze rather to bee cut off from God if possible which yet is not rather than to robbe him of his glory And is it thy cheefe crowne to know thy glory and thy life to be hid with him in Christ Col. 3 2.3 I confesse this is to flesh and carnall reason a riddle therefore it is the Lord who hath revealed it for a speciall good marke unto thee of sound faith By the properties of faith Lastly among many other Properties of faith in the Scriptures as that if is unfeigned saving c. These two are most usuall First It s called effectuall 1 Effectuall Secondly Pretious Try thy selfe then about these First by the efficacy of thy faith 1 Thess 1 3. Faith is called effectuall for this cause That it overcomes the world It beares downe before it those distempers which assaulted the soule under temptations and doubtings Not that the soule is quite free but as farre as it beleeves so farre it drownes her distempers as in a Sea of forgetfulnesse What distempers faith overcomes These are of many sorts Sometime the soule was held under slavish bondage against the freedome of mercy so that all promises seemed to be lost upon her Sometime shee was pufft up with vaine presumptuous hopes of a welfare without bottome Sometimes againe carnall sence prevailed bearing downe the promise with the unlikelihood and contrariety to appearance sometime quarrelling with her selfe about the election of God and casting the blame of unprofitablenesse and unbeleefe upon her not being chozen otherwise objecting her corruption and body of death and the members thereof unmortified often carried to rebellion and fretting against God feeling her selfe defeated of her hope Againe sometimes alleadging the greatnesse continuance of her sinnes her adding of spirituall sinnes against the Gospell to morrall against the law besides often oppressed with the sence of an hard heart not able to mourne or repent oftentimes concluding against her selfe because many beleeved long since she began to bee humbled or because not humbled sufficiently or fallen from some steppes of tendernesse and humblenesse formerly atteyned or because she began no sooner with a thousand of the like distempers some from melancholy others from ignorance or rashnesse Now then try thy selfe hath God wholesomely held thee under these buffetings to shew the endlessenesse and the restlesnesse of them to the end thou mightest by the power of the promise here loose one there another Hast thou beaten them downe as children with boughs beate downe waspes or hornets flying in their faces Hast thou found the promise to allay thy horrors 1 Iohn 4.18 and perfect love in God to banish these feares and enemies so that as those accusers of the woman Iohn 8. Iohn 8 9. one after another they vanish and yeeeld to the truth Dost thou feele thy Temptations to Atheisme to deny the Scriptures to destroy thy selfe to cast off hearing and use of meanes and to fall off as Peters Cheines when the Angell smote him on the side And dost thou with Hanna shake off sadnesse by the voyce of Eli the promise 1 Sam. 1.18 Dost thou grow wiser teachabler more hopefull than before It is a good signe For thus Abraham looked at the promise Num. 14.9 Iudg. 13 21. nor at Saras wombe nor the slaying of Isaac So Caleb so others Secondly is thy faith a precious faith 2 Petiousnesse in 4. 2 Pet. 1.2 Then it is more unto thee than all other thy graces as a Iewell is above any other wealth Faith having setled that upon thee which no other grace could dost thou keepe it as preciously as such a Iewel deserveth Dost thou accompt of other graces as they borrow light from this It is well But especially try it by this precious things will goe a great way How farre hath thy faith gone with thee hath it waited upon thee in thy course and shall it so doe till it leave thee at heaven gates Hast thou lived by it as upon thy stocke in blessings crosses duties liberties Pretious things will beare the triall as gold and the like Hast thou beene much busied in trying thy faith willing to heare the worst aswell as the best and to take nothing upon trust Precious things are of singular operation as the spirits of wine c. Hath faith brought such sweetnesse into thee as makes the sweete of lust bitter Hath it purged thy conscience from strong lusts hath it derived the power of Christ thy King into thee to sway thine heart canst thou say thou carriest Christ as coales in thy bosome By these effects and properties and such other examine the truth and stampe of thy faith and if they appeare in thee come to the next point of Sacramentall tryall with comfort Thus much for the first triall of faith in the first promise Second tryall of faith by reviving it I come to the second triall of reviving thy faith at the Sacrament Now this faith differs not from the former in substance but thus it is a turning from the generall promise to the particular promise of an ordinance as the Supper For the better direction of the reader I will lay downe this dutie by severall steps distinctly first propounding the ground then adding the triall Steppe 1 For the first of these I sayd before that each ordinance of God is a severall channell to convey the Lords goodnesse in Christ to the soule Although there be sundry ordinances and sundry manners of conveyance yet one hinders not another but each hath his speciall grace under the cheefe which is the Preaching of the word for the supply of severall wants in the soule The benefits of Christ are dispersed diversely in the ordinances but still Christ is one in all Tryall by it Try thy selfe then thus by the first rule Dost thou revive thy faith by turning the eye of thy minde carefully upon the ordinance of the Sacrament as the hand of God to settle the gift of Christ thy food and refreshing upon thee Dost thou behold this ordinance so oft as it is offered as a renued gift of God to thy soule
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
worke of the Spirit for before it counted him her enemy who sought to sow the least dissention betweene sin and her selfe Then secondly shee hath indignation against her selfe for sinne We know how our nature is given to miscall our enemy So doth a repenter miscall himselfe 2 Cor. 7.11 Thus the Corinthians are sayd to revenge themselves for that bolstering up the incestuous person in his sinne and David called himselfe not in a pang but cordialy a wretch Psal 73.22 a foole Rom. 7.24 a beast for his distrust of the promise Paul also O miserable man And this revenge reacheth to the very instruments of sinne that they may never provoke the soule to the like any more As we may see in those Act. 19.19 Act. 19.19 who destroyed their curious bookes of witchcraft amounting to a great value Yea lastly the soule of a penitent revenges it selfe by intercepting all provision of old lusts and denying it selfe the lawfullest liberty if tending to occasion the sinne as Iob would vow that hee would not feede his eye with so much as looking at a mayde to cut off lust so farre would hee bee from fulfilling it And Salomon bids the young man to balke the way Prov. 5 8. and not so much as to come neere the strange woman This is to beare the voluntary markes of Christ even to cut off the right hand and pull out the eye that offends Mat. 18 8. And this for the fourth point of affection The third and last is the life part The 3. The life or the part of practise And therein a repenter doth 2 things 1. Renounces his sinne 2. Returnes to the Lord. Reade Esay 55 7. Esay 55.7 For the first What were the other two but meere equivocation without this This is called a departing from iniquity Either in renouncing sin a forsaking of our evill way and workes and is used by the holy Ghost as a description of repentance When the soule so falls out with sinne as that it sues a divorce and abhorreth a Reconciliation Saying with David Remove farre from me all the wayes of deceit Psal 119 29. This is the soules utter resigning up all her right and possession of sinne so that as shee who hath given up her right to her land never lookes to bee a penny the better for it nor to receive one penny maintenance by it so heere And this is very materiall For sinne is like an old harlot which will plead welcome after long intermission by old familiarity and sweetenesse As that harlot which Austine answered when she meet her lover and told him it is I. He answered but I am not I. When old unlawfull gaines in shops and trades old base company and unlawfull gaines when old stollen pleasures and waters offer themselves in a golden cup saying How canst thou want us Then for the soule to answere by wofull experience how dare I buy repentance so deere how dare I returne to that I have abhorred Rom. 6 21. What fruite have I had of those things whereof I am ashamed Doe I hasten to woe that I repent mee of my repentance When Achish saw David to goe against Saul and beare armes against him Hee told him Now hee had made himselfe stinke in Sauls nosthrils hee shall returne no more 2 Sam. 27 1â— How odious were it then for thee to returne to that sinne which the Lord hath caused to stinke in thy nosthrils An hypocrite would faine be a repenter but he would keepe that which cuts the throate of repentance As David would faine bee King of Israel and keepe his crowne but his first question is Is the young man Absalon alive and safe 2 Sam. 18 19. What absurdity was heere or how could these two stand together But repentance answeres as Cushi did Would all the enemies of the Lord were as he is verse 32. He is thrust through and dispatcht never to trouble thee with his treason more So heere renouncing of evill stands at the elboe of repentance and when the old remnants of lust suggest to the soule how sweete it is to keepe under hand some sweete partnership with sinne as uncleanenesse againe she prompts it thus How shall those that are dead to sinne Rom. 6 2. 2 Kings 9.32 live any more therein Cst downe this painted Iezabell Cast out this Idoll to the batts and moles Take no more thought for her renounce her not onely in her selfe but in all her colours shifts and occasions Play not the foole to follow thy harlot but keepe closely thy heart to a finall divorce and so prosper Say thus In my unrenued part I feele strong motives to returne to folly Rom. 7 25. But my deere friend repentance will not suffer mee I feele an hundred fold gaine for this forfeicture of my lust Luke 18.30 Psal 85.8 I doe not forbeare sinne as a slave but I have boote in beame within mee the Lord Iesus hath spoken peace to mee that I may not returne to it The latter part of the practise is returning to the Lord. Or returning to God For repenting is no staggering betweene two it s no darke carririage rather standing in the absence of some vices than the practise of vertues But an apparent turning from the one that it might returne to the other not to one or two duties but to the Lord universally entirely equally and faithfully uprightly and constantly according to the measure of mercy received And by this phrase the holy Ghost usually urgeth repentance For why returning to God is such a clozing with God in the promise of reconciliation and mercy as proceedes to a cleaving close to him in all his revealed will and wayes with comelinesse 1 Cor. 7 35. without separation drawing dayly strength from the love of God tasted and renued to hold the soule to God with fuller purpose of heart without revoltings As the loadstone pulles the iron to it selfe by a secret instinct and so holds it close so doth the love of God attract the soule to God Rom. 7.22 and fasten it to him with delight counting his yoake easie and his burden light It sides with God stands for God the desires of her soule are to him his wayes and ends Esay 26 12. yea the remembrance of his name It seekes God balkes no knowledge or information of his will wherein he will bee worshipped even in all commands and ordinances Luke 1 6. both in the immediate service of the two first as in the mediate of the third Renuing covenant duely with him where any breach hath beene and looking more narrowly to her pathes by occasion of slippes Not fleeting off the fat and sweete leaving the rest But taking Gods worke as it lyes the hardest duties of selfe-deniall and bearing the crosse aswell as the easiest diligent in all those meanes using which serve either to purge out corruption or to nourish goodnesse observing and
Effectualnesse of faith one property to try faith by Page 98 Effectuall faith prevailes against all distempers and doubtings of the soule and what they are ib. Experience of the fruit of the Sacraments a signe of faith renewed Page 104 Extent of repentance is one triall of the soundnesse of it Page 113 Meane Esteeme of our selves and higher prizing of others a signe of repentance Page 136 Edifying of the body the end of love Page 183 Sacraments to last Eternally in the Church 220. How and by whom ib. Expâ—rience of our former Receivings a great meane to make preparation sweet Page 237 Bad Example an enemy to good Receiving with the remedy Page 242 F. FAith consists not in the overpowring of the soule but in resting on the promise Page 43 Great need of pressing faith effectuall ib. Sacramentall Faith above all graces to be tried at the Sacrament Page 81 Faith being well grounded upon the maine promise is easily tried in the particular Page 87 How Faith in the maine promise is to be tried Page 90 How Faith is to be tried in the reviving of it See reviving of it Exhortation to renew and to bring renewed faith to the Sacrament Page 106 The Forme of repentance is one triall of the so undnesse thereof Page 112 Folly of love purged by Faith Page 144 Fulnesse of Christ emptying the soule of her selfe one triall of desire Page 205 Feeding savorily a good triall of true desire after the Sacrament Page 206 Faith and the exercise thereof one speciall part of our carriage after our Receiving Page 2â—5 Faith lottes upon the promise Page 226 Feare a speciall grace to be exercised after our Receiving Page 230 G. SVch as can finde no substance of grace must cut off themselves from Sacraments Page 44 Such good persons as seeke not to bee Grounded reproved and yet comforted Page 69 The end of beleeving which is the Glorifying of grace a marke of faith Page 97 Graces Sacramentall Page 5 And why they onely Page 63 Why Graces Sacramentall must be tried Page 63 Why these five especially and whether equally ib. Graces of Sacraments are not to bee onely for Sacraments but perpetually Page 64 God not tyed to our girdles at the Sacrament Page 105 Graces to be practised after our receiving the Sacrament Page 230 H. HVmiliation of soule with selfe-deniall and prayer a speciall meane to renew faith at the Sacrament Page 105 Holding out with God in the triall of Sacrament a signe of renewed faith at the Sacrament Page 105 Hearkning after food a sure triall of hungring after the Sacrament Page 206 Hiding of sin a great enemy of good Receiving in the best Page 243 With the Remedy ib. I. POpish Ignorance pretended to be the mother of devotion confuted Page 74 Ignorant Communicants reproved and admonished Page 75 The seeds and fomenters of Ignorance to be abhorred 77. what they be ib. Ignorance may damne aswell as knowledge abused Page 77 Wofull fruits of Ignorance discovered Page 78 God hath given an Instinct to his people to seeke supply of their wants Page 52 Iudging our selves for our wants necessary Page 62 To rest in Gods Imputation as a reall thing a signe of faith Page 97 Impenitent receivers of the Sacrament in a wofull case Page 129 Inconstancy purged from love by faith Page 144 Ignorance a common cause of ill Receiving with the Remedy Page 239 K. KNowledge one of the Sacramentall graces to be tryed Page 64 With reasons of it Page 64 65 Knowledge the key of other graces ib. a principall helpe to discerne Christs body ib. Objections against Knowledge answered Page 67 68 What Knowledge is necessary for the Sacrament Page 69 And the particulars at large opened Page 71 72 73 Trials of Sacramentall Knowledge Page 78 79 80 L. LOve of lusts and secret evils the seed of ignorance Page 77 The Life part of repentance in a Christian course a signe of sound repentance Page 120 God sustaines the Light of his Spirit in the Elect to keepe them in their fals from confusion Page 121 Love of grace as grace and hatred of sin as sin though small a triall of repentance Page 136 Sacramentall Love necessary to true receiving and how farre Page 140 183. What Sacramentall Love is Page 140 Love a sanctifying grace of the Spirit Page 140 To be discerned from carnall Page 141 True Love bred by faith 142 and purged Page 143 Love to be revived at Sacrament Page 145 Those that dare receive without Love wofull and what colours they have Page 186 187 Dishonouring God on Sacrament dayes under pretence of Love odious Page 187 Gods owne people reprooved for comming to the Sacrament with little Love Page 188 Love at the Sacrament to be renewed and tryed Page 189 Sundry trials of Sacramentall Love 189 190 191. Note and peruse them well in speciall Such as can prove their Love to bee sound may be comforted Page 191 Surfeit of Lusts an enemy to Sacramentall desire Page 203 Excesse of lawfull Liberties also is so Page 203 Life of faith daily an excellent helpe to make preparation to Sacrament sâ—eâ—t Page 235 M. 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ster of God must be carefull 〈◊〉 â—â—y the Communicants Page 30 〈◊〉 them with knowledge yet not alone Page 78 Faith in the maine promise lookes at the Meane of beleeving viz. Satisfaction Page 90 The Meditation of Gods meaning freely to offer Christ fully and beteamingly at the Sacrament is a meane to revive faith Page 101 The Matter of repentance is one triall of the soundnesse of it 111. in a turning to God ib. God supports his relapsing servants by the Memory of old Mercies Page 121 Good Matter must be gotten ere the soule can remember Christ Page 217 Meanes to be used after our Receiving for the preserving of grace Page 230 Constant ayming at the Sacrament in the use of all Meanes a meane to make our preparation to the Sacrament sweet Page 238 Want of Meanes an enemy to good Receiving 241. The Remedy ib. O. ORdinances are familiar wayes to convey all Gods good things to us Page 82 Faith in the maine promise lookes at the Object and how Page 93 Each Ordinance hath a peculiar exhibiting of Christ by special promise Page 110 Turning the eye of faith upon the Ordinance of the Supper is a meane to revive faith at the Sacrament Page 100 The meditation of Christs omnipotency in the Sacrament a speciall helpe to renew faith Page 102 Each Ordinance requires repentance ere it can be well partaken Page 110 Cleaving to God when the Occasion of 〈◊〉 evill presents it selfe a triall of repentance Page 137 Object of love manifold Page 181 Both Ministers people soule bodies Page 182 Object of Sacramentall desire is Christ the soules full nourishment Page 196 P. PRreparation for the Sacrament more generall then Triall What it is Page 2 Tryall of our estate by Preventing grace is one marke of our calling 37 and how Page 38 Tryall of our selves by the Perfitting