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
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
him or his in Patience Crosses mercyes Where is the man who lives by experience of former tymes What want doe wee find of Quietnesse of spirit in taking up or bearing our Crosses if any thing tedious Whom doth not prosperity puff up And in family government company liberties buying selling and Common life how is it that Christians seeme as other ordinary men bycause they know not what it meanes to rule inferiors wisely live with wife meekly and purely ayme at doing or taking good using liberty sparily and doing to others as wee would bee done to Surely if wants bee so rife in our whole course how should a man who would find releefe at the Sacrament marke and suruey them before hand The 2. ground of this duty of Triall of wants 2 Ground of this triall is the wisedome of God in providing for the soules of his people a supply of all their wants in the Sacrament of the Supper A pointe which is yet as a Riddle to many receavers who although they looke at the Supper of the LORD as a service of high devotion fitt to hold men well occupied and keep them from base earthly thoughts yet alas farre are they from once dreaming that it is ordeyned for a supply of all their wants It needs a good Perspective to shew a man the LORD IESVS Sacramentall ready to fill the soule with all good things much more to supply all our wants Christ in the Supper is sealed by the Father to give vs all that his Promise conteines Now if that offer provision against all defects ignorance unbeleefe earthlinesse if that bee able to releeve the wants of the soule complayning that shee is unable to beare a crosse to enjoy a blessing to live well in marriage c. What lesse can the Supper conteyne save the sealing up of that provision and the unlocking of all GODS storehouse The LORD in the Supper hath taken measure as I have noted of all the infirmities and wants of his Children and although it bee not sensible to the eye of flesh save in a shadow of the Elements Bread to repaire strength and wine to restore the Spirits yet so it is There is all the LORD IESVS as one priuy to and sensible of all the wants of his members to fill up every breach to soder up every chinke and flaw of the soule that can wayte for him How should the soule then put on the LORD IESVS his apparrell to cover her except her nakednesse in each part bee understood Or how should those Varieties of dishes of GODS feast be fed upon except each receaver feele his owne wants Feastes wee know consist of many deinties because there are sundry appetites and each guest hath his speciall longings So heere the Lords love in prouiding such supplies in CHRIST should teach each guest to enter into his owne wantes except wee should thinke the Lord either so unwise as to abound in superfluous provision or to faile in necessary The third ground The third ground is taken from that spirituall instinct and nature which is ingrafted into all Gods people and that is to seeke the welfare of it selfe Now that cannot be except it were sensible of her wants We see it is naturall to each creature to procure the support of it selfe by all meanes The least maime in a tree or plant of herbe causeth a kind of sence in the creature for it will fill up the wound and knit the breach againe The body of man being wounded or the flesh decayed or the spirit smite a feeling and compassion into the naturall soule which lins not till by nourishment cordials or physicke the want be repaired So much more is it in the New creature it cannot feele a want of grace in it selfe except it be not it selfe but fallen into some spirituall lethargy but it is sensible of it selfe and cannot lin till it out-grow it and supply it by meanes that so the welfare thereof may be recovered Now what meanes are so like to eike up and repaire spirituall losses as the Supper of the Lord and how can that helpe save by the due Triall of our wants But to come to the second generall some may aske What and of what sort are these wants 2. Generall What and what sort of wants I answer That wants are such things as presuppose true Grace in the being of it Wants then may be called either defects of grace or decayes in grace By defects I meane commings short of that which ought to be By decayes I meane failings and losses in that which hath beene Defects are necessary aswell as willing but decayes wilfull and voluntary Defects arise from sundry causes Sometime from unavoydable or else unusuall inabilities and impotency of understanding memory spirit and parts Sometime want of due meanes and helpes as of publique Ministery private ordinances counsell fellowship or the like But especially I speake of such as are caused by either the soules neglect of meanes by which she might supply her wants or using them lesse frequently or fervently than she ought or else not wise and thrifty exercise or improvement of graces occasions and experience already attained In like manner I speake of decayes in what wee have got either for the kind or number or the measure of grace and forwardnesse Vse 1 Now I come to the uses and to direction for tryall of our wants And to speake of two or three uses ere I come to the maine First here is Terror to all ungodly ones Terror they are wholy made of privations spots are not seene in stained clothes They cannot come to the Sacrament because they cannot try their wants They have no wants to trye both because they have no stocke of grace at all and because they are not sensible of the true Treasure Their misery is they have but one want that is want of grace in generall no God no hope no reconciliation no faith Oh! these are not as one who hath drunke some gall and wormewood but are drowned in the gall of bitternesse as Peter told Simon Magus Act. 8.23 They have no gaps or flawes but lye to havocke and all is downe both the hedge and ditch they have no wants or breaches for all their life is a wide gulfe of distance betweene God and them When they see the godly mourne for some particular wants as of memory gifts to pray to fast or of humility and the like they doe not smite upon the thigh and say O LORD doe these who yet have some good stocke in grace thus complaine for a few wants and am I no whit troubled that I want grace altogether If the righteous so mourne because heere and there some want appeares shall I bee thus merry being a meere begger and banquerupt The one streines at a gnat and is troubled to see any gift of meekenesse or of uprightnesse in others which they want and the other swallow a Cammell and sticke not to
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
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
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
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
encrease in every true Receiver especially being assisted with other helpes inward and outward the mercies and blessings of God which as Talents are put to advantage for Gods glory The third degree Stablenesse in grace The third is stablenesse in grace Wee see that mens bodies in time by continuance of health and groth come to a pitch to a measure of groth This is a third prospering It is not with the soule as with the body which ceaseth to grow when it is at her pitch or declines rather when it is growne to her full point What it is But herein a pitch of bodily groth resembles spirituall that as the man growne to his full period enjoyes as it were himselfe and all his former yeares which he hath lived becomes now of a growing a growne man is come now to his best to his full strength ability and sufficiencie for service so is it with a Christian He growes in Christ to the measure and fulnesse of him Ephe. 4.13 Eph. 4.13 So that whereas before in his beginnings and proceedings hee found much ignorance in minde much error in judgement much infirmity in spirit much to seeke of direction and wisdome in his course Also much unsetled wearisome off and on up and downe in holy practise many combats and conflicts with his bubbling rebellious inconstant treacherous withdrawing spirit lo now it s otherwise now he is growne to some stay setling ripenesse and experience in Gods matters Heb. 5. Heb. 5. ult more exercised in his spirituall senses to put a difference betweene good and evill persons and things not so blinde as formerly but light in the Lord judicious observative sober in affections staide in minde and resolution Ephe. 5 16. 1 Iohn 2.13 Act. 11.27 1 Cor. 7.35 Ephes 4.12 having his heart at better bay and more awe for teachable subjection to God more firme in purpose of heart to cleave to God without disstraction 1 Cor. 7.35 not easily carried away by each Doctrine and dice-play of men not mistaking truths not slighting them not partially affecting them but moulded in them fashioned by them and keeping his fashion as a man would doe of his apparell against each noveltie So also constant setled rooted and stable 1 Cor. 15. last reade it not ungrounded in the foundation not to seeke when Satan buffets but knowing his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 2.11 and also strong to resist couragious in the use of the Armour and so persevering in his course This is that which Paul Ephe. 3. cals Christ dwelling in the soule by faith as the Inhabitant who keepes in his owne Christ Sacramentall doth this Epes 3.17 is not as a Stranger or a Sojorner who comes and goes but a Ledger one that holds his abode and delights in his dwelling Oh! this is a great degree of Christs infusion and influence into the soule when he pitches there settles and dwels there for what else is the stablenesse of the soule in grace save Christs dwelling in it by his grace and is no flittet thence And this third degrâ—e of nourishment the Lord workes in all his who have attained the former two They come to be as the Scholler riveted into his Rules or the tradesman in the myrie of his occupation not to seeke of it It is the promise of Christ to all his that they shall grow up thus in the body not by any vertue of their owne but by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus their nourishment And to this end especially they cleave to this Sacrament and improve the promise of it This is my body This is my bloud even to settle the soule by the frequent receiving of it upon the Lord Iesus for stablenesse strength courage that they may enjoy the Lord Iesus in all the Sacraments they have received and retaine the power of all the Ordinances they have used all the graces they have growne in all the duties they have done afflictions they have endured examples they have seene workes and governement of God which they have marked I say that from all these the Lord would bring such an holy experience of heart resolution of purpose setling of spirit upon the Lord his threats commands and promises as not doubting but they are firme and sure Matth. 7 ult and therefore a rocke and foundation sufficient to rely upon in all windes stormes and weathers whatsoever This I say is that third degree of Christ our nourishment which each communicant lookes for at the Supper The fourth degree Fruitfulnesse in grace 1 Cor. 15. ult What it is The fourth and last is fruitfulnesse in grace See 1 Cor. 15 ult where the Apostle joynes these two last branches Be yee unmooveable and setled alway abounding in the worke of the Lord. Wee see it in plants and men The plants must be well spread and rooted in the earth before they can grow fruitfull at least in plenty A little roote will not nourish large branches and boughes Sometime the root is so bare and fleet that it will scarce furnish the tree with leaves but a large deepe root hath many strings and little suckers which worke for the tree and feede her with nourishment so that the roote abiding deepe aod fast in the earth the fruit is plentifull Wee know nature is never more fruitfull in the active principle of generation than when the strength of the body is well confirmed So then this is the last step of spirituall prosperitie when this fourth is added to the three former to wit fruitfulnesse in a good course And it is the perfection of that influence and communion which we here enjoy in the Lord Iesus our nourishment That meate indeede and drinke indeede is this abundance and fruitfulnesse When out of the abundance of the heart the tongue is fruitfull in uttering the hands in working the feete in walking the members in service the whole tree in bringing forth fruits of righteousnesse Esay 61 3. calles such accepted and beloved of the Lord as we esteeme exceedingly of bearing trees especially if yearely and plentifully It is from the roote of the Lord Iesus that the soule doth grow thus fruitfull The indwelling of Christ is the abundance of influence the lesse of Christ the soule hath the lesse sap and fruit the nearer the communion the greater the influence The greater the treasure is from which a man draweth the richer the supply We say It s sweet to take from a great heape An heape wil serve for all uses a poore unstockt man is easily perceived in his wares the small store and choise therof hee that hath little mony to lay out is bare in his household attire family diet scarse hath for necessitie but nothing for delight and plenty So is it with a man that is no prosperer in grace hath only froÌ„ hand to mouth he cannot verifie our Saviour his specch That out of the abundance of the heart he bringeth good things abundantly but
secretly distributing the masse into severall parts according to their variety of substance and need so is it with faith she comes to the masse and full heape of blood and nourishment she finds an hoorde of fulnesse in Christ and there fastens her pipes and veine of conveyance and thence she carryes to the uses of the soule whether for blessings a sober thankfull heart or for crosses an humble meeke beleeving and confident upon the promise of Christs protection heer shee layes in grace to rule her selfe well in marriage then in family in hearing in prayer heer shee catches at grace to resolve her doubts to bane her corruptions to better her conscience to comfort her in forgivenesse none comes amisse as the need and measure of each part requires so she drawes and derives from Christ her wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption And looke how the distribution of nature doth by secret instinct derive meete juice for each part not that to one which is the others due but the tenderest to the most fleshly and the viscous or course to the stiffer as muscles and joints so is it heere the derivation of faith is wiser than of nature And the veines of last concoction Secondly having so done the lesser veines neerest to each member to bee nourished by the heate and concoction of it doth turne this proper nourishment into the substance of the nourished that both may be one and this is the eminent worke of faith also that turnes the Lord IESVS into the beeing of the soule spiritually it doth not only carry meet juice to the part leaving it there unapplyed but makes the meat and the member one The Lord Iesus by faith dwells in the soule inhabites it is one with it bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh and by his owne strength prayes heares meditates in her by his owne strenght patience love humilitie puttes an influence into her for the like so that of his fulnesse the soule hath grace for grace yea Esay 26 He doth all her works for her and in her hee is afflicted and suffers with her rejoyces in her and shee sayeth Now live I yet not I but Christ in mee Lastly faith is like the naturall soule her selfe in her Operation 4. By the Natural soule for as wee see men well fed are fit for worke so is it here Faith exercises the grace of the soule received from CHRIST Sacramentall in the severall passages of life concerning each mans calling Looke how it is with ten men that have bin wel fed at one feast although they have 10. several workes to doe yet they go cheerfully about them the plowman to toile the Merchant to project the Scholler to his study the traveller to his journey the workes are severall but the same feast affords strength and cheere of body and spirit to each of them for the menaging of his taske even so 1 Kings 19.8 in the strength of this cake and water this Lord Iesus his body and blood the refreshed soule goes about every lawfull service which the Lord calls her too One hinders not another But there is enough in Christ to fulfill all and to fit each for his taske So that if he be put on well as the Apparrell lo in the warmth and comfort of it the soule is ready to goe from duty to duty from her rising to her lying downe who of her selfe was good for nothing And thus she boasteth 1 Cor. 1.30 boasts of the Lord and sees that as her selfe cut off from him is as the branch that withers so all her sufficiency is from God and as the sea sends forth al l waters and receives them so doth the Lord receive from faith the honour of his al-sufficiency These few things may serve for a draught of this Truth how faith Sacramentall applyes Christ to be her Nourishment having taken him in the Promise Vses Now I conclude with breefe use partly of admonition and partly of exhortation to all Gods People First be warned against the lets of this Application Admonition in many Caveats Beware least thy vaine heart bee seduced by Satan to forsake the Lord in the plaine way of his ordinance as if because it is seely to fleshly shew therefore thou stumbling at it shouldest be carried from that which should doe thee most good to do thee most hurt Helpe thy hand of faith by the hand of sence assure the one by the other but hurt it not Resolue to get the Lord by his owne way Misse not the gripe and hold of a Promise for a shaddow of thy owne conceit Let not wandrings of thy mind suspicions and jelousies against God and thy selfe the guilt of old receivings the examples of the common sort of Communicants who make a custome of going as they come the temptations by thy owne unworthinesse emptinesse and basenesse carry thee from the steddy beleeving of the promise Tye not God to thy girdle rather fasten thy Boat to his Barge to be carried by the motion of it Nourish not an evill eye against others that they grow by their receivings and prosper but not hou Turne envy into faith and the fulnesse of him who hath blessed him can also satisfie thee Let not an evill heart of unbeleefe possesse thee to thinke the Sacrament will proove no better to thee than it hath bin rather thinke it s the way whereby GOD hath appointed to break through the pikes therefore the Lord will not suffer thee to live so barren as formerly Thinke not basely of CHRIST as if hee oversaw all thy sorrowes wants lets doubts annoyances corruptions temptations as if hee cared not that thou still welter in them and get not out Although they have continued long 2 Pet. 3 8. yet know a thousand yeeres with him are as one day hee hath a day of salvation an accepted time and will one day pick out speciall Sacraments and by them speciall graces for speciall needs cure thee of all the deadnesse world hollownesse pride and selfe which is in thee if thou mourne under thy burden say Corruption shall downe and grace shall outlive it and I shall yet see better dayes and best at last though I feele little seeing GOD hath saied it I beleeve it Doe not appoint GOD his measure nor his time but wait and try thy patience perhaps GOD lookes for it Light is sowne for the righteous let them waite till it come up Such health growth stayednesse and measures as God hath alotted thee shall bee thine that Demensum which thy wise steward sees best is better for thee than a greater Thou hast no promise of such a measure but of grace sufficient If thou hast any dram of it know its pretious thou art not worth the ground thou goest upon the breath thou drawest and wilt thou carve for thy selfe in the degrees of grace Vse 2 Exhortatiō Secondly and lastly come and bring thy faith to Christ thy nourishment and
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
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
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
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
by law seeke defence of both then that still the heart looke at her owne honest cleering rather than at any personall revenge not interpreting things lefthandedly an heathenish quality but as fairely as possibly they may bee construed So also forbearing the seelinesse weakenesse and lesser measures of other mens graces their techines errours and follies Waiting to see the end of a thing not so rejudging persons Eccles 7.10 Ephe. 4.32 intents events rashly Forgiving such as have offended us whether in their heate or coole bloud especially if we finde them ready to seeke it by making amends abhorring implacablenesse yea and this often not to seaven times but seaventy times seaven Matth. 18.22 Matth. 6. Matth. 18.35 even as wee our selves would bee heard in the like from God So also moderating of justice in case of strife vantage of Law Extreame right may proove extreame wrong When a poore man then is fallen into our hand we may not deale in the hardest manner cause all creditors to come about his eares and to undoe him or take for pledges his Bible his garment bed milstones bread c. Add to these others of like nature â— Position Secondly love extends her selfe to all such Acts of communion as she is occasioned unto and that first both in maintaining of those inward graces of the spirit which should put forth the soule unto them Col. 3.12 as tendernes painefulnes Col. 3.12 long-suffering amiablenes mildnes curtesie thankfulnesse kindnesse in mutuall offices plainnesse largenesse humblenes whatsoever of such quality 2. As also practise and exercise of loving actions 1. Either to all as to hold peace with them so as is possible with good conscience and to helpe pitty and releeve their bodies or soules though they deserve the contrary for there is an holy overflow of love in the godly even extended to such as are without that their hearts may be broken Ephe. 6.10 of this sort are these Vsefulnesse in common life for a righteous man and a good man should goe together readinesse to assist Iob 5.7 advise and protect the shiftlesse and wronged against their encroachers Iob 31.16 as Iob was the poore mans sanctuary especially of Orfans and widdowes whose low hedge is soone trod downe And that by free counsell riding writing in their defence if need bee So neighborly offices 2. Or else and that especially to that houshould of faith our fellow brethren and those either neere hand or remote For the love of the faithfull bends it selfe to God himselfe But as David speakes Psal 16 2. because it extends not to him therefore it returnes upon those whom hee hath made his Attornies to receive it First for Particulars we must know nothing can act beyond it owne spheare and so the love of the Saints shines most beautifully within her owne praecinct I meane to them whom she is neerest unto in place and also in compasse 1. To the person of Gods Minister his name estate To the Minister and welfare to maintaine countenance and assist to their uttermost especially in streights sicknesse and other necessities and to expresse our selves towards him See Heb. 13 1 as under the greatest prosperitie 2. To the persons of such faithfull ones as offer themselves unto us by occasion of travell or businesse 2. 2 People Heb. 13 2. Rom. 12 13. Iudges 19.15 that we be harberours unto them and make much of such esteeming their fellowship farre above our welcome But it is now growne to this that as that Levite at Gibea so a goodman if he lye not at an Alehouse may lye in the streetes An ill signe 3. 3 To Christian neere dwellers To those Christians among our selves who are decayed not by their sinne but the hand of God as fire sicknesse or the like losses best knowne to such as are neerest and therefore more concerning such than strangers who may easily bee deluded And this to be done in season before the breach be too farre gone at which time a shilling may doe as much good as ten after 4. 4 To the bodies of Saints Iohn 12 8. To the bodies in generall of all poore Saints whom wee must alwayes have among us in steede of Christ himselfe to discover what spirit of love is in us Towards whom we must shew love frankely and freely beteamingly and cheerefully Rom. 12 8. in all simplicity with bowels that is abundance of compassion to sixe and seaven dispersing not grudgingly upbraidingly Rom. 12 13. or niggardly To these true poore not onely rates for collection are due as to all by the Law but severall and privie mercie Now heere as the bodily distresse lyes in speciall so doth mercy draw lines from the Center of Gods Commandement Heb. 13 16. Eccles 11 1. To doe good and to distribute and forget not Cast thy bread upon their waters c. to each necessity one love extending it selfe to many operations according to judgement If she beholds the tattered or naked shee earnes to cloathe them if the hungry to feede them if penylesse Mat. 25 33 34. to money them if sicke to visit them if imprisoned to comfort and releeve them or howsoever their sorrowes are in their credite state posterity or the like 5 To the soules to succour and stand by them So againe and most of all to the soules of the faithfull to extend our charity according to their needes Not each one tending himselfe and looking to his owne private welfare of soule but to see that the commonwealth of Soules prosper And heere love is full of eyes towards the weake in knowledge Act. 18 26. Gal. 2 â—â— to enlighten them as Aquila did Apollos Toward the offensive to resist and reproove them sharpely as Paul did Peter Tit. 11 13. towards the fallen either by weakenesse to restore them and joynt them Gal. 6 1. or by revolt to gaster and recover them Iude 23. 1 Thes 5.14 to comfort the sad to warne the unruly and to exhort and quicken the weake and staggering Generally by good example to walke so unblameably toward all 1 Pet. 2.12 that the bad may be daunted and the good hartened built up and furthered in their most holy course â— Generall Secondly as a fountaine narrow at the spring diffuseth it selfe in her passages Diffusion of love So love she alway begins at home yet enlargeth her selfe to them that are a farre off even the whole Church in the corner in the country in the kingdome in which she liveth yea further even to other lands and the Churches thereof 2 Thes 3. 3 Iohn 2. One spirit possesseth the whole body for each members good and each member for the good of the whole and that both for outward and spirituall good For outward that all promises of prosperity belong to the Church So if it seeme good to providence shee may enjoy them Thus David Psal 144.12
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
pretext least they should live longer and sin And he can suggest unto some fearefull ones That seeing they have done to the uttermost to prepare themselves it is no great matter for the act of receiving it seeing the endevour with God is as the deede it selfe And so it is I grant where more cannot bee atteyned but not where it may for hee saith Phil. 2.13 It is God by whom yee have both the will and also the power to doe Put the case an husbandman should plough and sow and fence and waite the whole yeare for his Crop and when it is ripe he should keepe his bed say I have prepared for harvest to the uttermost therefore now I wil let my wheate shale in the eare for lacke of reaping Would not all chronicle this man for a foole yet such folly there may bee in the professors of religion For why many who both in their owne judgement and other mens have approved thâ—mselves to be the Lords and abhorre to foster any sinne in them which might disable them from comfort yet pretending their unsufficiencie or from an unthankefull heart or melancholicke feares or sowrenesse and sullennesse suddenly kicke downe all their building and refuze to come to the Table of the Lord. But oh poore deluded creatures What is this save to confound Gods issues and ends What is it but in a sort to condemne the righteous and to justifie the wicked What is it but to crosse with God and to make that ordinance which serves for edifying not onely to serve to no such use but rather to a worse use than if no such ordinance at all had beene For why Doth it not as equally contradict the rule of Triall that a prepared soule should not come as that an unprepared one should come Let them know that they offend as much in not comming as if they having not tryed themselves durst come And the Sacrament especially serving for the supply of our wants these bereave themselves not onely of the end of tryall but of the end of the Supper it selfe I warne them therefore to be wise and advised Do not bestow much time in trimming and preparing to meet the bridegroome and when the marriage day and feast is come then looke sowrely and make question whether thou shouldst meete him or not This were to make a May game for the devill to escape the gulfe and make shipwracke in the haven Rather lay hold upon the Lord Iesus in the day and season of his grace and say Lord the meanes I have used preparing to the end let me not like a foole take my labour for my paines but attaine the end of my labour in comming to thy Sacrament that both my soule and body may honour thee together and both carrie away comfort of thy Promise remembring how fearefull a sinne it is to separate the things which thou hast put together Thus much for the first head Having thus brought on the Communicant from his Praeparation A Communicants Generall carriage to the Table of the Lord Now I come more neerely to direct him about his due carriage there And first for such generall carriage both of body and minde as concernes every ordinance I will bee short as hastening to the more pertinent carriage at the Table For the externall carriage first 1. Of body it must not bee unreverend gazing idle offensive light wandring wearisome nor yet Popish formall resting in some outward gesture without any reverence of spirit But sober composed attending the duty and beseeming it Vnto which singing of Psalmes of prayse may bee added so farre as may not confound the action Math. 26 30. And Almes also at the end of the Action in token of true Thankesgiving that seeing wee cannot reach the Lord Psal 16.2 our love may fall upon his poore Saints As touching the behaviour of our spirits they are to bee present with God 2. Next of the soule All the Liturgies of the old and new Church have that solemne clause in them Lift up your hearts We lift them up to the Lord And most excellently rather like a Preacher than a Prophet Iosia charges the people thus 2 King 23.21 2 King 23.21 Keepe the passeover to the Lord your God A strange phrase If he had sayd Pray to the Lord or give thanks to the Lord we should have conceived it but he saith keepe the Passeover to the Lord meaning rayse up holy heavenly hearts and affections toward the Lord who is present to see your dispositions and therafter to requite you This for the generall More in the particulars will be occasioned Particular carriage To the whole Sacrament But more specially the Lord requires of al his peculiar behaviour at his Sacram. The first of those duties that concerne them is commemoration 1. Commemoration or thankes giving for the Lord Iesus The Father presents him at the Supper in his fulnesse that we may make it as a Monument of his death and of all his benefits This is that hee saith Doe this in remembrance of me As we see in Colledges houses founded by the bounty of great men that they have sollemne dayes of commemoration to rehearse the names and bounties of their benefactors so the Churches day and season of thankes for Christ and his benefits Matter gotten is the Sacrament of his Supper Hence is it called the Eucharist or Thankesgiving Patternes of thankesgiving for Christ Now to this end it were not amisse for us to set before us those patterns of thâ—nkes which wee reade of in Scripture for the benefits of Christ If we reade the 63 of Esay Esay 63.1 the first sixe verses wee shall see how the Prophet breakes out into a gratulation for Christ Who saith he is hee that commeth up from Bozrae with red garments glorious in his apparrell mighty to save Wherefore art thou red and thine apparrell as hee that treadeth in the winefatt I have trodden the wine-presse alone c. I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord according to all the goodnesse c. So also that of Saint Iohn Revelation I verse 5. Revel 1.5 Who is the faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne bloud and hath made us Kings and Princes unto God and his Father To him be dominion and glory for ever See the like 1 Tim. 1 17. 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen So Paul 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 15.57 Oh hell where is thy victory oh grave where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Iesus See also Rom. 7 24. Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from this body of
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
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
and the grace of love for the great worke of receiving-Its in him the first principle of life who made them to bestow them Renounce thy selfe thy own sence wil-worship devotion religion It s no moralitie to receive well no act of ours It s a most spirituall act about an object of divine excellencie the relation of a Sacrament the end of it the manner of partaking it require a new bottome and the casting out of our owne till God have stript us of our selves flesh and bloud shall never feele any subsisting of Sacraments they will vanish Onely a word of promise and a seale of the Spirit added to it by and from a God of boundlesse mercie can breede faith to become as reall an evidence and convincing the soule that there is Christ Pardon and Grace to be gotten as ever Pharisee felt false bottome in his owne work wrought carnall and outward devotion and farre greater And this note The Lord is not so to be counted the ordainer of Sacraments as if he had put all his power over unto them to conferre grace to all sorts No no he holds the bridle still in his owne hand if he blesse they shall be blessed if not accursed and all to teach us to seeke him for the grace of his Ordinance to abhorre our selves to pray for the Spirit of the Promise to make the seale effectuall else all is empty and bottomlesse The second thing is the matter of a Sacrament In the which point two branches offer themselves to be considered Secondly Matter Two things First Necessitie First The necessitie of it Secondly The simplicitie Touching the former Elements must be sensible I meane no absolute necessitie but such as the sutablenesse to providence to the impotencie of our nature requireth Such is the wofull blindnesse and dulnesse of our understanding and unbeleefe of our hearts to conceive or apply to our selves the Mystery of Christ that except the Lord should suffer men to vanish wholly in this their wretchednesse hee must of necessitie steppe out of his spirituall â—â—â—rse and temper himselfe to our infirmity declaring spirituall things by carnall And hee doth by this meanes condescend to us First Our weakenesse requires it least we should be offended with the hard things of his kingdome but might even see touch taste them and by speaking to all these sences at once hee might convey the savor and faith of them and in them familiarly to us He doth catch us as it were by this wise crafte which though it bewray much dulnesse in us yet no lesse deepe wisedome and love in God And this course hee hath taken in all times past with his Church for when any promise charge threat or act of his hath passed to corrupt man hee hath beene faine to second it with some signe and outward warrant to the sence to confirme them in the truth of it who were Actors or beholders thereof When the Lord sent Moses as a Saviour to Israel and to Pharaoh Exod. 32. and 4.3 Iudg. 7 38. Esay 38 21. Ier. 13.9 and 24 2 24. 25 15. Ezek. 12.3 c. how did the Lord both ratifie his calling and threats by miraculous signes So Gideon and Hezekiah so the Prophets in their errands as those Stories of the rod becomming a Serpent the drie and wet Fleece the rottten Girdle the Pot with the scumme and flesh sodden together doe witnesse Not to speake of those many Shaddowes and Types of holy things in the Worship of God there being scarce any one materiall thing in the whole Mystery of Christ which had not some one perhaps more spirituall resemblances Yea wee see in the new Testament how the Holy Ghost doth parallell many passages of History to spirituall Mysteries as Hagar and Sina to resimble legall bondage Gal. 4 24. Ierusalem to typifie the opposite libertie the water that supported Noa's Arke to expresse Christ and Baptisme which although I speake not to equall Types and Figures to Sacraments which are of a farre higher nature yet generally they serve to shew what the infirmity of our dull nature doth call for at the hands of God to vouchsafe these Sacraments Vnto which another respect may bee added to wit Secondly For prevention of Idolatry prevention of will-worship As the Lord gave the Iewes an earthly tabernacle and a materiall instruments of worship warranted by his owne Will to restraine the carnall part from devising Idoll-inventions to serve him by So Sacraments serve in a sort to curbe our base hearts from the like errors For if even these be not sufficient to stop our folly in this kinde which will know no God or worship further than we see him then what would wee have devised to our selves if God had not allowed us these Let the many additions of Popish Sacraments and Sacramentalls Images Idols and the Crucifixe c. be evident proofe hereof Vse 1 Teaching us to circumscribe our curious and fickle hearts within Gods bounds and secondly to magnifie his provision in this kinde for the releefe of our dull and slow hearts yea as Manoahs Angell ascended in the smoake of the sacrifice Iudg. 13.20 so let us incorporate and indoctrinate our feeble mindes and soules into the evidence of these divine proppes of the Sacraments As our Saviour said to Thomas Iohn 20.17 Put thy hand into my sides and the print of the nailes he being content that his exalted estate should admit such scars to convince him so in this Sacrament he shewes us his markes bidding us to be not more formall and hardned but faithfull The more wayes the Lord seekes to encounter the dul conceit and the stupor of our understandings yea the blunt edge of our affections in holy mysteries the more naturally and familiarly he deales that he might surprise our earthlinesse sensualitie and heavinesse of spirit slow to beleeve these heavenly things I say let us be the more teachable and pliable to his discipline Let the impression of his Ordinance pierce more deepely into us and work a more through conquest of our hearts to the obedience of him A pen of a Diamond hath tenfold that force to engrave a Figure in glasse or mettall than some ordinary toole So when the Lord seekes to send instruction into us many wayes at once by all the sences eyes tast touch as well as by the worke of the bare word oh let us beware least our resistance of Spirit and hardnes of heart discourage him quite from any further dealing and tearting with us Iohn 3.12 If when I teach you carnall things saith our Saviour for so it was his course to teach nothing save by Similitudes Parables and sometimes reall objects as by setting a little child before them and washing and wiping their feete himselfe in that lesson of Humiliation and Selfe-deniall Ye understand not Mat. 13 2. Iohn 13 4. how shall ye conceive heavenly Meaning if those things which were used as the more
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
his fidelity by laying a pledge in our lap and by securing us of his faithfulnes by oath the end of all strife Nay to speak more fully the Lord in the assuring of the bargain of his grace doth much like to an honest man willing to sell his inheritance Finding out such an honest chapman as gives him content hee offers him the Land upon a price declares the goodnesse of it tells him it s richly worth his money Having thus presented the object to the free choise of the Chapman Lo the Buyer mooved by the sinceritie of the Seller and the goodnesse of the penny-worth consents to his price and contracts with him for the Land They both are firmely agreed neither suspecting other their words seeme as deeds each to other But in the upshot the Buyer considers while the Seller and I live and there shall be no question betweene us all is well but if the Seller die and leave me no security for my owne what availes it me to pay my money Who knowes what may befall besides either of our intentions in so bad a world as this Hereupon these ingenuous dealers treate further and the Seller taking great content in the buyer tells him I see you are willing to deale with me to beleeve my honest contract and I find few so true in paying for their purchase as I see you are your money I have received and therefore you shall well see I will not be more backward in security than you are in paiment Goe to the learnedst counsell you can meet with get him to draw the Covenants as sure and strong as can be and looke whatsoever shall be demanded I will make good and I will settle the land upon you as strongly as Law can â—evise to settle it In like sort deales the Lord with a beleeving soule I see thou hast a good desire deale with me for my grace and pardon in Christ thou hast received my report beleeved my promise for the faithfulnesse sake which thou perceivest to be in me howbeit I see many doubts rise up in thy minde to unsettle thee I see thy sensualitie is great thy heart wavering for time to come I am absent from thine eye and Satan buzzeth feares into thee of my unfaithfulnes I have therfore resolved to assure thee to the uttermost of my simplicitie and have added to my Covenant a further ratification of my Sacraments I here give thee a pledge an oath a seale I chuse the Symbols of the flesh water and bloud of my crucified Sonne the very instruments by which he wrought satisfaction for thee as verily as this Sacrament offers thee these united Elements which be as a marke and print of the very nailes and wounds that pierced and slew him and wrought my angry soule to be appeased so verily doe I in particular tender them to thee and make them thine so that if thou be frustrate I am content to cease to be faithfull and shall become a lier Behold therefore in my Sacrament all my Sonne and the utmost security which I am able externally to give thee and to make him thine as surely as my Gospell can make him Thus I say doth the Lord and joyneâ— the Spirit of his Sonne called his sealing Spirit to the Spirit of promise before given That the one with the other the seale with the Covenant might be above the Covenant alone so leave the poore soule in peace and securitie as concerning his faithfull Covenant to save and sustaine the soule in all her feare and doubtfulnesse and to take refuge with strong consolation Vse 1 And let the use hereof in Gods feare be as weightie with us as the point it selfe is First to teach us to mourne to consider how lamentably this end of Sacraments on Gods part is unknowne untaught despised in the Church of Christ after threescore yeares restoring of the Gospell and upward and all by the sinne of wofull and wicked men who have by their sloth deprived Gods people of so great a Iewell as the Ministry and use of Sacraments Where is there one congregation of many to whom this mystery of Christ Sacramentall is revealed in the kinde How hidden and darke is this Doctrine to the most And where it hath sounded how strange is the sound thereof even as of many waters I may say the one halfe of Christ in his efficacie and power either by Covenant or Seale is kept from the body of people by the carelesnesse of Teachers Vse 2 Secondly to exhort all that care to receive the Sacrament to any purpose not to rest themselves satisfied in knowing what I have spoken Eph. 4 21. till they know the truth as it is in Iesus Sacramentall till they finde and feele Gods end of Sacraments to be fulfilled in and to their owne soules in the sealing and securing power thereof Oh! Iohn 4 10. Didst thou know the gift of God in a Sacrament how the Lord hath hung it to his Covenant as a seale of uttermost assurance of Christ thy peace and wellfare how wouldest thou both addresse thy selfe to it and set thy seale of faith to it As concurring with Gods end and receiving full securitie to thy doubtfull soule of Gods being thy God reconciled and alsâ—fficient Oh! looke to it as thy life Heb. 6 14 15.16 Shall an oath among men decide all and shall God stake pledges sweare seale up his Covenant with his owne hand and shalt thou dare to remaine notwithstanding at as dead a point as if he had never wet his finger to give thee contentment Oh! how shalt thou endure that wrath of his which shall burne forth against all that give him the lie 1 Ioh. 5.10 holding their owne against him and his Oath and receiving his Word as a vaine thing Doubtlesse if his wrath shall smoake against that soule which having heard his Law and Terrors shall crie peace to it selfe and say none of these plagues shall befall me Deut. 29 19. What wrath shall breake forth against him that hearing the Lords Oath and beholding his hand and seale to his Covenant shall treade it under feete and adde drunkennesse to thirst by unbeleefe in stead of adding assurance to faith a seale to a Covenant Let us teach our selves by the practise of men If a man having received the uttermost witnesse and security which the Law of the Land can give him applies it in speciall to the securing of his heart and rests in full perswasion that his money is not lost his purchase is good what shalt thou doe towards the Lords security For tell me I pray thee wherein rests the securitie of a Purchaser Is it not in the spirit of the Law of the Land Doth he not tell himselfe This is thine the strength of the law of the Land is thine thou art on sure ground the Law must be no Law ere the right be no right Sleepe therefore securely enjoy thine owne feare nothing Such a Law
there is by vertue of which the generall equity and provision of the Land and the securitie of every men thou maiest buy and sell upon it that thine is thine owne Gods security best And is not there a greater and stronger spirit to secure thee in the matter of thy salvation offered in the Sacrament Is there not here the Spirit and seale of the Lord Iesus to secure thee Will not this Spirit deliver thee into as firme a Tenor and Possession of Christ thy pardon and life as the other of a peece of land Shall a clod of a field and the ringle of a doore the seazin and delivery of a house and land thereby leave thee better satisfied for the temporall right than the Spirit of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Iesus for thy spirituall Looke to thy selfe and beware Weakenesse of unbeleefe the Lord will pardon But if thou despise his mercifull releefs of this weakenesse and turne it to wilfulnesse beware least thy wilfull falling proove not a falling sicknesse and thy weakenesse become not such a disease in thee as the Lord will have no regard to cure thee of but leave thee to thy contempt to thine heart of infidelity that cannot beleeve Rather be exhorted to seeke the Lord in his gracious way of assurance bewaile thy impotencie and say Oh! Lord except thou adde thy Spirit to thy Seale as well as thy Seale to the Covenant my cursed spirit is as prone to breake all bands in sunder as any mans With thee Lord weake meanes of beleeving shall be strong without thee the strongest are weake how much more then canst thou made the strongest to become strong I deny my selfe I set my boate upon thy streame to be carried by thee Lord sanctifie thy Sacraments to become unto my soule the utmost assurances of thy Grace and carry me so into this assurance as that being rid of my feares I may ever blesse thee for the fruit of thy Sacraments Thus much for the first end Touching the second to adde a little to that I said formerly I call this â—n occasionall or subordinate end of the Sacrament Secondary end The secure God of our Covenant viz. That we might renew our Covenant with God Wonder not that the ends of the same Ordinance differ in weight for as in Sacramentall graces faith and love we say all are essential to a good receiver yet not equally necessary to the act of receiving so here both these ends are intended more or lesse although Gods sealing of Covenant to us be chiefe Briefely then the Lord expects that the soule being made partaker of his Christ in the feast of the hills as Esay 25. Esay 25 12. I meane with the fat things and refined wines of his Supper and feeling his love sealed to her there in reconciliation and renewed holinesse do occasion her selfe thereby even while the benefit is fresh to revive her love reassure the Lord of her fuller purpose of heart to cleave to him And how Surely in better living by faith better affections zeale fruitfulnesse courage better mortification of lusts and deniall of self better and closer watching of the heart Act. 11.23 and walking with him in uprightnes as our God alsufficient For why If there be mercy with him that he may be feared much more is there renewed mercy with him that he may be doubly and renewedly feared Psal 130.4 And how can we without hypocrisie long for the Sacrament ere it come upon pretence that our spirituall darke dead hearts will be revived and our appallings in grace cured and new strength added and yet having our turne served leave God to himself to go seek the fruit of our being satisfied with the pleasures apples and flagons of his House How doe many complaine between whiles of their damping coldnes and desertion what should then such do 1 Chron. 4 9 Iudg. 1 8. but with that holy Iabez or Othniel vow professe to the Lord that if he wil make the Sacrament a day of feasting joy send us from him welraised up then wil we be the Lords not suffer his oath Sacrament of sealing to passe away from us without a restipulation and reciprocation of double affection duty and thankes But returne him the strength of his cost in his owne service Vse 1 The use herof is first to taxe the most for their extreame base requitall of God for the grace they pretend to reape at and by the Sacrament Surely either they deceive them selves with a shaddow for substance or they faile God marvellously in this end of his Either they make no vowes at the Sacrament or breake them as fast Oh! the formalitie of most Professers in their receiving As appeares by this that in stead of making this Ordinance an hint and opportunitie to provoke themselves to a closer and narrower survey of their hearts and wayes Lo they turne this grace into commons and into a bare frequency of oft and monethly receiving which I doe not dislike in it selfe but alas grow to an habited falling-sicknesse and numbe Palsie of practise and walking uprightly no sooner hath the raine fallen upon their rockie and stony spirits but the next puffe of wind hath dried it up and so they live in a most mortall and wofull contempt of the end of Sacraments whereas they are ordained for the speciall advancing of the soule to God and the furthering of the bent and streame of the conversation to him Lo they are never more dead hearted dull secure saples than after their Receivings Oh wofull Surely beware least ye be of that sort of whom Iob speakes That they shall never enjoy the flouds of honey and butter Iob 20.17 never come to that welfare and encrease of God which he bestowes upon his carefull servants who keepe touch with him and come to him as well for Gods glory as their owne good Except thou keepe those things close together which God hath united his Seale to thee for comfort and thy oath and vow to him for better service thy Sacraments are liker to proove thy bane than thy gaine Vse 2 Secondly let it be speciall exhortation to all Gods people to unite both these ends in one as they desire comfort froÌ„ either Let no Sacrament passe thee by thy good will but the sad remembrance of thy dead barren and formall Religion may so sting thee that with all thy might and endeavour thou strive to obtaine of the Lord a more lively resolved and bent heart to returne to thy Christian course with closenesse and keeping of Covenant Borrow from the present experience of mercy in the Sacrament an hearty purpose to shake off the usuall enchantments of Satan and the errour of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. ult which have pluckt thee from thy stedfastnesse formerly beseech the Lord to ratifie thy covenant which thou hast so oft broken and pray him that by this if by any occasion
thine heart may be pull'dup to Davids practise Psal 116.10 who finding himselfe in a sad time delivered from the anguish of his spirit resolved to pay his vowes for it in the mids of Gods House and said What shall I give to the Lord If he could take up the Cup of salvation and praise the Lord how much more shouldest thou take the Cup of salvation which the Lord purposely puts into thine hand Yea thou should say Psal 119 57. Oh Lord my portion I have determined to keepe thy Law Yea and I have sworne and by thy strength I will keepe my oath even to obey thy Commandements Surely if men can breake into so many vowes and promises by occasion of a sicknesse or streight that if God set them at large they will so and so requite him which yet proove broken vowes for the most part then what vowes should received sealed mercies produce from us except we be base hirelings and hypocrites where the Lord himselfe is before hand with us in the grace of the Sacrament yea while the smoke yet goeth up how should wee ascend in it as Manoas Angell to heaven Iudg. 13.20 Surely those Papists who abuse Gods Sacraments to cursed ends as to combine themselves in hellish plots and cruelties and to adjure each other to secrecie which is as farre from the end of a Sacrament as if one borrowing his neighbours horse to fetch his rent should abuse him to take a purse yet even their wickednesse shall not be much worse than theirs who vow better obedience and take the Sacrament upon it and shall yet forfeit so solemne a band and returne to their vomit But for this last branch and for this Chapter thus much CHAP. IIII. Of Sacramentall Acts and the use thereof and of the celebration and sollemnitie of the Sacraments Why Acts requisite HAving spoken enough of a Sacrament as touching the constitution thereof it remaines that wee finish the Description by adding somewhat touching the actuall celebration of Sacraments For it is impossible that the excellencie of their nature of which we have treated should reach to us without a communication and imparting them to us The Lord himselfe who ordained Sacraments is the holder out of them also to the soule Now seeing the Sacraments containe partly things spirituall partly carnall the former whereof are to be carried and conveyed by the mediation of the latter it followeth that the externall Elements must be conveyed by externall and sensible agents to sensible objects by sensible Rites and administrations The Lord himselfe the Agent is a Spirit and treateth not with us immediately either by word or presence Needs must he therefore set forth a deputed Instrument to be for him and that is his Minister Againe the soules of the faithfull are invisible therefore cannot immediately be touched therefore their bodily and personall presence is required that so the conveyer and they to whom the things are conveyed may meete and consent together And as formerly I said that the things offered by God to the Church are spirituall under outward Elements so the offering thereof to the Communicants is spirituall and by the Spirit of Christ yet this spirituall offering is made by outward Acts and Administrations which I call holy Rites appointed by God himselfe and passing betweene the Minister and people that so the gifts also offered may therein passe and be conveyed First then a little of the Persons and then of the Acts requisite to celebration of Sacraments that the Lord and the soule may meete each other The Persons are two we see the Minister and people 1. Persons which are two 1 Minister The Minister then is such a sacred person as is lawfully from God by men appointed as a Sequester betweene God and the Congregation serving to this end to be betweene God and the people for the conveying mutually of good things betweene each other and by name the good things of Christ Sacramentall In whom we must consider both his calling and person he sustaines Touching his calling he ought to be a man truely separated from men and this life to God and holy use In whom 1 Calling Heb. 5.4 hee must be called by God as was Aaron and lawfully warranted by men as the voices of God to the Congregation that he is meet for such use Hee must be of competent understanding Ephe. 3 2 4. and skill in all the Mysteries of Christ and godlinesse He must be of competent gifts to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. utter and expresse the same to the people For how shall hee exhibite those Seales as from God which he neither understands in the ground thereof to wit the Covenant of grace nor yet the Doctrine and Nature of the Seales hee offers How fearefull a derogation is it to the Sacrament in which all things should be Symbolicall when he that is in Gods stead to the people shall neither know the nature of the Covenant to be able to preach it nor of a Seale either to teach or deliver it What a confusion is it for the Minister so unqualified to occupie the roome of God himselfe As if the Lord sealed a Covenant to his people and a Seale which he knew not the meaning of The like I may say of the life of the Minister Seeing the Lord is holy 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 7 25. and offers holy things and such an high Priest it behooves us to have as is holy blamelesse and separate from sinners How necessary is it that the Minister be also in this symbolicall That by the grace of his person the Lord may seeme to draw his people to an holy carriage in the Sacrament saying Be yee holy who beare the vessels of the Lord. Esay 52 11. What a Trumpet of prophanenesse is it to the people and a meane to abhorre the Sacrifices of the Lord when even that sacred person which offers the holy things of God is himselfe profane Hag. 2 12. What an opinion might it breed in the ignorant seeing such a sight that God is like themselves in putting no difference betweene the holy and profane Psal 50 21. But if our duty and worke be done any way it skills not how as if all were alike in Gods account 2. Person The second thing in the Minister thus duly called is the Person he sustaines That is laid downe in the old and new Testament Exod. 29 9. Exod. 4 16. 2 Corâ— 5 20. clearely In the old when the Lord bounded Moses and Aarons office he saith that Aaron should be or serve for all uses betweene God and the people in point of worship and spirituall respects And Paul 2 Cor. 5.20 saith Wee are Embassadors for God as if by us God and Christ besought you c. Note then there is a double relation in the Minister as in all so especially in Sacramentals one wherby he conveyes to the people from God his gifts and
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
the water And the essence of Baptisme in the very symbolicalnesse of it urgeth no lesse For what resemblance of ingrafting putting on of Christ is there in sprinkling what typicalnesse is there of our descending into and ascending out of the water both which are expresly spoken of Christ in his baptisme of Iordan What resemblance of our buriall or resurrection with Christ is there in it So that I doubt not but contrary to our Churches intention this errour having once crept in is maintained still by the carnall ease and tendernesse of such as looking more at themselves than at God stretch the liberty of the Church in this case deeper and further than eyther the Church her selfe would or the solemnenesse of this Sacrament may well and safely admit I doe not speake this as a thing meete to disturbe a Churches peace but as desiring such as it concernes in their places to looke to their liberty and duty in this behalfe The fourth person the infant The fourth and cheefe person yea equall object of Baptisme is the party baptised For not onely the Church may and doth baptise her infants but also adultos growne ones also if any such being bred Pagans and brought within the pale of the Church shall testifie their competent understanding of the new covenant and professe their desire to bee seazed with Baptisme for the strengthning of their soule in the faith thereof professe it I say not basely and slightly but with earnestnesse and entirenesse cutting off their haire and nailes and abhorring their Paganisme A short touch of the baptisme of infants But the truth is the exercise of the Churches baptisme is upon infants Here the Anabaptists rise up pleading the corruption of such baptisme and urging the first baptisme of catechised ones and confessors of sinne and cravers of the seale upon the worke of the Ministry foregoing in knowledge and faith which can be incident onely to Adulti or growne ones They alledge that we seale to a blank to no covenant and therefore it s a nullity Sundry learned men have undertaken to stop their scismaticall mouths to answer their peevish Arguments my scope tends another way in this Treaty so farre as my digression may be veniall I say this for the setling of such as are not willfull that I take the baptisme of infants to be one of the most reverend generall and uncontroled traditions which the Church hath and which I would no lesse doubt of than the Creede to bee Apostolicall And although I confesse my selfe yet unconvinced by demonstration of Scripture for it yet Reasons for it first Sithence Circumcision was applyed to the infant the eighth day in the Old Testament Secondly there is no word in the New Testament to infringe the liberty of the Church in it nor speciall reason why wee should bereave her of it Thirdly sundry Scriptures afford some friendly proofes by consequence of it Fourthly the holinesse of the child externall and visible is from their parents who are or ought to be catechised confessors penitent and Protestants in truth which privelidge onely open revolt disables them from therefore I say The seede being holy and belonging to the Covenant the Lord graciously admits them also to the seale of it in Baptisme 1 Cor. 7 14 Quest Howbeit here a further quaere arises And How it is capable 1 Pet. 3 21. because the Sacrament of Baptisme is here handled by us not as halfe a Sacrament onely including a washing of the flesh but an entire Sacrament holding out and giving an invisible grace by outward meanes By what authority shall we say an infant may be presented to that whereof it is not capable To that I answer Answere First it s not meete that Baptisme being the Sacrament of new birth which can be but once should destroy her owne Analogy by frequent administring therefore if but once the most comprehensive way is to doe it in the infancy when the outward admission of a member is allowed to it Secondly although the child be not capable of the grace of the Sacrament by that way whereby the growne are by hearing conceiving and beleeving yet this followes not that infants are not capable of Sacramentall grace in and by another way Pittifull are the shifts of them that have no other way to stop an Anabaptists mouth save by an errour that an infant may have faith It s easy to distinguish betweene the gift conveyed and the manner of conveying it For if the former be the latter in such case will poore needlesse But if the infant be truly susceptive of the substance of Christ none can deny it the Sacrament Now to understand this marke that infants borne of beleeving parents are of the number of those that shall be saved though dying in their infancy none of our reformed Churches will deny It is enough therefore that such before death doe partake the benefit of Election in Christ together with the benefits of Christ in regeneration adoption redemption and glory Now that the Spirit can apply these unto such infants is not doubted of though the manner thereof to us bee as hidden and mysticall thing yet so it is the Spirit of Christ can as really unite the soule of an infant to God imprint upon it the true title of a sonne and daughter by adoption and the image of God by sanctification without faith as with it Now if the thing of baptisme be thus given it why not baptisme Nay I adde further I see no cause to deny that even in and at and by the act of baptisme as the necessity of the weake infant may admit the Spirit may imprint these upon the soule of the infant Vse Let the use of the point bee to all such as are growne to yeares of discretion to looke backe to their Baptisme Let such blesse the Lord for his bounteous prevention of them with the Sacrament even before they had any strength to conceive it Why should the Lord so doe except to heape hot coales upon thy head oh poore wretch and to teach thee to conclude Esay 65.1 Iam. 4 8. Psal 119.10 that he who was found of thee when thou soughtest him not will much more draw neare to thee when thou art fayne upon him and seekest him with thy whole heart What a mercy is it to know the Lord to be a provoker of the soule to imbrace that covenant the seale whereof hee is content to bestow before hand for the hope of time to come Who should so play the Traytor in coole blood having found the Lord so faithfull in his love and to cavill thus I was baptized and made my covenant when I knew nothing nay I did make none my selfe but others for me Let them looke to their stipulation and promise I made none Can any Trecherous wretch so requite the Lord Rather if any sparke of love be in thee wilt thou not breake thy heart by this early mercy before
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
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
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
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
this I taxe the Distrust of such as profit not by the connexion of this to the othet Who so then have truely tasted of the Grace of Baptisme and have lyen in the wombe thereof Let them come in and humbly yet confidently plead for the succor of this second For the Lord who hath no superfluous nourishment for Bastards yet wants no necessary releefe for sonnes and daughters The Lord is not as that worke-man who having built the bouse leaves it at Randon to whose will to mend it may droppe downe to the ground for him it s none of his But the Lords buildings are all his owne and hee compts it no lesse perteining to himselfe to keepe it in Reparations than first of free grace to make it an Habitation of his owne by his Spirit 1 Pet. 2 2 Yea the new borne Babe whimpering for the breast pleads not more effectually with the tender mothers heart to give it than that Soule which is really bredd the Lords hath liberty to cry Psal 119 97. Abba father susteine mee preserve mee I am thine Lord save me mainteine thy lot and portion in me as by al holy Ordinances of support so by this thy Sacrament as most peculiar to that end Lord of thee I am 1 Cor. 1.30 Blood Flesh Bone all I am I am from thee mainteine the Creation of thy hands by all meanes against all enemies in all spirituall welfare and prosperity meet for thy glory and the good of thine so farre as all thy Promises and Priviledges belonging to the members of thy Body can effect it Remember it will be as great a dishonor for thee to leave the workmanship of thy hands as if thou hadst begun to build and given over thy worke at the first Secondly I say it consists of Iesus-Bread and Wine 2 Branch The coÌ„pound Sacramentall union hath beene toucht already Heere I adde that the Lord Iesus who unites himselfe to his Word of Promise to his Beleeving ones bidding them Eate good things and dâ—light themselves in fatnesse Thereby Esay 55.2 putting into his Word the spirit of nourishment refreshing and support to the Soule doth also unite himselfe to Bread and Wine both Vnions are Spirituall both Verball and Sacramentall yet Sacramentall including the Verball is above it to convey Spirituall refreshing more fully more immediately more lively into the Soule than by the former alone As if hee should say Oh! poore Soule I am content to unite my power and fulnesse of strenght and comfort not onely to my Word and Promises but even to my Creatures also and yet thinke it no abasement neither for thy good I know thou hast as great need of a signe of my good will and love to uphold thee as ever thou hadst of my Creating power to forme mine Image at the first in thee If there were use of both Word and Water to become a seed of Regeneration to create thee there is as great use of the same word and Bread and Wine to cherish thee Ephe. 5 29. No man ever hated but preserved his owne flesh To shew then how deare thou art to me even as the wife to the husband loe nothing shall ever part thee and me which I can doe for thee I that was with the former to breed thee will bee with the latter to feed and nourish thee no necessary aid shall be wanting Psal 84 1â— for all ends meet as well to keepe thee fat and wel-liking in goodnes as to make thee good I who created thee of nothing Esay 57 1â— yea of worse then nothing to bee mine Image will not faile of good to make thee better therefore acknowledge my love and faithfulnes in both Vse The Vse may bee to convince all such as have a sinister and unequall conceit of the worth of Sacraments Against two sorts as if the necessity and Sacramentall union of one were not as essentiall and thankworthy as the other Papists first although they magnifie both Sacraments too farre yet debase the Sacrament of the new birth under the other which they call of the Altar Here they put all their confidence and lay all their treasure Christ shall not onely bee united Sacramentally to it but even Transubstantiated into it it s their Pandora to which they have brought all their base additions to adorne and set it foorth whereas the union with both these is one and the same for their severall use and if not equall then none at all Contrary to whom is another conceite of such as thinke there is lesse use of this union than the other seeing the Church may farre worse want the Sacrament of ingrafting than the other To which I answer that although in some respect it s not to bee denyed that the Sacrament of a Christian being hath in it selfe a preheminence above the other of well-being yet in the wisedome of the ordeyner and for the continualnesse of use which the Supper hath to repaire the daily wanzings and decayes of the soule it s most certaine there ought to be made no comparison betweene their necessiâ—y no unequalnesse to bee imagined But as the child being asked whether it love father or mother best is taught to say I love them both best I love neither better than other so ought a Christian to say of these Whereas the administration of God in the old Church is alledged That their circumcision was long without a Passeover I answer What God can doe by one when he denies another is not here debated but rather what esteeme he requires of both so long as both equally may be enjoyed Nay further we know God bare with his Church for the long intermission both of Circumcision and Passeover after the ordeyning of both how much more shall hee not tollerate onely but supply aboundantly the necessary want of the one if persecution compell it But otherwise in the liberty of both who should dare to dreame of an inequality The materials of it Now I come to the materialls and first of the Elements to wit bread and wine whereof because I have spoken somewhat before therefore here I will content my selfe onely to treate a little of these foure particulars Foure things First the sensiblenesse Secondly the aptnesse Thirdly the simplicity Fourthly the fulnesse of these two Elements The first sensiblenesse Touching the first seeing the Lord would have these Elements so plaine and sensible resemblers of heavenly nourishment how sensibly should our soules bee lifted up by them to the things resembled Vse It comes to my minde what Moyses Deut. 8.2.3 c. tells the Israelits that the Lord had so palpably discovered himselfe to them in the Wildernesse that for shame they could not but know beleeve and obey him The Lord saith he hath revealed himselfe to all your sences yee have heard his terrible voyce in the mount yee have seene the rocke gush forth water a Table spread in the Wildernesse all other
flesh they shall be conveyers of holy things the blood spirit power life of the Lord Iesus into the soules of the faithfull Oh Father then as thou and I are one Ioh. 17.22 so declare that looke what I upon earth have done that thou hast ratified in heaven let not thine elect make any question but that its thy will as well as mine that these Elements be sanctified for such use Secondly as he begges of his Father Consent so especially he craves blessing upon them As Salomon in that his prayer begs Oh Lord since it s thy will to dwell in this house which I have built 1 Kin. 8.28 therefore I beseech thee shew it by reall effects Whensoever thy people shall be hem'd in by their enemies be afflicted with famine pestilence sword or whensoever they shall pray for any good thing Oh Lord looke downe from heaven and let it be enough that thy people looke toward this house Oh then meet them and blesse them So our Saviour here Oh Father I know thou hearest me alway and by name in thy consent to this separation of the Sacrament But Lord shew it both at this time to my disciples for ever to the end of the world Let them not looke toward this ordinance in vaine but put the savor and foyson of thy Sons grace strength refreshing into them that they may actually conferre upon all hungry beleeving soules my righteousnesse of satisfaction and sanctification of merit in the one 1 Cor. 1 30. Exod 20.1 and efficacie in the other to sustaine them and encrease their comfort both in their reconciliation and holinesse as the neede of each requires 3. He begges of his Father that his poore doubtfull and weake people might understand this blessing to be granted as well as himselfe that they might come confidently to this Sacrament 4. That by vertue of this his prayer and blessing the Church might approach with confidence to the Throne of Grace to doe the like that is to blesse the Sacrament both Minister and people with hope to receive the like blessing upon their receiving Vse 1 Ere wee goe to the next branch this may affoord us speciall use let it be exhortation then to all poore humbled ones in the sight of unworthinesse to all fearefull distrustfull ones of themselves that mourne for their dead dull receivings and that the Sacrament comes and goes from time to time with small fruit Oh! Why is it thus with you Is the Lord here and you are not aware Doe yee fare as if the Lord bade yee come hither in your owne strength Hath he not bestowed blessings upon it and blessed it yea and in spite of all divels in hell coâ—ruption on earth formalitie of the wicked it shall be blessed Why then looke yee no more firmely to the effect of this prayer Let me adde one thing more This prayer of Christ was but the first of his requests in this behalfe Lo as he is our Advocate in heaven he plies this worke still and followes this first sute with his Father to the uttermost that he would apply the power of his death and bloud to his Word preached and Sacraments ministred in his Church so that no opportunitie is now wanting to second this blessing doe not feare least God should have forgot this old prayer for with him two thousand yeares is as one day â— Pet. 3 8. But say it were not so yet we have an Advocate daily to put him in minde of each occasion Ioh. 11 42. So that if the Lord Iesus be all-way heard when hee prayeth it s well for us though old suits might be forgotten which is impossible But alas alas The cold comfort we feele by the Sacrament is the fruit of our little denying our selves cleaving to the Prayer and the Promise This is my welbeloved c. If Iohoshaphat could so confidently goe to God 1. Chro. 20 9. so long after Salomons blessing the Temple pleading to be heard how much more thou in the prayer of the Lord Iesus Did not Rebecca and Iacob laugh and take courage thinke we when they heard Isaac tell Esau Gen. 27 33. That Iacob was already blessed and should be so Why dost thou not laugh then to heare a greater and surer blessing from Christ Why goest thou out of this Blessing and Promise into thine own warme Sun to compasse thy selfe with thy owne sparkles Esay 50 11. Thinkest thou it is with this great Master of Requests as at the Court that many requests may be made ere one granted No no The Lord heard his Sonne in his feares much more his desires bring thou faith and feare not to receive a Sacrament under such a blessing as the Prayer of Christ lies in pawne to procure Heb 5 7. Let thy heart be never so hard Lam. 3 17. empty barren and farre from prosperity if thou come in faith the blessing is thine It s noted by the Evangelist That when Christ pray'd Ioh. 12 28. Glorifie thy name c. answer was made I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe Our Saviour tels his disciples This was for their sakes If thou canst by the eare of faith heare this voyce it belongs to thee Vse 2 Secondly it should not onely be instruction to all Ministers to sanctifie the Sacrament to the Church and themselves But especially it should teach them to be humble in so doing and to come unto God in all abasement Gen. 18.27 even as dust and ashes when they come to aske the blessing of God upon this or other Ordinances at the hands of God If a man having many children especially his eldest Sonne and heire so obedient and loyall that he never askes any boone of his Father but thee comes in great honour and reverence to aske it Will not this teach all the rest except Impes and degenerate to be much more so Behold here thy elder Brother the Lord Iesus Lord of all yet subject and begging every thing he needs not for himselfe but for his Church and shall it not smite into thee one of the basest of all the family of God much more humblenesse in thy prayers Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach both Minister and people in their blessing of the Sacrament when they feele their owne wofull basenesse to be admitted to such a service as being privie to horrible prophaning of such Ordinances and guilt of other sinnes to behold themselves their Prayers and Preparations in the person and prayer of the Lord Iesus in which they may be accepted as if worthy When they have once praid for blessing Pray againe with Hezekiah The good Lord accept me Chro. 30 18 19. though no way prepared according to the preparing of the Santuary Isaac bids Iacob come neere my sonne that I may feele and know if thou be indeede my sonne Esau Gen 27 28. and so comming in his linnen and roughnesse hee tooke him
to God for the sinnes of the Elect. The foresight hereof that his Death should be a lasting Monument of himselfe and a meane of perpetuall honour to the Father through him was another Branch of his blessing of the Sacrament Oh! when he saw God and himselfe had blessed it with their presence for ever and that no enemy shoud prevaile against it Esay 55 13. Esay 66.23 but that as Esay 55. ult it should be an everlasting Name not to be forgotten and as Esay ult it should be a daily Sacrifice from Sabboth to Sabboth to the worlds end that it should prevaile against the gates of hell ignorance and superstition attend the Gospel for ever as a Seale of the Promise and finally survive all base Pillars and Monuments of prophanesse and Idolatry Oh! these things caused him to raise up his heart to his Father in thanks and therewith to be rapt up to blesse his Name and to set his Seale to the Sacrament Be it so Oh Father and be pleased to confirme this grant and I in thy Name do blesse and hallow these Elements to be such memorials for ever Vse The use of this may be to us this Never come to enjoy the Sacrament but to looke up to God in his blessing of the Lord Iesus and to beseech him that it may be so continued and to purge out from his Church in all kingdomes that detestable Idoll of the Masse that it may not stand up as a signe of contradiction against this faithfull witnesse of God that the Lord would not so lay to his heart this our profanation of his Sacrament as to remoove it from us and bestow it upon a people which should honour him with better fruit of it Oh! how have wee in England of a long time plaid the Harlots and after this 60. or 70. yeares of the Sacrament waxen weary of it and when any occasion of a Masse hath beene offered ran by troopes unto it as glutted with this Manna from heaven how have wee lyen heavie upon the stomacke of God by this our transcendent abhomination and excommunicate thing deserving that the floudgates of all Popish trash should be let in upon us and the Gospell Ordinances and communion of Saints quite defaced and sent into another world from us That I say either the possession or the power of them should for ever be pull'd from us Let so many as are free from this contagion still keepe their garments unspotted Revel 14.4 and still begge of God that the blessing once obtained by Christ upon the Sacrament may be still granted that in spite of all Popish pollutions Christs Supper may be kept pure in the Church for a Seale to his Covenant and for the glory of the Father through the Lord Iesus A third and last cause was The view of that unspeakable Grace which the whole Militant Church should reape by it The third cause That good which he foresaw the Sacrament should doe caused him to breake out into this blessing And to set his Seale unto it to the same purpose That as his Father had granted it to such an end so himselfe also blessed it as if he said Goe my blessed Ordinance be the Legacy of my Church and seeing the Father hath made thee an instrument of so endlesse comfort and strength to the weake soules of my people take my blessing also with thee Loe I am now offering up my body and life upon the Crosse and I convey by them all the merit and power thereof to the hearts of my people when and where and how oft soever they shall partake it It is no question but that our Lord Iesus mourned in Spirit also to behold the errors and infinite abuses both of doctrine and practise which should ensue in the Church through Popish corruption and base customes and profane unreverence of men yet all this hinders not his Thankes for the blessed fruit of the Sacrament Vse The use of which is That we also both Minister and people doe thus raise up our hearts to God in the meditation of these things First if wee could but consider how exceeding great a blessing it were to see one heavie soule comforted one doubtfull heart resolved one staggerer setled by the Sacrament How might we be provoked to blesse God Nay when we consider how many the true Ministery of Christ Sacramentall hath humbled broken and converted to God by a due esteeme of a mountaine by many little mollehills How great may we imagine is that crop of grace and blessing which the Sacrament purchaseth to the soules of Gods people throughout the Church But alas our Saviour beheld this by the eye of faith and by the simpathy of love to God and to the elect the glory of the one and the good of the other We rather looke at things with a dead eye of common forme and base custome and blinde hope that so it may be and enquire no further whereas if wee observed narrowly both our owne gaine and the fruit that others reape by receiving aright the Sacrament day should indeede be a blessed day of dayes a day of Praises and wee should not in vaine call it an Eucharist which signifies thanksgiving but really and from experience We should in the consideration of this exceeding goodnesse of God to our selves and to the whole communion of his Saints breake out as Debora Iudg. 5 9. Iudg. 5. and say I rejoâ—ce for the people of Gods welfare and for those that came in faith and departed from the Congregation with comfort Their good should be our joy This is the fellowship in graces which the Church of God hath one with another to rejocye with them that rejoyce and to mourne with them that mourne Both are parts of Christian sympathy What Christian soule what true Minister of God is there who should not seeke to thrust from this holy banquet Iude 1â— all profane and brutish ones spots of Assemblies eyesores to the godly and the reproach of Gods Sacraments And who is there who seeing such intrude themselves should not mourne for their owne and the lot of the Church who must be pestred with such Oh! what a quayling it is to our joy to behold what coruptions and corrupt ones hang upon these Ordinances And so much for the second act of blessing The third Sacramentall act of Christ and the Minister The third act Breaking is the breaking and powring out the Bread and Wine In the opening hereof marke two things First the order of it Secondly the Act it selfe For the first Why did Christ first blesse then breake and powre out Answer That he might resemble the order of his owne satisfaction For first he was annointed or qualified in his person to satisfie set apart and sanctified to it and then he was Sacrificed to have separated or blessed them after the worke of the Crosse performed had beene needlesse and so to have beene first crucified ere blessed and
secondly they neither breake nor powre out to the use of the Congregation thirdly they professe to have so little neede that God should give them his broken Sonne that they bid him take him backe to himselfe for they care not for him nay they give him backe with a mocking of God and say they offer him an unbloudy Christ and unbroken whereas its sure if the Lord Iesus had done so hee had blasphemed and not satisfied Heb. 9 22. Cursed be all new offering of a Christ as a propitiatory Sacrifice to God or offering of a Christ without bloud Thou shalt as soone satisfie wrath by thy owne or by an Angels or Saints Prayers as by a Christ unbroken and unbloudy A Christ neither broken nor bloudy is an Idoll nothing in the world neither meete to satisfie nor to nourish So that forasmuch as the Church of Romes Sacrament is a Christ no Christ no price no pardon no peace reconciliation or eternall life is to be found there We beseech God for ever to deliver us from her and our selves depart from her as a fatall enemy and destroyer of the Sacrament of the Supper Vse 2 Secondly This teacheth both Minister and people to bring with them pure hands and holy bodies and spirits when they touch breake powre out take and eate these pretious mysteries For what communion can be betweene light and darkenesse Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.16 The very Sacramentall acts alone require holinesse of all that thus draw neere unto God least he be revenged of their profaning his Ordinance And how carefull should the Minister be himselfe to act this breaking and powring out not leaving it to another since thereby the voluntarie Act of the Lord Iesus is obscured hee himselfe still freely giving himselfe by the onely hand of his deputed Minister Vse 3 Thirdly and especially let it be exhortation to all Christs people to acknowledge the admirable wisdome of this his ordaining the Sacrament for us in so lively a manner Exhort to diverse things and under such powerfull signification That whereas we come to the Supper for our nourishment and growing in faith and gracc in Christ Lo the Lord offers these under the lively sâ—â—nes of the Lord Iesus himselfe and not onely so but cruciâ—â—d and broken and powred out for us even meete nourishment meet to be apprehended by us in the act of his suffering to secure us of our justification by removing of wrath in the act of his preparednesse to nourish us by cutting himselfe out into morsels for us Oh! what life and sappe is there in a Sacrament so offered to a poore soule as crucifying Christ before our eyes and giving him so into our hands What thankes should this draw from us If Esay Chap. 63.1 could in the meditation of this point so many hundred yeares before Esay 63 1. ravish his heart how much more we How should the instruments of our soules peace with God and welfare in him cause us to cry out as he did Who is he that commeth up from Bozrah in his red garments be sprinkled with the wrath of God upon soule and body by agonies desertions outcries and dolors incomprehensible under that justice and wrath the winepresse fiercenesse whereof he trod And although he thereby was powred out to death yet he so trod out that wrath that it shall never seaze after upon a beleeving soule Oh! not only to thinke of this as Esay did a farre off but to behold the very thing in the Sacrament in a broken powred out bloudy Sacrifice made ready to our hand both to forgive refresh and revive the assurance of both to our soules what thanks and joy should it breed in us How should it magnifie the power of the death of our Lord Iesus in us He himselfe was wholy taken up in the joy of it as bitter as it was and shall not we Ioh. 12 24 25. Reade Ioh. 12.24.32 when some Greeke Proselites preassed to have a sight of him two or three dayes ere his suffering he pulls them to behold him dead not alive Except the wheate corne fall and die it abides alone If I be lifted up I will draw all unto me meaning by the word and Sacraments of this Passion And shall not these ravish us much more Vse 4 Fourthly what compassion and mourning should this sight worke in us Reade Zech. 12.10 Zach. 12 10. They shall see him whom they have pierced and mourne and be in bitternesse as one for his onely Sonne I exhort none to whip themselves for Christ for wo be to such as mourne for him whom they should rejoyce in No no weepe for your selves Come eate this Passe-over withâ—â—wre herbes Exod. 12 8. and behold your selves in this Sacrament who brake rent and powred out the heart-bloud of the Lord Iesus to the earth Truly if thou be not sensible of this thy sinne and broken for breaking the Lord Iesus thou art a Cain to this Abel Gen. 4.10 and his bloud shall cry for vengeance against thee Hearken to the voyce of Iustice crying out Either rend this sinfull cursed soule in pieces for her hypocrisie infidelitie profanenesse or teare the flesh of thy Son for him Aske oh Lord why should not I have beene torne and broken rather for my owne sin But thou hast laid the iniquitie of me upon him Oh! how I am stung for the cause Therefore I mourne not because thou did spare me and lay my guilt upon him but because I was that speare those nailes that brake his holy hands and sides Oh! How few come into the Congregation thus abased Behold thy owne just destinie in the broken body of Christ and mourne Oh thus my pride hollownesse worldlinesse had handled me if the Lord Iesus had not stept in Moderate that frothy lightnesse of spirit which beholds Christ in the Sacrament as an object of all joy and mirth Oh! Let it be thy sadnesse first and thy gladnesse after If the sight of a Page being beaten for a Prince will cause the Prince to mourne and see his errour in the Pages strokes what shall the Page do then when he sees the Prince smitten for his prankes Oh! such a broken heart would make Christ sweet in the Sacrament such a mourning would bring joy For why As thou shouldest have suffered unsatisfyingly except Christ had satisfied So he having freely broken himself for thee hath prevented thy breaking and caused thee to blesse him and say Oh! because thou hast delivered me from this anguish I wil take up the cup of salvation and praise thee Thou stepst in Oh Lord when Angels durst not betweene wrath and my soule Psal 116.13 that the snare being broken I might escape Vse 5 Fifthly concurre therefore by faith with this broken Lord Iesus in the Sacrament first behold the order of it then the act it selfe For the first Remember Two things 1 Order that all true right to the Lord
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
rather he is scant in good speech scant in preaching no more than needs must in hearing prayer meditation barren and poore so in the graces of the Spirit little love small humility compassion so in duties so in meanes Alas the roote is bare and therefore the tree is unfruitfull So also the deeper the soule is rooted in Christ Christ it this roote of fruitfulnesse Iohn 11 3. and 12 1.2 the larger roome he hath in the heart the more scope and entertainment he finds the greater graces he affords If we compare Mary and Martha's house with the houses which now and then Christ was bidden too no doubt but wee shall finde that his fruits of preaching love converse miracles and good doing were more fall in the former than the latter Why There was no stop he might be sure to be welcome at all times therefore hee shewed himselfe more there than elsewhere Christ then the more he is rooted in the soule the fuller hee is of influence and so growes more fruitfull For what is fruitfullnesse Surely when a Christian being ashamed to consider what a barren heart hee hath had under full meanes and how little and narrow the good is which he hath done for God to himselfe and others and beholding the cause thereof his want of true stocke of knowledge and faith mourneth for this his misery and seeking for an heart fuller of Christ and his nourishment doth from his treasure extend himselfe plentifully to the exercise of such graces meanes and duties as may be usefull to himselfe and in the communion of Saints If a poore shopkeeper almost banquerupt be set up and holpen up againe with new stocke what will hee doe Ply the matter runne to London furnish himselfe with the best of wares and choise of them bring them home fill his shop in every corner and satisfie the turne of every buyer Oh! what a change is there So it is with a Christian recovering out of a fruitlesse course by the Lord Iesus his raizing and setting him up againe stores himselfe with plentie of graces sets them on worke and fills each part of his life with duty yea sets himselfe against his former unprofitablenesse Adding to his knowledge faith to his faith love meekenesse patience experience hope that so he may not be unfruitfull in the Lord Iesus 2 Pet. 1 1 5 6. If he have risen up well apaid in his morning awaking he rests not there as before but fetches from his treasure a cheerefull heart to his calling from thence proceeds to family duties and government from thence to doe good and take good in company thence to be well occupied alone thence ready to visite the sicke to admonish to comfort to advise others and when all is done 1 Cor. 15 ult to nourish in himselfe the life of faith one while humblenesse another while forbearance long suffering in prouocations thanks for blessings patience if crossed sometime in one sometimes in another duty yet neither hurt by one from another nor glutted by succession of service but fruitful unwearied in all with one eye to his ground another to his end Even as a man of an active spirit if well apaid in diet and refreshed in body sticks not from morning to night to be doing loathes to be idle and thinkes himselfe to have lost that day wherein hee hath not beene full of emploiment Now so is it here the Lord Iesus his nourishment so enables the soules of his that they seeke occasions to expresse goodnesse as eagerly as a barren heart shunnes them that which strikes the one dumbe and as dead as a stone yea is as bane to him that quickens and joyes the other because the fulnesse of grace makes the worke most sweet and welcome Now wherin is the Lord Iesus so full a nourishment as in his Supper in which he brings forth all his store and Magazine to fill the soule that is empty with good things and so to send it away from his Table furnish'd as the Apostle saith as a vessell of honour and prepared for every good worke so that none comes amisse 2 Tim. 2.21 Thus I have given to the Reader an Answer to this question what the Lord Iesus our nourishment is both in his parts and degrees one of the maine things which I would wish him to marke in the whole Treatise for the true conceiving of the vertue of the Supper Now I come to the use which is as weightie Vse 1 And first thisDoctrine is one of the fearefullest terrours that can fall upon the profane sort of men that live within the bosome of the Church visible All Atheists Neuters meere Civillians Ignorant Profane Libertines and Hypocrites Is the Lord Iesus the Sacramentall nourishment and influence of his Church Oh wofull then your condition who cut off your selves frem all communion and fellowship with him I say not in some but in all grace of his or part in his Ordinances Alas the day is to come that ever yee saw neede of him to subsist in him at all Your bondage enmitie and hell seeme liberty amity heaven to you The divell hath bored your eares for vassals to himselfe as notorious wretches who are willing slaves when ye may be free Who then wonders if the Supper of Christ and that offer of welfare which he makes therein to his be as a fulsome thing unto you Alas as long as your drinke lusts play company sleepe and belly-cheere be granted you who wonders if ye despise with Esau this birthright If with Swine ye tread these Pearles and this Manna in the dirt Alas Matth. 7 6. it availes not you to have such a previledge as Christ to feede your soules if the whilest ye want your carnall appetite satisfied If this foode were but as a messe of Pottage Heb. 12.16 as the wearing of your lockes ye would have had him ere now But oh saplesse barren and unsavory wretches to whom these dainties as are a dry chip Who come and goe to the Sacraments as to dumbe Pageants more fit for a masse of trickes and apish ceremonies than the Solemne feast of Christ Sacramentall Woe be unto you oh ye Dogges and Swine your morrall sinnes are fearefull your swearing your lying cosenage drunkennesse But your chiefe misery is that you are carnall wretches sould under your lusts destitute of all union or communion with God your hearts are not where your bodies are when you come to Christ and the Supper But as the fooles heart is on his left hand Eccles 10.2 so are yours with your lusts which are your appointed meate drinke and pastime unto you Acts 8.21 Therefore you have no fellowship in this businesse your Sacraments are the wofullest markes of wrath which ye can carrie about you Law fashion custome feare formalitie are your grounds of receiving Christ ye come not for and your hearts tell ye he belongs to no such Therefore ye are as yet in the gall of
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
shalt eate this meat and drinke this drinke indeede never to decay True apprehension of the Promise first will cause it Say then thus Lord thou saydst seeke my face in the supper thou saydst come take eate What meanest thou but this that I should concurre with thee and bee of like mind consenting to thee that thou dealest plainely and speakest as thou meanest without hooke or crooke Oh Lord what should let me I am convinced that if thou hadst not meant well thy selfe and Christ might have spared infinite labour Therefore I consent Thou sayst take as freely as I offer be to mee as I am to thee play not the traytor 2 Cor. 6 11 12. Be enlarged to mee for I am enlarged Oh Lord so I am I beleeve I dare not distrust and descant and play the slave with thee but see cause why thy word should bee esteemed as pure true faithfull as thy selfe is I am the cause of my owne sorrow could I be to thee as thou to my soule my people as thy people my thoughts affections as thine Oh how happy I will strive for it So for obedience say as Peter Luke 5 5. At thy command I will let downe I will take thy Sacrament Alas what villany were it to thinke thou shouldst seeke thy good in it and not mine should not I creepe and crouch for it rather than urge thee to command mee Nay should not I feare that if I disobey thee in thy charge thou wilt threaten mee with condemnation for not discerning thy meaning Oh! I obey with all gladnesse Give power to doe as thou bidst and I will doe what thou wilt And to end this point deny thy selfe and come in the sence of thy utter perishing to the Lord for this grace of the Supper Come to the Lord with that speech which the Israelites were bid to come to the feast of the Lord Deut. 26. verse 5. A perishing Syrian was my Father So come with a soule in love with his dainties and like to sterve for want of them The drowning man hath the most Taking hand of all the most catching fastening hand of all 2 or 3 of his fingers will take more hold than an whole hand of one that is well enough bee it never such a paulsey-hand trembling and shaking yet if a taking hand it is the hand which Christ calls to his body and blood The latter work of faith 2 Branch Application of faith is the application of the grace offered unto thy soule for the gaine thereof When thou hast beleeved the promise once doe as hee who hath bought and payde for his bargaine incorporate thy selfe into the benefit of it and apply it to thy selfe Take the Lord Iesus thy nourishment so as he may in truth really nourish and doe thee good in all thy whole soule in all the powers of it in thy whole body and all the members and in all thy whole course of each part and service thereof See it bee well with thee in all that thou prosper in all and blesse God for faith when thou feelest her carrying from this body and blood of Christ Layd out by a similitude in 4. Branches into every faculty and member of thee Faith in relation to Christ in the supper may bee compared to the Nourishing soule and her naturall faculties in man and that in foure particulars 1 Faith Sacramentall resembles the stomacke in the body The stomack we know so takes the nourishment 1. By the stomacke as that it unites it to it selfe and alters it in the property that it may become her owne and beginne to loose it owne forme that it may put on a new Till the stomacke have thus held closed and digested the meate lo it may bee voyded up againe This is the first worke Faith takes the Lord Iesus and closes with him puts him into the stomacke of the soule digests him there unites him to it selfe suffers him not to depart away from her as he came but holds him makes him hers and alters him in some degree for her owne Nourishment When the hand takes Bread flesh drinke to put it in the mouth lo its true meate in it selfe but not the bodies as yet but if the stomacke have once layd it in close lo it ceases to be bread and flesh and beginnes to bee the stomackes and to undergoe a due change that it may afterwards bee the bodies food The Ivy doth not so close with the tree or the Misle to the Appletree for her owne end altering the juyce for her owne use as faith Sacramentall alters Christs body blood makes it another turnes it into matter prepared for her selfe Faith truely saith by vertue of the ordinance and Spirit of the same loe This body is mine my meate I lay claime to it this blood is mine All the grace of the Sacrament is mine I clare not leave it behind mee for it s given for mee as meate for the body And as the stomacke closes with meat as her owne so doth faith with the Lord Iesus for why By as due right this nourishment is hers Secondly faith is like the naturall Appetite in the body 2 By Naturall Appetire wee know such is the Nature of that facultie in the healthy and stirring that there is alway a passage from the stomack to the veynes and so the appetite is cleare the stomacke kept cleane and fit for continuall Attraction of new nourishment So is faith in the soule it holds the soule in such perpetuall holy motion and passage of old nourishment that it is alway healthy and empty and open to receive in new Perpetuall expence of nourishment prepares her appetite to new refreshing The soule that is desirous of meat by starts and fitts is clogged and makes not away with the former but when the use of nature hath conveyed one meale away and spent the strength of one lo the veines grow very attractive and pinch the stomacke to covet more and to bee in perpetuall appetite Faith is the stirring work-man or hous-wife in the soule never surfited with humors or clogged so with distempers but that shee retaines some sweete appetite after new refreshing Otherwise Christ yesterday to day and for ever would grow fulsome and wearisome with her but by this meanes the appetite is in continuall health and temper ever sending forth supply for new dueties occasions of the heat and life and therfore ever capable of new nourishment with delight Hence it is that though the meat bee not much which shee takes yet she thrives merveilously and a little in an haile stomack goes a great way how much more then when hunger makes her feed fully Thirdly faith is like the great carrying veine in the body 3 By the carrying veyne from the liver the fountaine of blood and nourishment and to the smal veins in the extremities of the members For as the one derives the blood into each part by a proprietie of nature
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
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
to thee or walke in the want of with any peace Who knowes what encreases God hath provided for thee But howsoever that be dismay not thy self as if it were the portion of such or such none of thine If God will deny thee it it is to humble thee he can bring thee to heaven through a lesse open doore but let not thy sloth and base heart as Ahaz deprive thee either of the bounty of his promise or signe least others enjoy it and thou be stript even of that thou seemst to have Goe rather and summe up those sweet promises of God for thy growth Behold them Iohn 10.9 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 15 4. He that commeth in by me shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture Ioh 15 4. Those that abide in me shall bring forth fruit in me My Father will purge them that they bring forth more fruit Such as are planted in the house of my God shall bring forth fruit in the Courts shall in their age bring it forth and be fat and well liking Reade also those texts before Ephe. 3.16.17 and 4.15.16 Col. 1.11 and such like to set thy teeth an edge Spread these promises before the Lord begge his Spirit to seale them Vrge 1 Ioh. 3.24 and 4.13 upon the Lord And as a poore woman would cry to the Lord Keeper for his Seale so thou to this great Keeper of the Seale to bring it out to thee Doe not give him the lie make him not a lier in his chiefe worke wherein his honour most standeth and in due time he will heare him The end of the First Part. An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the first Part. A ANtiquity of Sacraments Page 3 Agreement of new Sacraments in two things Page 22 23 Author of Sacraments is God reasons of it Page 29 Appropriation of Elements one part of their forme Page 38 What it is ibid Application of Elements by divine ordinance what Page 39 Assurance of Sacraments relateth to the Covenant Page 54 What they do assure Page 55 Acts Sacramentall in celebration why necessary Page 64 Admission of the Infant into visible communion is the generall use of baptisme Page 82 Aptnesse of the Elements in the supper to resemble Page 109 Acts of administring the Supper must follow the institution Page 112 113 Christ is the nourishment of his in point of their Affliction Page 107 Acts of the beleeving Communicant in the Supper two Page 173 B. Baptisme what Page 70 Order of Baptisme Page 71 Matter of Baptisme water Page 72 It is united Sacramentally with Christ ibid. Not to be despised ibid. Persons requisite to Baptisme are foure Page 73 Grace of Baptisme is partly generall and partly speciall Page 81 Baptisme a great stay to fearefull minds Page 83 Against prophaners of Baptisme ibid. Baptisme requires many things to make it our owne in the power of it 87. partly for grounds 88. partly for application Page 89 End of Baptisme what Page 92 How attained Page 93. ib. Ignorance of Baptisme and her use great cause of mourning Page 94 Want of true knowing Baptisme hinders assurance Page 95 Vse of Baptisme how to be tried Page 98. ib. Grace of Baptisme unlimited not restrained to the act of it See preface Bounty of God in cloathing the Elements with honour for us Page 116 Blessing of Supper Elements the second act of the Minister In how many things it stands Page 119 Breaking of Sacrament a third act of the Minister what and whereto Page 129 Broken Christ must provoke compassion and how Page 134 Broken Christ cannot be applied but by faith Page 135. ib. Broken Christ is nourishing Christ Page 136 Christ is not availing to us except Broken Page 130 How Brokennesse comprehends Christ both in merit and power Page 131 Papists love an whole Christ in both Elements unbroken overthrowing him Page 132 C. CIrcumstances of Sacraments six Page 1 Congregation requisite for Sacramentall persons 69. their duty ibid. Duty of Congregation in the act of Baptisme Page 75 Carnall reason abhorred in use of Baptisme Page 90 Closing with the Spirit necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 91 Popish Consecration confuted by the blessing of Christ Page 123 A true Communicant concurres with Christ in taking the Supper Page 173 Carnall reason to be abhorred in the taking of the Supper Page 177 Maintaining of our Communion with God in Christ is one part of our enjoying him in the Supper 191. and how we may do it Page 192 Communicating the good things of the Supper to our fellow members is a part of our enjoying and eating Christ in the Supper Page 193 Communion with God how it may bee nourished the directions for it foure exercise of Graces walking with God service of our time and knocking off from hence Page 192 193. D. DIfference of old and new Sacraments in three things Page 14 Difference of the two Sacraments of the Gospel in what Page 23 In five things ibid. Dulnesse of most in conceiving the Sacraments whence Page 41 Discerning of the Sealing power of the Sacrament necessary Page 59 Dipping in Baptisme most agreeing to the institution Page 77 Distribution of Supper Elements the last act of the Minister 137. the ground of it Page 138. ib. Drinking Christ in Supper vid. Eating Delighting in God and Christ one part of our enjoying him Page 190 Christs Dainties disgrace the Delicates of all worldings Page 199 E. EXcellency of Sacraments See the whole preface and pag. 27 Dumbe Elements how they shall condemne unbeleevers Page 52 End of Sacraments what Page 53 And how manifold ibid. 55 Ends of Sacraments must bee observed and not separated Page 62 Basenesse of Elements must not blemish the Sacraments See preface Exhibiting power of Sacraments whence it is See pref Eating and drinking Christ the second act of the people in the Supper Page 185 What Eating and drinking of Christ imports viz. injoying him and how Page 186 187 188. Grounds of Enjoying Christ foure viz. his Safety Purenesse Completnesse and Durablenesse Page 187. 188. Enjoying of Christ in foure things Page 190 End of the Supper is the sealing of Christ her Nourishment to the Soule Page 194 F. FOrme and essence of a Sacrament wherein it stands Page 37 Faith mainly required to discover Sacramentall union 50. and to apply it Page 51 Forme of Baptisme viz. Grace of Baptisme Faith required for the getting of the grace of Baptisme Page 89 Fulnesse of the Elements of the Supper Page 112 Fruit of Sacramsnts a great cause of our thankes even for others Page 128 Fulnesse of sayles of Faith a marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Fruitfulnesse in grace the fourth step of soule prosperity by the food of the Supper 160. and how Page 161 Recovering out of a Fruitlesse course is one worke of Sacramentall fruitfulnesse Page 163 Faith obeying the offer of Christ in the Supper takes him Page 175 Application of the Supper resembled by foure
that requires a separation There is more required also but without this nothing can be done The hand which will compasse Gods Altar must be cleane also But first it must be empty if it be filled with nutshels and trash it can hold nothing else If we cannot so much as heare a serious story or indite a letter without privacy if we can do no choise worke well except we be solitary and serious do we thinke it easy to worship God in a Fayre a Marquet an Alehouse a Bargaine while we be working or playing or prating or dreaming No all our courage all our strength is too little a broken humble beleeving heart is little enough for it Therefore at least an empty a swept and voyded heart is necessary Vse 3 Thirdly it must admonish us of a duty meete for us if we will be fit for Sacramentall Triall Admonition we must ere we set to it abhorre that giddinesse lightnesse and fraughtnesse of our soules which the most thinke is no sinne as our bane and the destroyer of Preparation for the Sacrament We must know that as the gold weights will not try gold till they stand still so neither can the soule try her selfe till she be well stayed and poysed When we will powre any precious liquor into a vessell or glasse especially if it have a narrow necke we will set it in a steddy posture for feare of spilling No man can see any thing in roared waters As the Lord Iesus speakes of agreeing with our adversary that we must lay downe our sacrifice by the Altar the whilst Math. 5.25 1 Pet. 2.2 and do that chiefly and as Peter bids those who will covet the milke of the word that they purge out of their stomacks all superfluity so especially doe it in this Triall at the Sacrament It s manifest by mens cavils against this duty viz. that they have callings to attend and businesse to looke after and they cannot prepare themselves that I say they account it as a veniall offence to be thus cloyed with other cares but if it defile and destroy Tryall of thy selfe how can it be small Thou wilt say thy thoughts and affections are neither murtherous uncleane oppressing defrauding lying revenging profane intemperate What then Is there no other disease mortall save the plague Let it therefore be as odious unto thee to carrie a light a gadding unsavory heart about thee so full of other bables that Gods liquor must needes runne over I say to be out of frame alway to entertaine the best things Let it be unto thee as odious as very profanenesse it selfe And before thou venter upon triall clense thy selfe of this fulsome glut and doe not enterline or write Gods letters upon a blotted but cleane paper even as thou wouldest wipe thy Table-booke ere thou writest the Sermon And whatsoever vanity hath pressed thy heart or dares presume to come before God serve it with the same sawce that Abner is said to serve Asahel that wilde Roe whom when he perceived to perke sawcily in his presence and dare him to his face he watch'd him so closely 2 Sam. 2 19. that he smote him with the hinder end of his Speare and laid him on the earth Let thy care be so to smite thy giddy heart that it may no more annoy thee or interrupt thy spirit being well occupied Vse 4 Lastly when thou commest to this triall summon thy selfe and all the out-workes and ranging thoughts of thy soule Exhortation all thy powers and members to come in to forsake other objects for the time and close seriously and sadly with the Lord in this worke of Sacramentall triall As thou wouldst faine have thy heart close at thy tryall for the Sacrament nay at thy great tryall of death so keepe it cleane empty unsnared in thy whole course Remember when thy heart would lash out there is a Sacrament and a triall before it If my thoughts then be past call I shall have an ill worke of it or else rush to the Sacrament with a surfeit upon it Surely looke how thy heart is watcht unto in thy course so shalt thou finde it at a speciall season and so shalt thou blesse God for the Sacrament aâ—d say Else Lord I should have strayed endlessely but this Ordinance hath kept me at a bay from wandring not onely from thy Commandements but even from a sober and serious attending to it selfe in lawfull liberties So much for the first Touching the second point viz The persons whom this triall concernes it hath two branches First how many Secondly Who must try For the former it may soone bee answered All must try and examine Persons 1. How many against the Sacrament The charge is generall admitting no exception As it was to the Iewes for the Passeover that all who eate it must be liable to the rules of observing it Exod. 12. so must it be in the Supper none can bee exempt from Tryall None exempt who will have a part in the Sacrament Briefly not to stay the Reader long He that hath not a soule to save to thrive to prosper in grace or to be happy or to desire it He that neither cares for the losse of heaven or woe of hell See Exod. 12.43 he that abhorres the name of a child and so the allowance of his fathers house and the portion of an heire he that chooseth rather to be without among dogges and swine hee that hath cut off himselfe and is become an Heathen and Publicane a scorner and pastgrace let him exempt himselfe else the Lord exempts none at all Pearles indeed must not bee cast before swine else it is not the difference of any outward respect that can discharge from this duty All need the benefit of it all are in danger to incurre the losse by neglecting it all therefore are equally obliged to it The people cannot exempt themselves under colour of inability or not being booke learned they must not put it off to the Minister as more sufficient for it The Minister may not exempt himselfe from it as if he lesse needed it than the people Schollers are not free because their calling is to study or reade the Scriptures for they may be farre from the triall of themselves Such as have learned the doctrine of the Sacrament soundly must not wash their hands of it because of their knowledge The wife must not thinke her selfe to be tryed in her husbands carefull tryall as if she were but his shadow and hath him to answere for her much lesse the husband may quit himselfe upon hers The rich must not plead liberty by his great businesse nor the poore for lacke of leasure from his handy labour nor the aged because of their infirmities growing upon them not the more experienced because they have oft done it nor the novice because he is greene and new to begin not the travellor because in a journey not servants because they are
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
object of faith The second object which is the promise which containeth 2. things either the good things offred in the promise or the hearty meaning and purpose of him that freely markes the promise The good thing offred in the promise pardon peace a purged conscience life of grace support in grace the earnest penny of the Spirit and the like serve to draw the affections which carry the soule unto God and to dash out of countenance all false objects of gaine ease pleasure lusts to draw the soule to God in desire esteeme of mercy and in hungring mourning and endeavouring after Christ Secondly the manner of offring these good things being free full faithfull entire and simple exceeding desirous the soule should embrace them Rom. 5. ut supr sorry it should reject them urging it to beleeve serves to put it out of question that the Lord meanes as hee speakes else needed he not to have prevented us at all but seeing even when we were enemies neither deserving nor desiring any favour yet the Lord out of the meere graciousnesse of his heart would needs bestow it upon us Triall by this therefore he would have us conclude he will not repent him of his freedome if wee come in to lay claime and plead this promise Try thy faith then by the promise thus first whence came those dispositions of heart in thee I meane those teares of thine those desires prayers fastings and diligent searching after grace Came they from selfe-love or from an heart of basenesse bringing thy money and cost to God to buy mercy If so thou hast little to boast of but if the good things of the promise wrought them in thee if thou can say that faith and the preparations to faith proceeded from the promise The good things offered therein drew thee to God as with cords If thou canst say that thy good affections could never purchase faith rather that promise which bred faith bred also those affections in thy soule because thou sawest God willing to save thee and pardon thee therefore thou mournest after him prayest unto him Ionas 3.9 and as Nineve couldst not give him over the rising of the Sunne caused this dawning of heart in thee and these making towards grace it is a good signe Secondly try thy selfe thus If the freedome fulnesse and strength of the promiser have truly wrought upon thee then thy base conceits of the Majesty of God are vanish'd I meane thy enmity and hatefull spirit is gone And whereas thou once couldst not thinke a good thought of him but all thy thoughts framed him rather to be angry envious cruell unbeteaming now thou stoppest and as one better setled beginst to say oh my poore soule who couldst never get out of thy slavery and slightnesse thinke of the promise a little better What wilt thou say if by all this offering urging expostulating charging to be reconciled upon paine of hell the Lord meanes thee well Perhaps he may If while he seekes to save thee thou devize how to get out from him will it not be bitter at last Thus weake hope breakes the ice and sets the soule forward Then the Spirit of grace createth in thee both thoughts and affections of such strange goodnesse bounty long-suffering free grace and compassion that thy heart breakes into wondring at him and saying Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult 1 Sam. 24 19. forgiving and passing by the sinnes of his people Who could finde his enemie at the vantage and not destroy him Therefore my soule is even carried into the streame of his grace and perswaded to beleeve I see the good will and meaning of his heart shining in his promise and whereas it was wont to be a barren sound and emptie noise for me to heare a promise now I see it as a vessell standing full and running over yea a streame to carry me in with holy confidence saying If the strength of Israel can lie if free grace if faithfulnesse it selfe can shrinke backe and deny it selfe I am content to perish Thirdly trie it thus If a promise have beene thy Object then thou confessest that the power it selfe to beleeve is in a promise as well as the motives to beleeve The promise is the instrument of the Spirit to perswade And as when the Lord made a promise to the Iewes that if they did come to the Temple to worship hee would keepe their dwellings and goods safe the whil'st Lo this promise had in it such a power as held off all Robbers and enemies from attempting any pillage they durst not they could not so much more in the promise to a loaden heart there is alway the strength of God to effect that which he promiseth and such a soule neede not stand out strangerlike and say here is a sweet promise if I could beleeve But here is a promise strong and able to cause mee to beleeve it If in any measure these trialls be in thee they are all good signes Triall 3. By the roote of it Thirdly trie thy faith by the roote of it which root is selfe-deniall All other graces seeme to have some inherencie and being of their own in the soule onely faith is rooted in the overthrow of a mans selfe This selfe is nothing else save the spirit of old Adam resisting the Spirit of grace and as we see in defenced cities some of their Bulwarkes are out-workes and retrenchments others are maine sorts neere the walls wherein their chiefe strength consisteth So here selfe hath her out-workes selfe-wealth selfe-ease credit and esteeme learning parts experience These are more easily cast downe because Christ and they are of two severall kindes Others are forts of greater consequence in which the heart more trusts as carnall reason and the wisedome of the flesh which Paul in 2 Cor. 10.5 2 Cor. 10.5 calls high thoughts and strong imaginations of flesh setting themselves up against the obedience of faith so also Religious duties and performances whether will-worships of Papists or duties required as Iewish righteousnesse by the Law and all the devotions of carnall Protestants To these I may adde the secret counterminings of the heart mixing it selfe with the preparation to faith and so destroying the worke of God as selfe-mournings desires and use of meanes Now of all these the Scripture tels us That if any will beleeve hee must denie himselfe and be content to be stript of those or else grace will not dwell in him Trust not in thy owne wisedome but trust in the Lord Prov. 3.5 Prov. 3 5. So Paul That I may be found not having my owne righteousnesse of the Law Phil. 3.9 but of faith See how Paul opposes them All the frame of Creation Redemption yea of the whole Word of God prooves it Esay 42 6. God will not give his glory to another He that boasteth must boast of the Lord. Two suites of apparrell may as well agree with
all good signes of faith revived for the Supper Steppe 5 Fiftly try thy selfe by the testimony of a good conscience That will appeare by this It dares not equivocate and dally with God by serving him very studiously in one part of thy christian course but forsaking him in many but say thou with Paul Act. 23.1 I have exercized my selfe in all good conscience continually Try thy selfe then by this rule Triall by it thus Canst thou say as oft as thou art going to the Sacrament Oh Lord I make a shew of very solemne preparing my selfe and trying my faith when I goe to thy table But if it were onely my practise now at this time and at no other I should goe and come from thee with a sad heart No Lord I blesse thy name Gal. 2.20 I doe live by faith dayly I can say with Paul The life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God I appeale to thee who knowest that if I goe to heare the word I mixe it with faith if I pray I looke to my Advocate if I have a Crosse I live in faith in Christ for strength Heb. 4 2. selfedeniall and patience to support me if I prosper I beleeve all is pure to the pure and given me in mercy and in this faith thus trained and set on worke I humbly come to the Sacrament looking that as in other parts of life and of worship the Lord hath beene with me so he will not leave mee to my selfe in this 1 Sam. 7 12. Tell me canst thou say thus in truth be it never so poorely It is a sweete signe of a revived faith Steppe 6 Sixtly try thy selfe by thy Sacramentall experience The Sacrament being one meane of a Christians food and growth it becomes every one having communicated not by and by to vomit up his morsells but to digest the bread of life till hee finde it his owne blood of his veines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone By this meanes every ordinance dwelling in the soule will adde nourishment to it and better it dayly which could not be if it bee forgoten as fast as it is enjoyed Triall by it Let thy tryall from hence be this Dost thou dayly quicken up thy selfe at each Sacrament in the memory and experience of former fruit received especially when thou hast found it sweetest unto thee at any season when thou hast felt thy selfe most emptied in thee faith most cleere and sensible thy soule freest from earth and sensuality and so of the rest hast thou kept this experience by thee as a childe holds a sweete thing in the palate as loth to forgoe it Dost thou by this tryall goe to the Sacrament afterward with more hope and expectation of the like Or if thou have found the contrary that thou hast had but a dead Sacrament of it what dost thou Poast it over and forget it hoping it will be better or dost thou record it often and use it as a spurre of greater care and serious dealing with God next time being afrayd to tempt him and yet loath to forsake him although hee should hold thee off still 2 Cor. 12 8. If thou canst thus revive thy faith by thy experience it is a good signe Steppe 7 Seventhly Gods people so oft as they draw neere to him in duties dare not rush upon him but first humble themselves in dust and ashes as most base wormes and corruption Genes 18.27 Then they pray for assistance in the ordinance meditate and conferre about the right doing Tryall and the fruit of it Try thy selfe then by this When thou goest to the Supper dost thou swell in the conceit of thy former strong faith Dost thou rush upon God without prayer or meditation Or rather dost thou jogg◠the arme of the Spirit as the clapper shakes the corne into the milstone that it may let fall the benefits of Christ out of the Sacrament into thy soule That thou maist come to receive with better savour and strength than thine owne Dost thou begge with the Apostles Lord revive my faith Luke 17.5 Lord make make it a sweet exceeding day Lord let not the meeting of profane blind receivers defile me Let the fellowship of thine Angels and my brethren refresh mee give me that I come for Lord and deceive me not Darest thou not through ease and sloath neglect the sanctifying of one ordinance by another Dost thou engrave the promise thus in thy heart and blow up the poore sparkle within thee It is a good signe Steppe 8 Lastly try they selfe thus Dost thou hold and close with this faith of thine thus revived till thou appeare before the Lord in the ordinance Sufferest thou not Sathan to come betweene thee and home the cup and the lip to rob thee of thy wedding garment but dost thou claspe it unto thee that it may not fall off till it have possessed thee with the gaine thou camest for Dost thou lay in too day now for the bread of the day And each Sacrament doest thou say Heb. 13.8 Christ Iesus yesterday to day and the same for ever It s a signe of faith quickned in thee So come and prosper So much for the latter tryall I conclude the Chapter with some use Conclusion And because the whole is one use of tryall which is the scope the shorter use shall serve I will not trouble the Reader with former uses as to mourne for the woefull faith of ordinary receivers or reproofe of Gods owne for counting this tryall tedious which God hath made a sweet yoake to his I will partly warne partly exhort partly comfort the good receavers and so end Vse 1 First then I warne them that they slight not this duty Admonitiō rest not in former faith thinking the Lord tyed to their girdles Tempt him not to alter his course by your sloth but hold on still this tryall of faith Remember it s the cheefe Sacramentall grace of all the rest All other without this are fruitlesse or counterfeit This must give both being and lustre to all Bring this and feare not The Divell will fight against this as the King of all If he can wrest this away he cares for no more because upon this hinge the doore turnes I meane the joy of well or sorrow of ill receiving hangs upon it Vse 2 Secondly be exhorted to bring this faith Dare not venture without it Exhortatiō Faith in the Supper answers the act of sprinkling the posts of the Israelites doores when they first ate the Passeover Exod. 12.21.22 Branch 1 Tell me Durst any Iew not sprinkle his owne doore with blood Durst he not as well omit the Sacrament Did hee not feare the destroying Angell in case of neglecting it Was not the promise of passing them over when all Egypts first borne were slaine in the doing of it Therefore as thou wouldest shunne danger of greater nature looke to
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
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
savoring all occasions offered to draw neerer to God in the fellowship of his graces and in the increase of holinesse And to this course she endeavours as infirmitie will admit to bend the ayme and streame of her spirit her thoughts and affections without wearines walking with God till he come unto her watching to it girding to it Luke 12 35. and standing with her loynes girt and lampe burning that at the comming of the Lord shee may bee found faithfull and well occupied And thus much for a view of a christian ordinary practise of repentance so farre as I thinke meete for this place least any pretending willingnesse to try themselves should alledge they know not how The second followeth that is the practise of repentance by occasion of revolting from God The 2. In revolts For we have hitherto spoken of repentance rather as it is Gods way than as many finde it to bee or practise it They have many starting holes and goe in and out of order as horses out of their traces yea many make the way of God nothing else save a falling sicknesse ever a falling and a rising as those in Iudges did which the Lord abhorres Sometime by their secret and inward declinings of heart and spirituall wickednesses and infidelity hypocrisie formality and timeserving security pride c. Iudg. 4 and 6 and 7 8 c. Sometime by morrall open falls into wordlinesse uncharitablâ—nesse strong Passions and lusts neglect of the meanes In this case the Lord hath provided a repentance of recovery and redresse of such falls for shall a man fall and not arise Shall he lye still in the slough as an asse under his burden No but repent of his Backslidings Ier. 8 4. Ier. 3.14 and make up his breaches and make peace againe But how may some say is this to be done I will give a short draught of this also and so draw to applycation of the whole by way of tryall And that 1. Branch Know then that for substance this repentance is no other than the former onely it differs in circumstance And for the better conceiving of it observe these particular acts of it First as the Lord susteynes his people so even by that seede of his in them that they shall not totally shake out the Spirit nor yet poure out themselves so farre into sinne as to sinne with a full bent and streame of soule but with a checke and controll of grace so when conscience is awaked by any word or worke of God upon them they are kept from extremitie of uttter depaire Corruption through the malice of Satan is alwayes ready to suggest utter deserting of God and that they are cast out of his sight As we see in those pangs of the best of Gods children in Scripture Esay 38 11. Psal 51.11 Ionah 2 4. Lam. 3 18. Hezekia David Ionah and others yea in the Church of God forsaken for a time in captivity all which were by temptation brought to the graves brinke and to thinke themselves cut off from the land of the living Ier. 2 25. and to say No no. There is no hope Here then the first worke of returning to God is To stay and stoppe themselves in this headlong ruine and by some glimpse of God a farre off to bee kept from utter dashing in peeces Thus wee see in all those examples if wee looke into the texts that the Lord wrought a stoppe of despaire Iona in the Whales belly Iona 2 5. and in his horrors yet stayes up himselfe by an hope Yet saith hee I will looke backe to thine holy Temple Lam. 3 19. and the Church in the Lamentations considered and felt the gall and the wormewood that is that God smote her not to cast her off but to draw her to repent and so shee had hope It cannot bee thus with the reprobate who as they fall totally so they want an eye to see God in their horrors but apprehend as dismall and finall desertion of God as Saul 1 Sam. 23 6. Maâ— 27 5. Iudas and others so that they are sent away packing from the presence of God without pity and left to what ends themselves chuze even oft to lay violent hands upon themselves the Lord that caring what becomes of them It is not so heere But some light is given to them that see Gods meaning in the afflicting of their soules with wrath not that he might give them a taste of hell a comming but that hee might pinch them to returne home and turne them from the pit Secondly 2 Branch the Lord addes a more cleere sight of himselfe to his fallen servants and causes them more fully to call to mind his mercies of old and thereby to bee more sensibly upholden This is caused by a reviving of his seede in them which cannot dye So David Psal 119 52. even in his agonies when to his feeling the Lord had forgotten him yet remembring times past was comforted An hypocrite I knew will catch at these things to bane himselfe but children must not be starved therefore They seriously weigh this That neither their goodnesse did first worke their pardon nor yet that sinne truely repented of can cut off their estate in grace for why The gifts of God are without repentance and his Covenant is eternall Esay 54.8 9. Rom. 11 29. 2 Cor. 5.21 Even as the covenant with Noe as the Prophet speakes The Lord Iesus being made sinne all sinne for the elect sinne of offence and sinne of revolt they dare not abridge his merit and therefore conceave the covenant by this meanes established to bee sutable This then is the 2 steppe of the returne of the godly The experience of former free mâ—rcy when they had no title therefore now having a title which sin cannot cut off the elect from they much more are stayed by it By which meanes she sees that even the sinnes of deepe hardnesse of heart yeelding to temptation and the violence of lust secure lying still for a time in sinne or other sinnes as falling to embrace the world cleaving to base fellowship in evill are yet curable revolts with God and there is balme in Gilead for them to heale them not to encourage the soule to tempt God further but in the sence of bottomlesse mercy to returne home for ever as Onesimus by occasion of his running away became better to Philemon Philem. 15. than ever The third steppe is The 3. Branch that grace in the children of God fallen doth cleere up the understanding from that confuzion which sinne else would cause in them and deterre them from God and from any heart to returne Thus it is with the hypocrite his minde doth so present the multitude of sinne in so intricate a manner that it confounds the spirit and causes him to thinke Genes 4.13 that his sinne is above pardon The slavery of his defiled minde is so great when he weighes
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
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
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
Elements hee gathers that God the Father hath given the Lord Iesus to the Church and thereby comforts himselfe in the free gift of God Secondly The second when hee sees him to blesse and breake the Elements he remembers that himselfe peirced and brake his body and sides by his sinne and provoked the justice of the Father against him which causes him to eate this Lambe and to mixe sweete meate with the hearbes of mourning and contrition Thirdly The third when hee heares the Minister offer the Elements to himselfe in particular he heares in him the voyce of the Father exhorting him to apply the Lord Iesus to himselfe for his peculiar strengthening against Sathan the world and corruption Fourthly beholding himselfe to thrust forth his hand to take The fourth eate and drinke the Elements he rejoyceth to thinke that God hath united them to Christ inseparably that by the power of the ordinance the one might carry the other into the soule and the soule might fasten with faith and hunger upon both as the true Nourishment of grace peace joy unto eternall life so that no enemy shall be ever able to frustrate the fruit of this Sacrament The fifth Also when hee sees the Church partake with him in these mysteries hee perceives an inward tender love and communion quickned in his heart and drawing him to rejoyce in his owne welfare as a member in and under the welfare of the Church through which as the body each member receaves her owne speciall influence from the head Yea the Psalmes and Almes of the Congregation sung The sixth and given from a cheerefull and charitable heart both to God his poore brethren doth provoke him to doe likewise to sing with a grace in his heart to the Lord and to distribute with a loving spirit to the necessities of the Saints All which being pertinent relations to the Acts administred doe further and ripen the soule in the grace of the Sacrament so that it shall not neede to repent her of her labour but with the end of the Sacrament reape also the fruite and carry away the blessing and returning God the Glory And thus much of the behaviour of the communicant at the Sacrament Which if it were wel weighed what difference should we soone see a maine difference between the basenesse of man the Provision of God Conclusion Alas this would banish all earthly wearisome sensuall wandring carriage of communicants who either for lacke of sound knowlege or else want of savour of heart are faint to fiâ—l up the time of long Sacraments with most tedious thoughts and affections and so defile themselves in an yrkesome receiving of that whereto they made so solemne a preparation Whereas wee know that as it is a greater commendation to a subject to demeane himselfe duly in the presence of his sovereigne than onely to spend thoughts before hand how he may doe it so it is no small comfort to a poore soule that hath painefully prepared it selfe when also it can converse with God in the ordinance so as it may lay no offence in the Lords and her owne way from a plentifull dispensing of mercy upon her selfe while the season of dispensing lasteth And thus much for this chapter CHAP. X. Touching the due carriage of a receiver after the Sacrament ended The third and last generall carriage after TO conclude the whole treatise let mee also adde a word or two concerning this last but not least duty of a communicant after the Supper A peece of worke very little regarded by the most But let us know that as some part of the Sacrament was entred upon in preparation so some part of it is to be done after the publike action ended I confesse it is counted a ridiculous thing by the moste to be so precise as never to have done but to goe from Church to chamber and there finish the worke But to such as make conscience of other ordinances in private this will bee more welcome and no paines will bee thought too great for the attaining of so great commodity Breefely then the Supper being ended 1. In speciall duties a Christian receiver should in private set himselfe in the presence of God and performe these two duties The first of faith The other due survey of his receiving Touching the first 1. Faith A Christian must close up the whole action with the Amen and so be it of faith lotting upon the word of God that it shall be to him in the fruite of his travell Esay 53. end according to that which God hath caused him to looke for It comes in my mind what is recorded Acts 12. of the Church assembled together in Maries house They had beene earnest to God for Peter Act. 12.15 in their prayers It pleased God to heare them and breake chaines and prisons by them And to send Peter miraculously among them as they desired Now when the Damosell came in and told them it was Peter they told her she was mad It was an Angell Whence came this that they should so hardly beleeve that which they had so earnestly prayed for Surely because faith is such a stranger to our spirit even when it is at the best that it seemes to bee a grace above us Carnall reason feare and distrust are alway upon the latch ready to breake in when we have beene most spiritually occupied how much more then ordinarily and to buzze into our eares thus Thus now thou hast beene busied and as thou thinkest thou hast discerned that which few have done at the Sacrament But what if all this thy labour should bee lost What if God should doe neither good nor evill What if for all this thou shalt be no better than if absent Oh! Heere then let thy faith still be as attentive to guard thy soule as Satan is with his fiery darts to dismay thee be able to quench them by faith thinke it no strange thing that unbeleefe hath never done assaulting thee but ply thy selfe with this sheild and Armour till thou have frayed away Satan from thee and recovered thy former part in the promise Say thus Lord was thy word strong at my going to the Sacrament and is it weake at my returne Dost not thou alway speake the same thing Is there any shaddow of turning in thee Shall I in the generall say with Martha oh 11.22.39 I know thou canst doe all things but when it comes to the push then start backe and say Hee stinketh Farre bee it from mee Lord thus to bee at a sudden losse as if thy promise were no bottome sufficient to cleave to This is the first thing which the Lord lookes for that thy faith should be as reall as the promise and that thereby thy heart should bee fenced from the feares and distempers of carnall sence and distrust which else will breake in upon thy wanzing heart and weaken thy confidence Alas wee see nothing
formality of serving God Matth. 11.28 But to such as know that God will have his yoake put on and hath promised to make it sweete it will become so if they will yeeld neckes to it and beleeve Let none mistake me heerein I know that no man must diminish or take away the least dramme of weight from any service of God Revel 22.18 it were cursed presumption and sacriledge to doe it and cursed be he that doth the worke of God negligently Ier. 48.10 Yet neyther ought any to adde any weight of his owne to the Lords worke and to make it heavier than himselfe hath made it But take it as God hath framed it most light and cheerefull to an heart applyed thereto Now to apply what I have sayd to this Sacrament Yet to the most it is tedious and why What one worke of God among the outward is so shrugged at and wearisome to the most as this of Tryall and receiving the Supper On the one side men feele a great difficulty in the dispatch and on the other side the Kings command is streight a necessity is layd upon them and woe to them that doe it not and what comes of this Surely they breake through it with head and shoulders and doe it as they can their owne ease and sloath they will not shake off and the Lords yoake they are loath to take on Rules against it 6. To prevent this eye-sore I have set downe these few directions which I commend to the teachable as for the foole set in his frame I know though one should bray him in a mortar yet would not his folly depart from him Rule 1 And first generally seeing that onely To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 and nothing bee it never so pure is savory to an uncleane heart whose minde and spirit is defiled Let therefore this be the first rule That the heart and conscience be pure and so preserved daily Rom. 7.24 for so the inner man will delight in the law of God and the bent and streame of the soule will goe that way although wee be not continually bufied in the outward performance thereof as in receiving the Sacrament or hearing c. Whereas they who still abide in their uncleanenesse and their hearts are corrupt within them are at no time fit for any duty whether present or absent for why they delight onely in that which followes their owne principle yea in any thing save that which tends to the honour of God and their owne profit and comfort So then first I say let us get a beleeving heart and a pure minde thereby nourishing it daily and then the inward man will bend it selfe to walke with God in such duties as it meets with bee they liberties or crosses be they hearing prayer or Sacrament nothing shall through mercy come amisse to a prepared heart But as the playing of all lessons is equally seasonable to a well tuned instrument so heere Rule 2 Secondly being set thus in frame we must so goe to worke daily That is wee must live by faith daily apprehending Christ to our selves in his promise for the support of our life by his daily influence and nourishment For seeing the Lord is willing to give us Christ to be our wisedome and holinesse and to be ours to put on and doe all we have to doe in as well any day yesterday and forever as well as to day Heb. 13.8 yea as well every day as at the Sacrament to become our meate indeede and drinke indeede what save unbeleefe should hinder why wee should not take him every day as well as any day him I say with all the benefits as pardon peace and direction both for doing and suffering living and dying welâ— Christ is not for a Pageant or Procession to gaze on once a yeare but for use and to live upon daily as Paul saith Now live I Gal. 2.15 yet not I but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God To this end consider further that wee receive the same Christ in the Sacrament and in the promise If then wee be upholden by faith in the promise daily that Christ will be our patience strength hope and will doe all our workes in us Esay 26.16 Then by the same faith the Sacrament will bee welcome to us although it were as daily as in the primitive Church Act. 2. end Act. 2. because still wee receive the same Christ though in a differing conveyance Deceive not thy selfe about thy life of faith and then thou shalt not bee easily unprepared for the Sacrament The Souldiar that lyeth alway in garison is fitter to encounter the enemy in the field than one that commeth from the shoppe or plough untrained for the battell Rule 3 Thirdly wee must bee vigilant against those evills daily which steale into us whereby we make a separation betweene God and us Eph. 6.18 and so betweene us and his ordinances setting a gulfe betweene us and them so that wee cannot come at them easily as the Sacrament by name And contrarywise wee must maintaine our daily fellowship with God daily in faith patience meekenesse diligent use of meanes meditating of the word absteyning from techinesse worldlinesse pride inconstancy unthankefulnesse remissenesse of spirit busying our selves about other or more things than wee are called to c. Iam. 4.2 Heb. 3.14 Which although at the time of committing them they seeme nothing we not thinking of after-reckonings or what hurt they will doe us yet in the meane time wee are corrupted and hardned therewith ere wee are aware Little dreaming what an ill handsell they make us toward the Sacrament And moreover when we would finde them out and confesse them at the Sacrament wee cannot so easily bring it to passe our hearts being a farre off to seeke through their distemper Psal 32.3 So then in a word keepe we our hearts undefiled and shun occasions as we may and we shall finde our Sacrament worke mightily set forward thereby so that the sollemnenesse and hardnesse of the taske will be well over and we shall come to it not as a Beare to the stake but as to our appointed food for why Is not this our fellowship with grace much furthered thereby Marke but this When we have newly bin at the Sacrament we seeme pretty well affected And what hinders us from being so continually if such scurfe brake not out to defile us but we imagine basely that fellowship with sinne and Christ light and darkenesse may be held together which cannot be 1 Cor. 6 19. Rule 4 Fourthly if we have beene prevented by Sathan our owne loosenesse or other occasions and have fallen into the sinnes before named or the like That wee practise a daily repentance thereof breaking our hearts and fastning upon the promise Lam. 3.40 by which we must get pardon and new strength to obey and abhorre
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
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.
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