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
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
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
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
and hatefull provokings and wrongs c. The like cavils wee have against all other actions of love as giving lending c. So in Law cases if we be led by the rules of necessitie quitting of our selves from injuries which else we could not also love of peace serving providence for the manifestation of right and although we be losers yet resting in Gods will and learning to deny our selves to be more patient and content to offer and waite upon him who will pleade our cause abhorring all covetous or reuenging ends of our owne Many more trials might have beene added but I referre the Reader to the former grounds to helpe himselfe Vse 4 The last use is consolation encouragement to Gods people of two sorts Branch 1 First to all such as walke in love Consolation and make it their path and way Many a good Christian will say I cannot boast of many evidences but this I thank God I can say that my heart goes with the cause of God to his religion covenant Ordinances I love the Saints c. My affections and endeavours go that way yea when I cannot goe yet I can creepe and methinkes the dogge of a good man is welcome for his masters sake I abhorre that selfe-seeking and selfe-love which reignes in the world I practise compassion and love to all both meane and great knowne and unknowne neere and farre off and my prayers are cast in as a lot among the prayers and petitions of the Church I desire no welfare save in hers and as she fares so doe I desire to doe Oh! rich soule be comforted The Lord hath set his marke upon thee and called thee Hephziba Esay 62.4 one in whom his soule delights his Love his Dove his Vndefiled one Thy name is as a precious ointment therefore the daughters follow and love thee By thine example many have lost their brutish and savage qualities and bene taught to feede with Lambes They say of the Panther that she hath so sweet a breath that she allures all the beasts to her thereby So that hereby she hath her name So is it with thee the savor of thy amiablenesse shall honour thee wheresoever thou becommest till at thy death thy workes shall follow thee Marke 14.9 Act 9.9.36 10.2 Though the Scripture be witten yet as the name of Mary that annointed Christ and Dorcas and Cornelius are in the word so shall thine be in the Church Oh! enjoy thy selfe and come to the Sacrament with comfort for the Lord Iesus stands there ready with open breast to welcome thee Branch 2 Lastly it may also affoord encouragement to such as feare themselves in this triall of their love And I confesse as the manner of the world now is there is so little practise of this grace to be seene that it were enough to quench the love of the first Therefore I wonder not to heare so many to complaine of crackes and flawes in their love and to see that men learne to halt of them that are lame to be froward with the foward sullen testy unkind and unthankefull with such as are so Thy complaining therefore of thy selfe is just yet beware lest hereby thou debarre thy selfe of the Sacrament Tell me then Art thou heavy to feele such scurffe in thee That thou carest not how others fare so thou canst sleepe in a whole skinne And that the practise of gentlenesse and mercy Iames 3.13 doth so hardly fasten upon thee Dost thou combat within thy selfe against all naughtinesse in this kinde and nourish the motions of that spirit which is pure peaceable gentle and full of goodnesse and beare downe the other as much as is possible Deceive not thy selfe and I dare not barre thee from the Lords Table Although thou hadst poore fruits to boast of yet sith our Lord Iesus hath not forgotten a promise of reward to a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet Math. 10.42 I cannot exclude thee from the benefite of the Supper Onely take heede least thou catch at such an encouragement to any evill end that still thou maist keep thy conscience defiled with the like pangs yet venture to receive But let the Sacrament bring a speciall reviving of love unto thee the very sight of thy brethren at the house of God let it renue that poore sparckle that is in thee Heb. 12.25 Thinke that thou art come to the soules of merifull and holy men and art as in a corner of heaven while thou maist sit among them And if this encouragement belong to thee it shall worke kindely and not by contraries And for this use and the whole triall of love thus much CHAP. VIII Of the desire after the Sacrament and the triall theof WEe are now come to the last The 5. grace Desire Entry but not to the least of those five graces preparing for the Sacrament which is desire or longing after those good things contained in it Concerning the handling whereof I shall not hold the Reader long in the grounds of this grace as I have done in the former Because those points which serve to the opening of desire either concerning Christ himselfe our alsufficient nourishment or else the triall of our owne wants of both which I have both in the former and in this latter Treatise spoken shall not here neede any repeated discourse Onely my method shall be this 1 I will briefely speake a word of the object of this desire 2. I will prove the Doctrine 3. I will make use of it sundry wayes and therein if any thing may be added either for the procuring of or the triall of the soundnesse of this desire I shall mention it and so conclude Affections are strong and vehement things in their pursuite and not stirred up or provoked in us save by objects of great allurement and perswasion especially spirituall affections require eminent objects to raise up to improve them Natural affections of joy love hope sorrow feare or desire must have sutable objects to quicken them up otherwise they lie flat upon the earth How much more must it needs be so here in holy and divine affections whereunto our nature is lesse enclined and the flame for lacke of daily supply of oile and matter to nourish them doth easily decay and vanish Sacramentall desire and longing therefore must needs presuppose some more than ordinary object to excite and maintaine it else neither would a carnall heart easily rise to it nor it a good heart hold appetite and desire to it long together The object of desire is Christ Sundry wayes therfore it pleases the holy Ghost in Scripture to expresse this object to the eye of the soule The thing it selfe being in substance one the Lord Iesus the nourishment of the living soule in grace and goodnesse yet the eloquence of the Spirit appeares in no argument so great as in this one to wit the due laying him
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
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
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
s the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. ult which must doe it 1 Pet 1 22 as Iam. 1.16 Of his free will hee begat us by the Word of truth Iam 1 16 Trie thy selfe then by the usuall acts of the word of Regeneration and so thou maist gather that this Spirit belongs to thee This is no place for mee to digresse I will cull out onely two or three things which may serve for this use Deceive not thy selfe and God will not deceive the Didst thou ever then feele in thy selfe that this immortall seed cast into thy eare did so descend into thy heart as to worke any immortall hope in thee 2 Tim. 1 11. The Gospell reveales immortality and glory to the soule Did it ever bring to light any such thing to thee Did it ever conceive in thee a sensible distaste of all hopes below and raise thy affections above Did it ever cause the things of the earth long life health successe welth money pleasure to be despised in comparison of the hope which is set before thee Camest thou ever from the word another man in thy aime appetite savor and love than thou wentst Did thy heart ever burne within thee there And when thou camest with earthly base thoughts did the Lord so dash them by heavenly doctrine and the hope of Christ that thou returnedst to thy house with a distaste of thy selfe for them Wert thou ever so touched and taken with the promise of the word that thou wert loath to forgo it for any delight In particular try thy self thus Instances of the words working 1. Hath the word of the Law cast a destroying seede of death into thee taken a way that life of old Adam jollity in sin Hath it defaced thy old Image discovered thee to thy selfe to be an Alien from the Life of God and common-wealth of Israel the son of an Hittite and Amorite as odious as one of thirtie old would be to thee who never was baptized Secondly hath the Gospell cast a better seed of hope in Christ by the Covenant of reconciliation into thee In thy hearing of this glad tidings hath the Lord bored an eare in thee by which this seede might conceive and kindle in thy heart Hath it wrought the preparation of heart in thee by brokennesse tendernesse humilitie unweariednesse of paines selfe de-deniall c. Hath it setled and digested in thee as a thing of such beauty as in comparison of which all the glory of the earth is drosse Hath it abode in thee and brought an undecaying sweetnesse into thee Hast thou felt in thy wombe the paines of true life and the new birth viz. How corruption of nature selfe and infidelity have rebelled against the work both of the Law and Gospell Gen. 25 22. Hast thou with Rebecca in this combat gone to God with thy complaint of the infinite lets that have held thee from beleâ—ving And hath the Lord by his Promise and perswasions fastened thy anchor of soule upon his bottome of free grace and truth renouncing thy owne hopes feares performances So that now thou hast him close bound to thee in his word from ever forsaking thee Then I say to thee thou art he whom the word hath breed Christ in and formed life in thee by faith What wanteth then Oh! thy heart is fickle and too weake to buy and sell upon the bare word without wavering yea thou hast much adoe to get victory over thy uncertain heart Well no wonder Thou seest nothing and to resist sence is a great worke yet be faithfull with God and give not over his promise and by due cleaving to the bare truth of the Lord begge further light and rest not in thy measure much lesse yeeld to any love of sinne to darken and defile thee And so doing I assure thee that to thee and to none but such the seale of baptisme belongs thou shalt find the Lord will by his Spirit convince thee deeplier the Spirit of Baptisme shall bring forth Gods pledges shew thee them Ioh. 16 9.10 convey into thy faint heart strength confidence and courage of faith and set thee above thy distempers as if they had never annoied thee If I say hee have purposed such a decree of grace unto thee he will effect it in time else know that howsoever yet thy service is blessed and thy faith hath brâ—â—d the life of regeneration in thee Branch 1 Forthly let this be exhortation to urge us to apply our selves to Baptisme for the sealing work of the Spirit therin To young Novices And first I direct my speech to yong novices under the means Slight not off the first incklings of this sealing Spirit The 1. layes heates of the holy Ghost and fire doe usually breake forth in youth Consider it s not a dayes worke nor a thing easie to settle the Spirit of sealing upon thy soule there be many steps to it Oh! looke to it yee young beginners One cause why old Christians walke so heavily is because they never heeded or hatched the first motions of the Spirit in their beginnings If then the Spirit of God doe call and stirre in thee by early affections love zeale enquiry answer Speake Lord for thy servant heares put him not off by ease or bondage 1 Sam. 3 9. If such a thought come as this What a dramme of Grace and Life of Christ is worth or what vow thou madest in Baptisme and how retchlesse thou hast beene to keepe it dally not with such items shake not off either pangs of terrour by lusts of youth or pangs of hope and love with ease and sloth for so the Spirit of sealing is fore-stalled and the faire forwardnesse thereto will hardly be recovered Put in thy foote presently upon the Angells stirring the poole Ioh. 5 4. if thou have an heart none shall prevent thee heere as there If these seeds were not choked and these buds cropt they would proove the assuring sealing Spirit of grace in due time Through contempt of it the Lord leaves youth to that hideousnesse and ripenesse in sinne yea a spirit of desperate debauchednesse in drinking oathes Rev. 22.11 and villany as would not bee beleeved of such youth Branch 2 Secondly I speake to all other apply your selves to the Sacrament of Baptisme for this last evidence and seale of the Spirit To elder oneâ— to let yee know that yee are the Lords Lin not till the Lord hath seal'd yee for his owne set his marke upon you not to be blotted out Looke up at each Sacrament each Baptizing ye see to the Lord that which in the former point I speake as hee hath applied the grace of Baptisme by the promise unto you so now hee would apply is Seale of assurance unto you by his Baptisme Let not such a mercie be there to be had and you not aware of it Thinke it not too good to receive if God will grant it What is
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
for the present enlarges it selfe further and gives the soule a taste of that eternall joy which it shall possesse hereafter when it shall put off this corruption and earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands Secondly the Spirit of sealing hath fulnesse of faith in it It s therefore compared to full sayles of wind Heb. 10 22 which carrie the ship an end Is it so with thee Art thou free in good measure from a life of sence from judging things of God by the outsides Canst thou rest in this that although thou neither hearest voyce from heaven nor seeest shape yet there is a Sun within the clouds There is a God and all the fidelity truth and love is still in the promises which ever was without shaddow of turning Art thou by this faith carried above those feares doubts distempers Rom. 5 2 3 4. which when the coast was mistie thou wert annoyed with Walkest thou now with cleerer comfort joy and perswasion of Gods love providence promises Is thy heart as the Arke above the rockes Gen. 7.10 Is it farre otherwise with thee in the frequencie the dismalnesse of thy unbeleefe than formerly Are thy buffetings temptations lusts well blowne over Then hold and nourish this fruit in thee knowing it is no common thing But Oh Lord where is the man to whom I speake this Thirdly nourish thy liberty Was it wont to be an usuall thing to thee to be clogged with the weight of sinne Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 vexed with the fiery darts of Satan and his noysome buffetings tossed with strong lusts Was the worke of God irkesome painefull to thee hardly drawn to it soone unsetled How is it now 2 Cor. 3.17 The Spirit of sealing is a free Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is a Spirit where he is there is libertie Dost thou now walke in and out with the Lord as a sonne in the house Luke 1 6. well provided for Rid off thy old chaines enlarged to runne the Commandements of God with chearefulnesse Hast thou freedome from thy old feare Psal 119.32 Hath the Lord both overthrowne the court of sinne and bad conscience and all the officers of it Canst thou meete the Bayliffe securely Canst thou as a free man Gal. 5.1 looke upon Satan hell death without horror Nourish it and be thankefull for it Fourthly Hast thou the boldnesse of the Spirit of adoption Canst thou come to the Lord in prayer with holy confidence Is thy slavish heart gone Rom. 8 15. Verse 26. Zach. 12.10 Darest thou call God Father by good proofe and triall Doth the Spirit of God teach thee to pray Doth it purge out thine owne spirit of selfe of gifts of forme and teach thee to pray wisely with feeling and groaning under thy corruptions seeking more mortification of heart and spirit Art thou so fervent and frequent as one that knowes his welcome Canst thou lay in daily for thy selfe and others Blesse God for thy portion and prise it So fifthly Hast thou the spirit of holines purenes If thou be sealed by the assuring Spirit thou are sealed by the holy Spirit of God How doth it appeare Is there love of purenes and holines a loathing of all falsehood and profanes in thee Hast thou gotten a pure title unto Deut. 33.16 Tit. 1.15 and use of all ordinances blessings and administrations of God towards thee Art thou able to say To the pure all things are pure Dost thou grow more fruitful and plentifull in holines all holy means meditation fasting conference holy duties compassiâ—n mercy love pietie sobernes holy graces 2 Pet. 1.5 8. 2 Pet. 3 ult 1 Cor. 15 ult as faith hope patience Dost thou adde grace to grace so as thou maist not be unprofitable but grow be rooted and setled still then I say nourish these I assure thee this world is not for such matters blesse him that hath called thee out of it in the strength of this seale of Baptisme walke on as Elia did to the mount of God 1 King 19 8. Ephes 4 30. Grieve not this sweet Spirit by any lusts or roote of bitternesse keepe the world under the girdle of this Spirit provoke him not to forsake thee but having felt his sweetnesse let him not depart from thee till hee have conducted thee into the land of righteousnes And know if this Spirit be given thee thou keepest a costly thing which not all they have who yet beleeve in this measure deceave not thy selfe about it and if thou have it nourish it carefully For as the traveller who hath nothing to lose is carelesse of theeves so know thou that hast such a charge hadst need be jealous least Satan the world and thy evill selfe rob thee of thy treasure Ephe. 6.18 And this be said of this 3. generall also of the end of Baptisme and so of the whole doctrine and use of Baptisme the more largely because I shall touch it no more as I purpose to doe the other Oh! how is it to be lamented that the knowledge and use of it is no more understood by our Ministers and people CHAP. VI Of the Supper of the Lord. The description and parts of it And first of the Sacramentall Acts of it I Come now to the Doctrine and discourse of the Supper of the Lord wherein as I foresee that those things which do peculiarly concerne the handling of it will take up much more roome than the former of Baptisme as being the Sacrament of growen ones and therefore having in it more life for present administration and use than the other of Infants So also I see much labour is spared me in this latter because of those generals which unavoydably have been handled in the former I say so far as those things do agree to the Supper subjects only being changed So far then as ought hath beene toucht before of the Order the Constitution the Acts Grace or Sealing of Baptisme which may sute and agree with this of the Supper let none looke for the Repetition of it onely in such grounds I will content my selfe to point to the speciall application in few words and dwell the longer upon things peculiarly proper to the Supper And those are these three The Acts to be performed The distinct grace offred in it The speciall end of it which stands in the sealing power and the object wherabout it s occupied Description of it The Supper of the Lord then to describe it first is the second Sacrament of the Gospell consisting of Iesus Christ exhibited in the Bread and Wine wherein by certeine Acts duly perfourmed about the Elements whole Christ-body and Blood is conveyed to the Soule for the sealing up of her Growth and encrease in the Grace of the Covenant 1 Branch of the order Vse First I point in a word at the order In the first Sacrament I noted the impudency of such as will invert Gods order Now in
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
framing the uniforme truth of God to the text in hand and the text and use of it to the occasion of their people That so Gods Spirit might not seeme streightned for ease carelesnesse and forme seeme to eate up all power and spirit in men causing people to misapply truthes so deluding themselves Vse 3 Thirdly what a sweete ground of instruction is this to all to magnify Christ Sacramentall in the wisedome of his stewardship To ascribe his due honour to him in seeing and serving the wants and turnes of not congregations but particular beleevers What member is there of a great noble mans house whose eye is not set upon the steward of the house from him they have their meate their physicke their cloathes their lodgings their wages each one his portion therefore of all others he is the cheefe object of honour if faithfull Oh! couldst thou see the most curious wisedome of the Lord Iesus thy steward in the dispensing of Sacramentall graces neyther superfluously nor niggardly neither the apparell of the growne to the young nor Physicke in stead of foode nor strong meate in stead of milke nor any of these out of season when the soule is past them and starven but these fully justly wisely tenderly and all in season yea to all so that the number of his people wearies not his dispensation Oh! how would it ravish thee It s the ignorance of the stewards excellency which makes him so little set by Men make use of him for every thing and honour him for nothing and indeede rather cozen themselves of him than him of his due None of his graces serve onely for a dumbe shew but for use Consider what a steward thou hast who cuts out himselfe for thee beeing made of the Father to this end It s hee who is the dispenser of the manifold graces of God yea so doth he parcell them out to thee that he was pleased himselfe to partake them Hee would be baptized himselfe would eate and drinke the Supper himselfe that he might sanctifie his Minister to distribute his people to receive this nourishment that he might by his owne holy dividing eating and drinking cover all the defects of his Church in both and encourage them to come unto him even in their weakest preparations Alas not himselfe was the better for these but in all his Churches welfare he is refeshed as in his owne and when hee can make us accepted in himselfe and wel-pleasing he hath his desire Vse 4 Fourthly this should informe us of the excellency of the Sacrament and how it addes a blessing to the promise For the promise makes the Proposition of a Christians comfort All that thirst hunger beleeve may come and be eased refreshed But the Sacrament is the Assumption and addes But thou art that party To thee I offer these good things take thou eate drinke thou thou poore soule fearefull to apply the promise I speake to thee it s thy portion although thou wilt not acknowledge it I know thee to be such an one I come now to thy doore and lay this refreshing unto thee take it it s thine Many poore soules cavill against the promise and say If I were named as the party to whom the Lord Iesus belonged I durst but alas how dare I how many step in before me Indeede to the Church these things belong in generall but in so great a numbeâ— of men how easily is such a poore wretch as I trod downe No no the Sacrament is the hand of Christ thy steward seeing thee singling out thee looking downe for such as are broken empty base and fatherlesse that he may bee strong with all such And now in speciall to thee he saith Thou art this thirsty beleeving soule apply the promise to thy selfe Iohn Thomas such a man or woman for in a manner the Sacrament supplies the defect of the word both in personall and peculiar application It tells thee thy name is written in heaven it gives thee a ticket in speciall from God to secure thee to be his and as it offers whole Christ to the Communion of Saints so it severalls out thee and tells thee that thou art not forgotten among the rest but to thee the Lord Iesus broken belongs Thou seest not the parcell of bread and wine more personally offred to thy hand than Christ to thy soule So that as by vertue of generall Christ thou deniest thy selfe and prayest Our Father give us this day our daily bread forgive us leade not us into tentation that is compst thy selfe to serve onely for the use of the body so by vertue of Christ cut out and divided to thee thou sayst I beleeve in God I beleeve in Christ I beleeve in the holy Ghost I beleeve my selfe to bee the Lords and fasten so upon Christ not as every beleevers but mine owne in speciall to pardon to save me as if I were the onely person And not onely thus but after this Assumption comes in a Conclusion Therefore Christs benefits are thine all his graces his enablements for doing for suffering supply of thy ignorance releefe of thy forgetfulnesse wandrings earthlinesse coldnesse c. I say Christ is peculiarly thine with all his nourishment to eternall life Learne to make this use of the Sacrament Vse 5 Fiftly its instruction to the people to ground their hearts duly in the esteeme of the Minister of God Hee is in this dispensation of Christ both in word and Sacrament the true arbiter or middle man to convey from God to them the Lord Iesus in all his good things and the returner backe againe from them to the Lord the Calves of their lips their renued thankes affections covenant and obedience Surely they should behold him as an object of singular love and esteeme for his workes sake How oft should they muse with themselves Oh singular favour that the Lord should treate with us by entercourse of his Minister allow him in his stead to divide Christ to us in Word and Sacrament to reach us out our peculiar portions as our steward wisely and tenderly to speake to my heart aptly pertinently and then to apply it by the Sacrament more specially to separate the precious from the vile to bring a personall promise home to thee a peculiar supply of thy wants Oh! how should the feete of such be beautifull The truth is I grant the unfaithfulnesse of some is the cause which holds them from due honour when people see nothing in them tending to this mediation no tendernesse to their soules no love but seeking their owne ends polluting the ordinances both by admitting the worst dismaying the best discouraging the weake and defiling themselves Oh! how should this procure them honour But doubtlesse if as Shepheards they would take the weake sheepe on their shoulders and be all in all for Christ dividing him in word and supper aright what esteeme would follow them how should the best honour them and the vilest not dare to open
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
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
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
which I gave a touch before in the point of fruitfulnesse Secondly walking with God daily as being under his eye awfully purely Gen. 5.22 and soberly approving our selves to him in the way of our life making his Word our delight in both the promises commands and threats of it and so holding the Lord in our sight as loth to forgoe him Thirdly Ascending in our thoughts from our owne welfare in private and forcing our awcke hearts to the service of our time as David Act. 13.36 Acts 13 36. as well as looking that it goe well with our selves of which selfe-love our spirit is full stuffed except this grace scoure it out Remember we that the gaine wee get by Christ in his Assemblies should presse upon us the bewailing of the losse thereof Zeph 3.18 Zeph. 3.18 the beseeching God to establish the Lord Iesus and to set up his King upon his Zion in the power of his Ordinances to demolish the Throane of Satan and Antichrist that the Scepter of Christ may prevaile every where against Popery Atheisme Ignorance Blinde devotion profanenesse and forme of godlinesse Lastly in an heavenly heart as Phil. 3 18. Phil. 3.18 knocking us off from below moderating our liberties for us enlarging us to desire his glorious presence to have communion with him as he is concluding that if these treaties with him at distance as in the Supper be so sweete then much more to eate and drinke it in his kingdome Luke 22 16. Luke 22.16 Oh! if our treasure be there let our hearts be so also and send we them before us in token wee looke to remove thither as our abiding place Phil. 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus doing wee shall use the Supper for the end which it was given for to supply the absence of the Lord Iesus from us Luke 22 35 16 17. Luke 22.16 till wee may enjoy it Thirdly let that good we have got out of the Sacrament The third imparting our selves to others so plentifully abide in us that wee impart it to others The nature of these graces is such not to feede on them alone When those Leapers 1 King 7 12. 1 King 7 12. had filled themselves in the Aramites tents with store of all things their hearts smote them for staying there so long and they resolved to hasten and tell the King and people of it that were sterven in the citie So shouldst thou The Sacrament is called a communion in this respect as well as the former Poore birds if they light upon scattered corne call their fellowes to the heape When Sampson had found honey Iude 14 9. though hee kept the riddle yet he imparted his honey to his Father and Mother The benefits of Christ are not of a secret and private but diffusive nature Let us bee ashamed to consider that other things in the world are so perfected by communion that neither Trades Artes Customes and fashions nor any other thing have cause to complaine but the matters of Christ are now at the barest and lowest Why save that those that should excell in them conceale their skill and experience The Communion day should be our exceeding day and as in feasts so in this we should send or carrie portions and acquaint others wisely and seasonably with our lot and receive from them like intelligence And thus much for the second generall head viz. The grace of the Supper I conclude with the last And that is the particular end of the Sacrament viz. The sealing unto a beleeving soule The third generall The end of it an assurance of that grace which it exhibiteth I have spoke before of this sealing power I will adde but a little for the applying of the genâ—rall to this particular Desiring the wise Reader to looke backe and make use of what I have spoken of this sealing worke in generall and to apply it here in speciall to the sealing of the growth as already I have spoken in Baptisme of the sealing of our Birth or Regeneration A needfull digression to shew the order of the Spirits working And that my Reader may retaine the ordinary view of the two sealing workes this briefely let mee say first that the Spirit of Grace is given by God to attend each Ordinance both the Word of Promise and the Seale of Promise and that to this end to worke perswasion in the soule and to cause it to beleeve the things that are given her of God Then secondly note The object of this perswasion by the Promise is double and therefore the object of perswasion by the Seale is double First perswasion of the soule that shee is truly the Lords truly called regenerated and borne of God That is to say reconciled to him and renewed in him Secondly perswasion that shee growes in the grace of the new birth and shall grow as a lively member of her head till she receive the fulnesse of that part That God is the Author of both perswasions appeares by the two maine heads of unbeleefe which formerly I noted to reside in the soule First that shee dare not beleeve at all that the promise of mercy reacheth to her Secondly that she dare not beleeve that she shall ever reach to any further degree of sanctification than she presently feeles Both these the Lord in his double perswasion confutes The third thing is the Spirit therefore applies it selfe to both these yet not alway in one and the same measure of perswading but according to the neede or proportion of each part By the Promise of the Word sometimes it workes more sometimes lesse perswasion as seemes best to himselfe and so by the Seale of the Sacrament hee doth likewise worke weaker or stronger assurance For though there be a perswading power in an high degree in both yet the Spirit is no servant to his Ordinances but his Ordinances to him they shall perswade more or lesse according as that power of Christ which the Spirit dispenceth is more or lesse conveied into the soule by his perswasion He is never separated from promise or Seale according to the measure of his working by both But that is as he listeth for he bloweth where and how farre hee pleaseth Fourthly note the chiefe and maine perswasion of the Spirit in the Word is the Spirit of the sealing Promise and the chiefe work of the Spirit of perswasion in the Sacrament is the Spirit of the sealing Sacrament And therefore as the Seale with the Promise is above a promise alone So the Spirit of the Seale with the Sacrament is above the Sacrament alone and consequently the sealing power of the Sacrament is above the Sealing power of a Promise the Sacrament being ordinarily the instrument of working the soule to the highest assurance which it can enjoy in this world whether of the truth of her regeneration which Baptisme or the growth therein which the Supper sealeth and perswadeth Sealing
is the highest perswasion and Sacramentall sealing the highest sealing We doe not limit God to his Sacraments but ordinarily we say he limits himselfe in this kinde Lastly I adde the most apt way to get the perswasion of the Spirit in an higher measure is to hold close to the lower measure As in the promise the best way to get the perswasion of the Spirit of promise is to cleave to the bare naked word and truth of the Promiser for himselfe So the next way to compasse the best measure of sealing perswasion in the Sacraments is to come unto them with faith in the perswasion of a promise for marke the Spirit in multiplying perswasion doth never lose the former measures but holds them still as grounds unmoveable He that can now swimme without bladders yet retaines the skill he got first by them and he that makes true Latin of his experience and art yet forgets not his Rule by which he first attained it still the power of the bladders abides in the man who swimmes alone and still the power of the Rule is in him who of himselfe doth suddenly speake true Latine Even so the promise still abides in the seale of the Sacrament and the perswasion of the sealing Spirit although it be above a promise yet it is not without it but holds the relation close Even as the seale and delivery and seasin of a purchase is above a Covenant yet never without it but alway relating to it and adding a superiour strength which it had not before of perswasion and assurance Vse Terror in two Branche◠Now I finish with the Vses First if the Sacrament of the Supper hath this end to seale the assured growth of the soule in grace let it be terrour for two sorts 1. Papists who pervert the end of the Sacrament to base hellish ends of their owne of which before Secondly profane ones who come in their sinnes who turne the Table of God into the table of divels yea turne the seale of the grace of Christ into a Seale of Gods Curse into gall poyson and the water of triall of the Adulteresse The Sacrament is not given thee to beget thy soule to God but to nourish it being begotten When then thou commest to the Supper bearing the Lord in hand that thou art the Lords Lo thou callest for vengeance if thou be an unregenerate one still Thou saist in effect Lord let this Bread and Wine be my bane if I belong not to thy Covenant As shee that durst drinke the water of jealozie knowing her selfe defiled implied her craving the rotting of her wombe So I say to all such If they come not hither for the right end of God they cannot chuse but come for the wrong either for the better or for the worse A seale it must needes be no man can hinder it yea to a covenant if not to the Lords then to such a covenant as they belong too that is a league with hell Esay 28. a league with their lusts adultery pride c. As if the Lord should say Bee thou yet more filthy still by rebuke of my Sacrament more proud more profane Adde drunkennesse to thirst Fulfill thy measure It s not my Sacrament which causes thee to bee so but thy uncleane dungill which dare offer it selfe to the pure beames thereof As Ieremie Lam. 3. Lam. 3.65 So doth this ordinance cry in Gods eares Lord seale them to an hard heart which is thy curse to an hard hart which cannot repent mourne beleeve because they have abused all thy calles in the word all thy patience and meanes and dare come hither in their sin send them hence with thy blacke marke upon them for the scaring of others Nay the Spirit of this seale cryes after yee ere yee bee gone out of the presence of God saying how durst thou sit here to catch the food of my People with a dogs impudencie with that heart which thou bringest with thee frō the alehouse or thy harlot or oathes Goe thy wayes never fruit grow more upon thee No raine no dew fall upon thy hard heart That which was a snare to Iudas Iohn 13 26 even the Table and soppe of Christ be a snare to thee to fall and rise no more If thou wouldst avoyd this let this Doctrine of the seale pull thee to the knowledge of the Covenant Vse 2 Secondly let it be an use of mourning to us that we have so few to whom the end of this Sacrament pertaines Sure if it be the Sacrament of any it s theirs whose hearts want sealing of faith in the Promise question the perseverance of their faith their comfort hope peace Doubt that these decay so fast as they shall hardly recover them and feare that Gods measures of health growth setlednesse and fruitfulnesse is too good for them But alas where are these now a-dayes Hath not the streame of this age carried them into another extreame rather of formall presumption and securitie What shall then this Sacrament doe if there be so few whom it concernes Shall it returne in vaine to him that sent it No it belongs to those few for all are not alike whom the Lord loveth and will seale to the day of the full assurance and redemption The Spirit of sealing shall not be quite streightned for all the sinne of others Mica 2 7. Vse 3 Therefore thirdly let it be admonition to all such that they slight not this end of the Sacrament Admonition upon two grounds so that it should not effect that end which it serves for To which purpose remember these two items First that this holy seale annexed to the legacies of Christs last Will and Testament doth beare date from the first Institution and was purposely then ordained by Christ because he knew the next day following it was to be in his full vertue immediatly upon the Testators death as wee reade Heb. 9 16. Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 8.56 If then those rejoyced in this sealing day a farre off ere it come and saw it as Abraham and others by faith then what excuse shalt thou pretend who seest not this power and end of the Sacrament being after the death of the Lord Iesus and being offered under the Signes of his death thou mighst not doubt of the effect of it Secondly the Supper hath the preeminence in this kinde Grounds not onely above other Ordinances of growth but even the Word it selfe wherein although there be a power also of Sealing yet not under such Evidences of the Lord Iesus crucified nor under so great an authoritie and commission to Seale Vse 4 Lastly therefore let the Lords end in the Sacrament be thine even every poore soules portion which groanes in spirit for further perswasion of her growth and increase in pardon holinesse and glory Put not off any measures or the Seales thereof which the Lord offers thee Let there be no effect of any Ordinance which thou shouldst count strange
Passeover whereto this succeeds It s manifest by the Scripture that there was speciall Preparation of them that ate the Pascal Lamb. For not only the Lord required the Lamb it selfe to be weaned off from the damme 4 dayes to teach the people in all that space to weane themselves from those sweet breasts of their worldly delights and lawfull liberties but he required them also to keepe another feast of unleavened bread seaven dayes wherein all leaven whatsoever was to be swept out from their houses and Sacrifices to be offered for expiation of sinne and uncleanenesse that so they might not come polluted to the Passeover And those two Passeovers of Hezekia Iosijah prove it 2 Chro. 20. 2 Chro. 23. where speciall charge is given to the Levites and people to sanctifie themselves and each other although for the speedinesse of receiving there could not be such legall clensing as the Law required and so also the people and the King first purged out Idols and defaced their groves and abandoned all will-worship ere they came to the Passeover What betokened this save the triall of their spirits much more purging out all Idols of the heart sweeping out the leaven of corruption from within without which the other had beene bootlesse Therefore Paul in that place doth presse the same though not Sacramentally yet universally saying Let us therefore keepe the feast 1 Cor. 5.7 8. not with old leaven of malice and mickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and truth Why Because Christ is our Passeover who is sacrificed for us q.d. Let not us be behind hand in our feast and spirituall Pascall Lambe to those that ate the old Passeover If they might not eate it with leaven with any pollution of flesh as of Leprosie touching of the dead or the like ceremoniall defilement how much lesse wee with our reall and spiriturall leaven and uncleanenesse of soule Vse of it To adde a word or two of use to this for I leave the reasons to the last point this I say Instruct That its well that we have an expresse charge from God for this triall Else the world is full of curious heads and profane hearts to outface and outwrangle the Ordinance Men have no joy to such a taske as they feele to pinch their spirits and presse upon them any power of practise and therefore although they are ready to cast the cords and breake the bands of the most convinced truths yet the more mannerly way is to question the charge it selfe And hence are those usuall interrogatories How prove you that any man hath to doe with mee when I come to the Sacrament Or how proove you that Paul speakes to us as well as the Corinthians to try our selves Or how can you proove that I am bound to sanctifie the seventh day from the Creation for a Sabbath Or how know yee that God will have us preach and heare twice upon the Sabboth in publique Or that a man is bound to pray by himselfe or twice a day in his family Or that it is against nature for a man to weare long haire Or for a woman to bee shorne Profanenesse of mens wits And to these might I adde a thousand other scrutinies of a base and profane heart willing to overthrow all such strictnesse as it selfe distasts and loth to beleeve or informe it selfe of any thing which it is loth to do The truth is never did Satan so obscure those maine truths of the Scripture in Popish darke times by turning all into curious queres of things lesse pertinent as now he doth in this light of the Gospell seeke to alay and disanull the power of truths by profane cavillation But I say still both to the one and to the other It s well that God hath so punctually declared himselfe in his Word as hee hath All that are not wickedly nice and curious will rather yeeld to those probable deductions from Scripture which arise by consequent for the beating downe of our own base spirits and rejoyce in so doing because they argue for God than whet their leude and prejudicate wits and spirits upon the divels whetstone to cavill against truths received nibling here at one and there another till they have defaced their beautie and grace and so exposed them to the utter contempt of themselves and others Stop your mouthes therefore oh ye carpers at Gods precise rules and play not the Proctors for the divell against God least he pay you your fees little to your content Stoope rather to the Lords Canon in all things And you to whom this yoke of triall at the Sacrament is so heavie consider the Lord will not lessen or lighten it for your sake labour ye to be eased of the divels yoke of a profane carnall heart and turne your swords into mattockes deny your selves get the Lord to change your minds and wills that so his yoke may become sweete unto you And as the Prophet tels those Cavillers who asked him Why may not we goe to good Witches about our cattell Esay 8.20 or things lost c. Goe saith he to the Law and to the Testomony let that be your touchstone that wil abandon both all will-worship on the right hand and all profanenesse on the left If these give ye no allowance know there is no wisdome in your witchcrafts nor in your cavilling defences So here say I Goe to the charge of God that will convince both Popish triall and tell you that there is no Religion either in fasting before the Sacrament although I do advise no man to eat nor in not spitting at the Sacrament that much more wil confute all profane contempt of triall of our selves let God speake and let all men be liers both left hand profanenesse and right hand superstition must fall before the Ordinance Oh! if men be so busie against the practise of goodnesse when there is a rule to controwle them what companions would they bee if wee wanted it Howbeit even by this they shew that the dutie is divine because else their cursed spirit would never so fight against it Thus much of the fifth point The sixth and last branch is Generall 6. what it is what is that due triall which God requireth of every true Communicant and in what things doth it consist I answer Due and true Triall standeth either in the properties thereof to qualifie it aright or in the object therof that is the things to be be tried Concerning which first I will lay downe some reasons why the Lord requires this triall in both respects Then secondly I will lay downe the due properties or manner of triall And so with the use of the generall doctrine I will finish this Chapter and in those that follow God willing I shall handle the severall objects to be tried in their order one after another The Reasons are these three Reason 1 First the plaine charge of God importeth it For the word here
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
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
delight in the inner man prevent falls restore ye being fallen and cause ye to grow in grace more than ever Which if you had once tasted who should drive ye from the Sacrament Or should ye come to Church meaning to receive and to yet depart without it or which is worse give advantage to the divell and the world to set upon you the more fiercely by occasion of this defiling your selves No surely but be confirmed in comming the oftner the welcomer Vse 5 Fifthly and especially make we this Doctrine Examination a rule of triall to us about our Sacramentall repentance I have laid downe 3. grounds in this Chapter which might serve for this use to a carefull heart Likewise in the triall of our estate Chapt. 2. at the end I have said somewhat which sorteth well with this Point Yet least I should leave the Reader unsatisfied let me here helpe somewhat toward setting this triall on worke I will cull out some few leaving the Reader to apply the rest Triall 1 And first trie thy selfe by this marke Thou knowest the Sacrament is a reall setting before thine eyes the body and bloud of Christ slain and crucified Zach. 12.10 Now it was prophecied by Zachary that repentant soules should see him whom they have pierced and mourne How is it then with thee Dost thou mourne to see the Lord Iesus pierced at the Sacrament Dost thou as well take thought for him as for thy selfe Is thy heart broken to thinke how thy pride hollownesse and selfe-love have shed his precious bloud and beene the speare to pierce him I mean not that thou shouldst whip thy self for the cruelty of the Priests and Scribes as Papists doe themselves being as bad but that the cost of thy redemption doth abase thee and thy sinne humble thee even to hells brinke in thy owne sence And doth it deepely affect thee that thy sinne caused the Lord to lay such loade upon his Sonne Doth it make thy sinne truly irkesome to thee And darest thou not the second time crucifie Christ to thy selfe But rather carriest all thy beloved darlings to his Crosse that they may there lose their life and heart bloud sacrificing them in an holy recompence unto him Rom. 12. â— It is a good signe Triall 2 Secondly art thou willing by any meanes to be informed of thy sinnes not onely morrall but also spirituall those that doe most defile thy spirit and vexe the Spirit of grace Ephe 4.30 Is that Ministry most welcome to thee which carrieth in the spirit to search the depth of thy heart When thou canst overtake thy subtill heart and find out the turnings and trickes of it the farre fetch'd devices of it to keepe thee in such a course as maintaines selfe and fleshly ease destroying selfe-deniall and sincerity canst thou rejoyce as one that findeth spoiles Is it thy secret prayer that the Lord would set the righteous to smite thee Psal 141.5 And countest thou him a deere friend that will reprove thee Yea when thou mightest carrie a sinne slily and none the wiser hast thou one within thee that will give thee no peace till it be cast out And is secret sinne as base as open unto thee A blessed signe Triall 3 Thirdly is the uprightnesse of others the servants of God more highly esteemed by thee than thine owne yea than the opinion of others though they thinke never so highly of thee Feelest thou no bottome in other mens praises when thy heart tells thee they esteeme too well of thee And dost thou desire they might thinke of thee as thou art 1 Cor. 4.3 that they might as well pray as praise God for thee as being privy that the greatest part of thy vertues are not the least part of thy corruptions Dost thou still see an excellencie in the members of Christ above thine owne And some such base stuffe in thy selfe as oft causes thy best graces to be in lesse account Rom. 7.24 mourning that thou canst not reach that measure in tendernesse jealozie of heart plainenesse and truth which thou seest in others It s a good signe Triall 4 Fourthly canst thou yet acknowledge that good which God hath done for thee with true enlargednesse of heart and without swelling Canst thou joyne humilitie with thanksgiving without prejudice to each other And although thou feelest when evill is present as pride selfe yet thou darest not bite on Gods glory in thy obedience because there will goe some scurffe of thine in the streame But thy heart prayeth Lord let mee shine still and honour thee but dash all shining upon my selfe and getting up into thy saddle by mine owne stirrops It is a signe of a wise and holy seeking Gods ends and that thine heart is cleane Triall 5 Fifthly dost thou love righteousnesse it selfe as righteousnesse be the thing and subject of never so small a nature And dost thou hate sinne as sinne be it never so little in thine eye Is the one precious to thee for that pure natures sake which it resembles and the other loathsome 2 Thess 5.22 because it is opposite to it It is a good signe Triall 6 Sixthly when thou feelest thy heart touch'd for thy sinne and humbled in prayer darest thou not stay there but proceedest to renounce it as seriously Or rather doth not thy tongue goe before thy heart So that when occasion is offered it seemes sweeter and welcomer than when there was none As Peter vowed to sticke to his Master when there was nothing to trie him but when there was Mat. 26 23.56 then to sticke to him was too hard and heavy to him If it be thus thou knowest not thine owne spirit Take an ensample Thou professest that thou darest not be unrighteous but it falles out that thou art convinced of some bad dealing now thou art willed to renounce it that is to make such a satisfaction as thou hast damnified not being thine owne judge but as they who are wise thinke best If thou be as free in renouncing when either shame by open confession or losse by restitution lies upon it it is a good signe else thine heart playâ—s bootie Triall 7 Seventhly are the sinnes of others the sorrowes of the Church as sensible bitter and laid to heart by thee Psal 119.136 as thy own And canst thou drown both other joyes and sorrows of thine owne in these And accordingly to thy affections so are thy prayers endeavours procurements for the peace of the Church and against her miseries and those that cause it And canst thou forget thy selfe and thy businesse for this purpose It is well Triall 8 Eightly dost thou rejoyce alway to be crossing thy selfe in those succors and supports of thy sinne which thy corruption suggests to thee if grace did not gainesay As for example findest thou thy selfe eager of base gain And when it tickles thy spirit canst thou in the chiefe of that sweetnes cut off thy hand and foote
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
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
The Iewes as histories relate in derision of the Supper and of the Lord Iesus were wont every Easter to steale a Christian child or stripling and to crucifie him upon a crosse all as much as in them lay to destroy the true doctrine and Memoriall of Christ Sacramentall Truth is odious to the factors of superstition and at this day what doe Papists reproach with so base termes as the Supper of Protestants calling the Table of the Lord by the name of an Oyster Board and the Sacrament by the name of the hereticke ordinary alleaging that their Altar and Transubstantiation are the only true means to honour Christs Sacrifice which they offer to God for the sinnes of quicke and dead but not receive from God as a pledge of forgivenesse and holinesse Now marke the Lord in all ages hath stil upheld the glorious beauty of his entire Sacrament against all such corruption and profanation How upheld And that especially by susteining his poore servants to shed their blood in the defence of this cause We know how many hundreds in King Henry the 5. 6. 7. and 8. dayes but more openly in Queene Maries suffered in our owne nation for the defence of this cause of God besides the thousands of Martyres slaine in other Countryes by the Inquisition and tyranny of Popish Bishops Neither are we to looke that in any age till the Kingdome of Christ come this holy ordinance shall ever want enemies who either openly or secretly in part or wholly will seeke either to undermine and obscure the Purity and honour or overthrow the substance of this Sacrament But all in vaine for this shall stand as a brasen Pillar in the midst of the floud and shall survive all corrupters and enemies and shall be perpetuated in her honour and integrity till the comming of the Lord Iesus to judgement when all heresie shall perish with the breath of his mouth and Sathan himselfe be driven from earth and confined for ever to hell But how shall this great worke be effected and continued in the Church so long and so dayly Illustration of the meanes of upholding it Surely by those his people who are members of the militant Church who like Champians of Christ shall stand out for this precious Iewell committed to their trust and safegard Both Ministers by their diligent teaching the doctrine of the Sacrament and vindicating thereof from the cavills and corruptions of Popery 1. Ministers teaching And the whole Church both Ministers and people by their receiving this Sacrament according to the pure institution of the Lord Iesus without leaven of mans mixture Both these I say are appointed to perpetuate the honour and dignity thereof in spite of all enemies Indeed I grant 2. People in confâ—ssing that perhaps each poore soule in receiving doe not punctually attend this but the Lord attends it in them and effects it by them while hee sustaines them by faith and good conscience to come and partake this ordinance incorruptly and sincerely We see then what a maine charge lies upon every sound Christian Though he be no Martyr yet he is a confessor to the truth of the Sacrament so soft as he receives it according to the ordinance He holdes out with an hand openly to all that can see the death of Christ till he come and by his cleaving close to the will of the ordeyner becomes a witnesse to Christ Sacramentall bearing downe as with a streame all popish superstitious Iewish wil worshipping enemies of this holy Sacrament Onely such as by faith cleave to the institution of Christ the doctrine of a Sacrament and Sacramentall relation the promise of the Lord Iesus to be present till the end of the world with all such I say onely those that abandoning a Sacrament of forme and deede done rest upon the power of a promise for making good the fruit of their receiving to their soules in the Spirituall nourishment of the Lord Iesus do beare witnesse to the Sacrament against all Vsurpers The great duty of a receiver urged who else by their trickes and devices would rob the Church of this Monument Therefore it concernes every true Christian not onely to take upon trust from others the doctrine of the Sacrament but to understand it themselves warily in their receiving that they cleave to the rule of Christ and stoppe their eares to all Popish chapmen in this kind who if they might be hearkned unto in their consecrated stones Adoration and other cursed ceremonies soone would the honour of the Sacrament lye in the dust The duty lyes not onely upon the Doctor of the chayre or the Preacher in the Pulpit but upon each member of the militant Church That he shew forth the death of the Lord till he come Keepe the trust which is repozed in thee poore as well as rich unlearned as well as skillfull base as well as honourable In this thou sharest with the best for kind though not degree that in thy receiving corruptly or purely the truth glory of the Sacrament is either preserved or betrayed to the enemies of the death of Christ If a man should betrust thee at his death with the dispensing of his wealth and menaging of his Orphans as truely as if hee were a live to behold tell me durst thou be false to a man And shalt thou dare to be false to God who hast betrusted thee with the Church treasure I meane the Preservation of his Sacrament in her purenesse Looke well to thy selfe therefore Thou art now a Guardian of Christs Orphan not a mans and he will not hold him guiltlesse who shall forfeit this trust And this be sayd of the second behaviour of each communicâ—nt in the act of receiving Duty to the Sacrament in her Acts and Passages The third followeth which I call holy accommodation of the sences and Spirit of a receiver to those Sacramentall Acts both of Ministers and people occasioned at and during the time of the Supper In the former treatise I have handled them at large with their use Heere I onely touch upon them breefely in point of Actuall behaviour The summe is that the Sacrament hath enough in it to busie and take up the whole man of him that receives it and it is no dead object but lively and fruitfull to exercise him who delights in it So that he shall not neede to borrow devotion from the marking how this man and that woman carries themselves or by reading of chapters and such like helpes But the Lord will have him bend his sences to marke what acts are there passiâ—g betweene God and his peoplc for he knoweth that the behaviours fetcht from the Sacrament are ever safest and best at the Sacrament And that by marking these acts the soule of a beleever will gather one wholesome oocasion or other to edifie it selfe The first As for example When hee beholds the Minister of God standing in Gods stead and separating the
Bookes Bells Candles Reliques Creame Oyle Salt Spittle and stuffe not of Christs but their owne separation So much of the former branch Vse of latter branch Touching the latter let it be a comfort to all Gods people to consider the perpetuitie of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the nourishment of his Church So long as Christ Iesus shall have a Church till he drinke this Passeover in his heavenly kingdome with them hee will see these holy signes separated by himselfe to holy use to abide therein for hee hath setled them upon it for ever What persecutions what confusions of Popery what malice of enemies could ever prevaile these 1600. yeares to robbe the Church hereof As Iachin and Boaz abode while the Temple stood 1 King 7 21. so these two Pillars of Gods Sacraments shall never cease till the ordeyner of them shull come to judgement They may be eclipsed the light purity of administration defiled and for a time sundry corruptions of men may bee permitted by Gods providence to pester the Church but none of all these changings of the Sacrament into a Masse-sacrifice none of their pollutions and superstitions brought in and obtruded upon the Church shall prevaile That setled separation of our Lord Iesus shall give life to the Sacrament and as the Church her selfe Micah 7.8 Micha 7 8. saith to those Babylonians Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy for whâ—n I am fallen I shall risâ— Then shall she who upbrayded mee see it and tremble and be trodden downe as the mire of the streets So may the Sacrament of Christ triumph over all popish enemies who set up a signe of contradiction against her Masse and Altars and other defilements Rejoyce not over mee for I shall see thy ruine the life of Christs ordinance shall give mee a rising and recovery and I shall say Where is now your mouth that scorned the Sacrament where is your God of bread become Oh! one day the Lord Iesus shall consume your trash with the breath of his mouth Revel 11 and then his owne Sacrament and all his holy ordinances shall be set up in their purity when all humane scurfe shall breathe his last and say Thou hast overcome Oh Lord thy truth and ordinance have prevailed Vse 3 Lastly seeing the Minister hath deputed power from Christ thus to separate the Elements from common to divine use It should teach him to begin with this act and as may be obteyned to take the materialls himselfe at the entrance of separation and thus to separate them by vertue of the ordinance not to leave it to his Sexton or Clerke to fetch from the Taverne as he list and powre out at his pleasure Better is an overplus than a defect in this behalfe And for the first act thus much The second act of the Minister about the materialls 2. Act of the Minister blessing is blessing them for so our Saviour Luk. 22.19 Luk. 22 19. is said to doe ere he brake them Still I must put in this that the Minister of himselfe can doe nothing oftentimes he is farre from being blessed himselfe but the obedience to the institution doth it Now by blessing is meant sanctifying What it is Sanctifying the word being taken from the ordinary manner of the Iewes in their feasts and meales whose graces were called blessings because the first word of them was 1 Cor. 10 10. Blessed be God who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and who giveth wine out of the grape c. From hence our Saviour is said to blesse bread and wine though in another forme and to an higher end yet in generall as in the use of the creatures And the truth is whosoever they be that dare come neare the Table of the Lord and the blessing of the Minister being privy of ordinary using the creatures without blessing are fit to bee quite excluded from this Sacrament Remember the phrase of this blessing issued from that Now besides this blessing although it properly denote Thankes yet it includes prayer also First by Prayer Both make up the blessing of the Sacrament Our manner at this day is to say Wee give thankes not as if we did nothing else or as if prayer were inferior to it but so the use of speech hath prevailed First then our Saviour prayed and secondly praysed and gave thankes to his Father and in both stood this second act of blessing He was in this his act subject as mediator to his Father and so acknowledged no lesse viz. That looke what hee did hee did deputedly from him as the cheefe Agent in the sanctifying of the Sacrament And even so is the Minister much more to doe in his stead not to arrogate to himselfe Popishly this power but to abase himselfe to the lowest earth as a worme creeping out of her hole when he lifts up his heart in this kind to the Lord in the behalfe of the Church for a blessing upon the Sacrament It s farre from him or his intention to make or not to make the Sacrament it depends upon an higher power For in this case without question the greater is blessed of the lesser to wit instrumentally For the former of these two viz. our Saviours prayer it s not to be wondred at that its a part of this blessing For why Why It was put up to his Father to the end that he would give his solemne consent to it and by his word establish it to bee a Sacrament Even our blessing the creatures is by applying the strength of the Word Matth. 4.4 for man lives not by bread but by each word of God So that our Saviour here craveth a word from his Father 1 King 8.22 for the blessing of this Ordinance Salomon when he consecrated the Temple what did hee Applyed a word by Prayer unto it Thou O Lord art so great that the Heaven of Heavens cannot conteine thee yet thou hast sayd I will dwell in this house and make it a place of my residence Oh! be it so Vers 27. Matth. 12.42 Now although a greater than Salomon be heere yet lo as being now deputed by his Father to this great worke he beggeth from him to set his Fiat to this his act of Institution As if he should say Father it s not of my selfe as man but from thee and thy command I thy righteous servant have separated these Elements Esay 42.1 Oh Father then as the cheefe ordayner shew that I have done nothing rashly and without thee in this attempt Conteines 4. things But more fully to speake of this Prayer of Christ it conteines these foure things in it First as I said The Lord Iesus having abrogated one Sacrament and substituted another craves a consent from his Father by prayer as if he had said If thou oh Father say the word these Elements shall be Sacramentall they shall be united to my Deity and
Christ in a community because a branch cut off from the stocke is but dead Iohn 15 6. and the Legacy of Christ Sacramentall is not given to a member but to the body that so it may aptly and fitly be derived out into portions As of many graines one loafe is framed 1 Cor. 10.17 and whole Christ is given to the whole body so also of this loafe the Lord cuts out heere one morsell there another for each members severall use which perhaps is not anothers The arme in the body hath no nourishment save in the body that it might learne to abide in the body Rom. 11.18 and to neede it as a fellow feeling member Howbeit the nourishment of the arme in speciall is not the footes nor the thighes but it owne 2. Peculiar Secondly in this distribution of the Sacrament our Lord Iesus aymes at peculiarnesse and teacheth us that when the Minister reaches out the Elements to this person and to that hee doth not onely present a common Christ to become my Christ he doth not onely make him my Lord and my God and lay him in my lap for my reconciliation and life but also hee doth make him mine peculiarly for the granting of such graces and supplying such wants as I in particular finde in my selfe without which it should not availe me that he supplyes the wants of others And thus Christ Sacramentall is no common Christ though a Christ of Community but a peculiar and speciall Christ cut out divided and proportioned for each soules necessity as many lines are equally drawne from one center to each part of the orbe and wheele thereof To make this point cleare consider the ground of it The ground of it The Lord Iesus who is the Demensum or portion of the Church is also his owne steward to divide and deale out himselfe as the dole of the Church and of each of his houshold Salomon Prov. 27.23 Prov. 27.23 saith to all Masters of families Looke diligently to the state of thy flockes and heards Provide hay and stover for them that thou maiest thereby have sustenance for thy children and maydens Doth the Lord take care for cattle or for the bodies of men and their families 1 Cor. 9.9 How much more then is he carefull for his owne sonnes and daughters that they lacke not If he be worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 who provides not for his family what should the Lord bee if hee should neglect those of his houshould Nay further reade Luke 12.42 Luke 12.42 speaking of his Ministers he saith Who is a wise and faithfull steward whom the Lord may set over his house that he may give them their due portion in season The answer is that Christ is he all Ministers are under-officers but hee is above Moyses Peter Paul he is faithfull as a sonne 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 3.5 6. not a servant who then but hee should doe it who is all in all in the house of God the great King as David in Sauls 1 Sam. 22.14 1 Sam. 22.14 It is hee who provideth for the weake and sicke ones for the strong and haile for infants for growne ones if it be required of each steward that he be faithfull how much more of him Heb. 3.2.5 1 Cor. 4.2 Heb. 3.2.5 1 Cor 4.2 Hee can doe what he will as his Fathers steward officers are as they are must doe as they can but he as he list Well may be be trusted for faithfulnesse in all the house or Church of God having stored up in himselfe all gifts and treasures and being the wisedome of the Father to divide them to all and each as he needs it knowing them by name and their needs and knowing what how much and when will best fit them and wanting no tendernes to attend his wisedome Farre be it from him to give some all some never a whit for he is just or to give some the portion of others for he is wise or to give to the strongest and oversee the fatherlesse and weake for he is tender and in all three faithfull even Gods right hand to deale as God himselfe would doe if present As it was he who first did take off our yoake and lay meate before us so it is he who maintaines us at his cost gives us our daily bread in word and Sacrament till we neede it no more Hose 11.12 Hos 11.12 Yea he himselfe is our foode and ordinary which no steward can be as in the next generall shall appeare Vse For the use hereof first its confutation of Popery who as I oft have noted make Christ the worst to speake with reverence and most base unfaithfull and foolish steward in the world to pull away the Cup from his people and to defraud them of that full nourishment which both his Father allowes them and himselfe was broken and shedde his blood to become And whereas they cavill thus that Christ gave onely to Ministers to no lay men and so they doe But as for the people by whom there is perill of spilling they doe it not for honour of the Sacrament Yee hypocrites who streine at gnats and swallow Camells how can he bee secured that the wine will not be spilt in a Ministers drinking it Or who taught yee that the Church serves for the Elements and not they rather for the Church Cares Christ for dropps of wine more than the soules of his people Is it more with him that wine spill or the soule perish Againe where learne yee to expound the words of Christ Eate yee drinke yee all exclusively Doth hee not say I am with you to the worlds end Doe the Apostles live for ever Saith he Doe this as oft as yee doe it till I come Tell me I pray by the same reason why may any save the Minister take the bread is there any proviso for them No no he spake heere as elsewheere in the persons of Ministers to all beleevers as in Ioh. 17. he expresseth I pray not for these onely but for all that beleeve Secondly this point teaches the Minister of Christ to looke to himselfe that he usurpe not Christs roome in this Act nor come to divide that Lord Iesus Sacramentall whom he cares not to divide and reach out in doctrine to the people If Christ had so done what had his giving of the Elements beene but a dumbe Pageant whereas if it were the care of Gods stewards to consider that looke what they doe at the Sacrament they doe onely in relation to their Ministry how wise studious and faithfull would they bee in that other cutting of the word and giving it duly to the people by speciall observing applying and dealing out to each hearer his portion How would they studie the people in themselves Learne to put a difference betweene the portion of novices and strong ones of ignorant and skilfull of happy and cheerefull spirits of the fallen or standing