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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77514	Two treatises: I. The saints communion with Jesus Christ, sacramental, spiritual, and celestial; wherein ministers and Christian are excited to a conscientious administration, and participation of that, of late-time, in many places, too much neglected ordinance, the sacrament of the Lords Supper; wherein that great controversie of a free admission is debated. II. Acquaintance with God; the nature of it opened, the practice perswaded, encouraged, directed, cautioned. / As it was lately delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing B4735; Thomason E1547_1; ESTC R209457	66,672	237

unwarrantable mixtures Sacramentall elements not to be changed or adulteruted We know what is said of the Word Revel 22.18 If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues written in this booke And truly of no lesse dangerous consequence is it to adde to the Sacraments whether to the number of them or to the substance of them or to the significant Ceremonies about them Herein let Christians have an eye to the first patterne and cleave as close to that as may be without either Addition or Subtraction both which Papists are eminently guilty of in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper of the one in taking away the Cup from the people and so giving them but a halfe Sacrament of the other in mingling water with their wine which whatever shew of wisdome it may carry with it as Paul saith those legall observances kept alive by some in his time did Col. 2.23 yet it is no other but a peice of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Will-worship which God will never owne or approve There is a first Observation Sacramentall wine the same before and after Consecration Obs 2. The fruit of the Vine Such was this Sacramentall Cup before Consecration and such it was after so our Saviour here expresly calleth it That Cup which in the verses fore-going he had blessed in this verse he calleth the fruit of the vine Where then is that Transubstantiation which they of the Church of Rome dreame of who tell us that the very substance of the Elements is changed by the words of Consecration so as they remaine no longer Bread and Wine but the Body and Bloud of Christ under those formes and appearances now surely this was a mystery which our Saviour took no notice of which if he had he would not still have called the Sacramentall Cup as here he doth after Consecration as if it were purposely to prevent all misconceivings about his former figurative expressions the fruit of the vine Obs 3. Againe this Sacramentall Cup our Saviour himselfe here drinketh of Christs communion with his Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. in Mat. 26.28 An argument against Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation Manifestum argumentum contra Transubstantiatores Consubstantiatores Parae ad loc so much is here plainly intimated and implied I will not drinke hence-forth so then he had drunke of it at that time communicating with his Apostles in eating of the same Bread and drinking of the same Cup with them which Chrysostome writing upon the former verse observes and if so here is then another stone as Paraeus observes to throw at the forehead of Romes Goliah their doctrine of Transubstantiation as also the Lutherans doctrine of Consubstantiation both which are strucke dead with this one blow If Christ himselfe did eate of the Sacramentall Bread and drinke of that Sacramentall Cup with his Apostles then certainly it was not for substance his owne Body and Bloud What shall we imagine him to feed upon himselfe to eate his owne flesh to drinke his owne bloud Of all Arguments taken up and made use of against these two dangerous errours I know none more strongly concluding and clearly convincing then this which let it therefore be laid up carefully and remembred for the establishing of our hearts in the truth of God against them Q. Why Christ communicated with his Apostles in the Supper But it may be demanded wherefore did our blessed Saviour thus communicate with his Apostles Why did he eate of that Sacramentall Bread Why did he drinke of that Sacramentall Cup Had he any need of either A. Not so being himselfe the Substance he had no need of those shadowes being himselfe the thing signified he had no need of those signes Neither could he expect any benefit to himselfe from this Ordinance yet he participateth in it even as before he had submitted himselfe to the Sacrament of Baptisme to be baptised by John not that he had any need of it being the immaculate Lamb of God free from all defilement of sinne hee needed no washing or expected any benefit by it but that hee might fulfill all righteousnesse So he tels the Baptist Mat. 3.15 yeelding this as a reason of his submission to that Ordinance Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousnesse To this end he came into the world Christ fulfilled the righteousnesse both of the Law and Gospel and this he did he fulfilled all righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the Law and thereupon it was that he submitted himselfe to these legall Ordinances the two Sacraments of the Old Testament Circumcision and the Passeover And in like manner he was to fulfill all the righteousnesse of the Gospel and thereupon he submitted to these Gospel-Ordinances the Sacraments of the New Testament Baptisme and the Supper which he did not for his owne benefit but ours Thus was he Baptized that he might confirme Johns Baptisme and sanctifie ours And thus did he partake with his Apostles in this Sacrament of the Supper that he might commend it to them and us teaching us as by his Doctrine so by this his example In the generall Christians not to slight Ordinances not to slight Ordinances not to neglect much lesse contemn them What was the Lord Christ himselfe thus made under Ordinances as under Legall so under Gospel-Ordinances and shall any that call themselves Christians set themselves above them Shall he that was the Institutor and appointer of Gospel-Ordinances as being the Lord of them submit himselfe to them and shall any who call themselves his Servants advance themselves above them trampling upon them by a meane and low estimation as if they were empty and worthlesse dispensations as to them as some of late times have not spared to call them To all such let me speake in the words of our Saviour Mat. 10.25 It is enough for the Disciple that hee be as his master and the servant as his Lord Not above him far bee this Luciferian pride this worst of prides such is spirituall pride from every of us Farre be it from us upon this or any other ground Among other not the Sacrament of the Supper to contemn any Ordinance of God In particular not this Ordinance this sealing Ordinance the Sacrament of the Lords Supper slight it not neglect it not but with care and conscience in obedience to that command Doe this attend upon it and make use of it where we may injoy it according to Christs Institution What doe we see our Lord and Master Christ sitting at Table with his Apostles eating of the Sacramentall Bread and drinking of the Sacramentall Cup as it were beginning to them and us and shall not we pledge him imitate him It is that which our Saviour telleth his Disciples when he had washed their feet Joh. 13.15 I have given you an example saith he that yee should doe as I have done And the like I may say of this his

acquaintance is not ordinarily got of a sudden The word in the Text as I shewed you it imports a customary practise And such is acquaintance it is not commonly attained but in continuance of time by renewed and repeated acts of commerce And so is it with this acquaintance with God True it is sometimes God cometh in in extraordinary ways appearing unto men after a sort as he did to Moses in the Bush Exod. 3.4 throughly acquainting himself with them at the first meeting as he did with Paul Acts 9. But this is not his ordinary course Acquaintance as with men so with God in an ordinary way is not the work of an hour or a day And therefore forthwith set upon it Quest Quest. But how shall we go about it In what way shall we come to obtain this blessed acquaintance Answ Answ Now would to God that all that are here before the Lord this day Directions for getting acquaintance with God were but come thus far thus to seek after God how they might acquaint themselves with him As for you who are unfeignedly desirous of it take these few and plain directions 1. In order hereunto as I told you in opening the nature of the duty the first thing to be done is to know him And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him 1 Chron. 28.9 No knowledge no acquaintance And therefore that you may have acquaintance with God let it be your care first to know him To which end consult not onely the Book of the Creature but also of the Scripture That you may know him not onely by his works but by his word Know him to be such a one as he hath there revealed himself to be What he is in himself what he is in his Son what are his properties what his will This is the key that must let you into this acquaintance The key of knowledge 2. Then secondly lay aside such things as may obstruct and hinder this acquaintance What those are the Lord himself will tell you Isa 1.16 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes c. Then come and reason with me Mark it there is no parlying no reasoning with God no acquaintance to be had with him unless all known sins be laid aside A rebel that would have any acquaintance with his Prince must first throw down his arms lay aside the weapons of his rebellion And so must they who would have any acquaintance with God they must put away sin all sin Sin being Gods enemy so long as we hold a correspondency and acquaintance with it we can have no acquaintance with God This is that which Joshua tells the people Josh 24.19 Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God he is a jealous God c. A jealous husband cannot endure a corrival in his love that his wife should communicate her self between him and a stranger No more can God that those who pretend to love him and to desire intimate acquaintance with him should embrace the bosom of any sinful inordinate lust And therefore either resolve to break off acquaintance with the one or never seek acquaintance with the other If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer saith David Psal 66.18 He will not own me he will have no acquaintance with me No God is of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot look on iniquity so the Prophet Habakkuk describeth him Hab. 1.13 And therefore you that desire to acquaint your selves with him give a Bill of Divorce to all sinful lusts putting them away out of your hearts and lives resolving never more to have any acquaintance with them to give any entertainment to them 3. Then in the third place being thus prepared for this acquaintance now make use of a Mediator This course do men take who desire to acquaint themselves with the Prince or some great personage being themselves strangers much more if they have been enemies to him they make use of some special favorite to make way for them to procure access into his presence and to ingratiate them with him that so they may get acquaintance with him Now such is the condition of all men by nature in reference to God they are not onely strangers to him but enemies Alienated and enemies in your mindes by wicked works saith Paul of his Colossians before conversion Col. 1.21 And being such that they may get acquaintance with God their onely way is to make use of a Mediator What Mediator Why as there is but one God so there is but one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 He is the great favorit of Heaven of intimate acquaintance with God the Father having lyen in his bosom from all eternity Make use of him then by Faith laying hold upon him and so come unto God by him presenting your selves unto God in his Name through his Merit and Mediation craving acceptance in and thorow him 4. And thus coming unto God then in the fourth place in humble-wise take acquaintance of him Now in all humility challenge thy relations calling him thy God and thy Father Now look upon him as a God reconciled to thee in and thorow Jesus Christ and wel-pleased in him This is my welbeloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased saith the voice from Heaven Matth. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wel-pleased with him and with all whom he beholdeth in him Here is now the Christians entrance into this blessed acquaintance Which being thus happily begun now to speak to the second sort of persons labor to confirm and increase it Had Eliphaz here looked upon Job as in truth he was as a man that had some acquaintance with God already yet might he have said unto him what here he doth acquaint thy self with him do it more and more And the like let me say unto you who have already thorow grace obtained some acquaintance with God Acquaint you your selves with him Still labor for a further degree of acquaintance Alar as for that acquaintance which as yet you have it is comparatively but flender and overly labor for a more intimate a more familiar acquaintance with your God Quest But how Quest or in what way shall that be attained Answ A useful Question Answ Take the answer to it in these four or five directions Directions for increasing this acquaintance First By a further enquiry after him Secondly A serious and frequent meditation of him Thirdly A diligent observation of him Fourthly A frequent intercourse with him Fiftly A close and constant walking before him These are the cheif steps of this Ladder by which a Christian may ascend to an intimate acquaintance with God Herein let me desire you to go along with me as with your attentions now so with your practice hereafter 1. The first step is A further inquiry after God Then shall we know saith the