to thee or walke in the want of with any peace Who knowes what encreases God hath provided for thee But howsoever that be dismay not thy self as if it were the portion of such or such none of thine If God will deny thee it it is to humble thee he can bring thee to heaven through a lesse open doore but let not thy sloth and base heart as Ahaz deprive thee either of the bounty of his promise or signe least others enjoy it and thou be stript even of that thou seemst to have Goe rather and summe up those sweet promises of God for thy growth Behold them Iohn 10.9 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 15 4. He that commeth in by me shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture Ioh 15 4. Those that abide in me shall bring forth fruit in me My Father will purge them that they bring forth more fruit Such as are planted in the house of my God shall bring forth fruit in the Courts shall in their age bring it forth and be fat and well liking Reade also those texts before Ephe. 3.16.17 and 4.15.16 Col. 1.11 and such like to set thy teeth an edge Spread these promises before the Lord begge his Spirit to seale them Vrge 1 Ioh. 3.24 and 4.13 upon the Lord And as a poore woman would cry to the Lord Keeper for his Seale so thou to this great Keeper of the Seale to bring it out to thee Doe not give him the lie make him not a lier in his chiefe worke wherein his honour most standeth and in due time he will heare him The end of the First Part. An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the first Part. A ANtiquity of Sacraments Page 3 Agreement of new Sacraments in two things Page 22 23 Author of Sacraments is God reasons of it Page 29 Appropriation of Elements one part of their forme Page 38 What it is ibid Application of Elements by divine ordinance what Page 39 Assurance of Sacraments relateth to the Covenant Page 54 What they do assure Page 55 Acts Sacramentall in celebration why necessary Page 64 Admission of the Infant into visible communion is the generall use of baptisme Page 82 Aptnesse of the Elements in the supper to resemble Page 109 Acts of administring the Supper must follow the institution Page 112 113 Christ is the nourishment of his in point of their Affliction Page 107 Acts of the beleeving Communicant in the Supper two Page 173 B. Baptisme what Page 70 Order of Baptisme Page 71 Matter of Baptisme water Page 72 It is united Sacramentally with Christ ibid. Not to be despised ibid. Persons requisite to Baptisme are foure Page 73 Grace of Baptisme is partly generall and partly speciall Page 81 Baptisme a great stay to fearefull minds Page 83 Against prophaners of Baptisme ibid. Baptisme requires many things to make it our owne in the power of it 87. partly for grounds 88. partly for application Page 89 End of Baptisme what Page 92 How attained Page 93. ib. Ignorance of Baptisme and her use great cause of mourning Page 94 Want of true knowing Baptisme hinders assurance Page 95 Vse of Baptisme how to be tried Page 98. ib. Grace of Baptisme unlimited not restrained to the act of it See preface Bounty of God in cloathing the Elements with honour for us Page 116 Blessing of Supper Elements the second act of the Minister In how many things it stands Page 119 Breaking of Sacrament a third act of the Minister what and whereto Page 129 Broken Christ must provoke compassion and how Page 134 Broken Christ cannot be applied but by faith Page 135. ib. Broken Christ is nourishing Christ Page 136 Christ is not availing to us except Broken Page 130 How Brokennesse comprehends Christ both in merit and power Page 131 Papists love an whole Christ in both Elements unbroken overthrowing him Page 132 C. CIrcumstances of Sacraments six Page 1 Congregation requisite for Sacramentall persons 69. their duty ibid. Duty of Congregation in the act of Baptisme Page 75 Carnall reason abhorred in use of Baptisme Page 90 Closing with the Spirit necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 91 Popish Consecration confuted by the blessing of Christ Page 123 A true Communicant concurres with Christ in taking the Supper Page 173 Carnall reason to be abhorred in the taking of the Supper Page 177 Maintaining of our Communion with God in Christ is one part of our enjoying him in the Supper 191. and how we may do it Page 192 Communicating the good things of the Supper to our fellow members is a part of our enjoying and eating Christ in the Supper Page 193 Communion with God how it may bee nourished the directions for it foure exercise of Graces walking with God service of our time and knocking off from hence Page 192 193. D. DIfference of old and new Sacraments in three things Page 14 Difference of the two Sacraments of the Gospel in what Page 23 In five things ibid. Dulnesse of most in conceiving the Sacraments whence Page 41 Discerning of the Sealing power of the Sacrament necessary Page 59 Dipping in Baptisme most agreeing to the institution Page 77 Distribution of Supper Elements the last act of the Minister 137. the ground of it Page 138. ib. Drinking Christ in Supper vid. Eating Delighting in God and Christ one part of our enjoying him Page 190 Christs Dainties disgrace the Delicates of all worldings Page 199 E. EXcellency of Sacraments See the whole preface and pag. 27 Dumbe Elements how they shall condemne unbeleevers Page 52 End of Sacraments what Page 53 And how manifold ibid. 55 Ends of Sacraments must bee observed and not separated Page 62 Basenesse of Elements must not blemish the Sacraments See preface Exhibiting power of Sacraments whence it is See pref Eating and drinking Christ the second act of the people in the Supper Page 185 What Eating and drinking of Christ imports viz. injoying him and how Page 186 187 188. Grounds of Enjoying Christ foure viz. his Safety Purenesse Completnesse and Durablenesse Page 187. 188. Enjoying of Christ in foure things Page 190 End of the Supper is the sealing of Christ her Nourishment to the Soule Page 194 F. FOrme and essence of a Sacrament wherein it stands Page 37 Faith mainly required to discover Sacramentall union 50. and to apply it Page 51 Forme of Baptisme viz. Grace of Baptisme Faith required for the getting of the grace of Baptisme Page 89 Fulnesse of the Elements of the Supper Page 112 Fruit of Sacramsnts a great cause of our thankes even for others Page 128 Fulnesse of sayles of Faith a marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Fruitfulnesse in grace the fourth step of soule prosperity by the food of the Supper 160. and how Page 161 Recovering out of a Fruitlesse course is one worke of Sacramentall fruitfulnesse Page 163 Faith obeying the offer of Christ in the Supper takes him Page 175 Application of the Supper resembled by foure
the water And the essence of Baptisme in the very symbolicalnesse of it urgeth no lesse For what resemblance of ingrafting putting on of Christ is there in sprinkling what typicalnesse is there of our descending into and ascending out of the water both which are expresly spoken of Christ in his baptisme of Iordan What resemblance of our buriall or resurrection with Christ is there in it So that I doubt not but contrary to our Churches intention this errour having once crept in is maintained still by the carnall ease and tendernesse of such as looking more at themselves than at God stretch the liberty of the Church in this case deeper and further than eyther the Church her selfe would or the solemnenesse of this Sacrament may well and safely admit I doe not speake this as a thing meete to disturbe a Churches peace but as desiring such as it concernes in their places to looke to their liberty and duty in this behalfe The fourth person the infant The fourth and cheefe person yea equall object of Baptisme is the party baptised For not onely the Church may and doth baptise her infants but also adultos growne ones also if any such being bred Pagans and brought within the pale of the Church shall testifie their competent understanding of the new covenant and professe their desire to bee seazed with Baptisme for the strengthning of their soule in the faith thereof professe it I say not basely and slightly but with earnestnesse and entirenesse cutting off their haire and nailes and abhorring their Paganisme A short touch of the baptisme of infants But the truth is the exercise of the Churches baptisme is upon infants Here the Anabaptists rise up pleading the corruption of such baptisme and urging the first baptisme of catechised ones and confessors of sinne and cravers of the seale upon the worke of the Ministry foregoing in knowledge and faith which can be incident onely to Adulti or growne ones They alledge that we seale to a blank to no covenant and therefore it s a nullity Sundry learned men have undertaken to stop their scismaticall mouths to answer their peevish Arguments my scope tends another way in this Treaty so farre as my digression may be veniall I say this for the setling of such as are not willfull that I take the baptisme of infants to be one of the most reverend generall and uncontroled traditions which the Church hath and which I would no lesse doubt of than the Creede to bee Apostolicall And although I confesse my selfe yet unconvinced by demonstration of Scripture for it yet Reasons for it first Sithence Circumcision was applyed to the infant the eighth day in the Old Testament Secondly there is no word in the New Testament to infringe the liberty of the Church in it nor speciall reason why wee should bereave her of it Thirdly sundry Scriptures afford some friendly proofes by consequence of it Fourthly the holinesse of the child externall and visible is from their parents who are or ought to be catechised confessors penitent and Protestants in truth which privelidge onely open revolt disables them from therefore I say The seede being holy and belonging to the Covenant the Lord graciously admits them also to the seale of it in Baptisme 1 Cor. 7 14 Quest Howbeit here a further quaere arises And How it is capable 1 Pet. 3 21. because the Sacrament of Baptisme is here handled by us not as halfe a Sacrament onely including a washing of the flesh but an entire Sacrament holding out and giving an invisible grace by outward meanes By what authority shall we say an infant may be presented to that whereof it is not capable To that I answer Answere First it s not meete that Baptisme being the Sacrament of new birth which can be but once should destroy her owne Analogy by frequent administring therefore if but once the most comprehensive way is to doe it in the infancy when the outward admission of a member is allowed to it Secondly although the child be not capable of the grace of the Sacrament by that way whereby the growne are by hearing conceiving and beleeving yet this followes not that infants are not capable of Sacramentall grace in and by another way Pittifull are the shifts of them that have no other way to stop an Anabaptists mouth save by an errour that an infant may have faith It s easy to distinguish betweene the gift conveyed and the manner of conveying it For if the former be the latter in such case will poore needlesse But if the infant be truly susceptive of the substance of Christ none can deny it the Sacrament Now to understand this marke that infants borne of beleeving parents are of the number of those that shall be saved though dying in their infancy none of our reformed Churches will deny It is enough therefore that such before death doe partake the benefit of Election in Christ together with the benefits of Christ in regeneration adoption redemption and glory Now that the Spirit can apply these unto such infants is not doubted of though the manner thereof to us bee as hidden and mysticall thing yet so it is the Spirit of Christ can as really unite the soule of an infant to God imprint upon it the true title of a sonne and daughter by adoption and the image of God by sanctification without faith as with it Now if the thing of baptisme be thus given it why not baptisme Nay I adde further I see no cause to deny that even in and at and by the act of baptisme as the necessity of the weake infant may admit the Spirit may imprint these upon the soule of the infant Vse Let the use of the point bee to all such as are growne to yeares of discretion to looke backe to their Baptisme Let such blesse the Lord for his bounteous prevention of them with the Sacrament even before they had any strength to conceive it Why should the Lord so doe except to heape hot coales upon thy head oh poore wretch and to teach thee to conclude Esay 65.1 Iam. 4 8. Psal 119.10 that he who was found of thee when thou soughtest him not will much more draw neare to thee when thou art fayne upon him and seekest him with thy whole heart What a mercy is it to know the Lord to be a provoker of the soule to imbrace that covenant the seale whereof hee is content to bestow before hand for the hope of time to come Who should so play the Traytor in coole blood having found the Lord so faithfull in his love and to cavill thus I was baptized and made my covenant when I knew nothing nay I did make none my selfe but others for me Let them looke to their stipulation and promise I made none Can any Trecherous wretch so requite the Lord Rather if any sparke of love be in thee wilt thou not breake thy heart by this early mercy before
wise mans part to use every Ordinance for the good of it Branch 2 Secondly such as by triall finde themselves out of the Covenant of God in regard of any actuall faith in them and besides finde the guilt and taynt of much other Corruption and evill let them much more blesse God for this ordinance of Triall and so long desist from the Sacrament till the Lord hath sanctified the conviction of their conscience in some measure to drive them out of themselves unto a promise for Reconciliation and peace For the Blood of Christ and his body serve not for the Nourishment of any in whom they have not bin as the seed of Regeneration both in Pardon of sinne change of heart in which conversion standeth Therefore let them ply this worke of which in the trial of our estate Chap. 2. more is sayde But to rush upon the Scarament upon Triall of this dangerous Condition is a double sinne an adding of drunkennes to thirst as also an abuzing of the Sacrament causing it to seale up rather their guilt and curse than their pardon and peace Remember still the Sacrament convertes none but strenghtens the converted Beware therefore all such least by Sinister and unwise Counsell of any they blanch themselues over and thinke that because they see all is not well therefore the Sacrament must bee theis Phisition No The word of Law and Promise must first convince them of sinne Iohn 16.9 and then of Righteousnesse whereof after they shall find both the Sacraments to be a seale through faith Baptisme of their Conversion the Supper of their confirmation Onely let this bee added That as they doe for the present desist from the Sacrament so yet they must ply this first conviction and trial of themselves by attendance upon other ordinances till they come to see cleerely that the Sacrament belonges to them For if they give over the work by loosnesse and wearinesse before the fruite bee atteined they may feare that it had bin as good for them they had never seene cause by triall to desist as having so done to leave their work unfinisht Sacramentall triall serves not to dash men quite out of conceit with the ordinance but to convince them for a time that they may bee so abased for their cutting off themselves from it that they may returne to it with more comfort and abhorre themselves in that condition of desisting from it And so doing their Abstinence shall be for their good and although the Minister cannot suspend them yet their owne suspending themselues shall proove more gainefull to their soules than their bould adventure And so much for this fourth branch 5 Generall that it is Divine The 5. and 6. now follow which as I said I have kept to this last place as depending upon one another and most essentiall to the Doctrine The 5. branch then is that this triall is a charge of God not left arbitrary to us but necessary to the receyving worthily To which ere I come least any stumble at this word worthily as if any could be worthy to receive How a man may bee sayd to receive worthily I answere it s the phrase of the Holy-Ghost himselfe in sundry places And looke in what sence the wicked are said to bee unworthy in the contrary thereto the godly are called worthy first in respect of themselves secondly of the Lord. Touching the former see Act. 13.43 where Paul saith Seeing yee thinke your selves unworthy of eternall life c. hee meanes that they thought the tidings of it unworthy of them they thought themselves so worthy and so good that they thought Gods offer unworthy of them and so they despised the Counsell of God to save them So here the profane and hypocrites doe thinke Sacramentall Christ a meane thing discerne not what it is or of what worthinesse therefore they are unworthy But the faithfull receiver is worthy Matth 22.6 1 Cor. 11 29. Why In respect of that worthy and pretious esteeme of the Sacrament for which they account no preparation sufficient Secondly in respect of God himselfe In which sence Rev. 3 4. the holy Ghost telles those few names in Sardis Revel 3 4. that they should be clothed in white for they were worthy he doth not mean they were worthy to be so clothed but being so clothed they were worthy that is the Lord having cloathed them with the Robe of Christs righteousnesse Revel 19 8. the linnen of the Saints they were worthy ones in his account So contrarily the unregenerate are unworthy because they are naked still Revel 3 17. and care not to bee covered with this garment And why They know not or will not know that they neede it Now then as the good receiver is worthy because he is so accounted in Christ and his preparation is accepted in him and the want thereof is not imputed so the bad is unworthy because his person is not accepted and therefore whether he prepare himselfe or no he is the same for out of the Lord Iesus hee cannot be worthy The Summe is not the preparation of a man in it selfe makes him worthy But the imputing of preparednesse by faith and this workes an high esteeme of the Sacrament and a carefulnesse to be a meet Communicant neither whereof the ungodly can be partakers of This by way of Digression To returne then The duty of triall is commended by God Proofes of it And this appeares by Paul 1 Cor 11 28. as also by good Analogy of the Passeover applied by the Apostle to us For the former Paul concludes the direction for receiving well and cutting off all abuses Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate Hee had told them before what Christs institution was But as if knowledge alone of the pure ordinance were not enough he addes further Let a man therefore examine q. d. Although the meere observing of the institution were enough to cut off the abuse of your love feasts yet for the avoyding of all other corruption inward aswell as outward I command from God Let every man examine He doth not meane let him if hee please as leaving it to mens choyse but the word is imperative let him that is I enjoine him As let a man abide in the vocation wherein God hath set him let a man so esteeme us as the dispensers of grace c. That is I command him so Neither is this as one of those temporary counsels of which Paul saith hee had no warrant from God expressely This saith not the Lord but I But it is one of those of which hee addeth This say not I but the Lord. And the connexion of this 28 verse with the 20. evinceth For I deliver unto you that which I received of the Lord c. And he subjoyneth let a man therefore examine c. Further proofe Nither doth this rest onely upon this text but upon the Analogie of the
thy cavils thinke not thy case desperate Say not there is no hope for so saped a wretch as thou Who can tell Perhaps the Lord may bring hony out of a carrion and even out of thy long contempt fetch humiliation and repentance I have knowne some touch'd more by the Sacrament than by any terrour beside That the Lord hath so long spared them in patience they have concluded hee hath done it to breake their hearts Perhaps the Lord will turne away his fierce anger that thou perish not Howsoever it fare bee doing humble thy soule and chuse if thou must perish to perish in thy triall rather than justly to runne hazard and rush into assured miserie by not trying Vse 2 Secondly this should be exhortation Exhortation to all sorts Minister and people strong and weake all who would behold the Lord Iesus his face with joy in his Ordinances to submit themselves to this triall 1 To Ministers Iude verse 23. The Minister first knowing this terrour of the Lord let him with compassion plucke as many out of the fire as hee can by a carefull instructing of the people in this way of triall It s not one of the least objections which are made against it that they have none to direct them No bucket for this deepe Well no man to thrust them into this poole How shalt thou answer the losse of so much bloud of soules when God shall call thee to account I know indeede that where the Minister is most faithfull many people are contemners but their bloud be upon their owne heads save thou thine owne soule and let them not perish by thy sinne Secondly let all godly Ministers doe their uttermost to debarre all open despisers of this Ordinance from partaking it Though they have but small power of the keyes of censure in their hands yet let them use the key of Doctrine so much the rather to stoppe as many as may bee from running upon the pikes of vengeance Likewise let all faithfull receivers looke to this dutie 2 To the people and upon no colour either of their knowledge or former use of it or other occasions neglect it either for themselves or their families committed to them The Lord will accept a little endeavour and judges us not according to that we want but that wee have if there bee faithfulnesse And let none thinke that this dutie is so urged as if there were any merit in it from the worke wrought No thy searching it selfe stinkes and thy very cloathes may defile thee if thou looke at thy selfe But looke at him that commands it and hath promised a blessing to it that is So let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup Let this welcome encourage thee And because I have already laid downe some properties of triall for thy direction I say no more but seeke the Lord in prayer and deniall of thy selfe to helpe thee to put one these cords and ragges to come out of thy ill custome And to shut up all let mee encourage all faithfull endeavourers to trie themselves I know there is cause for many tender hearts foile themselves sore in this worke and make the remedy worse than the disease They say These rules are so strickt that they shall never practise them and therefore cannot bee prepared yea they say the more they search themselves the more drosse and scurffe they meete withall To whom I answer First let no difficulty of selfe-triall in the point of the measure thereof dismay any let sloth contempt and wilfulnesse be absent and the Lord will both admit of their honest endeavour to trie and also the weaker they are so much the more welcome them to the Sacrament which is more especially belonging to the weake than the strong Secondly I say Although by triall they meete with much corruption yet better to be met with than concealed Neither doe they meete with it to favour it but loathe it and they so meete with more corruption than they dream'd of that also they finde a Pearle in their Dunghill and more grace than ever they looked for unlesse slavish feare and unthankefulnesse doe blind-fold them Let them thereby the more praise God who pardoneth these their transgressions and say Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult and then although they must adde who is so corrupt a wretch as I yet mercy shall drowne their sinne in the Sea never to appeare more Therefore let them bee comforted and looke what hath beene said in the generall touching Triall let them wisely applie to the particulars following to helpe themselves forward in the practise thereof This much for the Vses 2 Generall Object of triall threefold Having thus spoken of the properties of triall I come to the Object And that is threefold A Communicant is to trie himselfe either Estate first about his estate in grace Wants Or secondly his wants or else Graces thirdly about his Sacramentall grace concerning which God willing in the following Treatise more shall be said in their order CHAP. II. Of the Triall of our estate toward God Trial of estate COncerning which Triall although I know there be such strange spirits stirring in these our dayes as take for granted that all those that are baptized and live under the Gospell in a visible Church are undoubtedly in good estate of grace without any more a doe and therefore will reject this as needlesse to trie our estates by surer warrant yet because I know none of indifferent judgement but abhorre their conceit I shall take libertie to confute them with silence and to proceede to shew what better triall of a mans estate towards God may be found Objection against it Only one objection of greater moment I most first remove out of the way to wit that the calling in question of our estate toward God upon every such occasion as the Sacrament may seeme to inferre that a Christians estate is a very staggering condition which may easily bee doubted and suspected as also it may seeme to turne Christian liberty into a slavish and fearefull bondage Answer 1 To which I answere That it is no such matter The reason of the Triall is this First the Sacrament being a seale of the covenant of grace as oft hath beene sayd and no converting meane of the gracelesse unto grace properly needes it must bee that every one who would finde it as a seale to his soule of the encrease of Grace received must first approve his estate in grace to bee sound except the Spirit of God should bee made a servant of sinne and subject to the presumption of hypocrites willing to set his seale to a blanke Things standing in relation import an excluding of such as are out of that relation Ex. gr If the Prince should graciously proclaime that hee would renue the Charter of some Corporations in such a Countie No village Townes or places that never had any such priviledge
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
balke the Sacrament and lye downe in the could Couch of the Law and water it with teares conntinually till this fulnesse bee attayned For to say truth These are the effects rather of faith when judgment breaks forth for her unto victory Mat. 12.20 than the Act of beleeving 1 By concession One thing I must freely confesse That there was never more cause than now in this forlorne Age full of formalitye and dissembling in which the Divell and the error of the wicked wold deceave the very elect if possible to presse upon the soule the necessity of faith with power For weake faith hardly will beare out the strong fiery darts of Sathan which now in this subtill world are on foot to try our effectualnesse of beleeving Men heare preachers say Faith is as true in the least sparkle of it as in the whole fire and faith may as much excell in infirmity to hold the promise upon former experience as in the greatest strength c. Now as I said before what use doth Satan make hereof in hyopcrites save this They need not bee so earnest for faith for the kind of it must save them not the measure and the weakest may bee saved as well as the strongest I could in this respect wish that so oft as Gods Ministers fall upon these Arguments they tooke as good paynes to stave off the dogges as to encourage the faithfull-weak ones For when error hath once defiled a man in the root and truth of faith then he growes presumptuous to thinke that each wanzing motion and Pang after faith is as good as that which is attended with selfedenial and cleaving to the Promise Whereas faith of the true stamp although it come short of some feelings stirrings and much more that overpowring of spirit that quashes unbeleefe yet the Spirit of grace putts forth it selfe in combat against their infidelity setts it in the forefront of Gods battery as Vriah was sett by Ioab maynteins no ease or sloth in them but rather mourning for their standing so at a stay with continuall care to proove themselves to be in the faith and their calling to it to bee effectuall And in this warfare they looke for no discharge till God have answered them in some measure But to answere the objection and so to conclude 2 By Solution I affirme that not only the weak in faith simply but even the decayed in faith yea the fallen into sinne if recover'd by faith are not to be debarred from the Sacrament till they become partakers of overpowring grace of the Spirit It were exceeding absurd for a Physition to say to one tormented with a burning ague want of sleepe or like payne That hee must forbeare Physick and lie under his disease untill he get more strength and recovery What shall Physick availe him after if hee die before Or what needs it if he be recovered the Sacrament I say still is rather the portion of the weake childe than of the strong man so that a loose dallying heart bee abhorred and to such this ordinance serveth And to say truth such poore soules need not bee urged to more sorrow than they feele for what sorrow is like theirs who mourne under unbeleefe and yet even such as experience prooves have found the Sacrament effectuall to send them away much settled and confirmed And so for answer of these doubts and also the triall of our estate in grace ere we come to the Supper thus much bee sayd CHAP. III. Of the Tryall of our wants NExt to the triall of our estate fittly offers it selfe to our view the Triall of our wants Tryall 2. Of our wants The method whereof God willing shal be this First to lay downe the grounds of this Triall Secondly to shew the Nature of a Christians wants and what sorts they are of Lastly in the use to teach us in what duties the Triall of our wants standeth 2 thing 1 The ground of this triall 2. Al have their wants The ground of this triall is manifold First the necessity of Sacramentall trying of our wants appeares in this that as the Lord enjoynes al that receave to proove themselues to have grace so he suppozes al such to have many wants therin So lōg as this body of death and back-byas of Corruption cleaues to the regenerate soule to retarde and weaken it to defile to disable to dismay to quench it a poore soule shall never want matter to cry out even when grosse evills are farr off Miserable man who shall deliver mee Rom 7.24 How shall I doe to get out of this my dead luskish lazy and unsavory course Who shall supply my wants Now then if these wants be unknowne how shall the soule bee thankefull for the releefe of them How then should a Christian search them out and marke them In the duties of both Tables in the use of the ordinances in graces of the Spirit in the order of whole conversation For the Search 1 1. The circumstances of all duty what wants have they In the ground of our Actions how ignorant are wee of GODS particular will how erroneous in discerning the colors of good and evill and easily mistaken how unwise in weighing the fitnesse or inconvenience season or vnseasonablenesse safety or scandale of our Actions Why is it so save for want of wisedome and Iudgement Search 2 2. In the manner of doing how impure unsavory inconstant irresolute why save for want of holines heavenlynesse of minde courage Search 3 3. For the measure how remisse lazy cold backward and content with any thing Why save for want of soundnesse integrity and fulnesse Search 4 4. In the end how corrupt selfeseeking forgetting both Gods honour our owne peace and the good of others Why but through want of love uprightnesse and selfedeniall And so I may say of duties in speciall How hard doe men find it to keep a mediocrity and avoyd extremities In worldly busines to goe betweene loose carelessenes or else extreame carking either wholly improvident or buried in the earth In the duty of Charity and mercy who understands himselfe bound to giue according to his estate but rather under it In our words who keeps a meane betweene silence or jangling In judging of others who shuns partiality credulity prejudice censoriousnes Search 5 The like may bee sayd of vsing the Ordinances In hearing what want of waking attendance reverence mixing the word with faith In the Sacraments what sildomenesse unpreparednesse rashnesse and profanation In prayer what formality commonnesse and distrust It were endlesse to insist in all Search 6 In the exercise of graces what carnality and sensuality is there to weaken the life of faith What one grace of the spirit Patience Love Communion of Saints mercy to the afflicted Thankfulnesse Humblenesse or the like which hath not her langour and infimity Search 7 As for the order of our Conversation what weaknesse appeares not Who observes GODS Administration towards
servants of Naaman told him 2 King 5 14. If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much more then when he onely bids thee Wash and be cleane So say I put case the Lord required the greatest worke of thee would it not seeme small in respect of the good of the Sacrament How much more when he saith Revive thy faith in the promise of the Sacrament If thou wert bidden to trie what almes thou hast given since thy last receiving or what prayers thou hast made or what zeale thou hast uttered against sinne c. oh how wouldest thou plod and gather thy goodnesse together Now when the Lord saith Revive the edge of thy faith once received oft renewed quicken it up in some Sacramentall promise or other ere thou come to the Supper lo how hard a taske it seemes Why save that those morall duties partly are from thy selfe and are mixt with selfe-love But the other is a meere divine grace without thee freely given and relying barely upon the promise and behold how tedious it is whereas thou shouldest say If I were found of God when I sought him not Esay 65.1 how much more easie will it be when I seeke him unfeignedly If mercy were free when I had no promise who should doubt of the more assurednesse of it when God hath tied himselfe Surely the verie ease of it should teach us to dispute strongly for our selves the Lord teacheth us to argue for our selves In other matters that serve for our owne ends wee can argue fast enough but in this either God must put us to it and shame us or else we will lose our benefit for lacke of pleading and so come to the Supper with a dead or unrevived faith May not the Lord repent him of all his cost when he sees so small profit The point it selfe And thus much of this third ground Now having premised these things thus let us apply them to the point in hand The Question then will be how a Christian may try his Sacramentall faith Two waies of trying faith 1 First beleeving I answer by these two wayes 1. When he can prove by good evidences that he hath beleeved the promise of reconciliation already Secondly when he can revive his faith upon the promise of the Sacrament Therefore of these two I will speake a little and so come to the use of the chapter Question It will first be demanded how a Christian may find and trie himselfe to have beleeved savingly How may first beleeving be tried Answ To which I answer this may be done sundry wayes 1. By the meane conducing in the purpose of God to beleeve 2. The Object upon which the soule looketh that it might beleeve The 3. The Roote out of which faith springeth 4. The Act it selfe of beleeving 5. The scope and end which faith propounds to her selfe in beleeving The 6. and last The effects and properties ascribed to faith The order wherein I would lay downe these points is this 1. I would propound the truth of them 2. Shew how the soule may try it selfe about them Which ere I enter upon let the Reader for avoiding of confusion take notice that in the second Chapter of this Treatise under the head of assisting grace I named five trials which doe all agree with that which now I am to speake of the triall of beleeving Onely there necessitie lead me to speake of the end of calling here more specially I treate of saving faith Let not any thinke that I make these two diverse But let him borrow what light that point will affoord for the better conceiving of this and so adde what this point affoords to that knowing that the grace of faith is the upshot of calling This by the way 1 Position The meane conducing to faith Now for the first Position The meane conducting unto faith is the distinct understanding of the Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ both in life and death It was the foundation of Election Ephe. 1.3 not the cause in which the Lord answered his owne Iustice fully to the end that here might set open a doore of mercy to poore Adams lost posteritie Now that which was a meane ordained by the Lord for the declaring of his righteousnesse in saving Rom. 3.25 must be the meane also to conduct the soule to fasten upon the offer of God For why As nothing save a ransome could stop the course of Iustice or cause him to be reconciled with a sinner so nothing can stop the feare of conscience guiltie of wrath nor warrant her that she may be reconciled to God save this propitiation Till the soule come to know Esay 27 4. that anger is not in God she cannot thinke shee may dare come neere him seeing shee knowes him to be a consuming fire Therefore 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Paul grounds a fearefull soule strongly upon this bottome Be reconciled to God poore soule For why 2 Cor. 5.22 Hee hath made him to be sinne that knew none both by obaying and suffering that wee might be the righteousnesse of God in him So saith Elihu Iob 33.24 Iob 33 24. Deliver him for I have received a ransome The triall then of faith by this Rule is this Triall by this Canst thou say truly that in the conflict of thy soule with Gods anger for thy sinnes thy long lyen in deepely died sinnes both of omission commission morrall spirituall offences and revolts thou hast beheld the meane of grace in the alsufficient merit of Christ Hath this stai'd thy heart that God hath cut off his plea against thee in giving his Sonne to satisfie Canst thou say Heb. 10 20. that thine high Priest hath brought thee to God and caused thee to see his face with joy Hast thou sent Satan to Christ and told him God cannot be satisfied and yet angry still Heb. 6.18 Hast thou found strong consolation in the pursuit of Satan from this that thou beholdest this citie of Refuge the satisfaction of Christ as a sure Sanctuary to rescue thee from the avenger of bloud Psal 100.7 Hast thou dranke of this brooke or well-spring and lifted up thine head in hope of being accepted Deny not thy selfe if it hath beene thus with thee it is a good signe I say a good signe if thou hast any condition of faith any feeling of thy burden wrought in thee and sending thee to this meane For why By vertue of this price the righteousnesse of wrath is turned into a righteousnesse of mercy so that it is a meete and equall thing with God having thus received a ransome to forgive yea in Christ God himselfe was reconciling the world and now he doth declare his righteousnesse in justifying a sinner through the faith of Iesus yea thou maist say with David Save me O Lord according to thy righteousns See Rom. 5.26 2 Cor. 5.17 Briefely for the 2. The
Hast thou sought the name of God as cheefe to bee shrined and set up in the most inner man and secret of thy soule above all thine owne ends Hath the wisedome of his way of saving his elect entred into thy soule with admiration Hath it more affected thy poore humbled soule that God one day shall bee admired in thee and them that beleeve 2 Thess 1.1 because they obey'd the promise when they heard it than that thou thy selfe shalt bee admirable and glorious for so thou shalt bee in that glory of his Are all thy springs in him All thy thoughts on him thy delights love and affections in his most rich wise and glorious grace in Christ Is thy Spirit wholly drunke up in his wisedome 1 King 10 5. Rom. 9 1. as the Queene of Sheba's in Salomons Couldst thou chuze rather to bee cut off from God if possible which yet is not rather than to robbe him of his glory And is it thy cheefe crowne to know thy glory and thy life to be hid with him in Christ Col. 3 2.3 I confesse this is to flesh and carnall reason a riddle therefore it is the Lord who hath revealed it for a speciall good marke unto thee of sound faith By the properties of faith Lastly among many other Properties of faith in the Scriptures as that if is unfeigned saving c. These two are most usuall First It s called effectuall 1 Effectuall Secondly Pretious Try thy selfe then about these First by the efficacy of thy faith 1 Thess 1 3. Faith is called effectuall for this cause That it overcomes the world It beares downe before it those distempers which assaulted the soule under temptations and doubtings Not that the soule is quite free but as farre as it beleeves so farre it drownes her distempers as in a Sea of forgetfulnesse What distempers faith overcomes These are of many sorts Sometime the soule was held under slavish bondage against the freedome of mercy so that all promises seemed to be lost upon her Sometime shee was pufft up with vaine presumptuous hopes of a welfare without bottome Sometimes againe carnall sence prevailed bearing downe the promise with the unlikelihood and contrariety to appearance sometime quarrelling with her selfe about the election of God and casting the blame of unprofitablenesse and unbeleefe upon her not being chozen otherwise objecting her corruption and body of death and the members thereof unmortified often carried to rebellion and fretting against God feeling her selfe defeated of her hope Againe sometimes alleadging the greatnesse continuance of her sinnes her adding of spirituall sinnes against the Gospell to morrall against the law besides often oppressed with the sence of an hard heart not able to mourne or repent oftentimes concluding against her selfe because many beleeved long since she began to bee humbled or because not humbled sufficiently or fallen from some steppes of tendernesse and humblenesse formerly atteyned or because she began no sooner with a thousand of the like distempers some from melancholy others from ignorance or rashnesse Now then try thy selfe hath God wholesomely held thee under these buffetings to shew the endlessenesse and the restlesnesse of them to the end thou mightest by the power of the promise here loose one there another Hast thou beaten them downe as children with boughs beate downe waspes or hornets flying in their faces Hast thou found the promise to allay thy horrors 1 Iohn 4.18 and perfect love in God to banish these feares and enemies so that as those accusers of the woman Iohn 8. Iohn 8 9. one after another they vanish and yeeeld to the truth Dost thou feele thy Temptations to Atheisme to deny the Scriptures to destroy thy selfe to cast off hearing and use of meanes and to fall off as Peters Cheines when the Angell smote him on the side And dost thou with Hanna shake off sadnesse by the voyce of Eli the promise 1 Sam. 1.18 Dost thou grow wiser teachabler more hopefull than before It is a good signe For thus Abraham looked at the promise Num. 14.9 Iudg. 13 21. nor at Saras wombe nor the slaying of Isaac So Caleb so others Secondly is thy faith a precious faith 2 Petiousnesse in 4. 2 Pet. 1.2 Then it is more unto thee than all other thy graces as a Iewell is above any other wealth Faith having setled that upon thee which no other grace could dost thou keepe it as preciously as such a Iewel deserveth Dost thou accompt of other graces as they borrow light from this It is well But especially try it by this precious things will goe a great way How farre hath thy faith gone with thee hath it waited upon thee in thy course and shall it so doe till it leave thee at heaven gates Hast thou lived by it as upon thy stocke in blessings crosses duties liberties Pretious things will beare the triall as gold and the like Hast thou beene much busied in trying thy faith willing to heare the worst aswell as the best and to take nothing upon trust Precious things are of singular operation as the spirits of wine c. Hath faith brought such sweetnesse into thee as makes the sweete of lust bitter Hath it purged thy conscience from strong lusts hath it derived the power of Christ thy King into thee to sway thine heart canst thou say thou carriest Christ as coales in thy bosome By these effects and properties and such other examine the truth and stampe of thy faith and if they appeare in thee come to the next point of Sacramentall tryall with comfort Thus much for the first triall of faith in the first promise Second tryall of faith by reviving it I come to the second triall of reviving thy faith at the Sacrament Now this faith differs not from the former in substance but thus it is a turning from the generall promise to the particular promise of an ordinance as the Supper For the better direction of the reader I will lay downe this dutie by severall steps distinctly first propounding the ground then adding the triall Steppe 1 For the first of these I sayd before that each ordinance of God is a severall channell to convey the Lords goodnesse in Christ to the soule Although there be sundry ordinances and sundry manners of conveyance yet one hinders not another but each hath his speciall grace under the cheefe which is the Preaching of the word for the supply of severall wants in the soule The benefits of Christ are dispersed diversely in the ordinances but still Christ is one in all Tryall by it Try thy selfe then thus by the first rule Dost thou revive thy faith by turning the eye of thy minde carefully upon the ordinance of the Sacrament as the hand of God to settle the gift of Christ thy food and refreshing upon thee Dost thou behold this ordinance so oft as it is offered as a renued gift of God to thy soule
servant Math. 28.32 Did not I forgive thee all the debt even of many Talents How then oughtest thou to forgive him the debt of pence Till then the soule be seasoned with the love of God in pardon and holinesse both to save and sanctifie it cannot possibly love his brother spiritually Can a rush grow without mire Iob 8 11 Or can love be in us till a principle of the Spirit infuse it It is commended by the Lord Iesus himselfe A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love each other Ioh. 13.34 Rom. 13 9. 10. All the Law is fulfilled in it It s infinitely magnified in all the Scriptures in 1 Cor. 13. It s described by abundance of both negative and positive properties all which shew the Originall to bee divine But especially in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.11 3.10 4 7 8. 5 2 c. where it is made first the charge of God Secondly the offspring and birth of God Thirdly A marke of the Elect and saved Fourthly That which especially is occupied about brethren such as are borne of God members of the militant Church All these argue of what kinde and seeede it is not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Vse To discerne this coine of heaven from all counterfeit stampes in this kinde There is a deepe vicious love contracted by the fellowship in sinne Simeon and Levi Gen. 49 5. brethren in evill yea this is almost as strong and deepe as hell Theeves have their league and drunkards their love union and fellowship yea sworne brotherhood The spirit of error and heresie is strong to linke the heart in love yea Iesuites are so knit to their Catholique league that death can not dissolve it And yet Paul imployes that this may want true love 1 Cor. 13 1. Men have a garish humour of love and pangs of affection so that in a moode they pretend the greatest love but on the sudden they either stabbe each others or else hate each other more than ever they loved As the bands are which tie men so is their love Carnall lusts gaine sweetnesse of manners politique respects to make use of each other naturall regards likenesse of manners or professions or disposition of soothablenesse and curtesie derived from Parent to child or a civill love standing in an entercourse of mutuall offices love mee and I will love thee or such like all of them are a sort of love which Religion doth not disanull but season and subordinate in the elect to this fruit of the Spirit even as the powers of the naturall and sensible soule are subject to reason A Christian hath other love yet from a better principle of spirituall love 2 The Parent The second thing is the begetting cause of it and that is faith effectuall and unfained Hence Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 saith Love proceedeth from a pure heart and faith unfained and as a workeman both makes a toole of his trade and workes by it also 1 Faith breeds it so faith begets this love and worketh by it Now faith in thus worke doth two things 1. It breedes it 2. Purgeth it first it breeds it and that two wayes 1 By an infusing qualitie 2. By a perswading The infusion of it is this Faith having possessed the soule with the love of God in reconciliation Rom. 5 5. diffuseth this love into the facultie of the will planting it there and causing the sweet thereof to dwell in it Christ comes not into the heart without the Spirit of Christ Now the Lord Iesus his manhood was filled with this grace of love the Spirit of the Godhead shedding it without measure into him Ioh. 1.17 That from his fulnesse wee might receive grace for grace Looke then what a loving heart tender mercifull See Act. 2.22 Mat. 11.19 Luk. 7.13 23.34 c. Act. 2.36 forbearing forgiving doing good to body to soule looke what amiablenesse gentlenesse sociablenesse usefullnesse was in his heart that is shâ—d into the beleever Now what that was his whole life shewed he loved and prayed for his rankest enemies died for those that crucified the Lord of life converting three thousand of them at once hee loved Mary and her sister Martha and Lazarus and Iohn his disciple most deerely Ioh. 11.5 36. See Acts 2.22 How he went about doing good even to all healing diseases preaching converting This Spirit then of the head is derived to us to be a privy marke unto us whether wee are his or no for hee that loveth not is not of God for God is love 1 Ioh. 4 8. 16. and hee who loveth dwelleth in God Secondly by perswasion For this see 2 Cor. 5.14 2 Cor. 5 14. The love of Christ constraines us for wee thus judge c. Marke There is a secret perswasive in this love to cause us to love one another and that by judgement and good reason This is that which Paul presses to the Ephesians Ephes 5 2. Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us as an offring of a sweet savour So againe Col. 3 13. Put on as the Elect of God the bowels of mercies kindnesse forbearing c. Why Even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye This is a strong dispute from relation of head to members reaching to all holinesse but especially to this branch For what a disproportion were it for us to joyne the body of a Lyon fierce and cruell to the head of a lambe loving and meeke What villany were it for a man dealt mercifully withall by his Master to take his fellow by the throte Ephe. 2 13. If Christ hath destroied enmitie broake downe the wall of separation and made peace for me when I was past hope how should I love and live with my brother Christ ought me nothing but I owe him him my selfe Should I after such love ever know any enemie Or if I should Philem. 19. should not such love as this quash it for ever If I should live in heartburning jealosie bitternesse and hatred should I not looke that the sweet morsell of mercy should come out at my nostrils 1 Ioh. 4 10 11 Hence it is that Saint Iohn so presseth this point Herein is love not that we loved him but be us Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Secondly faith doth purge love from manifold corruption By name from these eyesores First from all partialitie Secondly faith purges it 1 From partialitie Wee restraine and limit our love to such persons as wee our selves affect for some parts and indowments others are not so precious in our eyes wee cannot affect them because we see closenesse harshnesse techines pride and selfe to abound in them But love is unpartiall as well reaching to the undeserving provoking as to the amiable in point of soundnesse
all sodering up of our falls by our owne devices All men will confesse that sinne must be repented of or else it will hurt us but wee make question of the time when it must be but we make question of the time when it must be and so Sathan bids it put it off till after when more leasure is or till the Sacrament come for then it must be done and then as good make but one worke of it as many and spare our selves a labour and repent of all together But hee that is wise finding out his errours and sinnes daily will repent daily and not put it off so long till he have forgot it and so the worke will proove the more tedious Besides daily repentance keepeth the heart fast and tender preserves us wary of offending afterward Even as when the water is much frozen by an hard and deepe frost eyther it must be broken and kept thin every day that so the cattle may drinke easily or else it will renew her hardnesse so that it will be hard to peirce it Even so if we suffer our hearts to goe on in sinne till wee come to the Sacrament we shall not have them soft at our command but shall be much cumbred with them Rule 5 Fiftly our experience of former receiving should helpe and strengthen us against next time Wee should not be as riven vessell which suffer the liquor to runne out as fast as it is powred in Or as the sive which while it is in the water holds water as well as a paile but if out of it then presently dreines out Contrarywise we ought when we come from the Sacrament as I have sayd seriously to ponder what good we have gotten there or what we have failed in if wee have failed wee should covenant to humble our selves till wee have cast out that failing as unbeleefe sloath uncharitablenesse which deprives us of the fruite we looked for as peace joy growth in grace But if at the Supper we have felt these to revive in us then ought we to retaine their worke and power in us from day to day till we receive againe When Elija had eaten bread and dranke water 1 King 19 8. he went on forty dayes in the strength of it So should we who have fed upon other dainties and so should we not be alway new to begin but keepe our old grace and increase new which is indeed to grow by the Sacrament But of this before Rule 6 Lastly we must so use all private meanes of religion as they may be helpes to the publike For private meanes are often publike seldomer If then so oft as we prayed or read or conferred or meditated wee could have our eyes upon that hard taske of the Sacrament and either pray for blessing upon it after or else blesse God for the good we have formerly received If we would in private by our selves muse of it and aske others how they have found it easie we should finde the Sacrament a cheerefull and comfortable worke for us to goe about in comparison of that we doe But we commonly mind these things all at once when the Sacrament calls upon us which maketh it strange unto us because it is not the object which our eye was upon before hand And for these 6 Rules of direction thus much CHAP. XII Why the Sacraments are so unworthily partaken by some and so unfruitfully by others TO that which I have sayd of the unpreparednesse of men to the Sacrament in the former chapter Most receive unprofitably I may adde somewhat of the unprofitablenesse and unfruitfulnesse of them in this last period of my booke No man neede wonder that he who is awcke and unwilling to a worke commonly findes it to thrive with himselfe accordingly that is to proove barren and fruitlesse Therefore the former chapter might be a reason sufficient of this Howbeit because the sore is deepe I will dive a little further into the causes hereof both in the worser sort as also in the better touching upon the remedies breefely 1. The worser sort Causes 1. Inward 1. Ignorance In the worser sort for I would have none thinke that I confound the diseases of all sorts I have observed some causes to proceed from inward some from outward respects Touching the inward first one cause is the generall ignorance of people True it is Popish blindnesse and error is removed touching the merit necessity and worke wrought and generally people are free from Bread worship yea they thinke there is some excellent thing in the Sacrament but if ye come to the up shot of the matter namely to demand what a Sacrament is to what end ordeined what fruite it affords and how to be received ye may goe even in Townes duly and well catechised and picke out scores yea hundreds of people who can give no common sensible account of this ordinance But are as blind about the doctrine of it as the mole in the earth What then shall be sayd of such as live in utter darkenesse Remedy Hos 4.6 The cure of it is that these understand that as Hosea saith they perish for lacke of knowledge yea ignorance rotteth the heart and maketh it naught and therefore that they cast out this bitter roote and get some measure of light and plucke off the cover of darkenes Esay 25. 2. Cause Superstitions A second cause is superstition causing a solemne yea Popish over reckoning of the Sacrament viz. That it is so holy a thing that all must not meddle with fit to be shrined up under a Canopy than brought forth into over ordinary use Alas few men are worthy to come to such mysteries It is well for them they have devout hearts and love them But as for that wisedome faith and charity which is necessary to partake them they come short and so they doubt do many who make themselves skilfuller than they Therefore they finde enough of it to come at Easter and sometimes neglect it then also Oh! blinde idiots The divell hath cast upon you the oyle of superstition to burne you up as hee hath cast the water of contempt upon the former Remedy But for remedy know That the Lord loves not extremities hee will neither admit the despising scorner nor the superstitious esteemer but count them both guilty If God allow the Sacrament to his faithfull people in ordinary thy superstitious mannerlinesse is out of season let reverence bring thee to God but cursed bee that superstition which beates thee off 3. Cause Profanenesse 2 Cor. 6.16 A third cause is brutish profanenesse of life What communion is there with Christ and Belial Many do so debauch their lives with odious drunkennesse cosenage lying swearing Sabboth breach with other abhominations proclayming their sinne as Sodome Ioh. 3.20 abhorring the light and maintaining their lusts and pleasures against it that their hearts are powred out as water and there is no heart left in
Oh! thou shalt have thy belly full of it one day with aking and sorrow when conscience shall present thee with thy sinne and shew thee how many Sacraments and the fruit of them this gulfe of the world hath devoured without recovery And what a narrow entrance into heaven it hath caused to thee who if thou hadst beene enlarged to Gods opportunities as they to thee mightst have found a large doore opened unto thee Then shalt thou bee weary of those cauils which thy covetous heart hath cast upon the Sacrament as these Where finde ye that so much cost is required to the Sacrament that men must lay aside their businesse and looke after that Nay where findest thou that the matters of so divine a Nature must stoope to thy base trash And so ingrosse thy hurt that when holy things are in hard thy soule is no where lesse than where thy body is So that that hadst as good doe never a whit as never the better The Remedy is Resigne up thy selfe and ends to God make him the Moderator Remedy and hee will not defraude thee of thy worldly due if thou wilt be ruled But if thy selfe be judge the Lord must needes prove the loozer More causes added To these I might adde more As that men make a dead worke of the Sacrament they live not by faith in it they walke not humbly and tenderly but suffer smaller evils to lurke in them and defile them till they feele conscience crazed they make not up their breaches by speedy repenting but soder and crust them over they ply not Sacraments with other private and personall helpes meete to preserve the grace thereof but in the midst of their slightnesse vanities and pleasures which they mixe with holy things they looke to fare as well as those that watch closely to those succors wherein as they are foulely deceived so let them know that the Lord is righteous and will not conceale the labour of love in his better servants to equall the slight and carelesse with them in blessing Remedy For remedy whereof let them looke backe to the Chapter of Repentance Conclusion of the whole And thus at last I have also finished these few advices added to the Doctrine of preparation Conclusion of the whole Craving therefore of him who is Alpha and Omega and hath now brought us to an end of our purpose that be would set home this doctrine of the Sacrament to the hearts of the Readers I finish the whole Booke FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the second Part. A. ASsisting grace of God one marke of our effectuall calling Page 38 And how ibid. The Act of faith one speciall triall of our faith 96 and wherein it stands ib. The stirring of the Affections up by the good things of Christ Sacramentall a speciall meane of reviving faith Page 101 Application of the promise of the Sacrament ib. Act of love is negative or positive 179. 180. In what particulars both consist Abandoners of Sacraments terrified Page 213 Admiration of God Christ and the Spirit necessary to raysing the heart in the Sacrament Page 218 Severall Acts and Passages of the Sacraments require due carriage called Accommodation of the soule Page 222 In six particulars Page 223 Affections cannot be sacred except they have a due object Page 193 Trusting to former Affections an ill quality in Receivers an enemy to desire Page 202 B. BRokennesse of heart and mourning is one signe of hearty repenting Page 116 God recovers the soules of his being fallen to new Brokennesse and mourning Page 126 Behaviour of a Communicant at the Sacrament must be holy Page 209 Behaviour there must be sutable in body and soule Page 215 Behaviour of Communicants must be due both in respect of the whole Sacramont and the particular passages thereof Page 216 Better sort very unfruitfull in Receiving with the causes Page 242 C. COnfusednesse and indiscretion in the worship of God sinfull Page 3 Cavilling about Gods Commands under colours an ill marke Page 19 God may justly punish those who obey his Commands in an andue manner aswell as the disobeyers ib. Markes of effectuall Calling necessary for our tryall of estate Page 37 The fruits of Calliog a speciall marke of our estate in grace and what they are Page 41 42 33 Curiosity in prying into other mens wants makes men blind in seeing their owne Page 54 Excesse of Care and sorrow overloding Gods people for their wants sinfull Page 55 Carelesnesse of our wants comes from grosse sin and is dangerous ib. Each ordinance includes Christ in it as their sappe Page 82 Cleaving to the promise against bondage and Carnall reason a marke of faith renewed Page 103 Testimony of good Conscience at the Sacrament a signe of faith renewed ib. The Christian Combate one sound marke of repentance Page 114 Confession a great tryall of hearty repentance Page 117 Carnall and hypocriticall receivers of the Sacrament are in a dangerous case Page 130 Crossing of our selfes in our sweet lusts a triall of repentance Page 137 Censoriousnesse purged from love by faith Page 148 Comming to Sacrament necessary and commanded proofes reasons of it Page 209 210 211 Commemoration of Christs benefits necessary behaviour in receiving Page 216 Due Carriage of a Receiver after the Sacrament necessary Page 224 Contentation and well apaiednesse in God ought to be practised by such as have beene satisfied at the Sacrament Page 229 Care a speciall grace to bee practised after our Receiving Page 230 A pure Conscience daily preserved so a sweete meane to make preparation to Sacraments sweet Page 235 Conceit of a civill condition without being in Covenant a meane of bad Receiving with the Remedy Page 241 Sundry Causes together of the ill Receiving of the better sort with their Remedies Page 244 D. NOt to discerne the body of Christ in the Sacrament dangerous Page 60 Dalliers with God in point of future repentance dangerous Page 131 Little hope of Delayed repentance to prove sound Page 132 Dissimulation purged from love by faith Page 147 Diffusivenesse of love Page 182 Dissemblers of love at the Sacrament are bad Receivers Page 186 Desire of the Sacrament a necessary grace for a Receiver Page 193. 197. 198 Object of Desire is Christ Sacramâ—ntall described Page 194 How Desire of the Sacrament may bee attained Page 198 Such as come without Desire to the Sacrament terrified Page 199 Want of renewing of Desire a great sin in Gods people at the Sacra Page 220 Ab helpes and motives to be used to stirre up Desire Sacramentall Page 204 The triall of true Desire Page 205 E. TRiall of our Estate in grace the first Object of Sacramentall triall What it is and the branches thereof 32. Objection answered ib. How farre a Christian may be doubtfull and solicitous about his Estate Page 43 Our Estate in grace is to be tried by our calling and how 35. In three things ib.
Effectualnesse of faith one property to try faith by Page 98 Effectuall faith prevailes against all distempers and doubtings of the soule and what they are ib. Experience of the fruit of the Sacraments a signe of faith renewed Page 104 Extent of repentance is one triall of the soundnesse of it Page 113 Meane Esteeme of our selves and higher prizing of others a signe of repentance Page 136 Edifying of the body the end of love Page 183 Sacraments to last Eternally in the Church 220. How and by whom ib. Expâ—rience of our former Receivings a great meane to make preparation sweet Page 237 Bad Example an enemy to good Receiving with the remedy Page 242 F. FAith consists not in the overpowring of the soule but in resting on the promise Page 43 Great need of pressing faith effectuall ib. Sacramentall Faith above all graces to be tried at the Sacrament Page 81 Faith being well grounded upon the maine promise is easily tried in the particular Page 87 How Faith in the maine promise is to be tried Page 90 How Faith is to be tried in the reviving of it See reviving of it Exhortation to renew and to bring renewed faith to the Sacrament Page 106 The Forme of repentance is one triall of the so undnesse thereof Page 112 Folly of love purged by Faith Page 144 Fulnesse of Christ emptying the soule of her selfe one triall of desire Page 205 Feeding savorily a good triall of true desire after the Sacrament Page 206 Faith and the exercise thereof one speciall part of our carriage after our Receiving Page 2â—5 Faith lottes upon the promise Page 226 Feare a speciall grace to be exercised after our Receiving Page 230 G. SVch as can finde no substance of grace must cut off themselves from Sacraments Page 44 Such good persons as seeke not to bee Grounded reproved and yet comforted Page 69 The end of beleeving which is the Glorifying of grace a marke of faith Page 97 Graces Sacramentall Page 5 And why they onely Page 63 Why Graces Sacramentall must be tried Page 63 Why these five especially and whether equally ib. Graces of Sacraments are not to bee onely for Sacraments but perpetually Page 64 God not tyed to our girdles at the Sacrament Page 105 Graces to be practised after our receiving the Sacrament Page 230 H. HVmiliation of soule with selfe-deniall and prayer a speciall meane to renew faith at the Sacrament Page 105 Holding out with God in the triall of Sacrament a signe of renewed faith at the Sacrament Page 105 Hearkning after food a sure triall of hungring after the Sacrament Page 206 Hiding of sin a great enemy of good Receiving in the best Page 243 With the Remedy ib. I. POpish Ignorance pretended to be the mother of devotion confuted Page 74 Ignorant Communicants reproved and admonished Page 75 The seeds and fomenters of Ignorance to be abhorred 77. what they be ib. Ignorance may damne aswell as knowledge abused Page 77 Wofull fruits of Ignorance discovered Page 78 God hath given an Instinct to his people to seeke supply of their wants Page 52 Iudging our selves for our wants necessary Page 62 To rest in Gods Imputation as a reall thing a signe of faith Page 97 Impenitent receivers of the Sacrament in a wofull case Page 129 Inconstancy purged from love by faith Page 144 Ignorance a common cause of ill Receiving with the Remedy Page 239 K. KNowledge one of the Sacramentall graces to be tryed Page 64 With reasons of it Page 64 65 Knowledge the key of other graces ib. a principall helpe to discerne Christs body ib. Objections against Knowledge answered Page 67 68 What Knowledge is necessary for the Sacrament Page 69 And the particulars at large opened Page 71 72 73 Trials of Sacramentall Knowledge Page 78 79 80 L. LOve of lusts and secret evils the seed of ignorance Page 77 The Life part of repentance in a Christian course a signe of sound repentance Page 120 God sustaines the Light of his Spirit in the Elect to keepe them in their fals from confusion Page 121 Love of grace as grace and hatred of sin as sin though small a triall of repentance Page 136 Sacramentall Love necessary to true receiving and how farre Page 140 183. What Sacramentall Love is Page 140 Love a sanctifying grace of the Spirit Page 140 To be discerned from carnall Page 141 True Love bred by faith 142 and purged Page 143 Love to be revived at Sacrament Page 145 Those that dare receive without Love wofull and what colours they have Page 186 187 Dishonouring God on Sacrament dayes under pretence of Love odious Page 187 Gods owne people reprooved for comming to the Sacrament with little Love Page 188 Love at the Sacrament to be renewed and tryed Page 189 Sundry trials of Sacramentall Love 189 190 191. Note and peruse them well in speciall Such as can prove their Love to bee sound may be comforted Page 191 Surfeit of Lusts an enemy to Sacramentall desire Page 203 Excesse of lawfull Liberties also is so Page 203 Life of faith daily an excellent helpe to make preparation to Sacrament sâ—eâ—t Page 235 M. 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ster of God must be carefull 〈◊〉 â—â—y the Communicants Page 30 〈◊〉 them with knowledge yet not alone Page 78 Faith in the maine promise lookes at the Meane of beleeving viz. Satisfaction Page 90 The Meditation of Gods meaning freely to offer Christ fully and beteamingly at the Sacrament is a meane to revive faith Page 101 The Matter of repentance is one triall of the soundnesse of it 111. in a turning to God ib. God supports his relapsing servants by the Memory of old Mercies Page 121 Good Matter must be gotten ere the soule can remember Christ Page 217 Meanes to be used after our Receiving for the preserving of grace Page 230 Constant ayming at the Sacrament in the use of all Meanes a meane to make our preparation to the Sacrament sweet Page 238 Want of Meanes an enemy to good Receiving 241. The Remedy ib. O. ORdinances are familiar wayes to convey all Gods good things to us Page 82 Faith in the maine promise lookes at the Object and how Page 93 Each Ordinance hath a peculiar exhibiting of Christ by special promise Page 110 Turning the eye of faith upon the Ordinance of the Supper is a meane to revive faith at the Sacrament Page 100 The meditation of Christs omnipotency in the Sacrament a speciall helpe to renew faith Page 102 Each Ordinance requires repentance ere it can be well partaken Page 110 Cleaving to God when the Occasion of 〈◊〉 evill presents it selfe a triall of repentance Page 137 Object of love manifold Page 181 Both Ministers people soule bodies Page 182 Object of Sacramentall desire is Christ the soules full nourishment Page 196 P. PRreparation for the Sacrament more generall then Triall What it is Page 2 Tryall of our estate by Preventing grace is one marke of our calling 37 and how Page 38 Tryall of our selves by the Perfitting