have beene planted together with him into the likenesse of his death we shall also be to the likenesse of his resurrection And note this further that as the holy Ghost expresses the meriting causes diversly now by one then by another part of his mediation so sometime he applyes that his merit to one frâ—it sometime to another yet so that by one merit we understand all and by one effect of it all the rest Take a Text 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto baptisme now saveth us not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience in the resurrection of Iesus Christ Marke the resurrection of Christ being the compleatnesse of his satisfaction and the declaring of it is made here the meriting cause of the grace of Baptisme But by it all the satisfaction is meant And the effect of this Baptisme is called The answer of a good conscience which is the peace and security of it properly issuing from pardon of sinne and guilt yet in and by this all are meant both justification and sanctification The selfe same phrase is used Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10 22. Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodyes washed with pure water that is with peace For this blood Hebrewes 12. cryeth better things than that of Abel The phrase of sprinkling compares Baptisme to the Israelites sprinkling their doore posts with the blood of the Lambe If they had not done it Exod. 12 22. they had beene in danger of slaying by the Angel But having done it Heb. 10.24 their heart was at quiet and peace through the promise So baptisme is a better sprinkling of a better blood upon a better object to a farre better peace even peace of conscience as being passed from death to life By all these places not unmeet to be conferred together we see that whole Christ crucified Christ in water Christ in our Regeneration Christ in our union and by it all his benefits are the extent of the grace of baptisme And that the Minister standing in Gods stead applying water to the Baptised doth by it apply the power of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit accompanying the same to create a new birth of Grace and life in the soule The which worke of the Spirit I shall more revive in the first use of this point Vse 1 This use is exhortation to all that bring or behold children brought and offred to the Lord in his Sacrament of Baptisme to lay in by faith for the Spirit of Christ in the water whereby the Lord would vouchsafe to thy child and renew to thy selfe if ever truly converted the Lord Iesus for regeneration and the new creature To this end doe two things First 2. Things 1. Behold the truth of the word Behold the truth of this offer of the Lord Iesus in the water by the helpe of the word and not so onely but what the word of Regeneration can worke of it selfe in the soule and therefore much more can further it by the Sacrament Secondly by and through this Word apply the merit and power of the Sacrament to thy soule in particular For the former know although a Sacrament be above a word yet it is so by a word and with it and not else Behold not a Sacrament without a word for then thou seest a meare empty vanishing Element Behold it in word and thou sest no lesse than Christ in the water true regeneration offred thee Take all those Texts I cited before looke up to God by prayer to see the truth of them Ephe. 4 22. as they are in Iesus to rivet every of them in speciall into thy spirit that so thou maist feele a bottome to thy faith out of a word Labour to see what makes this word so powerfull even the truth of a promiser the merit of a satisfyer who died shed his blood was buried and rose againe by the power of God that he might fill a promise with efficacy and perswade thy heart that seeing all that he suffered was for thee to make himselfe thine in remission of sinnes and renewing of the holy Ghost therefore the promise that offers this to thee in the Sacrament is sound and effectuall Reade and ponder that place I named Ephe. 5.26 Ephe. 5.26 Washing of water by the word And so be resolved if the word of a true God tell thee That he will wash thy soule by Christ in the Sacrament it shall be so it cannot be otherwise and if he have said Christ in the water water is spirituall birth regeneration renewing purging burying in the grave with Christ rising up with Christ then so it is This word will give a bottome to thy feete to stand upon while thou reachest out with thine hand to take Christ so that thou shalt not stagger Consider that the same word which hath held Christ and water in so strong an union can also hold thee upon sure ground Alas mens going to worke without a word marres the power of Baptisme and causeth the soule to be present with any object more than with Christ in the water It goes with the Spirit Further bee assured this word of Christ in his promise of the Sacrament never goes alone The truth of it alway is annexed to the Spirit of Christ in the water All the word is full of this tells us the Spirit is that which assists the Sacrament The Spirit quickneth 1 Ioh. 5.6 water profits nothing alone It is the Spirit which must joyne with the word with water and unto Christ to both in the soule or else the things of the Sacrament are as farre off as heaven and earth But the Spirit of Christ crucified water and blood meeting with the Sacrament fetches out all the power of Christ into the soule and makes the promise of blessing effectuall Hence it is that nothing is so common in Scripture as the Spirits concurring with Baptisme Matthew 3. Matth. 3.11 Hee shall baptise with the holy Ghost and fire Tit. 3.5 Water of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit 3 5. As it attended Christs baptisme so it must ours if it bee efficacious else not These two things being forelaid bring forth thy faith in the word Spirit of the Sacrament both for thy child and thy self These two things brin faith for begetting or reviving of Christ to regeneration And as the hand puts on the apparell upon the body yea as thou beholdest the Minister to dip thy child in water so concurre with him by faith and behold God the Father putting the Lord Iesus upon thy soule and the soule of thy childe for pardon peace joy confidence security grace and holinesse and fasten upon the Word and draw thereby the Spirit of Baptisme to helpe and satisfie thy soule with Christ in all these As thou wouldest put on a garment upon thy naked body How this 1 By the stripping
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
of this tryall both in Scripture and reasons For the former whereof First the Analogy of the old Passeover will proove it wherein sundry charges were given which typifie repentance and that in each part of it As wee know the sorrow and yrking of heart and mourning bitterly for sinne committed was urged under the ceremony of sowre hearbes Exod. 12.8 not onely to shew what it cost the Lord Iesus ere he could satisfy But to shew what they are who come to this Sacrament even such as peirced him by their sinnes Zach. 12.10 and therefore ought to come in bitternesse to the signes of his body and blood and eate this sweete meate with sowre sawce So also the Lord required a separation from the filthinesse of the heathen when they came to eate the Pascall Lambe Ezra 6.21 Ezra 6.21 yea from all legall pollution Numb 9.6 Num. 9.6 which as it concerned the Iewes alway in any offering or worship so especially at the Passeover And the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 5.7 urgeth one other solemne ceremony of casting out leaven He that kept in his house any leaven at that time more or lesse was to be cut off Now least wee should thinke this to have lost his force under the Gospel he saith Purge out therefore all sowre leaven meaning their Communion with that incestuous man which sowred their holy assemblyes that yee may be a cleane lumpe even as yee are unleavened And why For Christ is our Passeover sacrificed for us therefore let us eate him with sincerity and repentance And the weaning and abstinence of the poore Lambe from the damme foure dayes before Exod. 12. â— typified no lesse than separation of such as worship God thus from the love of their sweet lusts and liberties that they might bee free for the Lord And when the Apostle urges the Corinthians to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 what entends hee save that having defiled themselves by their love feasts they would search and cast out that sinne ere they came to the Sacrament Secondly from Reasons Now for Reasons First every ordinance requires repentance least the ordinance be defiled 1 Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things not onely meates are pure But to the impure all things both blessings crosses and ordinances are defiled The sinne of man can put no defilement into the things themselves but it makes them so to the sinners that use them It is a rule concerning both Minister people Esay 52.11 Psal 26 6. Prov. 28 9. 1 Tim. 2 8. Be ye holy that beare the vessells of the Lord. And I will compasse the Altar with washen hands And the prayers of them that turne their eares from the Word are abominable S. Paul requires us to lift up pure hands 1 Pet. 2 1. without wrath and doubting And S. Peter bids them that would heare to grow thereby to clense all superfluities away Epist 1. Cap. 2.1.2 Reason 2 Secondly no man can comfort his owne heart that hee hath saving faith except he have repentance Act. 3.26 Act. 15.15 But true repentance argues faith because it onely purifies the heart True faith workes by love 1 Tim. 1 5. and the end of the commandement is love from whence from a pure heart and whence is that from faith unfaigned Levit. 10 3. See Gal. 5.6 Act 24.16 2 Cor. 5.17 Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord will be honoured in all that draw neare to him None can honour the Lord in their worship save the holy and repentant Those that presume otherwise the Lord will be honoured in their destruction Reason 4 Lastly holinesse affords sweete confidence to the soule that it shall be welcome to God None shall ever see his glory without it Heb. 12 14. 1 Pet. 1 16. therefore none should behold him in his beauty of holinesse or in his ordinances without it Bee yee holy because I am holy These few may serve Tryalls of repentance But I hasten to the triall of it And first very breefely of the substance of it wrought in the soule 1 By the substance Tit. 3.5 This may bee tryed by the roote of it No repentance can subsist without an inward principle That is the spirit of renovation wrought by the word and Baptisme putting into the soule a seede of God and the image of God as farre as in these suburbes of heaven I meane in the militant Church may be obteyned Now for the opening of this to the Reader let him in a few points conceave and try himselfe about it First in the mother and nurse of it In sundry particulers 1. The mother of it That is faith shedding the love of God Rom. 5.5 into the soule being of it selfe destitute of all such list ability life or savour The Lord in reconciliation by faith becomes our sanctification God having freed us from our old yoake will put upon us a new most willingly which eases our heavy hearts and pacifies the conscience sets the minde in frame and shewes us Christ in his true and lively colours not a Christ of loosenesse but as the truth is in Iesus Ephe. 3 18. 2 Cor. 5.9 That having the roote of his love set in our hearts we may conteine his sweetnesse and it may let us on worke yea constreine us to doe the like to him Oh! How should this try us What is our repentance Is it a cutting off some shreds of evill or a pang of goâ—d devotion now and then in tempest thunder and lightning in our passion of feare or when God pleases us Or is it an inward workeman at the roote of our hearts and doth it engraft and inoculate us into his stocke Pro. 6 27. Doth it as a corner stone hold in and encompasse us that wee can more forbid fire in our bosome to burne us than the love of God to compell us to love him and turne our heart to him It is a good signe Secondly try it in tne materiall of repentance 2. By the matter Act. 26.18 It s a conversion or turning home to God from our Idols a setting of our face backward from evill and our backes forward to goodnesse and that in a contrariety As if a foole going on pilgrimage to Rome and her Idols should there be smitten and turned home with Naaman to the true worship of the living God This tryall will search also for the repentance of most is no such turne Men have rectified thoughts sometime of a good course and their sinnes yrke them and tyre them and cause them to ease themseâ—ves by complaints and turne aside from them in their accusing moode But it is with them as it is with Sea-men who can hold their course as well when they coast about as when the winde is on their backes So doe these their lusts keepe still in their spirit though they keepe them out of sight as David did Absolon 2 Sam. 14.24 forbidding him his presence
was as weake in the grace thereof Act. 2. end and the sealing power of it The Gospel hath more fulnesse of seede and begets more unto God than the Law could doe and therefore Baptisme is a farre fuller Sacrament to confirme the soule in her new birth than the other was So for nourishment The Gospel exceeds by many degrees the ministery of the Law in Point of her building up and nourishing the soule in the grace of the new birth the Gospel hath filled the brests of the Church with farre more milke and stored her with farre more provision than the old Testament could doe For thereby the Spirit is powred our upon all flesh Ioel 2.28 Esa 44 3. Looke what difference there was betweene them and us for the fulnesse of bodily food that in a sort may bee said for spirituall fulnesse How many Creatures for kind or for Circumstance as in case of blood or strangled might not they touth the Hog the Conie the Hare and many other both beast and foule tame and wilde which to us are cleane and sanctified How much more doth the Lord afford us fuller feede of the Sacrament of the Supper than their passeover Even as a feast exceeds an ordinary Therefore Paul calls theirs a ministry of the letter ours of the Spirit not because they had not the Spirit but in comparison of the fulnesse and power of ours The new more effectuall Now for us our Sacraments are farre more effectual The very change of the old into new argued the excellenter efficacy of them As the traine of a Prince personally riding in progresse is richer than an Herald or Harbinger The Sabbath wee know was changed at the resurrection to honour it So the Sacraments at his annointing to his office and at his passion to magnifie them How should they so doe if their Trayne were not greater I meane if the spirit of Christ and his sealing perswading setling comforting pacifying power were not greater Also except that blessed traine of his Graces more glorious and plentifull as humility heavenly-mindednesse patience hope love zeale ability to walke with God more closely to discharge our callings more fruitfully to suffer more willingly to live by faith more setledly and the like gifts of Christ Sacramentall attended them Hence is that of Austin so common Our Sacraments saith he are in efficacie greater than theirs in profite more gainefull in performance more easie and in number fewer Beside ours in their understanding are most sublime in observation most pure and in signification most excellent They lived in the Porch of Sacraments we in the Parlour Let us take heede least as they in their age when no Nation under heaven enjoyed any Sacraments save themselves were so puffed up by their priviledge that they disdained all as Dogges in respect of themselves cleaving onely to the barke of these Ordinances without any seeking after the Spirit and power of them and so opened a way to Gods wrath to bring into their steed the Gentiles who alwayes thirsted after them so let us feare least wee stand so much upon our dignitie above theirs that in the meane time there shall be found even among us baptized ones and communicants far more blinde prophane carelesse than the Iewe was yea and some of us who goe for better be found as formall barren as far from the Covenant as estranged from forgivenesse and as destitute of the life and sealing power of Baptisme and the Supper as they of their Circumcision and Passeover If it be so our dignitie shall so lift us up to heaven that it shall throw us downe to hell and I will not only say the Lord will not be pleased with us as with them 1 Cor. 10.5 1 Cor. 10 5. but as it is Heb. 2.2.3 Heb. 2.2.3 by how much more powerfull grace is put into his Sacraments and by how much more eminent waies and ordinances hee hath honoured us by so much the more shall our condemnation for our unbeleeefe be more fearefull than theirs who had so dimme a Covenant and so weake Seales in comparison of us Rather let us labour to enjoy the priviledge of our priviledge above them in carrying about us that evidence of faith and that peace of conscience and that joy of soule which our Sacraments seale up to us that wee may be as much better than they as our Sacraments excell theirs in efficacy and then that kingdome of Christ within us as well as that without us shall be a kingdome not of words onely and signes but of power also And so much of the former generall of this Chapter Agreement and difference of the 2. new Sacraments Touching the latter how farre Baptisme and the Supper doe differ or agree briefely understand that as they agree in Circumstances concerning Sacraments in generall so also in the definition of a Sacrament wherein as specialls contained under one Kind they communicate They are both ancient and within three yeares one as ancient as the other they are both alike publique as being equall legacies of the Church militant they have both one founder although the one by mediate Commission as Baptisme by Iohn the Baptist by extraordinary calling the other immediatly by Christ himselfe they both agree in the Name Necessity of a Sacrament Againe whatsoever is true of the definition of a Sacrament is equally true of both these as in the next Chapter shall more fully appeare For why In both the Lord conveyes spirituall grace by visible resemblances set apart by himselfe and furnisht with power to that end But in a word that I would say of their mutuall agreement Their Agreement is this First they both agree in the offer and representation of whole Christ joyntly and undividedly to the soule Touching the first 1 In the joynt offer of Christ Know that when we call the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacrament of entry and ingrafting of us into the body of Christ and of begetting us to Christ yet wee divide not Christ imputed from Christ inherent wee must not thinke Baptisme gives us an estate in Christ for justification onely for it estates us in Christ wholly both for wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption though justification makes us truly the Lords yet because the Sacrament conferres whole Christ therefore it conferres him as God offers and the soule needs him that is both for justification and sanctification Christ our pardon and Christ our life for without both equally ours all Christ is not ours A speciall point to be noted for the better understanding of the act of faith in applying Imputation and Sanctification both at once to the soule of which point I treat elsewhere So againe the Sacrament of the Supper conveyes Christ to the soule wholy and undividedly Practicall Catechisme not onely for the encrease of our Sanctification but our Iustification also Part 3. Article 2. For although Iustification as it is a benefit of Christ
grace of faith to unite Christ Sacramentall unto thy soule Say thus Are water bread wine inseparable from Christ why so Doth God care for oxen as Paul saith or careth he to be one with bread and wine 1 Cor. 9.9 Are these the subjects of his delight poore base corruptible Elements 1 Cor. 6.19 Heb. 12.23 No no those lively Temples of our soules and spirits of just beleeving ones are the places of his delight Oh! then say so Lord this union serves for a better that thou and my soule be one by the convey of the Sacrament that I might eate drinke Psal 24.7 enjoy thee Oh lift up thy head my dore be thou lifted up in me oh eternall gate of my soule that the King of glory may come in Let faith unbolt set you wide open that Christ may enter and take you up for his habitation be your head as the husband is the wives to procure her all good as a Prince in his governement as a Master in his family nay as the soule is in the body Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17.26 ult to act rule frame purge them to encrease the power of faith in adoption reconciliatiō to enlarge the graces of his spirit love meekenesse patience thankfulnesse to fill the conscience with joy hope peace to cause these to flow out of the belly of the soule as waters of life unto eternall life yea not onely better hearers worshippers of God but more wise to rule more faithfull to obey righteous in buying selling exemplary in our Christian practise harmles upright sober to purge us of our wrath uncharitablenes unmercifulnes unprofitablenes that the Lord Iesus Sacramētall in the spirit of him may become more lively powerfull and fruitfull in us Oh! pray and give the Lord no rest till he have bred faith in thee to these ends Vse 6 And to conclude if the poore creatures thus hold their union with Christ and thou by unbeleefe remainest destitute of him know these dumbe Elements shall one day rise up in judgment against thee condemne thee for they have kept their union which is but subordinate and serving to a better end But thou hast rejected thy union spirituall with Christ in the increase of his graces Oh wretch In naturall things and in vicious things thou art ripe and quicke enough to apprehend yea more than thou oughtest No sooner doth the name of that which thou takest pleasure in as the Taverne or Alehouse in which thou hast often disguised thy selfe come to mind no sooner the name of thy Farme which affords thee such a Rent Revenue offer it selfe to thee no sooner doth the name of the harlot whom thou hast consorted with the glasse in which thou canst reflect thy owne face upon thine eyes stand before thee but instantly thou feelest an union with those lusts which those names and notions present to thee thy spirit savors drunkennesse covetousnesse uncleanenesse and pride Onely the Sacraments are offred to thine eye by the Lord in which Christ is nominated nay actually exhibited and united and here the union is so strange a thing from thee that any other base object will sooner offer it selfe alone without any other occasion than the least apprehension of Sacramentall Christ come into thy thoughts or affections eyther to beleeve in love joy in or much lesse to be knit unto and made one with that all his excellency and grace might be thine that fatnesse and sweetnesse of his might be conveyed by faith into thy soule How shalt thou be able to answer this sensuality estrangement of spirit from the Lord Iesus Iustly may that curse light upon thee 1 Cor. 16.22 The 4. is the end twofold primary or secondary which Paul pronounceth upon al such as love not the Lord Iesus Thus much for the forme of a Sacrament be also spoken I proceede to the last generall in the definition which is the end of a Sacrament And that is double eyther concerning us from God or God from us Both as I noted are the scope of a Sacrament The reason whereof is because the Sacrament intends full as much and neither more not lesse than the covenant doth I meane the covenant of grace But the covenant of grace is reciprocall That God be our God Both essentiall Gen. 17.1 and wee be his people that God be our God al-sufficient and we walke uprightly before him I doe not meane by reciprocalnesse any equality in working as if our obeying or uprightnesse could worke God to be ours as his being ours workes us to be upright But that indifferently the one as well as the other part and condition is interchangably requisite on our parts as well as the Lords As then the seale of the covenant assures the one so must it the other it must secure the Lord of our upright walking as well as us of his beeing our God both must needs goe together Yet I meane not that the Sacraments doe equally seale up both for Gods sealing grace to us is strong our sealing backe to him of duty is weake the Sacrament is the Lords and therefore principally aymes at our good yet I say God lookes for it that the same messenger of his unchangable love to us revived at the Sacrament should carry backe to him our revived covenant of upright walking The Lord so comes to his oath and seale for our security that hee lookes we also come to the oath of Covenant with him hee will not be tyed and wee be loose First then of the former of these two ends Gods end concerning us What God covenanteth Touching which let us conceive what God covenanteth and so we shall see what the Sacraments doe assure Touching this point of the offer and Covenant of God I having elsewhere largely spoken Practic Catech. Part 2. Artic. 3. therefore I doe here referre my reader to that discourse to spare a labour Onely thus much in a word when Adam had lost his integrity by disanulling the covenant of creation the Lord had it in his bosome what he would doe with all his posterity if hee had quite destroyed them all it had beene but just In this demurre grace cast the skole and brought him out of his meere good pleasure to purpose to recover a Remnant out of their ruine And as hee meant this within himselfe so he thought it meete to expresse so much to us not by including some and excluding others but by a free unconditionall offer of grace in respect of any thing in man to covenant with him to be his God and to become propitious and favorable againe unto him as if hee never had beene offended This covenant he establishes with us in the Blood of his Sonnes satisfaction requiring of us to beleeve that thereby his Majesty is reconciled with us and that therefore we be reconciled to him This he urges us to beleeve nakedly upon his bare word and covenant and that we seeke no
his breadth height depth and length Christ for being and regeneration Perhaps for the simpler sort it might be enough to use the Apostles words of him are we who is made our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 or to adde thus much All Christ is given us 1 Cor. 1 30. either for our calling or for our imputation or for our sanctification Howbeit for my owne exercise in part and for the clearer view of Christ sacramentall in the water I would adde a little more desiring the weake reader to pardon my distinctions as more meete for such as better conceive or would at least the gift of Christ in his extent and fulnesse Distinction of it to be marked The grace then of Christ bestowed in baptisme is either first grace or consequent upon it The first grace I call either that which maketh us accepted or that which is freely given to in here and abide in us Concerning the former kind Grace accepting is eyther grace of meanes serving to atteine acceptance or the grace it selfe atteined The former of meanes in one word is the grace of vocation in al the passages thereof preventing assisting and perfitting this acceptation of the soule The grace it selfe of acceptance atteyned may be distinguisht into grace eyther of maine essence or of priviledge Grace of maine essence is double eyther justification of our persons from sinne of guilt and blemish or of curse wherein Gods acquitting us in judgement by remission and pardon properly consists or reconciliation by which being pardoned we returne to grace and favour againe as before our blood being restored and we beloved Then secondly grace of priviledge is double positive or privative Positive priviledg in a word is our adoption which besides favor restores us to the former conditioÌ„ yet much bettered of childreÌ„ sons daughters heires and so to the priviledges of a beleever according to the severall occasions of his life course Privative in a word stands in redeÌ„ption that is freedome froÌ„ all the evills dangers enemies crosses within without bodily ghostly which threaten annoyance to our happy estate in Christ Thus for the 1. sort The second are graces inherent in us in a word Sanctification of the whole man body soule and spirit standing both in Conscience and conversation And this is double eyther mortification and consumption of the old man Gal 5 24. renouncing him with his affection and lusts crucifying theÌ„ all with Christs or else quickning up of the soule in the bent frame intent and streame of it to the life of God and grace Thus of the first grace The consequent upon this is the proper issue fruit of each of these first graces which they leave behind them in the soule The proper issue of vocation is union and bringing to God by the instrument of faith The proper issue of justification is peace and quiet of conscience The fruit of reconciliation is holy Complacence and contentment or joy of the Spirit in God her Saviour as Mary speakes The fruit of adoption is Luk. 1 47. the honour liberty and excellency of beleevers with the Spirit of children confidence and calling God Abba resting upon him for all good things a true right to earth heaven and all therein All things being ours we being Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. â— 22.23 The fruit of redemption is assured â—ecurity of heart from evill conquest and triumph in Christ true deliverance of soule from Sathan to God and for God in all obedience The fruite of sanctification is the blessed guard and furniture of Graces resident both in the minde as light purenesse wisedome discerning in the will all habits and uprightnesse integrity cheerefulnesse faithfulnesse in the affections of love hope feare and zeale in the conscience sensiblenesse tendernesse quietnesse In the whole man serviceablenesse to God in the conversation and whole course of it This short draught I have the rather inserted in this due place to give light and order to such things as I have handled in the three Articles of my second part and the fourth fith sixth Articles of the third part of my practicall Catechisme that the Reader may see how all those good things issue from Christ distinctly I meane the use of meanes the strength against lets and the right to all priviledges both conditionall and actuall But especially to lay downe a view of Christ our union and communion Sacramentall But The expressions of the holy Ghost it shall not bee amisse to touch this point as the Holy Ghost in the word expresses it Sometimes therefore hee expresses it in generall termes and sometimes in particular Generally he calls it the holy Ghost and fire See Matth. 3.11 Matth. 3 11. Matth. 3 16. meaning the Spirit of Christ in the efficacy of his grace which should purge as fire Even as our Saviour Christ is said to have the Spirit descending at his baptisme and lighting upon him meaning that he thereby received the unction of the Spirit and the gift thereof even the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes So also it s called by the name of new birth Ioh. 3.5 Heb. 1 9. Ioh. 3. â— Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter c. So the washing of regeneration Tit. 3 5. renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so also it is sayd to save or deliver from wrath as the Arke from the flood 1 Pet. 3.21 In particular this regeneration is distinguished into the washing or purging of justification by the merit or the washing of sanctification by the efficacy of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1 7. See Acts 22.16 Ephe. 5.26 The former we have in 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Iesus purgeth us from all sinne The latter see Ephe. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word To present it without spot or wrinckle in his glorious presence Gal. 3 26. c. Both these are expressed Galathi 3.26 They who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ as their garment both of covering in the one and of warmth in the other all Christ in both But there are two phrases in the Scripture by which the holy Ghost delights to describe the grace of baptisme The one by remission of sins the other by dying unto sinne and rising up unto righteousnesse Of the first there is frequent mention Luk. 3.3 Iohn baptised to the remission of sinnes Luk. 3 3 Acts 22 16. Rom. 6 3 8. Act. 22.16 Wash away thy sinnes and be baptised Of the latter Paul speaketh much in Rom. 6. from the 3. verse to the 8. So many as are Baptized into Iesus Christ are baptised into his death Therefore we are buried by baptisme with him into his death that like as Christ was raysed up from death by the glory of the Father so might we walke in newnesse of life For if we
Iesus his nourishment to thy soule in renewed grace Spirit of prayer of uprightnesse watchfulnesse bearing the Crosse well issues from thy renewing of faith in his reconciliation and forgivenesse If thou have lost thy peace by an ill conscience beware thou come not first to the Sacrament to fetch strength to returne to thy former course of walking with God till first thy pardon and peace be renewed that were to soder not to mend thy breach yea it were to dawbe with untempered morter Christ is first broken as a satisfier of wrath and then as a nourisher of a poore emptie soule Touching the second Learne to apply the Lord Iesus broken in the Sacrament for thee in a confident manner 2 Act. If hee have beene really thine broken for thy renewed pardon yea the oftner the better lay thy soule in the clift of this Rocke Exod. 33 32. get thy selfe into his wounds and lie in his sides and thence shalt thou draw nourishment to sustaine thee whence thou drewest strengh to make thy peace This broken Christ his bloud his powring out containes both thy peace and thy grace and by an inseparable union of the Spirit is given for both Lesse than the bloud of Christ dead upon the Crosse could not save thee and lesse than it can not restore any grace of his Spirit decaied in thee as the Spirit of prayer watching sobernesse heavenlinesse of heart But if the Sacrament have revived the one feare not the other will follow There is a knot of unions in Sacramentall broken Christ get one and get both faith will teach thee how to get both and doth sweetly claspe with Christ for welfare in both Touching the substance of which I speake lesse here because I shall handle it in the second generall head of the grace offered in this Sacrament Vse Onely this one thing I adde here that the broken body and bloud powred out of Christ is offered thee in this Supper to nourish thy faith in Christ crucified afflicted wounded for thee that hereby thou mightst draw strength from his Passion to suffer and overcome in him or for him whatsoever the Lord shall thinke good to lay upon thee whatsoever then thy Crosse be especially if bitter wearisome unusuall darke and tedious to be borne come to the fountaine of patience and victory the Lord Iesus broken for thee Hee hath overcome the chiefe dint of all crosses in taking the fire wrath and sting of sinne out of thy conscience and this is one maine helpe to settle a restlesse heart under deepe affliction that Christ broken hath taken away guilt and brought pardon and peace And secondly having so done hee hath overcome the force of the Crosse and hath brought patience selfe-deniall calmenesse humblenesse under the same into thee so that in him thou shalt be upholden endure and beare thy yoke not murmour not thinke long not use shifts but by the promise sealed by the Sacrament beleeve the Lord will in due season give thee beauty for ashes Esay 61 3. and the sweet fruit of righteousnesse and patience more sweet than the trouble was grievous These the Sacrament doth confirme and settle the soule in daily if Christ broken bee wisely applied and put on by faith To conclude all I say if the Lord Iesus Sacramentall be a broken Christ for all uses Vse 6 Sixthly how cursed is the condition of all such receivers as are yet to seeke of him in any benefit of his Sacrifice and Crosse Oh! how fearefull is the Sacrament to all such as never understood the Doctrine of Christ broken How shall they be the better for the Supper Oh! what terror should it worke in such consciences as can not by experience speake one word to their soule of the benefit of Christ in either Surely if the Lord Iesus broken were never given them no other benefit of his Adoption or Sanctification either in grace and glory can be theirs And by consequent that fulnesse of Christ which here is exhibited to the faithfull to save and refresh them becomes by their unbeleefe as unfruitfull to their soules as if Christ had never dyed nor Sacrament ever beene offered them For they are still the same neither good day mends them nor bad payres them for any pardon or grace that ever Christ broken could yet helpe them withall But for the third Act thus much Now the fourth and last ministeriall act of the Supper The fourth Act. The distributing is the distribution of it to the people with a charging them to receive it as from God For its expresly added that our Saviour having taken blessed and broken the Elements did give them himselfe to his Disciples He called them not about him and suffered them to serve themselves of them but dealt out both Bread and Cup to each of them and susteyning a double person both of the divider and of the thing divided charged them each and all to receive and apply them as the offer of God And to say truth to what end served the former acts save for this last Touching the severall distribution of Christ I doe not thinke that he did severally give it to the person of each disciple immediately but that reaching out the severall morsells he gave personally to them who were nearest and so by them he conveyed it to the remotest sitter till all were served And this he did not onely in the bread but in the Cup also as Saint Luke doth particularly mention and so the other 1 Cor. 11.21 Luk. 22.20 and Paul 1 Cor. 11. expresseth Now in this last act I consider two things Two things heere First personall Secondly peculiar application of the Sacrament For the former he would intimate thus much 1. For personall application that the Minister in his reaching out the Elements to each receiver is the hand of the Father applying the Christ of the whole Church to such a man and such a woman in person And as each communicant susteines a double person eyther of membership as hee is belonging to the whole body or of person as he is to answer for himsefe to God so in the former respect he communicates no other Christ than the Christ and head of the body and so calls God our Father and Christ our Christ seeing he hath no right to any Christ save in the Communion of Saints By vertue of which he approves himselfe to be a true member of the body clayming no right to Christ otherwise than the Christ of his whole militant Church But in the second respect as each person or beleeving receiver stands in his owne place and receaves speciall grace for himselfe so hee calls God my Father and Christ my Christ and therefore comes not to receive any implicite Christ Iohn 10.28 or as the Church receives him but comes to receive him for himselfe in person for his owne pardon assurance peace support and so his owne as no mans else Each Christian hath
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
object of faith The second object which is the promise which containeth 2. things either the good things offred in the promise or the hearty meaning and purpose of him that freely markes the promise The good thing offred in the promise pardon peace a purged conscience life of grace support in grace the earnest penny of the Spirit and the like serve to draw the affections which carry the soule unto God and to dash out of countenance all false objects of gaine ease pleasure lusts to draw the soule to God in desire esteeme of mercy and in hungring mourning and endeavouring after Christ Secondly the manner of offring these good things being free full faithfull entire and simple exceeding desirous the soule should embrace them Rom. 5. ut supr sorry it should reject them urging it to beleeve serves to put it out of question that the Lord meanes as hee speakes else needed he not to have prevented us at all but seeing even when we were enemies neither deserving nor desiring any favour yet the Lord out of the meere graciousnesse of his heart would needs bestow it upon us Triall by this therefore he would have us conclude he will not repent him of his freedome if wee come in to lay claime and plead this promise Try thy faith then by the promise thus first whence came those dispositions of heart in thee I meane those teares of thine those desires prayers fastings and diligent searching after grace Came they from selfe-love or from an heart of basenesse bringing thy money and cost to God to buy mercy If so thou hast little to boast of but if the good things of the promise wrought them in thee if thou can say that faith and the preparations to faith proceeded from the promise The good things offered therein drew thee to God as with cords If thou canst say that thy good affections could never purchase faith rather that promise which bred faith bred also those affections in thy soule because thou sawest God willing to save thee and pardon thee therefore thou mournest after him prayest unto him Ionas 3.9 and as Nineve couldst not give him over the rising of the Sunne caused this dawning of heart in thee and these making towards grace it is a good signe Secondly try thy selfe thus If the freedome fulnesse and strength of the promiser have truly wrought upon thee then thy base conceits of the Majesty of God are vanish'd I meane thy enmity and hatefull spirit is gone And whereas thou once couldst not thinke a good thought of him but all thy thoughts framed him rather to be angry envious cruell unbeteaming now thou stoppest and as one better setled beginst to say oh my poore soule who couldst never get out of thy slavery and slightnesse thinke of the promise a little better What wilt thou say if by all this offering urging expostulating charging to be reconciled upon paine of hell the Lord meanes thee well Perhaps he may If while he seekes to save thee thou devize how to get out from him will it not be bitter at last Thus weake hope breakes the ice and sets the soule forward Then the Spirit of grace createth in thee both thoughts and affections of such strange goodnesse bounty long-suffering free grace and compassion that thy heart breakes into wondring at him and saying Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult 1 Sam. 24 19. forgiving and passing by the sinnes of his people Who could finde his enemie at the vantage and not destroy him Therefore my soule is even carried into the streame of his grace and perswaded to beleeve I see the good will and meaning of his heart shining in his promise and whereas it was wont to be a barren sound and emptie noise for me to heare a promise now I see it as a vessell standing full and running over yea a streame to carry me in with holy confidence saying If the strength of Israel can lie if free grace if faithfulnesse it selfe can shrinke backe and deny it selfe I am content to perish Thirdly trie it thus If a promise have beene thy Object then thou confessest that the power it selfe to beleeve is in a promise as well as the motives to beleeve The promise is the instrument of the Spirit to perswade And as when the Lord made a promise to the Iewes that if they did come to the Temple to worship hee would keepe their dwellings and goods safe the whil'st Lo this promise had in it such a power as held off all Robbers and enemies from attempting any pillage they durst not they could not so much more in the promise to a loaden heart there is alway the strength of God to effect that which he promiseth and such a soule neede not stand out strangerlike and say here is a sweet promise if I could beleeve But here is a promise strong and able to cause mee to beleeve it If in any measure these trialls be in thee they are all good signes Triall 3. By the roote of it Thirdly trie thy faith by the roote of it which root is selfe-deniall All other graces seeme to have some inherencie and being of their own in the soule onely faith is rooted in the overthrow of a mans selfe This selfe is nothing else save the spirit of old Adam resisting the Spirit of grace and as we see in defenced cities some of their Bulwarkes are out-workes and retrenchments others are maine sorts neere the walls wherein their chiefe strength consisteth So here selfe hath her out-workes selfe-wealth selfe-ease credit and esteeme learning parts experience These are more easily cast downe because Christ and they are of two severall kindes Others are forts of greater consequence in which the heart more trusts as carnall reason and the wisedome of the flesh which Paul in 2 Cor. 10.5 2 Cor. 10.5 calls high thoughts and strong imaginations of flesh setting themselves up against the obedience of faith so also Religious duties and performances whether will-worships of Papists or duties required as Iewish righteousnesse by the Law and all the devotions of carnall Protestants To these I may adde the secret counterminings of the heart mixing it selfe with the preparation to faith and so destroying the worke of God as selfe-mournings desires and use of meanes Now of all these the Scripture tels us That if any will beleeve hee must denie himselfe and be content to be stript of those or else grace will not dwell in him Trust not in thy owne wisedome but trust in the Lord Prov. 3.5 Prov. 3 5. So Paul That I may be found not having my owne righteousnesse of the Law Phil. 3.9 but of faith See how Paul opposes them All the frame of Creation Redemption yea of the whole Word of God prooves it Esay 42 6. God will not give his glory to another He that boasteth must boast of the Lord. Two suites of apparrell may as well agree with
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
all good signes of faith revived for the Supper Steppe 5 Fiftly try thy selfe by the testimony of a good conscience That will appeare by this It dares not equivocate and dally with God by serving him very studiously in one part of thy christian course but forsaking him in many but say thou with Paul Act. 23.1 I have exercized my selfe in all good conscience continually Try thy selfe then by this rule Triall by it thus Canst thou say as oft as thou art going to the Sacrament Oh Lord I make a shew of very solemne preparing my selfe and trying my faith when I goe to thy table But if it were onely my practise now at this time and at no other I should goe and come from thee with a sad heart No Lord I blesse thy name Gal. 2.20 I doe live by faith dayly I can say with Paul The life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God I appeale to thee who knowest that if I goe to heare the word I mixe it with faith if I pray I looke to my Advocate if I have a Crosse I live in faith in Christ for strength Heb. 4 2. selfedeniall and patience to support me if I prosper I beleeve all is pure to the pure and given me in mercy and in this faith thus trained and set on worke I humbly come to the Sacrament looking that as in other parts of life and of worship the Lord hath beene with me so he will not leave mee to my selfe in this 1 Sam. 7 12. Tell me canst thou say thus in truth be it never so poorely It is a sweete signe of a revived faith Steppe 6 Sixtly try thy selfe by thy Sacramentall experience The Sacrament being one meane of a Christians food and growth it becomes every one having communicated not by and by to vomit up his morsells but to digest the bread of life till hee finde it his owne blood of his veines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone By this meanes every ordinance dwelling in the soule will adde nourishment to it and better it dayly which could not be if it bee forgoten as fast as it is enjoyed Triall by it Let thy tryall from hence be this Dost thou dayly quicken up thy selfe at each Sacrament in the memory and experience of former fruit received especially when thou hast found it sweetest unto thee at any season when thou hast felt thy selfe most emptied in thee faith most cleere and sensible thy soule freest from earth and sensuality and so of the rest hast thou kept this experience by thee as a childe holds a sweete thing in the palate as loth to forgoe it Dost thou by this tryall goe to the Sacrament afterward with more hope and expectation of the like Or if thou have found the contrary that thou hast had but a dead Sacrament of it what dost thou Poast it over and forget it hoping it will be better or dost thou record it often and use it as a spurre of greater care and serious dealing with God next time being afrayd to tempt him and yet loath to forsake him although hee should hold thee off still 2 Cor. 12 8. If thou canst thus revive thy faith by thy experience it is a good signe Steppe 7 Seventhly Gods people so oft as they draw neere to him in duties dare not rush upon him but first humble themselves in dust and ashes as most base wormes and corruption Genes 18.27 Then they pray for assistance in the ordinance meditate and conferre about the right doing Tryall and the fruit of it Try thy selfe then by this When thou goest to the Supper dost thou swell in the conceit of thy former strong faith Dost thou rush upon God without prayer or meditation Or rather dost thou jogg◠the arme of the Spirit as the clapper shakes the corne into the milstone that it may let fall the benefits of Christ out of the Sacrament into thy soule That thou maist come to receive with better savour and strength than thine owne Dost thou begge with the Apostles Lord revive my faith Luke 17.5 Lord make make it a sweet exceeding day Lord let not the meeting of profane blind receivers defile me Let the fellowship of thine Angels and my brethren refresh mee give me that I come for Lord and deceive me not Darest thou not through ease and sloath neglect the sanctifying of one ordinance by another Dost thou engrave the promise thus in thy heart and blow up the poore sparkle within thee It is a good signe Steppe 8 Lastly try they selfe thus Dost thou hold and close with this faith of thine thus revived till thou appeare before the Lord in the ordinance Sufferest thou not Sathan to come betweene thee and home the cup and the lip to rob thee of thy wedding garment but dost thou claspe it unto thee that it may not fall off till it have possessed thee with the gaine thou camest for Dost thou lay in too day now for the bread of the day And each Sacrament doest thou say Heb. 13.8 Christ Iesus yesterday to day and the same for ever It s a signe of faith quickned in thee So come and prosper So much for the latter tryall I conclude the Chapter with some use Conclusion And because the whole is one use of tryall which is the scope the shorter use shall serve I will not trouble the Reader with former uses as to mourne for the woefull faith of ordinary receivers or reproofe of Gods owne for counting this tryall tedious which God hath made a sweet yoake to his I will partly warne partly exhort partly comfort the good receavers and so end Vse 1 First then I warne them that they slight not this duty Admonitiō rest not in former faith thinking the Lord tyed to their girdles Tempt him not to alter his course by your sloth but hold on still this tryall of faith Remember it s the cheefe Sacramentall grace of all the rest All other without this are fruitlesse or counterfeit This must give both being and lustre to all Bring this and feare not The Divell will fight against this as the King of all If he can wrest this away he cares for no more because upon this hinge the doore turnes I meane the joy of well or sorrow of ill receiving hangs upon it Vse 2 Secondly be exhorted to bring this faith Dare not venture without it Exhortatiō Faith in the Supper answers the act of sprinkling the posts of the Israelites doores when they first ate the Passeover Exod. 12.21.22 Branch 1 Tell me Durst any Iew not sprinkle his owne doore with blood Durst he not as well omit the Sacrament Did hee not feare the destroying Angell in case of neglecting it Was not the promise of passing them over when all Egypts first borne were slaine in the doing of it Therefore as thou wouldest shunne danger of greater nature looke to
it Remember that faith doth set thee as those Lampes under the oyle dropping into thee from the promises of the Sacrament Branch 2 2. Againe try thy faith first in the maine promise If thou finde thou wantest it desist for a time Come not in thy base unbeleefe rather make use of what I have sayd about faith and blesse God that by such an occasion thou maist store thy selfe with it for heereafter and art now convinced of thy want Perhaps thou never hadst knowne it save by such an occasion therefore ply it hard while season lasteth But if thou have got it yet neglect not to consider Gods worke in thy conversion blesse him that thou canst proove by what meane thou camest by it what a promise is what the roote of faith is what the act effects of it are confessing it were hard for thee now to beginne or to bee without it Branch 3 3. Revive it also as oft as thou commest musing of these last trialls or some of them and linne not till thou finde them in thee more or lesse that so the Sacrament may light upon thee as dew upon dry ground and thou mayst count the approach of the Supper joyfull newes above the joy of a feast or banquet Vse 3 Lastly let it be consolation to all poore beleevers Consola The best will soonest complaine Oh! sayth one Heere bee so many Rules that I am confounded to thinke of my selfe or to try my faith by them But I answer Proove but a droppe or dramme of faith unfeigned precious and effectuall and the Lord and thou shall not differ about measure Bee sure thou have any and then know the Supper is an ordinance to make weake ones strong Objections remooved not onely nor cheefely to make strong ones stronger Touching the objections of the weake I have spoken in the Chapter of the tryall of our estate To adde a word more another objection is I cannot finde the promise so powerfull as to overpowre and perswade mee to beleeve with full streame of heart I answer Answ I grant that oft the phrases and similitudes of Scripture imply First by a Concession That faith is a sensible thing and a conviction of heart So it s called Ioh. 16.9 It s called the rayning downe of righteousnesse The receiving of Christ The buying of the pearle The running into the streame Esay 55.6 and the like as drawing neare to God Secondly Solution comming to God Howbeit wee must know the spirituall sense of these phrases imports not alway a reflexe sight and knowledge that we have it and much lesse ought wee to stumble at such phrases as imply the measure of faith as to be carryed with full sayle To rejoyce with joy unspeakeable c. Heb. 1â— 22 Onely let a poore soule beware of resting in any measure till hee have atteyned faith with power and feeling which is a stranger in these dayes But to hasten this I adde Many talke of the over-powring of the heart who know not what it meanes it is not the measure of full assurance but the true drawing of the soule from Idols to the beleeving God Therefore poore soule dismay not thy selfe perhaps thou seest not full light of beleeving nor the whole breadth and length of it as yet nor yet what the Lord meanes to settle upon thee Thou art as one that dreameth yet God was at worke to deliver Israel when they were as they that dreamed Psal 126.1 Exod. 6. â— Long anguish caused them to heare of a Saviour as one that was farre off yet hee was neare Give not the Lord over but even in thy darkest bondage cleave to the meanes seeke the Lord and leave the successe to him be not beaten off from hope by any feare within or without Reade Acts 12. Act. 12 7 8. Peter in his sleepe thought hee saw but a vision of deliuerance yet the Lord was at worke even then He came not at first clearely to consider the matter But what did he Surely he did as he was bidden even in his dreame he arose shooke off his cheynes Verse 8.9 put on cloake and sandales followed the Angell through yron doores and gates and at last when he was past danger the Angell departing hee understood all the businesse So perhaps the Lord will doe by thee When all Angells and proppes are gone and thou left to the bare promise stript of other helpes thou shalt bee as glad to cling to the Lord in it as ever thou were backward to it But in the meane time bee doing as thou art bidden and obey and thou shalt one day see light Receive the Sacrament with weake faith for so God bids thee and more shall be given thee And so I shut up this weighty tryall of Sacramentall faith CHAP. VI. Of the tryall of repentance at the Sacrament Entry upon repentance I Must in the entry upon this point advertise the Reader of some generalls which may make for the better Caveat 1. conceaving of the scope of the whole Chapter First let him remember that which was before sayd That in pressing the tryall of repentance I doe not meane that repentance concurrs to the act of receiving so properly as faith But in a second respect as affording a sweet witnesse to the truth of faith already shaped in the soule as also to honour the purenesse of the ordinance with sutable purenesse of conscience and course The second thing I would have noted is The second That although in this tryall of repentance it is to be supposed that each receiver of the seale must first bee in covenant that is have his heart renewed and in that respect that whole labour might be spared how the substance of repentance may be tryed yet considering that it is not alway with receivers as it ought to be but man still will come without it Therefore as I have done already in the point of faith to shew the true forme and being of it ere I came to handle the renewing of it at the Supper So heere I will doe for the grace of repentance The rather least any should alledge his ignorance what it is or wherein it standeth yet I will be short because I have elsewhere handled it largely viz. in the third part of my Catechisme in the two first Articles The third thing I note is The third That our speciall and mayne enquiry shall be in this tryall about daily exercise and renewed practise of repentance at the Sacrament and not onely as repentance is taken for some penitent affection occasioned but as it is taken for that walking with God which consists in the duties of mortifyed and quickned obedience to God and men and that eyther in an ordinary course of innocency or in the case of some speciall revolt Before I handle the tryall of eyther the substance or the practise hereof Grounds of the point first Scripture I will ground the necessity
The Iewes as histories relate in derision of the Supper and of the Lord Iesus were wont every Easter to steale a Christian child or stripling and to crucifie him upon a crosse all as much as in them lay to destroy the true doctrine and Memoriall of Christ Sacramentall Truth is odious to the factors of superstition and at this day what doe Papists reproach with so base termes as the Supper of Protestants calling the Table of the Lord by the name of an Oyster Board and the Sacrament by the name of the hereticke ordinary alleaging that their Altar and Transubstantiation are the only true means to honour Christs Sacrifice which they offer to God for the sinnes of quicke and dead but not receive from God as a pledge of forgivenesse and holinesse Now marke the Lord in all ages hath stil upheld the glorious beauty of his entire Sacrament against all such corruption and profanation How upheld And that especially by susteining his poore servants to shed their blood in the defence of this cause We know how many hundreds in King Henry the 5. 6. 7. and 8. dayes but more openly in Queene Maries suffered in our owne nation for the defence of this cause of God besides the thousands of Martyres slaine in other Countryes by the Inquisition and tyranny of Popish Bishops Neither are we to looke that in any age till the Kingdome of Christ come this holy ordinance shall ever want enemies who either openly or secretly in part or wholly will seeke either to undermine and obscure the Purity and honour or overthrow the substance of this Sacrament But all in vaine for this shall stand as a brasen Pillar in the midst of the floud and shall survive all corrupters and enemies and shall be perpetuated in her honour and integrity till the comming of the Lord Iesus to judgement when all heresie shall perish with the breath of his mouth and Sathan himselfe be driven from earth and confined for ever to hell But how shall this great worke be effected and continued in the Church so long and so dayly Illustration of the meanes of upholding it Surely by those his people who are members of the militant Church who like Champians of Christ shall stand out for this precious Iewell committed to their trust and safegard Both Ministers by their diligent teaching the doctrine of the Sacrament and vindicating thereof from the cavills and corruptions of Popery 1. Ministers teaching And the whole Church both Ministers and people by their receiving this Sacrament according to the pure institution of the Lord Iesus without leaven of mans mixture Both these I say are appointed to perpetuate the honour and dignity thereof in spite of all enemies Indeed I grant 2. People in confâ—ssing that perhaps each poore soule in receiving doe not punctually attend this but the Lord attends it in them and effects it by them while hee sustaines them by faith and good conscience to come and partake this ordinance incorruptly and sincerely We see then what a maine charge lies upon every sound Christian Though he be no Martyr yet he is a confessor to the truth of the Sacrament so soft as he receives it according to the ordinance He holdes out with an hand openly to all that can see the death of Christ till he come and by his cleaving close to the will of the ordeyner becomes a witnesse to Christ Sacramentall bearing downe as with a streame all popish superstitious Iewish wil worshipping enemies of this holy Sacrament Onely such as by faith cleave to the institution of Christ the doctrine of a Sacrament and Sacramentall relation the promise of the Lord Iesus to be present till the end of the world with all such I say onely those that abandoning a Sacrament of forme and deede done rest upon the power of a promise for making good the fruit of their receiving to their soules in the Spirituall nourishment of the Lord Iesus do beare witnesse to the Sacrament against all Vsurpers The great duty of a receiver urged who else by their trickes and devices would rob the Church of this Monument Therefore it concernes every true Christian not onely to take upon trust from others the doctrine of the Sacrament but to understand it themselves warily in their receiving that they cleave to the rule of Christ and stoppe their eares to all Popish chapmen in this kind who if they might be hearkned unto in their consecrated stones Adoration and other cursed ceremonies soone would the honour of the Sacrament lye in the dust The duty lyes not onely upon the Doctor of the chayre or the Preacher in the Pulpit but upon each member of the militant Church That he shew forth the death of the Lord till he come Keepe the trust which is repozed in thee poore as well as rich unlearned as well as skillfull base as well as honourable In this thou sharest with the best for kind though not degree that in thy receiving corruptly or purely the truth glory of the Sacrament is either preserved or betrayed to the enemies of the death of Christ If a man should betrust thee at his death with the dispensing of his wealth and menaging of his Orphans as truely as if hee were a live to behold tell me durst thou be false to a man And shalt thou dare to be false to God who hast betrusted thee with the Church treasure I meane the Preservation of his Sacrament in her purenesse Looke well to thy selfe therefore Thou art now a Guardian of Christs Orphan not a mans and he will not hold him guiltlesse who shall forfeit this trust And this be sayd of the second behaviour of each communicâ—nt in the act of receiving Duty to the Sacrament in her Acts and Passages The third followeth which I call holy accommodation of the sences and Spirit of a receiver to those Sacramentall Acts both of Ministers and people occasioned at and during the time of the Supper In the former treatise I have handled them at large with their use Heere I onely touch upon them breefely in point of Actuall behaviour The summe is that the Sacrament hath enough in it to busie and take up the whole man of him that receives it and it is no dead object but lively and fruitfull to exercise him who delights in it So that he shall not neede to borrow devotion from the marking how this man and that woman carries themselves or by reading of chapters and such like helpes But the Lord will have him bend his sences to marke what acts are there passiâ—g betweene God and his peoplc for he knoweth that the behaviours fetcht from the Sacrament are ever safest and best at the Sacrament And that by marking these acts the soule of a beleever will gather one wholesome oocasion or other to edifie it selfe The first As for example When hee beholds the Minister of God standing in Gods stead and separating the
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.
grace of the Spirit one part of our calling and how Page 40 Prejudice against the ordinances and Ministers a great meane of ignorance Page 77 God offers all his good things by and through a promise Page 82 Few men seeke a promise to conveigh Gods good things unto them Page 84 All particular promises are planted in the generall promise and how Page 85 Warping from the first Promise most deadly and dangerous Page 86 Tryall of faith by her properties a good signe of faith 98 Pretiousnesse of faith is one 99. how to try that ead When Props of faith faile oft time faith is at best Page 107 108 The Parts of Repâ—ntance are a marke of tryall whether it be sound Page 112 Practise of Repentance is a speciall marke of the soundnes of it 114. And that both in the understanding will and life Page 115 The Lord affords his promise to his revolted servants to restore them Page 128 The Lord preserves his owne in a good estate when once recovered out of their revolts Page 128 Partiality of love purged by faith Page 143 Pride purged by faith from love Page 145 Such as have prepared for the Sacrament must also come and not be letted by any occasion whatsoever Page 215 Patternes of holy receivers Page 217 Perpetuall memory of Christ how to be continued at the Sacrament Page 219 Preparation to the Sacrament may become sweet and familiar to a Communicant 232. and how Page 233 Profanenesse a cause of ill receiving Page 140 No Pondering of the worth of Christ a lot of good receiving Page 243 R. FAith in the cheefe promse must be tryed by the Roote of it selfe deniall vid selfedeniall Reviving of faith at the Sacrament how to be performed Page 100 101 102 Repentance in what dâ—gree necessary for the Sacrament Page 108 Tryal of Repentance at the Sacrament necessary Reasons why 109. And proofes ib. Repentance a marke of faith 110. and welcome to God Ibid. Substance of Repentance a good Triall of the soundnesse of it 100. That is the spirit of regeneration ibid. Repentance is tryed by the mother of it which is faith Page 111 Revenge a marke of hearty repentance Page 119 Renouncing of sinne a signe of true lively Repentance Page 121 Returning to Gad another signe of it Page 122 Repentance upon our Revolts necessary for Sacraments Page 123 Gods owne people to be blamed for their venturing to receive without renued Repentane 133. Especially for foule falls Page 133 Exhortation to bring renued repentance to Sacraments Page 134 Raysing up of heart to God in all thankes must attend Meditation at the Lords Table Page 119 Restlessnesse of the soule till it bee satisfied a good Tryall of Desire Page 205 Renuing of Repentance dayly a speciall helpe of preparation sweetely Page 237 Causes of bad Receiving inward and outward Page 239 S. STeddinesse of spirit a meete posture of the Soule for worship of God contrary to giddinesse Page 4 The Supper is Christ in a mistery Page 65 The Supper is the Churches marke to judge of her Childrens growth Page 66 Sacramentall Christ a Provision for all wants of his body Page 51 Spirit of God not alway tyed to act his grace in us while we sleepe Page 56 Search of our wants aswell as our prayses necessary Page 50. and 59. Sensiblenesse of the shame of our wants needefull Page 62. To trust God for Salvation and for Christ and distrust him for particulars is sinfull Page 88 Faith in the maine promise must be tâ—yed by our selfe deniall Page 94 True search of our selves a signe of judicieus Repentance and how Page 115 Helpes of true Search of it Ibid. The Soule part of Repentance in the will and affections a good Tryall of the Practise of Repentance Page 116 Sentencing of our selves a marke of hearty repentance Page 118 Spirit of God and seede of God cannot be shaken wholly out of the elect Page 120 Laying to heart the sinnes and sorrowes of the time of others as our owne a Tryall of repentance Page 237 Straightnesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Selfe love purged by faith Ibid. Seldome commers to the Supper reprooved Page 213 Survey of our receiving a speciall part of carriage after the Sacrament Page 227 Survey of our selves in case of our disappointment upon receiving how to be perfomed Ibid. Page 228 Survey in point of want of feeling after receiving how performed Page 228 Survey in case of satisfaction upon the Sacrament what it is Page 229 Vpon Satisfaction at the Sacrament we must doe somewhat presently somewhat after Page 229 Superstition a cause of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 239 Scandall a great meanes of bad receiving with the Remedy Page 242 T. SAcramentall Tryall necessary for a Communicant what it is Page 1. 2 Tryall and preparation differ vid. preparation Tryall at the Sacrament is a duty required of all sorts Page 6 Each communicant is to Try himselfe Page 16 Tryall of others not excluded 7. The Reasons 8. Yet not to be trusted 9. The oddes betweene them Page 10 Sacramentall Tryall wherein it differs from other religious Tryalls legall penitentiall or morrall Page 11 12 Sacramentall Tryall hath her issue eyther to encourage or discourage the soule from receiving Page 13 What course both the good and the bad must take after due Tryall had Sundry counsels and Caveats about it Page 14 15 16 Sacramentall Tryall not arbitrary but needefull and divine Page 16 17 18 Reasons of Sacramentall Tryall Page 21. 22 Its difficult to Try aright and why ib. Properties of Tryall are five 1. wise ingenuous close faithfull direct Page 25 26 Exhortation to Try our selves Page 31 V. VNion the forme or essentiall cause of love Page 148 Vnsavorinesse and inappetency of desire hath nothing to doe with the Sacrament Page 199 Vnbeleefe a maine enemy of Sacramentall appetite Page 202 Most receive unprofitably and why Page 239 W. VVOrship of God must bee set purposed and a separation of the person from other services for the time Page 4 Objections of the weake in the matter of their estate answered Page 48 Weake in knowledge comforted and admonished Page 80 Tryall of our wants the second preparation to the Sacrament Page 49 All Gods people have their Wants and in how many kinds viz. in the grounds manner measure and ends of their actions in duties graces ordinances Page 50 Wants of Gods people are eyther Defects in grace or decayes Page 53 Wicked men have no wants onely they have one maine one Page 54 Christians may be comforted in their Wants because they have a stocke of Grace Page 57. 58 One want hinders all sence of many wants and how Page 57 God upbayds not his people for their Wants but supplies them Page 58 Le ts of Tryall of our wants to be avoyded Page 59 Wherein tryall of wants consists Page 59 We must have our wants summed up in a readinesse for the Sacrament Page 63 To rest upon a bare Word and from one word to goe to another a sure signe of faith Page 96 97 Comfort to Weake beleevers in the poore reviving of their faith at the Sacrament Page 106 Objections of the Weake against their revived and strong faith answered Page 107 God causeth the sence of Wrath and his judgements to seaze upon the consciences of his people being revolted to recover them Page 127 Willingnesse to be informed of sinne and reprooved a good signe of repentancc Page 135 Weake penitents comforted Page 139 Weakenesse of love purged by faith Page 144 Comfort to all Weakâ— in love if hearts be sound Page 192 Watching daily against the enemies of a good course a speciall helpe to make the preparation to the Sacrament sweete Page 236 Worldlinesse a shrewd enemy of a good mans well receiving Page 243 With the Remedy Ibid FINIS