degrees of it are four Labour to dye well two things requisite thereunto 1. Preparation before death 2. A right behaviour in death What is preparation before death Preparation twofold 1. General 2 Particular and that 1. In reference to God 2. Our selves 3. Our Neighbour 2. A right behaviour in death and that in three particulars 2. Of Judgment What it is and that in six particulars When it shall be Four Reasons why the time is concealed Judgment is twofold 1. Particular presently after death 2. General at the last day Difference between the resurrection of the Elect and Reprobates in four things What is meant by the books shall be opened and what by the book of life The act of judgment performed two ways 1. By Examination 2. By pronouncing sentence Two differences between the examination of the Elect and the Reprobates and other things about the administration of it Four Reasons why this last judgment must be Who the Judg is 3. Of Hell Seven Epithites of the place of the damned in Scripture Five acceptations of hell Adireful representation of hell Three Reasons for it Of the punishment of loss and the punishment of sence An exhortation to labour to avoid it 4. Of Heaven What that eternal blessed life is The variety of heavenly joys in four things The three Scriptural Heavens described What is meant by Abraham's bosome The sum of the last Article of our faith in three things Whether we shall know each other in Heaven Proved affirmatively by six Arguments An exhortation to live the life of Grace here that we may live the life of Glory hereafter Books very lately Printed for Edw. Brewster at the sign of the Crane in Paul's Church-yard 1676. 1. THe Apostolical History containing the Acts Labours Travels Sermons Discourses Miracles Successes and Sufferings of the Holy Apostles from Christ's Ascension to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus c. By Samuel Cradock B. D. fol. 2. Mr. Henry Smith's Sermons 4to 3. Cases of Conscience Practically Resolved By the Reverend and Learned J. Norman late Minister of Bridgwater in Sommerset 8vo 4. Christian Advice both to Young and Old Rich and Poor which may serve as a Directory at hand ready to direct all persons almost in every estate and condition under 17 general useful Heads By Thomas Mocket M. A. 5. Moses Revivâ—d A Treatise proving that it is not lawful and therefore sinful for any man or woman to eat blood viz. the life-blood of any Creature 8vo 6. Basilius Valentinus his last Will and Testament which was found hid under a Table of Marble behind the high Altar in the Cathedral Church of the Imperial City of Erford leaving it there to be found by him whom God's Providence should make worthy of it 8vo 7. The Royal Pay and Pay-Master A Sermon preached before the Military Company By William Sâ—later D. D. Minister of St. James Clarkenwell 4to 8. Exodus Or the decease of Holy men and Ministers considered in the Nature Certainty Causes and Improvement thereof A Sermon preached the 12th Sept. 1675. at the Funeral of the much lamented Death of the Learned and Reverend Minister of Christ Dr. Lazarus Sâ—aman late Pastor of Alhallows Breadstreâ—t London By William Jenkyn late Minister of Christ-Church London 4to 9. Lydea's Heart opened or Divine Mercy magnified in the Conversion of a Sinner by the Gospel By William Strong M. A. c. 8vo EXERCITATION THE FIRST Ezek. 16. 8. I entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine GOd in this Chapter by Ezekiel a Priest and a Prophet declares His great mercies to the people of Israel and their horrid and vile ingratitude Among all His mercies this was none of the least that God entred into a Covenant with them There are three things among men that do induce a publick obligation and yet do differ in themselves As 1. a Law 2. A Covenant 3. A Testament A Law and a Testament are absolute and do not imply any consent of the party under them For a Law requires subjection not expecting the consent of inferiours So a Testament or a Will of a Man is to bequeath such Goods and Legacies not expecting the consent of others But a Covenant requires consent and agreement between two parties The Covenant of God with man is twofold 1. That of Works which was made before the fall with Adam in his innocency 2. The Covenant of Grace which was made since the fall The Covenant of Works with Adam before the fall is laid down more obscurely than the Covenant of Grace was Gen. 2. 16 17. after the fall And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat but of the tree of Knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Do this and thou shalt live â— if thou do it not thou shalt dye And so God enabled Adam to do that which was good for the which he was the more obliged unto God Or thus The Covenant of Works God made with Adam promising him therein an everlasting continuance of felicity and happiness under condition of his obedience unto God but threatning death to him if he were disobedient This Covenant of Works was confirmed by a double Sacrament 1. The tree of life 2. The tree of knowledg of good and evil both seated in the midst of Paradise The use of these was double 1. That by the use of the one and by abstaining from the other man's obedience might be tryed 2. That the tree of life might Seal to man being obedient his perpetuity of happiness and that the tree of knowledg of good and evil might signifie unto man if he were disobedient the loss of the greatest good and the purchasing and procuring of the greatest evil The tree of life was not so called from any inward implanted faculty of quickning in it but a Sacramental signification So also the tree of knowledg of good and evil had this name from the signification of the greatest evil or good with the event and consequences thereof Here in this Covenant needed no Mediator for it was before sin was in the world and Adam then was in perfect familiarity and communion with God It was Sin that brought in enmity fear and shame as well as punishment and death For presently after the fall Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord and feared c. because of the guilt of Sin and breach of Gods Commandment So he confessed I was afraid Gen. 3. 10. because I was naked and hid my self These are the grounds and reasons to prove that God dealt with Adam in these Commandments by way of Covenant 1. From the evil threatned and good promised 2. Because his posterity became guilty of his Sin and obnoxious and liable to his punishment 3. Because the Apostle Paul in Rom. 5. 12 15 18. makes all
punishment did grow from the fall of our first Parents The punishment of sin which we now speak of is the wrath and curse of God by whose just sentence man is delivered over for his sin into the power both of bodily and spiritual â—eath begun here and to be accomâ—lished hereafter Bodily death is the separation of the â—ul from the body with all personal â—iseries and evils that attend thereon â—â— make way thereunto Spiritual death is the final separation â—f both soul and body from God together with spiritual bondage and all â—re-runners of damnation Or more particularly All the misery â—f man God in this one word Death â—â—th comprehended In the day thou Gen. 2. 17. â—â—est of the tree of knowledg of good and â—â—il thou shalt dye There are four degrees of death 1. There is a spiritual death which a privation of spiritual life whereby man is destitute of saving Grace and â— lives only unto sin So Christ of the â—hurch of Sardis I know thy works Rev. 3. â— â—ou hast a name that thou livest but thou â—t dead 2. The second degree is of afflictions â—d miseries So Pharaoh said to Moses â—d Aaron Pray ye to the Lord that He Exod. 10. 17. â—ay remove from me this death only 3. Corporal death which is a privaâ—on of natural life and a resolution of the body into dust and returning oâ— the soul again unto God Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and Eccles 12. 7. the spirit unto God that gave it 4. The fourth degree is everlasting death or the state of the damned Rev. 21. 8. which in respect of corporal death â—â— called the second death But it is the third of these corporal death which â—â— here meant Spiritual death hath three degrees 1. When a man who is alive in regard of corporal or temporal death lies dead in sins She that liveth in pleasures is dead while she liveth And this 1 Tim. 5. 6. is the case of all men by nature whâ— are children of wrath and dead in sinâ— Eph. 2. 1. and trespasses 2. The second degree is the very end of this life when the body is to be layed in the earth and the soul descendâ— to the place of torment 3. The third degree is in the day oâ— Judgment when the body and soul meâ—â— again and go both to the place of the damned there to be tormented for ever and ever But now we are to speak of temporaâ— or corporal death which is a punishment inflicted on man for sin Deatâ— passed upon all men for that all have Rom. 5. 12. â—inned This death is a miserable priâ—ation of life And yet this death is not so properly as by Gods appointment â—ut from God as revenging on Sin and so properly it is from Sin as the meritorious and procuring cause of it And so this death is not only a simple and a bare privation of life but joyned with a subjection unto misery Therefore it is not an annihilation of the Sinner because the subject of misery being â—aken away then misery it self should be â—aken away also Now sith we must all dye let us labour Heb. 9. 27. to dye well To dye well two things are requisite 1. A preparation 1. Preparation before death before death 2. A right behaviour and disposition in death 1. The preparation unto death is an action of a repentant Sinner whereby he makes himself â—it and ready to dye That which we can do but once how careful should we be to do it well sith there is no place after for amending of errours therein committed This preparation is a duty very necessary to which we are bound by God's Commandment Therefore we are bid to watch and pray As death leaves us so judgment finds us as the tree falleth so Eccles 11. 3. it lyeth This preparation is twofold 1 General 1. General preparation for death 2. Particular 1 General to prepare our selves to dye through the whole course of our life for we know not neither the time of our death nor the place of our death nor the manner how whether of a sudden death or of a lingring sickness Therefore all the days of my Job 14. 14. appointed time will I wait till my change shall come The best Art of living well is to learn the Art of dying well Balaam would dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. and that his latter end might be like to his but he did not care to live the life of the righteous I protest by our rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our 1 Cor. 15. 31. Lord said St. Paul I dye daily That is in preparation for it meditation upon it and expectation of it This will keep us humble and further our daily repentance and help us to be contented in every condition and make us watchful over our selves to fly and avoid Sin careful to grow in Grace and to be frequent in Prayer to God that He would teach us so to number Psal 90. 12. our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom For if we would live for ever we must begin to live that blessed and everlasting life here before we dye to live the life of Grace here which is the life of Glory begun We all with open face beholding as in a 2 Cor. 3. 18. glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory aâ— by the spirit of the Lord that is we by faith contemplating the glorious light of God's mercy truth power c. by which means we are made like unto Hiâ— in the glory of holiness and newness of life by the Spirit of regeneration which hath its progresses in this life until such time as it cometh to its perfection in the life everlasting â— Of particular preparation before 2. Particular preparation â—oâ— death death this contains three duties 1. Concerning God 2. Our selves 3. Our Neighbour â— Concerning God to seek to be reconciled to Him in Jesus Christ This reconciliation is had by renewing our former faith and repentance To see and acknowledg that Visitation of sickness from God's hand and usually it is for sin 1. Therefore make we a new examination of our hearts and â—am 3. 3â— lives search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. 2. Confess we our sins to the Lord and He will forgive the iniquity of our sins If we confess our sins He is saithful and just to forgive 1 Psal 32. 5. Joh. 1. 9. us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 3. Pray earnestly unto God with sighs and groans of the Spirit for pardon of sin and that God would assure us of it and that He is reconciled to us in Christ Jesus our Surety 2. Concerning our duties to our selves and that 1. In reference to the Soul 2. In reference to the Body 1. In
the words in our Church-Catechism are a death unto sin and a new-birth unto righteousness So said the Apostle buried with Christ in Baptism wherein also we are risen with Him through faith c. Col. 2. 12. God who usually accompanies His own Ordinance with His blessing will not frustrate our expectation in any of those good things which He hath promised therefore we must strive to be perswaded that remission of sins and regeneration or a renewedness of life by Baptism is offered unto us and that we receive it therein In as much as by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ and receive His Holy Spirit unless we reject the promises there made unto us and so render them unprofitable to our selves The right use of Baptism is placed in faith and repentance if thou wouldst use Baptism aright as it should be then repent and believe so we read in sundry places of the Gospels and also in the Acts of the Apostles that is that we be perswaded that we are purged by the blood of Christ from our sins and be sensible that we have His holy Spirit dwelling in us and so daily to meditate of mortifying our corrupt flesh and of yielding obedience to all Gods commands Baptism is a Sacrament of the New Testament by the washing of water representing the powerful washing of Eph. 5. 26. the Blood and Spirit of Christ and so 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 22. sealing up our regeneration or new birth our entrance into the Covenant of Grace our ingraffing into Christ and into His mystical body which is the Joh. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 5. Church Acts 8. 27. This Sacramental washing sealeth to those that are within Gods Covenant their birth in Christ and entrance into Christianity The Covenant which is in general to all believers is in Baptism especially made and established with every one of the faithful And it is always ratified and sure even to them that fall when they do repent Although Novatus and his Sect taught otherwise Neither do they enter into a new Covenant after their falls but that which was entered into is restored renewed and confirmed again We must often meditate on and consider of the Covenant made and entered into in our Baptism Baptism came in place of circumcision and keepeth analogy and proportion with it for both of them were a Sacrament of entrance or of receiving into the Covenant of Grace Baptism came in place of circumcision 1. By the command of God God sent John to baptize with water so we have it Joh. 1. 33. 2. By the Ministry of John therefore he was called John the Baptist so we have it Mat. 3. 1 In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness c. 3. It was sanctified and confirmed by our Saviour Christ Himself being baptized by John Mat. 3. 13. 4. By his giving commission to His Apostles and Ministers to continue the Mat. 28. 18. same in His Church unto the end Baptism is therefore also called the circumcision made without hands or tâ—ue regeneration in the Spirit in puting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2. 11 by the circumcision of Christ That is by virtue of the gift of regeneration which is the spiritual circumcision whereof Christ alone is the workeâ— Buried with Him in Baptism c. So Baptism is our Circumcision on comes to us in the place of Circumcision that is by which the same things are confirmed and in all things assured to us in the Nâ—w Testament which were confirmed and conferred on those in the Old Testament by Circumcision The words of institution of Baptism are recorded in Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 14. Go ye into all the world and preach theâ— Gospel to every creature that is to every rational and intelligent creature or Teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned To be baptized in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost signifies and imports these things 1. That it is done by the command of God 2. To testifie that by this Rite and Ceremony that he that is thus baptized is received into Grace and favour by the eternal Father for and through His Son and is sanctified by the Holy Ghost We must still understand this of believers and them alone for Mark 16. 1â— He that believeth not shall be damned and that for all his Baptism unless he believe So here is the principal end of Baptism 3. To be baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is to shew that the pâ—â—son baptized is bound to know and acknowledg to believe and trust in to worship and fear to honour and call upon this true God Father Son and Holy Ghost and this is the second end of Baptism which St. Paul shews in these words 1 Cor. 1. 13 Were ye baptized in the name of â—aul â—â— as much as if he had said ye must be His to whom in Baptism ye have given and obliged your selves given your names unto and in whose name ye were baptiâ—eâ— Of Baptism there are two parts 1. The water of Baptism 2. The lawful use thereof 1. By the water of Baptism is signified both the Spirit and the Blood of Christ spilt upon the Cross This is that blood of sprinkling which speaketh better Heb 12. 24. things than that of Abel We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without 1 Pet. 1. 19. spot This is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. As the Blood of Christ so also the Spirit of Christ is signified by the water of Baptism Therefore said our Saviour If any man thirst let him come unto Me Joh. 7. 37 38 39. and drink he that believeth on Me out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water this spake He of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive John indeed baptized with water but Acts 11. 16 â—e shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost The lawful use of the water of Bapâ—ism is perceived in the action both of the Minister administring it and also of the faithful who receive Baptism The action of the Minister is twoâ—old 1. The Sanctification of the water 2. The outward washing 1. The Sanctification of the water is the setting it apart to this end to signifie the Blood and Spirit of Christ by His ordinance and institution which the words of institution do declare 2. The outward washing is a most sure sign pledg and seal of the inward washing whereby we with the Blood and Spirit of Christ are washed from out sins He hath washed us from our sins Rev. 1. 5. in His own blood So many of us as Rom. 3. 1. are baptized into Jesus Christ are
baptized into His death Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it thâ—â— He might sanctifie and cleanse it by the Eph. 5. 25 26. washing of water through the word The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from 1 Joh. 1. 7. all sin As the filthiness of the body is washed away with water so we are purged from our sins by the blood and spirit of Christ Ye are washed ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. ye are justified in the Name of the Lorâ— Jesus and by the Spirit of our God That inward washing is made or done both by the blood and by the spirit of Christ 1. Washing through the blood oâ— Christ is Justification So we have it Acts 22. 16 Arise and be baptized calling on the name of the Lord. 2. Washing through the spirit is regeneration when we are by the Holy Spirit regenerated or born again to a new life 1 Cor. 6. 11. Thus far of the action of the Minister now to speak of the action of him or her baptized Every faithful person that is baptized receiveth the outward Baptism of water that there may be signified and sealed up unto him that he is assuredly washed from his sins by the blood and spirit of Christ as surely as his body is sprinkled or washed with water Then will I Ezek. 36. 25. sprinkle said the Lord clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesses and from all your Idols I will cleanse you To be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ signifieth to be made partakers of the Covenant of Grace namely to be reconciled to God justified regenerated adopted to be the Son or Child of God and to be endowed with the freedom of the Sons of God All are washed with water but believers only by the blood and spirit of Christ Therefore not all that are baptized receive remission of sins and regeneration but the believers only For without a man have his name in the Covenant the seal set to it confirms nothing unto him To the receiving of the Sacrament as very worthily it is in our Liturgy there must be adjoyned thanksgiving which is presently performed by every person that is baptized if he be adult or of years of discretion or by the witnesses in his stead if he be an infant who when he comes to years of discretion all his life long ought to be thankful unto God for this benefit Q. What are the ends of Baptism A. Especially these four 1. To be a seal to us of our receiving into the Covenant of Grace and fellowship with Christ and His Church 2. By the outward washing to represent and confirm to us the inward cleansing of our Souls which standeth in justification and regeneration Eph. 5. 26. So in this sence Baptism as it is 1 Pet. 3. 21. is said to save us because it sealeth unto us eternal salvation 3. To mind us of repentance and reforming our lives for we are baptized with water unto repentance Mat. 3. 11. 4. To be sealed to the certain hope of resurrection and of an eternal blessed life In Baptism Original sin is washed and taken away especially as concerning the guilt that is to say the fault and the punishment there remaining notwithstanding the vitiation and the sickness namely wicked lusts and inclination to evil and that to this end that we might all our life long fight against sin and the Devil who is the Author of sin But the Papists say that by Baptism rightly administred not only the guiltiness but also the corruption of Original sin is so washed away as that it is not afterward properly accounted a sin But we contrarily distinguish thus of sin sin in regard of the guiltiness or obnoxiousness to the wrath of God and also in regard of the punishment together by one act is taken away in Baptism But in regard of that error and corruption of Nature it is not at the first wholly taken away but successively and by little and little or by degrees it is extinguished even as our renovation or renewing by the Holy Ghost is by little and little begun increased and carried on in us And this we evince by these four reasons 1. Else St. Paul would not so greatly bewail his Original sin if after Baptism it ceased to be a sin when-as he cryed out O miserable man that I am who shall Rom. 7. 23 24. deliver me from the body of this deathâ— I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 2. Original sin is called a sin exceeding or out of measure sinful and a sin that hangeth fast on or easily encompasseth Rom. 7. 13. us about Heb. 12. 1. 3. Concupiscence is the root of actual sin and therefore after Baptism it must needs properly be a sin 4. Unless that concupiscence were a sin where would or could be that vehement and hot combate between the flesh and the spirit for the flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 17. the spirit and the spirit against the â—lesh and these are contrary the one to the other Q. Why was Christ baptized what could Baptism signifie or seal unto Him He had no sin to wash away A. â— That He might fulfil all righteousness that is for us and on our behalf Mat. 3. 15. 2. That He might in His own person commend and confirm Baptism against all those who so debase and decry it 3. That He might sanctifie our Baptism in Himself 4. That by Baptism we might know Him to have entered into His office and the execution of it Q. How doth Baptism belong to Infants and how are they capable of performing the conditions required A. I have perused the learned Exercitations of Mr. John Tombes B. D. formerly a Cotemporary with me in Magdalen-Hall who is the best and most learned of that opinion and perswasion who hath many arguments against Infant Baptism which require a large volume particularly to answer I shall therefore only lay down some argument to assert the laudable use of the Churches Infant-Baptism which do fully convince and satisfie me and I suppose by God's blessing on serious meditation and consideration may satisfie those which will not wilfully close their eyes against the truth Arguments 1. Because Infants are comprehended in the Covenant of the Grace of God and therefore both the faith of the Parents themselves and also of the Church 1 Cor. 7. 14. is confirmed by this sign that God will be the God and Saviour as of the faithful Parents so of their seed and children which promise of His He at His good Rom. 8. 29 30. Tit. 3. 5. time performeth in His elect 2. Because to them belongeth also the promise of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ 3. Because they belong to the Church of God 4. Because they are redeemed by the blood of
Christ 5. Because to them is promised the Holy Ghost 6. Because they are to be discerned from the Children of Infidels 7. Because in the Old Testament Infants were circumcised As Circumcision was then the first beginning or initiating Sacrament into the Jewish Church so is Baptism the first beginning of Christianity There can be no reason given to deprive Infants of Baptism but that which may be given against circumcision the main whereof is the incapableness of Infants of the Grace of the Sacraments But He that said of Infants to them belongs the Kingdom of God knows how to settle upon them the title of that Kingdom And we have no reason to think but that even before or in at or by the act of Baptism the Spirit of Christ doth unite the Soul of the elect Infant unto Christ and cloath it with His righteousness and impute unto it the title of a Son or a Daughter by adoption and the Image of God by Sanctification and so fit it for the state of Glory 8. To them to whom the Covenant belongs to them belongs the seal of the Covenant that confirms the right to them But to the Infants of faithful Parents the Covenant belongs to you Acts 2. 39. and to your Children are the promises Mark 10 13. made and to them belongs the Kingdom of God Therefore we rationally conclude that if the thing it self belongs to them therefore the sign and seal thereof 9. Your Children are Holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. there is a faederal Sanctity or an external and visible Holiness at least in Children of believing Parents and they are to be judged of the true flock of Christ until they shew the contrary Objection But the Anabaptists urge we have no rule or example in Holy Scripture for the baptizing of Infants We read of nothing in Scripture that Solution doth infringe the liberty of the Church therein neither do the Scriptures afford any proofs by consequence of it to deter from it We read of several whole housholds baptized doubtless some Infants were therein And if the Scriptures not expressing directly the baptizing of Infants were a sufficient reason of denying that Sacrament to them is a senseless thing Circumcision was a sign of repentance Deut. 10. 16. Jer. 4. 14. and a sign of faith Rom. 4. 11. and yet Infants were not kept from Circumcision but God commanded them to be circumcised the eighth day which is a sufficient ground to us for baptizing of Infants For the ancient promises of God to the people of Israel belong now to every believer in any Nation whatsoever Sith God under the Law shewed Himself the Saviour of Infants and commanded them to be signed with such a visible sign as Circumcision was it would be a very grievous and a hard thing if the Children of believers now under the Gospel since the coming of Christ should have less priviledg than the Infants of the fathers of old seeing the same promise is to us as was to them And God hath now more manifestly declared His goodness to us in Christ The promise belongs to Infants Acts 2. 37. therefore St. Peter would have his hearers to repent and to be baptized and he adds the reason because the promise belonged to them and to their Children c. whence I argue because they are partakers of the promise therefore they are bid to be baptized Or thus the promise belongs to the adult repentant persons and their Children or Infants therefore adult repentant persons and their Children or Infants are to be baptized for remission of sins The adult or those of years are to be baptized upon their repentance and the Children or Infants of those repenting baptized persons yea before they are actually capable of repentance are to be baptized also for the promise is made unto them upon the account of their Parents So St. Peter there commands them to be baptized and why because the promise is made unto them So also he shews the cause why those adult repentant persons are commanded to be baptized which is not because they were adult or repentant and so Baptism belonged only to them but also it belonged to their Infants and so he proveth that as well the Infants as the adult should be baptized Not because they believe or do not believe but because they are partakers of the promise Regeneration or receiving into Grace is enough for Infants Much more might have been said to several others of their arguments which are many and would digress into a large volume but I shall dwell no longer hereon Although we be but once baptized yet Baptism is unto us a perpetual Sacrament of our washing from sin and of our regeneration that is to say as Baptism doth not only evacuate and wash away Original Sin in the sence before premised but also all other Sins either past or present for they that are baptized are baptized into Christ's death Now Christ's death is available not only to wash away those Sins that are before Baptism but those also in our whole life which follow Baptism Q. What ground or warrant have we for sprinkling which is commonly used with us in these cold Countries A. Our Church allows no other than dipping unless in case of the Childs weakness as most consonant to our Saviour's Baptism where we read of His descending into the water and coming Mat. 3. up again out of the water Others conceive the very action of sprinkling water very warrantable especially in young Children to whom farther wetting may be dangerous to them The reasons are such as these 1. Because neither dipping nor sprinkling is essential to the Sacrament of Baptism but only washing and applying water to the body as a cleanser of the filth thereof 2. As in the other Sacrament that of the Lord's Supper a spoonful of Wine is as significant as a whole gallon so here a handful of water is as significant as a whole river 3. The action of sprinkling bears fit resemblance with the inward Grace as well as dipping and hath authority also in the Scriptures We read of sprinkling of the blood 1 Pet. 1. 2. Heb. 12. 14. of Christ and the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel 4. It is not unlikely that the Apostles baptized as well by sprinkling or pouring water upon as by dipping into it Sith we read of diveâ—â— baptized in houses as well as in rivers However the washing of the body with water is essential though Eph. 5. 26. whether way it be done seems not to be essential so water be applyed to the body for the cleansing of it Q. How do Circumcision and Baptism agree A. 1. In the principal end for the promise of Grace through and by Christ which was the same in all ages is sealed in both of them 2. In both is signified regeneration and a promise of faith and obedience towards God 3. Both Circumcision and
Baptism are the Sacrament of our reception and entrance into the Church Q. Wherein do Circumcision and Baptism differ A. 1. In the Rite or Ceremony which is not the same in Baptism as in Circumcision for in Baptism is only a washing but in Circumcision a cutting off the foreakin of the flesh 2. In the circumstance of the sex or age Circumcision belonged only to Males and at eight days old Baptism belongs to both sexes Male and Female and presently after they are born 3. In the manner of signifying Circumcision on God's part promised Grace through the Messiah to come but Baptism through Christ already come And on their part they being Circumcised were received into Grace by believing on the Messiah to come but we through faith in Him already come 4. In the particular promise Circumcision had also the promise of corporal blessings as of the land of Canaan c. But Baptism hath no such special promise of any temporal benefit 5. In the manner of obliging Circumcision on their part obliged them to the keeping of the whole Law Ceremonial Judicial and Moral but Baptism obligeth us only to the keeping of the Moral Law that is to faith and repentance 6. In the objects and duration Circumcision was commanded to the posterity of Abraham only and the Proselytes and was to endure but till the coming of Christ Baptism is instituted for all Nations that will come into the society of the Church and to endure to the end of the world To close up all with these few heads Aphorisms about Baptism 1. Baptism avails though administred by a contemptible person as much as if it were administred by an Apostle for if Baptism were in the merit or worth of the Minister then it did not belong unto Christ 2. The power of baptizing the Lord hath reserved to Himself it is Christ alone that baptizes with the Holy Ghost the applying of the outward Element Christ hath committed to His Ministers lawfully called and deputed 3. Baptism is the same as He is by whose power and authority it is administred Not as He is by whom it is performed 4. Every true believer in Baptism is made a King and a Priest and Prophet Rev. 1. 5. Christ washes us from our sins in His own blood and so makes us Kings and Priests unto God and His Father So St. Crysostome When as Christ hath washed us from our sins in the laver of Baptism by His blood He makes us Kings and Priests unto God Baptism as we have seen is a high Ordinance of God and a means whereby He hath appointed to communicate Christ and His benefits to our Souls and therefore not to be neglected or slightly esteemed but used with all reverence and thankful devotion when it may be had Yet where God denyeth it either in regard of the shortness of the Infants life or by any other unavoidable necessity there comes no danger from the want of Sacraments but only from the contempt of them The right use of Baptism is when inwardly in thy heart thou feelest some motion to sin through thy lusts then meditate on that solemn vow thou madest to God in thy Baptism And if by infirmity thou fallest once or oftner into some sin still have recourse to Baptism that thy Soul may be encouraged therehence For although Baptism be but once administred yet that once testifieth that all mans sins past present or to come are washed away 1 Pet. 3. 21. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. And never rest before thou hast a feeling of that renewing power signified in Baptism namely the power of Christ's death Mortifying sin and the virtue of His resurrection in the renewing of the Spirit EXERCITATION THE THIRD Of the Lords Supper the second Sacrament of the New Testament IT hath several appellations it is called 1. The Lord's Supper or Caena Domini from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communis caena vocatur à communione vescentium For seorsim prandebant prisci Romani sed cum amicis caenabant About Supper-time the Jews were to eat the Paschal Lamb which circumstance of time the Church hath changed according to the liberty in these things she hath It is called the Lord's Supper because our Lord Jesus Christ sitting at His last Supper ordained it instead of the Passeover 2. It is called the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 21. 3. A convention of the Church 1 Cor. 11. 20 33 When ye meet together in one place c. And When ye come together to eat 4. The Eucharist because of the usual Thanksgiving 5. A Sacrifice so it was called by the ancient Fathers non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut meritorium not a propitiatory or meritorious Sacrifice as the Papists would have it but an Eucharistical Sacrifice because it is a solemn commemoration and celebration of the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ 6. At length it was called Missa from the offerings sent by the rich to the relief of the Poor or from a dismission of the Congregation after the publick Ordinances But we retaining the appellation or name delivered in Scripture call it the Supper of the Lord. There are many detestable and abominable differences between the Lord's Supper and the Popish Mass which I think not fit here to recite as not at all for edification I define the Lords Supper thus The instituted and commanded distribution of Bread and Wine by Christ Himself in which Christ is certainly promised to me and all true believers Or thus The Lord's Supper is the distributing and taking of Bread and Wine commanded by Christ to all true believers that He might testifie by these tokens that He gave His body to death for us and shed His blood and that He gave us these to eat and drink to assure us that He will dwell in us and nourish and quicken us to eternal life First He assures and seals that He gave His body for us upon the Cross and that His blood was as truly shed for us as we see with our eyes the bread to be broken for us and the cup to be given to us Next that He by that His body Crucified and by that His blood poured out will as certainly nourish our Souls to eternal life as surely as our bodies are fed by Bread and Wine taken from the hand of the Minister which are reached forth unto us as seals and pledges of the body and blood of Christ The Rites or Signs here are the Bread broken and eaten the Wine distributed and taken or the breaking and distributing of the Bread the distributing and drinking of the Wine The things signified are the body of Christ Crucified and the blood of Christ poured out the eating and drinking of them signifie our union with Christ by faith whereby we being made partakers of Him and all His benefits from Him as branches from a Vine do suck and draw eternal life or nourishment to eternal life Of this our union and communion with Christ
for ever And when He said take and eat He commanded Heb. 5. 6. us not to offer up His body but only to feed on it So also another abuse of the Papists is to deny the Cup to the people whereas Christ in His institution said Drink ye all of this It is a high Sacrilegious impiety thus expresly to go against Christ's institution in His own words It is by faith alone we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ And yet we say not that the body of Christ is included in the Bread and His blood included in the Cup but if we will enjoy the truth and reality of the Sacrament we must have our hearts lifted up heaven-wards and look upwards where Christ is in the glory of His Father and from whence He shall come to be our Judge for he that seeks Him corporally in these corruptible elements manifestly errs So for me to eat the body of Christ crucified for me and to drink His blood shed for me is not only firmly to believe the whole passion and death of Christ and by it to obtain remission of Joh. 6. 35. to 54. sins and everlasting life but also by His Spirit which dwelleth in me to be more and more united to His blessed body as Christ there said He that eateth My Joh. 6. 56. â—lesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me and I in him So that although Christ is in Heaven and we on Earth yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone Eph. 5. 30. 3. 16 17. 4. 15 16. Joh. 6. 57. Even as all the members of the body are quickened and directed by one soul so are we by one and the self same S-pirit So then our eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ which is not corporally but spiritually done signifies four things 1. Our believing of the passion and death of Christ 2. Our receiving remission of sins and everlasting life by faith in Him 3. Our union with Christ by His Holy Spirit which dwelleth both in Christ and us 4. The benefit of quickening by the same Holy Spirit So to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ is to believe that we through the merits of Christ are received by God into grace and favour and by the same faith we receive remission of sins and are reconciled unto God and that the Son of God that Word which was made flesh who hath Joh. 1. 14. united to Himself our humane nature which He personally took doth dwell in us and hath joyned us to Himself and His assumed humane nature by pouring upon us His Holy Spirit by which He regenerates us and restores light in us righteousness and eternal life the same which shineth in His assumed humane nature Or more briefly thus to eat the body of Christ is 1. To believe in Him 2. By faith to receive remission of sins 3. To be united unto Christ 4. To be made partaker of the life of Christ or to be conformable to Christ by His Holy Spirit which worketh the same things both in Christ and in us This our eating is our communion with Christ which the Scripture teacheth and which in this Sacrament we do profess namely our spiritual union with Christ such as is of the members with the head and of the branches with the vine This eating of His flesh Christ teacheth in John 6. and confirmeth it by these outward signs in the Lord's Supper For in the Lord's Supper as we do eat the Bread and drink the Wine even so there as surely Christ gives to all true believers His body to eat and His blood to drink This is clearly manifested to us in the words of institution Mat. 26. 26 27 28. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. And this promise is repeated by St. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread To explain this briefly It is called the cup of blessing or of giving thanks because it is received to this end that we should give thanks to Christ for His death and passion for us or that we should use it so as to put us in mind of Christ's benefits towards us and for these to give Him thanks Communion of the blood of Christ Communion is a participation of a common thing the Communion of the body and blood of Christ is by faith to be made partakers of Christ and all His benefits the same Spirit being in us which is in Christ and working the same thing in us which he doth in Christ It is a spiritual communion which believers have with Christ as members with the head and as branches with the vine For the Bread and Wine are the Communion that is the sign and testimony of our Communion with Christ This Communion as the Apostle there said consisteth in this that we being many are one body This makes against the corporal eating of the Papists in this Sacrament for our communion with Christ is only by faith and by the Holy Ghost Christ is the common head His benefits are common and communicated to all His members Hence also it follows that the members are common among themselves whence should flow mutual love and amity The Papists to uphold their Transubstantiation do say that we must take the words litterally and so immediately after the words of consecration at the last syllable of the last word that the Bread is transubstantiated or changed into the very body of Christ and the Wine into His blood But this is a Sacramental speech of Christ This is my body As St. Austin to that general rule about Sacramental actions adds this instance of eating the body of Christ This is a certain way said he of finding out whether such a phrase or speech be proper or figurative that whatsoever in Divine Word or holy Scriptures cannot be done by honest and good manners nor be properly referred to the truth of our faith we must know it to be a figurative speech And shortly after instances in that place Vnless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man Joh. 6. 53. and drink His blood ye have no life in you Doth our Saviour here command such a nefarious act to have the Jews fall upon Him kill and â—ley Him to eat His flesh and drink His blood No it is a figurative speech there Christ commands them to communicate with the passion and sufferings of the Lord and most sweetly to lay it up in remembrance that for us His body and flesh was crucified and wounded So also this is a figurative speech when our Saviour speaks of the Bread This is my body and of the Cup This is my blood This Cup is the New Testament in My blood where the
must with delight apply Christ and His merits to all the necessities of our Souls spiritually feeding upon Him and growing by Him For the eating of the Bread to strengthen our nature betokeneth the inward strengthning of our souls by Grace through the merit of breaking Christ's body for us And the drinking of the Wine to cherish our bodies betokens that the blood of Christ shed on the Cross and as it were drunk by faith doth cherish our souls And as God doth bless these outward elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish him and preserve him both body Joh. 6. 50 51. and soul unto eternal life 1 Cor. 10. 3. 11. 17 19. Q. Who are to be admitted to be partakers of this Sacrament A. 1. They who are of years of discretion and sound judgment able to discern the Lord's body ought to repair to it If they are able to prove and examine themselves and rightly to remember the Lord's death For so is the Commandment This do in remembrance of me And let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup for so ye shew the Lords death till He come 1 Cor. 11. 27 28. 2. They who are baptized and by Baptism made members of the Church For our Covenant with God made in Baptism is renewed in the Lord's Supper As formerly none might eat of the Passeover unless he were circumcised so none may partake at the Lord's table unless baptized 3. Who in word and deed profess their faith and repentance or who express the profession of their faith and repentance by the actions of their life For of occult and hidden things the Church judgeth not but she admitteth all those whom she can judge to be members of Christ that is those whom she hears and sees by their confession and by their outward deeds to profess their faith and repentance whether they be Godly or whether they be Hypocrites not yet made manifest Q. What is to be performed of every Christian that he may partake worthily of the Lords Supper A. Three things 1. A due preparation before receiving 2. Great heed in the whole duty of receiving 3. A thankful close and shutting up of it Of all these in order Q. What is the preparation requisite to this holy Sacrament A. Duly to search and examine their own souls if they can find in themselves those things which God requires in worthy Communicants This preparation is twofold 1. Inward 2. Outward 1. Inward which is spiritual and that consists in a man's examining of himself and so to try his own worthiness There is a double worthiness 1. A Worthiness of the person if thou hast faith and the righteousness of Christ imputed by faith to thee 2. A worthiness of the using which is true reverence inward and outward forgiveness love a serious bewailing of sins and repentance the meditation of the benefits of Christ the discerning the body of the Lord thanksgiving and the avoiding of all offences All these things be particularly discussed by many worthy writers and therefore I here wave them Briefly thus Such as will in a holy sort prepare themselves to celebrate the Lord's Supper must have 1. A knowledg of God of Man's fall and of the promised restauration into the Covenant by Christ 2. True faith in Christ for every man receiveth so much as he believeth Heb. 4. 2. 3. True repentance of all their sins past Isai 66. 3. Psal 26. 6. 4. Perfect love and charity forgiving as we would be forgiven true repentance purgeth out malice among all other sins and a sound faith worketh by love towards God and towards our brethren also Mat. 5. 22. Jam. 1. 19. 20. Gal. 5. 6. The holy Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29. placeth preparation in these three acts 1. Discerning the Lord's body 2. Examining of our selves 3. A worthy disposition To speak a little of all these distinctly 1. Discerning the Lord's body which consists in a good understanding and judgment of the nature use and necessity of the Sacrament Now because these things cannot be understood but out of the fundamentals of Christian Religion about sin and misery following thence the Grace of Christ and the blessings therehence slowing of our duty in thankfulness and obedience to God therefore the knowledg of the principal points of Christian Religion which are necessary to Salvation are needfully required to this discerning here spoken of 2. Examining our selves which consists in a serious trial if we are so disposed that we may use this Sacrament with profit The rule of this examination is the Word of God especially as it concerns the institution of this Sacrament Our dispositions to be looked into in this trial of our selves are our faith repentance charity a desire of new obedience 3. A worthy disposition which consists in an agreeableness of our affections with this sacred business And here is required 1. That we renew our repentance as for all our former sins so especially our late failings and for those sins we are most inclined unto and those committed since our last receiving 2. To stir up in our selves a hungring and thirsting after Christ and His Grace as for pardoning and mortifying our sins so to be enabled for better obedience and newness of life 3. To stir up our faith to lay hold on the promises of the Gospel 4. That with all humility reverence and devotion we receive this Sacrament as the Seal of the Covenant of Grace and of the promises of God Thus far of the first part to be performed by every Christian worthily to partake of the Lord's Supper which is Preparation Now for the second Heedfulness in the duty of receiving And that consists in these four things 1. Reverendly to attend the better to apply the whole action joyning with the Minister in his Prayers making use of all the Sacramental actions both in the Minister and also in the receivers whereof we spake at large before and so thankfully commemorating the Lord's death for the comfort and refreshing of our souls 2. According as it is commanded all must take the Bread and Wine into their hands 3. According to Christ's command to eat that Bread and drink that Wine 4. They must use thanksgiving offering up themselves both souls and bodies is a Sacrifice of thanksgiving In which Rom. 12. 1 respect this Sacrament is properly called the Eucharist As oft as we eat this bread and drink this cup we shew the Lords death c. The Ordinance it self is full of death what other language doth bread broken and the blood severed from the body speak but a dying Christ As the Ordinance so the Communicant doth by eating and drinking in fact declare his profession of adherence to Christ and embracing of the death of Christ for remission of Sins and reconciliation of his person unto God Which although at all times
we may and should remember yet God would have a solemn standing Ordinance in His Church for the commemoration and shewing of it forth which Ordinance is this of the Lord's Supper This must be our actual exercise at the time of our eating and drinking at this Holy Table to shew forth the Lord's death The death of Christ then must fill our eyes ears lips and thoughts If any of us could see Christ dying that sight would take us up Here we come as near to see Him dying as can be represented unto us Here Christ is Crucified before our eyes Thus much Gal. 3. 1. for the second part which is a Christian heedfulness in the act of receiving Now of the third and last part a thankful close and shutting up this our duty in this Ordinance 1. By joyful thanksgiving with Prayers 2. Meditation how we are bettered what increase we find of our faith in Christ love to God and all His Saints what strength and power we have gotten against sin lust and corruption what new obedience we shew forth in our lives and what increase and confiâ—ming we find of all other sanctifying and saving Graces in us to help us to lead new lives and to run the ways of all God's Commandments with more strength and alacrity than formerly This do in remembrance of me This is a solemn Memorial instituted by Christ Himself Great Deliverances or Mercies have solemn commemorations Such was the Passeover and the Feast of Purim c. among the Jews Christ did not ordain it for His Nativity Circumcision Ascension c. though all these were for us and our Redemption but in remembrance of His death hereby we shew the Lord's death Because our sins are done away by His death therein in His death was made the Sacrifice of atonement Redemption and Reconciliation was made thereby the Covenant confirmed the justice of God satisfied and everlasting life procured c. 1. Let us make this thankful remembrance to and within our selves what fruit and benefit we receive from Christ and the torments and pains He endured for us both in His blessed body and soul nay His Soul-pains were the sole or chief of all His pains Do not these deserve a thankful remembrance 2. We make this remembrance to others to all the world by our solemn profession of Christ and His death to which we stick for remission of sins and acceptation with God 3. We make this remembrance to God that Christ by His death hath satisfied God's justice and hath made peace through the blood of His Cross Who shall therefore lay any thing to the Col. 1. 20. charge of Gods elect it is Christ that dyed for us c. Rom. 8. 34. I close up with the Allegory of the Paschal Lamb and Christ how the type and anti-type or the thing signified fitly answer and agree in these thirteen things 1. It must be a lamb of the flock so Christ was true man Joh. 1. 14. 2. A Lamb without blemish so Christ was without sin 3. To be killed and roasted with fire to shew the bitter death and passion of Christ 4. A bone of it must not be broken so Christ had not a bone broken Joh. 19. 36. 5. It must be in the evening so Christ suffered in the end of the world Heb. 1. 2. and 9. 26. 6. The posts were to be sprinkled with the blood so Christ's blood is sprinkled on our Consciences and His satisfaction is imputed to us Rom. 3. Isai 53. 6. 7. Seeing the blood the destroying Angel passed over and they were preserved from death so Christ by his blood frees us from everlasting death 8. The Lamb was to be eaten and in every family so Christ by faith is to be applyed by every believer 9. The Lamb was to be roasted whole his head legs appurtenances so whole Christ is to be received and wholly according to all the articles of our faith 2 Tim. 3. 7. 10. Without leaven that is without hypocrisie 11. It must be eaten with bitter herbs with true repentance and bitter grief for sin which caused that bitter passion of Christ He that will be Christ's Disciple must take up the Cross 12. It must be eaten hastily and with their staves in their hands after the fashion of strangers to shew that we are Pilgrims here and travailing to our heavenly countrey have need of such a Viaticum in the way 13. Only Circumcised to eat thereof So only the regenerate feed on Christ by faith and Christ is profitable only unto them Some Sentences 1. Our Union and Communion with Christ doth not mingle the persons nor unite the substances but it consociates our affections and confederates our wills 2. This is to eat that bread and drink that cup to abide in Christ and to have Christ abiding in thee And hereby it follows that he that abides not in Christ nor Christ in him doth not spiritually eat of this bread and drink of this cup although carnally and visibly he eateth of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ 3. To believe in Christ is to eat that bread of life He that believeth in Christ feedeth upon Him and is invisibly fatted by Him because he is invisibly regenerated 4. Believers only eat the bread the Lord wicked men who are against Christ in their practises may eat the bread of the Lord. 5. All Glory to God and Salvation to Men is placed in the death and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ EXERCITATION THE FOURTH Ecclesiastes 12. 13. Fear God The whole Verse runs thus Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep His Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man THe meaning is thus as if King Solomon had said the whole subject of this Book of Ecclesiastes is summarily comprehended in this point that man should lead his life in the fear of God and in holy obedience unto Him So that after this life he may enjoy everlasting blessedness and happiness in Him Now the fear of God is commanded in the first Commandment the scope and meaning of the first Commandment is thus that Jehovah one in Substance and three in Persons the Creator and Governour of all things and the Redeemer of His people is to be entertained for the only true God in all the powers of our soul And that the inward Mat. 22. 37. Prov. 23. 26. Deut. 5. 29. Prov. 4. 23. Mat. 12. 35. and spiritual worship of the heart wherein God especially delighteth and which is the ground of the outward worship may be given to Him and none other and that sincerely without hypocrisie as in His sight who searcheth Jer. 17. 10. and knoweth the heart For this word before Me or before My face noteth that inward entertainment and worship whereof God alone doth take notice And thereby God sheweth that He condemneth as well the corrupt thoughts of mans heart concerning His Majesty as the wicked practise of
stranger to the grace of liberty whom the service of fear meerly bindeth and obligeth 8. Know thy self that thou mayest fear God know God that thou mayest love Him For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the end of the Commandment is charity Even as out of knowledg of thy self the fear of God comes into thy heart so if thou knowest God as thou oughtest thou wilt be sure to love Him 9. He will easily swerve from the way of righteousness who fears men more than God For the fear of man brings a snare 10. If the love of God cannot keep thee from sin let the dread of Him who is a sin-revenging Judge terrifie thee the fear of hell the snares of death that burning fire the ever-gnawing worm those pains of hell stinking brimstone black flames of fire the blackness of darkness for ever and all those miseries accompanying it which are insupportable to be born impossible to express passing all understanding to conceive at least terrifie thee from sin 11. The fear of man brings distrust but the fear of the Lord brings strong confidence â—rov 14. 26. 12. He that truly fears God loves God and he that truly loves Him fears Him For these in our worshipping of God are conjoyned and cannot be separated 13. When thou hearest that God is merciful see that thou love Him when thou hearest that God is just see that thou fear Him that being stirred up both by the love and fear of God thou mayst be careful to strive to keep His Commandments Pray therefore with David O let me Psal 119. 1â— 1. not wâ—nder from Thy Commandments And O that my ways were directed to keep Thy Statutes Always remembring that frequently iterated precept of our blessed Saviour If ye love Me keep My Commandments EXERCITATION THE FIFTH Psal 62. 5. My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from Him OH how good is it to wait upon God! they alone who have found the benefit of it know how good it is There be three especial ingredients to make up this duty of waiting upon God 1. Faith 2. Patience 3. Diligence 1. Faith which is the substance of Heb. 11. 1 things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Faith is the bottom of our waiting upon God Faith discovers to us on what grounds we may stand as namely upon God's faithfulness and all-sufficiency c. and therefore David still encourageth himself as twice in this Psalm to wait upon God 2. Patience waiting implies delay and delay without patience is insupportable Hope deferred makes the heart Prov. 13. 12. sick Delay is a sore sickness and Patience is the only cure of it without which that sickness will prove death 3. Diligence and activity he that waiteth for a mercy must serve God's Providence in the use of all the means which God hath ordained and appointed for the accomplishment thereof It is Diligence as well as Faith and Patience that must inherit the promises We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that ye be not Heb. 6. 11 12. slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Waiting without diligence is nothing but slothfulness and security Waiting signifies a patient abiding and expectation of help from God I waited Psal 40. 1 2 3. patiently upon the Lord and He inclined His ear unto me and heard my cry He brought me also up out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings And He hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God I will wait upon the Lord I will not go back from Him I will try or use no unlawful means but will wait in His Isai 26. 8. way and expect His help and aid and the fulfilling of His promises depending wholly upon Him and His Word Faith apprehends the promise and thereby brings forth Hope and Faith by means of Hope makes them that believe to wait God is not like to man but in whatever He promiseth He approveth Himself most faithful both in His ability and performances I will therefore trust in the Name of the Lord and stay Isai 50. 10. my self upon Him my God This waiting upon God is a virtue Definition whereby we are inclined to the expectation of those things which God hath promised to us If we hope for that we Rom. 8. 25. see not then do we with patience wait for it This waiting this expectation 1. It hath God for its principal object that our faith and hope might be in 1 Pet. 1. 21. God and the less principal objects are all those things whereby as by means and steps we come to God 2. It hath respect to God as the Author and Giver of every good thing which it expects Every good gift and Jam. 1. 17. every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Commit thy way to Psal 37. 5. the Lord rest also on Him and He shall bring it to pass Every-where in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is wont to be rendered Hope it signifies properly expectation And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signifies more than bare expectation it signifies patient expectation and that unweariedly from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maneo I tarry so 2 Thess 3. 5. it is rendered into the patient waiting for Christ namely by which expectation we expect till Christ shall come to judge both the quick and dead there it is taken passively for the expectation in or by which Christ is expected by us The Septuagint render these words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Soul subject thy self to God for my expectation or my abiding continuance patience perseverance is from Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjectio simply signifies sub alio jacere to lye under another but properly it signifies more as namely to be subordinate or to subject our selves in an orderly way So it denotes an orderly subjection and implyes the reverence of the heart respectful speech and gesture obedience without resisting a willing subjection and in due manner as is required So be subject is a general word comprehending all other duties and services to be obedient in all things The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies tolero sustineo remaneo persevero A man must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stay abide and stand under his weight and burden until God â—ase him Magis significat expectationem longanimitatem quà m adversitatum tolerantiam sic alii Propriè est ipsa laudabilis sub cruce permansio constans in virtute cum crucis tolerantià vel contemptu perseverantia Properly it signifies that laudable constant abiding under affliction and a perseverance in
it or as in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid deprecabor why shall I pray against it any longer Remember the case of Israel when they were even at their Journeys end near upon the borders of the promised land because of their murmuring and impatiency hear their terrible doom from the Lord As truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine ears Numb 14. 28 to 36. so will I do to you your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbered of you from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshuah the son of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey them will I bring but as for you your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredomes until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness After the number of the days in which ye searched the land even forty days each day for a year shall ye bear your iniquities even forty years and ye shall know my breach of promise I the Lord have spoken it I will surely do it c. in this wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall dye Take heed of fretting against the Lord and of impatiency of spirit lest the same or the like judgment befall thee But say with David as here My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from Him EXERCITATION THE SIXTH Mark 1. 15. Repent ye and believe the Gospel HEre our Saviour sets down the way that lost man must take to come to God whom doth our blessed Lord invite to come unto Him those that labour and are heavy-laden Repentance Mat. 11. 28. and Faith are the way whereby we come unto God Christ is primarily the way for no man cometh to the Father but by Joh. 14. 6. Him He is the immediate way but these are the ways in and through Him which He hath prescribed 1. To speak of Repentance We must know our sins feel the weight of them be truly sensible of them and that we are no way able to help our selves else we will never come to Christ and never seek out for a Saviour for the whole have no need of a Mat. 9. 11. Physician but they that be sick while we think our selves whole and healthy we are well enough but it is the sin-sick Soul that sees his want and need of this great Physician the Lord Jesus So Desinition then Repentance is a hearty grief for my sins even because thereby I have broken God's holy Laws and offended such a gracious Father which works in me a hatred and loathing of sin and of my self for sin with a resolution to lead a new life Now there is a legal Division repentance which is a grief of mind through the sence of God's wrath threatned against sin without any true hatred of sin There is also secondly an Evangelical repentance which is a through change of a sinner in mind will and actions from evil to good The former of these was in Ahab who put on sack-cloth and went softly c. 1. Kings 21. 26. when he heard the evil threatned against him and his house and this may be in wicked men through fear of punishment and of hell not for their sins against God so upon the next temptation they run into sin again But Evangelical repentance which is because we have broken God's Laws and offended so gracious a Majesty this it makes us more watchful over our ways more desirous and careful to please God more Eph. 5. 15. Gen. 17. 1. Psal 16. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. fearful to offend Him more circumspect in our walking before Him setting Him before our eyes Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto life not to be repented of whereas legal repentance which is common to wicked men worketh death or is the fore-runner of death whose grief is from an apprehension of their miseries or some wounding of their Consciences for their sins without faith or amendment or conversion unto God whereby all their repentance is in them an entrance or a way to a death But behold the good effects of a serious Evangelical repentance The self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what sorrow it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge I know that some do take the former part of this sentence meerly in a literal sence Wordly sorrow causeth death that is sorrow or grief for outward crosses and losses causeth such anguish of mind so affecting the body that brings sicknesses diseases and death at last We see then that true repentance is an inward and hearty sorrow for sin especially that we have offended so gracious a God and so loving a Father together with a setled purpose of heart and a careful endeavour to leave and Psal 119. 112. forsake all our sins and to live a Christian life according to all Gods Commandments So the parts of repentance are 1. A The parts of true repentance are â—our confession of sin 2. a Bewailing what we have confessed 3. Lifting our selves up with confidence in Gods mercies and Christs merits 4. With a firm purpose of abstaining from sin and obeying Gods Commandments Let us a little farther consider these 1. An humble Confession I acknowledged my sins unto thée and mine iniquities Psal 32. 5 have I not hidden I said I will confess mine iniquities unto the Lord. 2. A bewailing Dan. 9. 6. 8. Ezra 9. 6. of what we have confessed We are ashamed and blush to lift up our faâ—es to thee O our God for our iniquities are increased over our heads c. Psal 38. 18. I will be sorry for my sins 3. A lifting up of our selves in confidence of Gods mercies through Christs merits There Psal 130. 3. is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared In the multitude of thy mercies I come unto thee with the Lord there Psal 5. â— Psal 130. 7. is mercy and with Him there is plenteous redemption And through Christs merits Christ dyed for the ungodly To Rom. 5 6. this end Christ both dyed and rose Rom. 14. 9. and revived that He might be Lord both of dead and living Christ dyed for our 1 Cor. 15. 3. 1 John 2 2. Heb. 7. 25. sins according to the Scriptures He is the Propitiation for our sins And He is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by Him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Fourth part of repentance is a stedfast resolution of forsaking sin and of obeying Gods holy Commandments I hate every false way whoso confesseth Psal 101. 3. Prov.
that wholly for the Holy Spirit make a through work a through change although usually it is by degrees Here is the term from which and the term to which we are changed 1. The term from which from the filthiness corruption and stain of sin therefore we are bid to cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and â— Cor. 7. 1. spirit 2. The term to which is the purity of the image of God which is said to be renewed in knowledge righteousness Coll. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. Jam. 1. 25. Rom. 6. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. and holiness This is called a conformity to the law of God Newness of life A new creature and the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. There are two degrees of Sanctification 1. Begun and imperfect which is here in this life 2. Perfect and consummate which is in Heaven where alone perfection is to had The parts of Sanctification are two Mortification Viviâ—â—cation 1. Mortification or dying to sin and thereby we have a freedom from the dominion of sin by the death of Christ Ye are dead c. Mortifie therefore your Col. 3. 3 5. earthly members Our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should Rom. 6. 6 7. not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin 2. Vivification or quickning unto newness of life by the power of Christ's resurrection Blessed and holy is he Rev. 20. 6. that hath part in the first resurrection Or Vivification is the second part of Sanctification whereby the image and life of God is restored in man Therefore Eph. 4. 24. Rom. 12. 2. put on that new man and be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind From this Vivification ariseth in those that are Sanctified a firm obliging of themselves unto God whereby they dedicate and devote themselves unto God and Christ So said the Apostle they gave themselves unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Hence follow these two things 1. A spiritual war which is continually waged between these two parts The flesh lusteth against the spirit and Gal. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 9. the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary the one to the other So sight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection c. And this continual combate must we maintain while we are in this body of flesh 2. A daily renewing of repentance as we daily do sin Now the end of all this is 1. The glory of God He that hath 1 Joh. 3. 3. this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure 2. Our own Salvation He that purgeth 2 Tim. 2. 21. himself from these shall be a vesseâ— sanctified unto God and meet for thâ— Masters use Q. What must we do that we may bâ— holy A. 1. Subject our whole man to thâ— Word of God for the Word is the sanctifying truth of God Therefore Chrisâ— prayeth Sanctifie them by thy truth Thâ— Joh. 17. 17. word is truth 2. By faith to apply Christ to ouâ— selves as our Sanctification for He of Goâ— 1 Cor. 1. 30. is made unto us Sanctification therefore suck holiness from Christ 3. By a lively faith not only to apprehend and lay hold on the promises iâ— general but also those promises in particular which do more especially belong to Sanctification Then I will sprinkle Ezek. 36. 26 c. clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols I will cleanse you 4. To give our selves to the Holy Spirit that we may be led and guided by Him in all things As many as are Rom. 8. 13 14. led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God So we also are sanctified by the Holy Spirit Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost God hath chosen us to 2 Thess 2. 13. salvation through sanctification of the Rom. 15. 16. Spirit and belief of the truth There are three things must be observed for holiness sake 1. Shamefacedness of body 2. Chastness of mind for we may commit contemplative adultery with wanton glances of the eye so Christ said whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with Mat. 5. 28. her already in his heart 3. Truth of Doctrine It was a notable speech of St. Ambrose Let us learn the envy of former Saints that we may imitate their patience for they shewed no envy in their sufferings but meerly patience and let us know them not to be of a better nature than we are but of greater obedience Not that they did not know vices and corruptions as well as we but they strived more to subdue and amend them He that desires to live and reign with Christ must strive to keep himself from deceit and wickedness If thou wilt live with Christ thou must live after the example of Christ And if thou desirest to have fellowship with the Saints strive to cleanse thy heart from all thoughts of malice and wickedness For the heavenly Palace will receive noâ—e but holy just innocent and pure persons The first degree of holiness is to love holiness and then to love those who live holily For holy persons were not before holiness but holiness was before them He doth speak foolishly who saith that he loves and respects holy persons who sleighteth and contemneth holiness By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God 1 Joh. 5. 2. and keep His Commandments Entertain into thy heart that Holy Spirit of promise If thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of His. Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 9. He who hath Christ hath holiness for holiness hath a double relation unto Christ 1. As Christ is the principle and fountain of holiness whence it comes 2. As He is the rule and pattern of holiness to which it answers of these two more fully 1. Christ is the principle of holiness by whom it is wrought He Isai 26. 1â— Psal 87. 7. Joh. 1. 16. Psal 133. 2. works all our works in us all our springs are from him Of his fulness we all receive and Grace for Grace The oyntment ran down from Aarons head to the skirts of his garments to denote the effusion of the Spirit of holiness from Christ unto His lowest members 2. Christ is the rule and pattern of holiness to His Church Therefore we 1 Joh. 2. 6. must walk so as Christ also walked Now the works of Christ are of two sorts 1. Incommunicable as these 1. His works of Merit and Mediation and 2. His work of government and influence into the Church His giving of the Spirit Quickning of His Word Subduing of His Enemies Gathering together of His members all these are personal honours which belong to Him as He is the Head of the Church 2. His communicable works which
even so must we be and that in all the faculties and powers of our souls and in all the members of our bodies Let us therefore have holy and heavenly thoughts holy and gracious speeches Let our speeches be always gracious Col. 4. 6. seasoned with salt with the salt of wisdom and discretion that it may Eph. 4. 29. minister Grace unto the hearers that others may be edified and bless God for our holy and religious speeches and discourses And let our affections be set upon heaven Col. 3. 2. Phill. 3. 20. and heavenly things and our conversation be in heaven but the word here rendered conversation is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City holding forth thus much that we are Burgesses Citizens free-Denizens of Heaven and therefore it is the property as well as the glory of all holy persons true believers to whom only Heaven belongeth to live in this world as if they were in Heaven already Sith God when we Eph. 2. 5 6. were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The meaning is thus there is a most strict union between Christ our glorious Head and us His members that which is done to the Head is done and belongeth to all the members therefore the members of Christ's body in right and in virtue of the infallible cause and in certainty and assurance of faith are already raised up and glorified and at the appointed time shall really and effectually be so Thus as members of so blessed an Head in Heaven let us so live in this world as if we were in Heaven already bending all our thoughts and desires all our speeches and actions that way having heavenly thoughts when we are about our earthly and worldly employments And so walk in that way which is called the way of holiness that holiness to the Isai 35. 8. Zeâ—h 14. 20. Lord may be written both on our hearts and foreheads for the Lord hath called us not unto uncleanness but unto holiness that God may establish our hearts unblameable 1 Thess 4. 7. 3. 13. in holiness before Him That our holiness may not be like the righteousness of the Israelites as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth Hos 6. 4. away therefore God threatned them That they should be as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth away as the chaff that is driven with a whirlwind Hos 13. 3. out of the floore and as the smoak out of the Chimney that is they should not be stedfast or established but quickly dispersed and brought to nothing But let us walk as becometh holiness Titus 2. 3. how much soever holiness is slighted and derided by the prophane ungodly wretches of this world yet strive we to go on perfecting holiness in the fear of 2 Cor. 7. 1. God For without holiness no man shall Heb. 12. 14. see the Lord that is to his comfort So that yeilding our members servants Rom. 6. 19 22. to righteousness unto holiness we may have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life To sum up this last briefly Hath God quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ That is not only so hath done spoken in the Preterperfect tense for the Future tense that He will assuredly do it or that it is as sure as if it were already done for that we do believe But this expression signifieth something more that as we are mystical members of the body of Christ quickned and raised up together with Him and made to sit together in heavenly places in Him How then should we have raised thoughts sanctified affections and a holy and heavenly conversation being cloathed with the long white robes of the Imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness to have the Moon Rev. 12. 1. which is in the lowest Orb that is all these sublunary and lower earthly things under our feet Therefore what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God c. And sith we look for such things to be diligent that we 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 14 may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless Wherefore as we are thus partakers Heb. 3. 1 2. 14. of the holy and heavenly calling let us consider the Apostle and great High Priest of our profession even Jesus the Son of God 6. 20. who as our forerunner is for us entered into the heavens and is gone to prepare a place for us so will He come again and Joh. 17. 17. 19. receive us unto Himself that where He is there we may be also that we may for ever behold the glory which His Father and our Father hath given Him Who when He was here upon earth prayed to His Father to sanctifie us through His truth his word is truth And for our sakes did he sanctifie himself that we also might be sanctified through the truth For both he that sanctifieth and they who Heb. 2. 11 are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren For our sake did he sanctifie himself the meaning is though He was perfectly holy and sanctified in His humane nature wherein for us He did accomplish all righteousness and all manner of holiness He did consecrate Himself to the death of the Cross to cleanse us from all our sins and to procure for us the gift of the Holy Ghost to regenerate us in a holy and permanent newness of life We are Gods house the Temple â—eb 3. 6. God's house under the Law was overlaid within with pure Gold Let us especially look to our hearts our inward parts and strive to cleanse our 2 Cor. 7. 1. selves from all filthiness of the spirit as well as of the flesh For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries Mat. 15. 19 â—0 c. These are the things which defile a man Oh these heart-wickednesses The heart is as a cage full of unclean birds The heart of man is deceitful Rev. 18. 2. above all things desperately Jer. 17. 9. wicked who can know it Let us give our hearts to God as He Prov. 23. 26. commands us For the Lord searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and hath 1 Chron. 29. 17. pleasure in uprightness God is the great heart-maker He must be the heart-mender Go to God in these or the like expressions and pray O create in me a clean heart O Psal 51. 10. God and renew a right spirit within me Let my heart be perfect with Thee 1 Kin. 8. 61. that I may walk before Thee in truth in righteousness and in
justice and judgment and so opened to him a way that he might run head-long to his own utter ruine and destruction So God confounds his implacable enemies two ways here 1. By hardness of heart which ariseth as we said before when God with-draweth His Grace from a man and leaveth him to himself so as he goeth on from sin to sin and never repenteth to the last gasp And we must esteem of it as a most fearful and terrible judgment of God for when the heart is possessed therewith it becomes so flinty and rebellious that a man will never relent or turn to God This was manifest in Pharaoh for though God sent most grievous plagues upon him and all the Land of Egypt yet would he not submit or humble himself save only for a fit while the hand of God was so heavy upon him for when the hand of God was removed he returned to his former obstinacy wherein he persisted until he was drowned in the red Sea And this judgment of God of hardness of heart is the more fearful because when a man is in the midst of all misery he feels no misery 2. God confounds His enemies as by hardness of heart so by final desperation I say final because all kind of desperation is not evil for a man may despair of himself and of his own power in the matter of Salvation which tends to his everlasting comfort But final desperation is when a man utterly despairs of the pardon of his sins and of everlasting life Examples we have in Saul that slew himself in Achitophel and Judas that hanged themselves c. This sin of desperation is caused thus so many sins as thou committest without repentance so many wounds thou givest to thine own soul and in life or death God will make thee to feel the smart of it and the weight of them all whereby the soul sinks down to the gulph of despair without recovery The sins which thou committest lye at the door of thy heart though thou feel them not as God said unto Cain Gen. 4. 7. sin lyeth at the door and if thou dost not prevent them by speedy and timely repentance God will make thee to feel them once before thou dyest and raise up such terrours in thy Conscience that thou shalt think thy self to be in Hell before thou art there They that were sent from the chief Priests c. to apprehend Christ though He had acknowledged I am He and they were astonished and fell to the ground and He had miraculously healed Joh. 18. 12. Malchus his ear yet for all though they had seen his wonderful power both in word and deed they proceed in malice against Him and bind Him as a Malefactor In this we note what a fearful sin hardness of heart is The danger whereof appears in this that if a man be possessed with it there is nothing that can stay or daunt him in his wicked proceedings no not the powerful words and deeds of our Saviour Himself And indeed among all God's judgments there is none more fearful than this of hardness of heart and yet how rife is it among us even in these our days For it is very evident that the more men are taught the Doctrine of Gods Law and Gospel the more hard and senseless are their hearts like unto an anvil the more it is beaten upon with the iron hammer the harder it is So that that denunciation against the Jews Acts 28. 26 27. is fulfilled in them It is such a terrible judgment of God into which when a man is fallen he feels neither pain nor grief Therefore we have cause with fear and trembling to look into it lest it take such hold of us that we be past all hopes of recovery Sin is a deceitful thing and custom in sin brings hardness of heart therefore read that Heb. 3. 13. and Rom. 2. 5. Let us bewail and be humbled for our hardness of heart whereby we are hindered from knowing and acknowledging God aright and from discerning His glory and Majesty from acknowledging God's judgments or our own sins dreaming we are safe from God's vengeance and such perils and miseries which arise from sin whereas all those out of Christ and in this estate have nothing stands between them and vengeance EXERCITATION THE TENTH Exod. 31. 13 14 15 16 17. Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore for it is holy unto you every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from among his people Six days may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holiness to the Lord. Whosoever doth any work in the Sabbath-day he shall surely be put to death Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh He rested Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy HEre we have the Commandment of God for the strict observation of the Sabbath-day No one Commandment so often iterated or so much pressed This Commandment requireth at the hand of every man one day of seven in every week to be set a-part unto a holy rest and requireth all persons to separate themselves from their ordinary labour and all other exercises to God's Service alone on that day that so being severed from their worldly businesses and all the works of their Labours and Callings concerning this Nehem. 13. 15. 22. life they may wholly attend to the Worship of God alone wholly to separate themselves to the Worship and Service of God that they may with more freedom of Spirit perform the same If Adam in his perfection had need of this holy day as it was first enjoyned in the state of innocency much more Gen. 2. 2 3. have we To teach man from time to time on the Sabbath-day to withdraw himself from the cares and labours of this life to apply himself in freedom and tranquillity of mind to the meditations and actions of a spiritual life Q. But some will say this fourth Commandment is ceremonial and so it is taken away by the death of Christ A. I answer No but it is constantly and perpetually to be observed 1. For it is placed in the number of the ten Commandments which are perpetual otherwise the Moral Law should consist but of nine which is contrary to God's Word And He declared unto Deut. 4. 13. you His covenant which He commanded you to perform even ten Commandments 2. Because this fourth Commandment among the rest and in the middle of them as a Diamond in a ring was written
into His rest hereafter Now a little to speak farther of the right sanctifying of the Lords day summarily and we have done Our care must be over-night having laid aside all our earthly affairs to begin to fit our selves for the Lords-day and His Service thereon Rising as early or earlier on the Lords day as we do on other days for our own businesses as David said O Lord thou art my God Psal 63. 1. early will I seek thee when we are dressing our selves let us have heavenly thoughts as to put on the garments of Christ's righteousness to be as a Bride trimmed to meet the Bridegroom of our Souls Then to retire our selves and pray to God that He will prepare our hearts aright for the preparation of the Psal 10. 17. Prov. 16. 1. heart is from the Lord. That God would enable us for to sanctifie His holy name in all our duties of worship for He will be sanctified of all that draw Levit. 10 3. near to Him Then if we are governours of families to call our family together and strive to prepare them likewise so to Psal 42. 4. Josh 24. 15. Acts 16. 14. Mat. 15. 10. go to the house of God together that we and our family may serve the Lord Attend diligently to the Word of God hear and understand and hear as for our lives so to hear as our souls Isai 55. 3. Deut. 30. 19. may live it is not a vain thing it is for our lives take heed also be not forgetful hearers of the Word but doers of it Jam 1. 22. that we may be blessed in the deed else we deceive our own souls and that is the greatest deceit and of most dismal consequence Let us joyn with the Congregation in Prayer Sing with the Spirit and sing with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. If the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be administred having duely prepared ourselves let us receive it When the Sacrament of Baptism is administred Pray for the party baptized give thanks to God for adding one member more to His outward visible Church and remember we our vow made to God in our Baptism to be humbled for the breaking of it and resolve by God's Grace to perform it better for the future And depart not from the Church before the Minister hath pronounced the blessing And so let us not turn our backs on any of God's ordinances When we come home let us feed in fear and season it with meditation and speeches of holy things After Dinner let us meditate confer on and repeat what we have heard examine and catechize our families and strive to make that we heard to be our own ruminating upon it as those only were clean beasts under the Law which did chew Lev. 11. 3. the cud Then to return in season to the afternoon Publick Worship and demean our selves as in the morning When we return home then to do as before we did after dinner If we are enforced to walk through the fields then to contemplate the works of God His Providence and Mercies After Supper to confer read meditate sing Psalms instruct exhort encourage c. And close the day with Prayer craving pardon for sin and for the iniquities of our holy things Pray for more Grace to profit by all we have heard for it is God alone that teaches us to profit and that we may persevere therein Isai 48. 17. unto the end blessing God that hath given us one Sabbath-day more and hath in any measure assisted us in the performance of our duties Thus sanctifying the Sabbath God hath made it not only our duty so to do but also an essential means of His bestowing Mercies Blessings and increase of Grace on us in this our religious observation of the same Thus God blessed the Sabbath-day Isai 56. 6 7. When we lye down in our beds examine we our hearts how we are bettered what increase of knowledge and Grace what strength against corruptions what heavenly-mindedness more we have obtained And so repose our selves to sleep in the arms of our heavenly Father having heavenly thoughts in our hearts that we may be able comfortably to say How precious are thy thoughts to me O God that is my thoughts which I have of Thee how great is the sum of them when I awake Psal 139. 17 18 I am still with Thee Be not weary of Sabbath-duties and exercises like those wicked Jews who said When will the sabbath be gone that Amos 8. 5 Mal. 1. 13. we may go to our worldly businesses and what a weariness is this and so snuffed at it These men and women are far from tasting how gracious the Lord is and from those who by reason of use 1 Pet. 2. 3. Heb. 5. 14. have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil They see no such excellency and preciousness in Christ they find no sweetness in His ordinances to say with Peter Lord it is good for us Mat. 17. 4. to be here They are far from David's temper to have their souls to long yea even to faint for the courts of the Lord Psal 84. 1 2. and cry out when shall I come and appear before God our blessed Saviour for us spent a whole night in Prayer to Luk. 6. 12. God Heaven will be no Heaven to Rev. 4. 8. 11. such persons as these where we shall for ever be praising God And like as God rested the seventh day from all His works Heb. 4. 4. 10. as one would say God did retire Himself to the quiet enjoyment of Himself His glory and blessedness So we being by death freed from the works of this life from all our labours and toâ—ls from all sin and suffering from all sorrow and misery when God shall wipe away â—â—v 7. 17. â—â—â— 35. 10. all tears from our eyes and sorrow and sighing shall flee away then shall we altogether live with God in the perfect rest of glory For there remaineth a rest or keeping an everlasting Sabbath â—â—â— 4. 11. to the people of God Sabbath in Hebrew signifies Cessavit Addition quievit vacavit a Sabbath-day is a day of rest It signifies not such a rest as when one sitteth still and doth nothing but a resting and ceasing from doing that which he did before So God called this day a Sabbath which He dedicated and consecrated to His own publick Worship 1. Because on that day God rested from His creation of all those new species but not from conserving and propagating of them by the continual generation of individuals 2. Because the Sabbath is a representation of that spiritual rest from sin and of that rest in everlasting life 3. Because that we must on that day cease from all our secular and worldly employments that devoting our selves wholly to God's Worship He may work His work upon our hearts and exercise His works in us 4. That our
search wherefore the Lord hath done so unto us For God hath holy ends and purposes in all His dispensations towards us Hath God taken away a near Relation from me as a loving Husband tender Wife or a hopeful Child to instance in these which was the desire of mine eyes and the joy of my heart if God hath taken Ezek. 34. 16. them away with His stroke did not I dote or depend too much upon them did not my heart run out too much after them did I use them so as I should when I did enjoy them ask thy self these and the like questions Commune Psal 4. 4. with thine own heart and be still go to God in Prayer and say wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto me what meaneth the heat of this great anger Deut. 29. 24. But be sure to fall out with thy sins and not with God So search and try thy ways and turn unto the Lord Lam. 3. 40. with thy whole heart for He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children ver 33. of men Are they dead death hath passed and will pass upon all men for Rom. 5. 12. that all have sinned It is appointed to Heb. 9. 27. all men once to dye We must needs dye and are all as water spilt upon the ground 2 Sam. 14. 14. which cannot be gathered up again We are strangers and sojourners here as all our fathers were our days on the earth are but as a shadow and here is no abiding If we did not dye we should 1 Chron. 29. 15. always be subject to sin and misery death freeth the Saints from all for Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord yea so saith the Spirit for they Rev. 14. 13. rest from their labours and their works follow them But see if it be not for any particular sin of thine this affliction is befallen thee if upon serious search thou findest it so to be then be humbled for it repent and amend and walk more closely with God for the future That it may not be said of thee as formerly of Ephraim gray hairs are here and there Hos 7. 9. upon him yet he knoweth it not that is he considered not God's Judgments knew not nor was humbled for his sins waxed old in his wickedness yet did not he know it or lay it to heart God doth now empty thee from vessel to vessel Jer. 48. 11 and doth not suffer thee to be at ease to be setled upon thy lees O therefore let not the taste of thine old corruptions remain in thee to rellish of them and like them as formerly and thy scent not to be changed when thou art as worldly and wicked as ever Zeph. 1â— 12. For the Lord will surely search thee as with candles and punish thee and all those that are setled upon their Lees. Whatever was good and commendable in thy Deceased Relations that follow practice and imitate and make good use of This affliction of thine is a tryal Ezek. 21. 13. Isaiah 48. 10. God will try thee now in the Furnace of affliction This may be a sign unto thee that thou belongest unto God who hath his â—ire in Zion and his Furnace Isaiah 31. 9. in Jerusalem Although God may let some run on in outward prosperity and to have even more than heart can Psal 73. 7. Gen. 15. 16. Mat. 23. 32. wish and others to run on in sin till they have filled up the measure of their iniquities God would purifie thee Oh be thou purified and clensed hereby That the tryal of thy faith being 1 Pet. 1. 7 much more precious then of gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire might be sound unto praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ Thus we see that the afflictions of the Godly are for correction and for tryal Blessed are they whom thou chastenest O Psal 94. 12. Lord and teachest them out of thy Law When Instruction and Correction go together that is a happy and a blessed Correction Think also on the Saints of God who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. Labour to set Faith on Work yea let the tryal of thy Faith work in the patience and let patience have its perfect Jam. 1. 3 4. work that thou mayest be perfect and entire lacking nothing Thou canst not be a through-out and perfect and an accomplished Christian unless thou hast obtained this excellent grace of Patience see that thou abound in this grace also 2 Cor. 8. â— Q. But why are afflictions call'd temptations as blessed is the man that endureth Jam. 1. 12â— Jam. 1. 2. temptations And count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations I answer All temptations are not evil but some are tryals of our Faith and Hope in God if we can live by Faith and rest upon the promises and so they make much for our good And in this regard they are pronounced that fall into divers temptations Therefore ought we not simply to pray and without exception to be delivered from them but only from the evil of them As God led Israel 40 years in the Wilderness to humble them and to prove them to know what was in their Deut. 8. â— 13. 3. heart whether they would keep his Commandments or no. And to prove them whether they would love the Lord their God with all their hearts and with all their souls So afflictions are called temptations because by them God tryeth our Obedience to notisie our faith and patience both to our selves and others whether we will follow him or not And therefore we may be assured that so often as we beat back or overcome the temptations we have so many undoubted testimonies of Gods love unto us So then Patience is from the acknowledging of Gods Wisdom Providence Justice and Goodness to be Obedient unto him in bearing all adversities and crosses or losses which the Lord hath brought upon us and through grief not to murmur or repine at any of his dispensations nor to do any thing against his Commâ—â—â—ements but in the midst of our grief to retain assured hope and confidence of Gods help and to crave aid and deliverance from him and in this confidence and acknowledging of Gods Will to moderate our grief Psal 37. 7 8 34. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil So we see that patience is a duty belonging to the First Commandement not only because it 's a part of that inward obedience which we owe to God and he immediately requires it to himself at our hands but also because that from our acknowledging of God our confidence in him and our love and fear of him do follow as necessary effects To this Christian patience impatience is contrary and opposed which impatience is when through ignorance or distrust of
man shall set upon thee to hurt thee It is endless to quote all the texts in the Old and New Testament to this purpose I will only add a few Corollaries 1. God will have glory attributed Corollarâ—â—â— to Him not only as He is the Creator and Upholder of Heaven and Earth but also the most High Wise Just and Great Governor and Directer of all things This is against the Figments of the Bpicureans and Pelagians 2. This Doctrine of Providence may confirm and strengthen our hearts against the Blasphemies of the Manichees and Libertines who say that God willeth sin as it is sin Whereas He willeth the act but not the evil of the act c. 3. Against the Opinion of the Stoicks for all things are govern'd by Gods most free and unchangable Decree 4. Therefore He will be acknowledged and praised by us as the Author Fountain and Worker of all good things for nothing in any creature is or can be of good unto us but by Gods Will affectually working in it and by it 5. Seeing all good things are from God Let us not sacrifice to our own â—â—â— 1. 16. nets or burn incense to our own drag that is not resting in creatures or second causes by which we may be benefited but giving all glory and praise to God to acknowledg the creatures are but instruments and ministers in His hand and by His ordering to do good unto us 6. Sith nothing rashly or casually happeneth to us but all things betide us by Gods most Blessed Just and profitable Decree and Good-will towards us Let us effectually be stirred up by knowing and acknowledging hereof to exercise patience in all our adversities As Psal 39. 9. David said I was dumb and opened not my mouth because Thou hast done it Job 1. 21. And Job the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. 7. Let our confidence and comfort be sound firm and established in the Lord who will defend and preserve us in the midst of all enemies and dangers moderating and ordering all evils so that they tend to our good and salvation For we know that all things work Rom. 8. 28. together for good to them that love God 8. By all our past and present afflictions let us be bettered and amended Sith not by chance but by God they are inflicted upon us that we may say Psal 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted c. 9. For future crosses and afflictions seeing they are signs and tokens of Gods anger against sin Let us fear them and strive to avoid them by fleeing and abstaining from sin the cause of them 10. Let us not faint much less despair when we are in dangers troubles or adversities when the outward means of our deliverance fail and the creatures seem to be against us because God is not ty'd to help by them For man lives not by bread alone c. The Mat. 4. 4. 16. 18. gates of Hell shall not prevail c. There 1 Sam. 14. 6. is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few He can deliver either by means or without means or against means 11. Seeing all events are ordered by God and no wholsome counsels can be undertaken without Him neither doth any thing please Him but what we undertake according to His Word Let us not be lifted up in confidence of our own wisdom and power c. but demeaning our selves in the fear of God let us pray that all our actions may be directed by Him and so blessed unto us and that we may never depart from His Will revealed unto us And then confidently wait on Him for sâ—ccess 12. Sith we know as before we said God hath a care of all things especially of mankind and most principally of His own Children whom He peculiarly loveth and careth for so as Christ said the hairs of our head Mat. 10. 31. are all number'd and we are of more value than many Sparrows Let us in doing our duty faithfully in our places rest confidently on the Providence of God Casting all our care on Him for He careth for us EXERCITATION THE FOURTEENTH Rev. 20. 12 15 Verses And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire EXpect not a Logical Analysis of the words and a procedure thereon accordingly that I leave to Divines in their Sermons But according to my use in my former Exercitations to chuse out some heads out of the words read and so meditate and dilate upon them And here we may consider these four heads 1 Death 2 Judgment 3 Hell 4 Heaven Accordingly we shall frame our ensuing discourse 1. Death out of these words And I 1 Death saw the dead c. First there must be death before they could be dead 2. Judgment out of these words 2 Judgment Stand before God c. and they were judged c. 3. This Judgment shall be according to their works They that have done good shall go into life everlasting and 3 Heaven they that have done evil into everlasting 4 Hell fire So it is in the Creed of Holy Athanasius And so also in the Apostles Creed I believe that Christ shall come to judg both the quick and dead I believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting So also in the Nicene Creed That is everlasting life for the good in heaven and everlasting life for the wicked in hell in those never Mark 9. 44. dying flames where the worm dyeth not and the fire never goeth out First to speak of Death Death is the 1 Death fruit of Sin Sin brings shame misery and death 1. Sin brings shame for before the fall our first Parents were both naked Gen. 2. 25. and were not ashamed But since the fall sin causeth shame in all men and women except those who are come to that height of impudence that they are past shame of whom the Prophet speaks Were they ashamed when they had Jer. 6. 15. committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Therefore said the Apostle What Rom. 6. 21. fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed c 2. Sin brings all sorts of miseries calamities losses c. I have wounded them Jer. 30. 14 15. with the wounds of an enemy with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of thine iniquities because thy sins were increased I have done these things unto thee 3. Sin brings death the end of these Rom. 6. 21. things is death So we see that sin guiltiness and
reference to the Soul our duty is to arm our selves against the fear of death as not thinking on the paâ—gs of death which Christ hath sweetned and sanctified to all His but upon that blessed estate that is enjoyed after death And look upon death not as it is seâ— forth in the Law so it is a curse but as it is set forth in the Gospel so it is an entrance into Heaven consider also what God hath promised to the death of the Rev. 14. 13. righteous Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them As we die in the Lord both our Bodies and Souls are really joyned to Christ as it is expressed in the Covenant of Grace and though death make a separation of soul and body yet neither of them are sever'd from Christ our mystical union and conjunction with Christ our Head endures for ever c. God as He Isa 43. 2. is present with us in our sickness so especially will He be with us at our Death when the holy Angels are especially also present with us ready to carry the soul into heaven 2. In reference to the body our duty is To seek to preserve life to recover health as by Diet Physick that is such lawful means and worthy instruments called thereunto and this God requires of us to do 3. Concerning our Neighbour our duty is Reconciliation where any difference is forgiving all men and desiring to be forgiven by them serting our Families in order making our Will which indeed much rather should be in the time of our best health 1 Kings 2. 2. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Gen. 18 19. charging those of our Family to learn believe and obey the true Religion c. Thus let us strive to honour God dying as well as living Now Secondly of the second part 2dly bâ—haviâ—â— Death which is a right behaviour and disposition in Death which is a religious and holy behaviour especially towards God when we are nearer the agonie and pangs of death This religious behaviour contains Three especial duties 1. To Dye in or by Faith relying on Gods special love and mercy iâ— Christ As the Israelites stung with the Num. 21. 8 9. fiery Serpents looked to the brazen Serpent and were cured So we when we find death to draw near and his fiery sting to sting and pierce our hearts then let us fix the eye of a true and lively Faith upon Jesus Christ the true brazen Serpent lifted up and crucifi'd upon the Cross for our sins and for mine in particular and so by death we shall Joh. 3. 14 15 never perish but have everlasting life 2dly To dye in obedience to God As we must live in obedience to God's Cammandments so must we dye be ready willing to go out of the world whensoever God calls us and that withour murmuring or repining Imitating our blessed Saviour who said Father not my will but Thy will be Mat. 26. 39. done 3dly The last duty is To resign and render up our Souls into the hands of God as the most faithful keeper So did our Saviour in the very pangs of death when the dissolution of soul Luk. 23. 46. and body drew on He said Father into Thy hands I commit My Spirit and so gave up the Ghost So Stephen when he Acts 7. 59. was ston'd to death said Lord Jesus receive my spirit And so being dead Joh. 11. 11. Acts 7. 60. 1 Thes 4. 13. sob 7. 21. we are said to sleep which is by a Synechdoche part for the whole For the body only lyes in the earth Now I shall sleep in the dust that is my body only Let us then not fear death Christ hath taken away the sting of it from all true believers He hath sweetned it unto us and made it only a passage to our Fathers house And I saw the dead small and great stand before God that is all without exception shall personally appear before God and come to Judgment of what degree rank estate or condition soever whether Emperours Kings Princes or Beggars then there will be no distinction of persons we must all nakedly appear before this Tribunal we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ That every 2 Cor. 5. 10. one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Observe the placing of the words small and great the small are put before the great to shew that there will be then no distinction of persons as I said before but all must promiscuously appear before God Then the high and great wicked ones who here through the pride of their countenance will not seek after God God was not in Psal 10. 4. all their thoughts except to swear by His Name or to curse God dam me but rather they think on their father Joh. 8. 44. Psal 2. 3. Jer. 5. 5. the Devil whose works they do and drink healths to him and wish the Devil take them so running on in the practice of all wickedness that no cords or bonds will hold them They altogether break the yoke and burst the bonds All Laws both Divine and Humane they trample under foot But then when the holy Angels shall most powerfully gather together from all quarters of the Earth and Sea all men and set them before the Judg even Jesus Christ from whose faâ—e the heaven Rev. 20. 11. 6. 14 15. 16. and the earth do â—ly away c. denoting the terror and Majesty of the Judg Himself when there shall be such a conclusion of all things Then those high ruffing Gallants will strive to hide themselves in Caves and Rocks of the mountains and cry to the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that setteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. But all in vain for there is no hiding-place but all must appear and Heb. 4. 13. that before Him before whom all things are naked and open and so must be judged according to their works Which brings us to the Second Head that is Judgment I need not prove that there shall be 2. Judgment a Judgment although there are several reasons for it besides the dictates of our own Consciences it is an Article of our Faith And many places both in the Old and also in the New-Testament confirm it For brevity sake I will only cite the Texts and leave them to be read out of the Bible Read Dan. 7. 9 10. Jude 14. 15. Christ's Sermon in Matthew 24 25 Chapters Acts 17. 31. and 1 Thes 4. 16. Heb. â— 27. Now next to speak what this last Judgment is In the end of the world Christ the What is this Judgment Judg shall descend from Heaven in the Clouds in the Glory and Majesty of His Father with His holy Angels and all men shall
exhibited and given unto them 4. The same promise is sealed in the Sacrament whence it is they are not called signs only but seals also So we have it in the Word Abraham received Rom. 4. 11. the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had c. There are three things required in a Sacrament 1. The outward signs and sacramental actions concerning the same 2. The inward things signified thereby namely Christ Jesus with His saving Graces and Spiritual actions concâ—rning the same 3. A similitude and likeness between them both As for example In Baptism as water doth wash away the filth of the Body so the blood of Christ doth wash away the spots of the Soul As the bread and wine do nourish and feed the Body so the body and blood of Christ laid hold on by true and lively faith do nourish and cherish the Soul to eternal life The signs used in the Sacraments are either 1. Representing as Water Bread and Wine Or 2. Applying as washing eating drinking c. The signs and the things signified in both Sacraments do so agree that the sign doth so fitly represent the things signified thereby that the mind of a Christian is drawn by the signs to consider of the things thereby signified The ends of Sacraments are the sealing of the Covenant of Grace or more fully thus in these three particulars 1. To help our understanding and insight therefore the Sacraments are as clear glasses So the Apostle said to Gal. 3. 1. the Galatians in regard of the celebration of the Lords Supper that Christ was crucified before their eyes that is Sacramentally in the breaking of the Bread and pouring forth of the Wine whereas we know that corporally Christ was crucified at Jerusalem which was far distant from the region of Galatia 2. To help our memories to bring to our remembrance as lasting Monuments Do this said our Saviour in Luk. 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. remembrance of Me. 3. To perswade our hearts and to confirm our faith as most certain seals and pledges to assure and strengthen us in the promises of Salvation which God hath not only made to us in word but confirmed it by writing and lest we should any ways doubt as naturally we are inclined to do therefore He hath set to His seals that nothing may be lacking to increase and strengthen our faith from whence the Sacraments become not only marks and pledges of our Christian profession but also so many bonds to bind us to obedience So that hereby not only the free Grace of God and the promises are sealed to us on Gods part but also our thankfulness and obedience towards God This is the primary end of the Sacrament and the secondary end is the profession of our faith and charity For there are represented in our use of the Sacraments not only that union which we have with God in Christ but also that communion which we embrace with all those who are partakers of the same union with us We must understand and believe that the efficacy of the Sacrament is not included in the external element but wholly comes from the good Spirit of God as He is pleased to shew His manifest power by those instruments that so He may help our weakness For if we were wholly spiritual as the Angels are then we should be able spiritually to contemplate God and His gifts but now sith we are overshadowed with this lump of our earthly body it is necessary that God should by certain figures as it were by glasses as I said before represent unto us spiritual and heavenly things who cannot otherwise conceive of them in our minds For now we see as through a glass 1 Cor. 13. 12. darkly We enjoy the efficacy of the Sacraments when we receive them by faith Of Baptism NOw come we particularly to speak of the two Sacraments and first of Baptism Baptism is a Greek word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immergo abluo which is primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mergo tingo to dip or plunge into water signifying properly such a kind of washing as is used in Bucks where linnen is plunged and dipt Yet it is taken more largely for any kind of washing rinsing or clensing where there is no dipping at all as Mat. 3. 11. 20. 22 c. Christ no-where requireth dipping but only baptizing which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies no more than lavatio ablutio washing or ablution which may be done without dipping This word Baptism is used many ways Dr. Featly 1. Generally for washing Luk. 11. 38. Heb. 9. 20. the Pharisee marvailed Christ washed not before dinner 2. Figuratively for great and sharp afflictions Mat. 20. 22. Luk. 12. 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished 3. To sprinkle or wash ones body Sacramentally Mat. 3. 11. John said I indeed baptize you with water c. 4. For the whole work and action of the Sacrament of Baptism as Mat. 28. 19 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. 5. Spiritually to wash the Conscience Mat. 3. 11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Acts 1. 5. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost 6. The native and proper signification is to dip into water or to plunge under water tanquam ad tingendum mergo Acts 8. 38. Philip and the Eunuch went down both into the water Mat. 3. 16 Jesus when he was baptized went up out of the water So Joh. 3. 22 23. There is a fourfold Baptism 1. Fluminis seu aquae which is a Baptism of water Mat. 3. 11 I baptize you with water c. 2. Luminis seu doctrinae Mat. 21. 25. the Baptism of John is put for the whole Ministery of John both his Preaching and his Baptism Acts. 18. 25. Apollos knew only the Baptism of John 3. Flaminis seu donorum Spiritus Sancti Acts 1. 5 Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost that is with the gifts of the Holy Ghost 4. Sanguinis seu martyrii a Baptism of Blood or Martyrdom so Christ asked the Apostles Can ye be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with Mat. 20. 22 23. Baptism represents unto us two things 1. The forgiveness of Sins 2. Spiritual regeneration Q. But what proportion hath water with these that it should be a sign of these things A. 1. Because the remission of sins is in a sence like unto a laver whereby the sinfulnesses and defilements which are in our minds are cleansed as the filthiness of our body is washed away with water 2. The beginning of our regeneration is that our nature should be mortified as the end is that we should be new-creatures the pouring of water signifies a death and in that runs away from us and we remain not under it it signifies a return unto life as