from the Crowne would bee so idle as repaire to the King for they are excluded If the Parliament grant the King a subsidie from his subjects no man that knowes himselfe to bee no subsidie man would prepare any such money for the King for the businesse concernes him not So is it here The Lord calls his free-denizons by spirituall baptisme to renue the Assurance of their pardon peace and adoption at his supper and promiseth there to all such a further increase in the graces of his covenant should then any be so madde as claime a part in this Sacrament who never have beene or baptized called and partakers of the Spirit of grace at all Now then how shall that be discerned True it is those that are free borne and true members know it or may doe as Paul quickely could tell Lysias he was a Romane But who shall stoppe the mouthes of Aliants and strangers such as are of Ashdod and Cham when they come to plead themselves Israelites I meane when hypocrites come to the Sacrament pleading themselves to be Gods people doubtles there must bee some Rules of Triall which will not deceive they must be urged to proove their Genealogie or else bee convinced to bee counterfeits Answer 2 But be it granted that this triall of estate concernes also such as are Gods people yet it followeth not that they cannot use it but they must by and by bee anxious and perplexed about their condition No farre be it from any to thinke so The Lord affords all his To stand fast in their liberties and to be above the bondage not onely of Popish or Iewish ceremonies Gal. 5 1. but of unbeleefe especially and to walke according to that they have received For peace shall bee to all that walke according to rule even the Israel of God Yea as its ridiculous for any such to seeke new grounds to build upon so is it sinnefull to stagger about the old because the covenant of God is with us as the Covenant of Noe as the Covenant of the Sunne and Moone Esay 54 8. yea everlasting after these shall have an end Farre other use are Gods people to make of this tryall at the Sacrament First many know not all such grounds as their faith rests upon although they beleeve unfeignedly ignorance may hinder them Againe although they have had them in a readinesse yet by Satans deluding them with other diversions to worldly objects or by forgetfulnesse or being dazeled by some secret love of evill or by the errour of others these things may be growne strange to them darke and to seeke Besides although it be not so yet may it bee a sweete exercise for a beleever to bee well skill'd in his best Evidences and it may joy him to have the things revived in his spirit which hee hath knowne before and especially at the Sacrament when they may most encourage him Men doe looke upon their evidences of lands for more ends than feare of their Titles And yet I will not deny but that as the case may stand the triall of a mans estate at than Sacrament may and ought to bee anxious and sollicitous yea and that so that for the time he were better desist than proceed viz. when having snared himselfe with some lust which hee cannot easily bee rid of hee questions his estate thereupon and till God have eased the hardnesse and despaire of his spirit through unbeleefe perhaps hee can neither perceive nor yet rellish his evidences as hee hath done This may be one case in which this tryall may bee used with some doubting and distemper Howbeit neither is this so ordinary but to be sure not the onely case Therefore this objection is of no force To proceede then 2 Sorts of tryall of estate 1 Our first calling This tryall of our estate I would call to these two heads as breefly as I can First to a mans first calling home to God Secondly to some essentiall markes either accompanying or following the same Concerning the former of these it shall not be amisse to give the reader a short generall view of calling before I mention any triall in speciall belonging thereto In a mans calling therefore In calling 3. things 1 from what consider first from what secondly unto what thirdly to what end God calls First the Lord calles a soule from an estate of woe and misery through sinne and curse common to it with all the posterity of Adam wherein shee lay plundged deadly from a covenant I say with sinne death and hell wherein shee was wrapped This hee doth by the Ministery of the Law which Eph. 5 â— crying a dismall and lowd alarme in the eares of a drowsie and sleepie sinner awakens him from the dead Being rouzed out of this sleepe it beholdes a deepe gulfe set betweene the Lord and it selfe so that it cannot come at him By this meanes the soule is broken off from all her rotten proppes either naturall through secure ignorance or Religious through conceit of knowledge or the old covenant of workes and performances And whether Publicane or Pharisee before this Law putting no difference condemnes and kills a sinner in point of all his former life and jollitie in sinne holding him under the Arrest of Iustice in an estate of bondage till it be brought to utter despaire in him selfe more or lesse of any redresse Secondly the Lord calles the soule to an estate in grace through the Lord Iesus 2. To what And this hee doth by a most sweete voyce of the Gospell spoken in the eares of it while it lyeth in this Pit of selfe despaire The which doth let in by degrees a Spirit and Covenant of grace into it first in susteyning it from extremities by an hope of possible Deliverance Secondly by presenting the soule with an encreasing light and sight of the All-sufficient price of grace and reconciliation in Christ the satisfyer of wrath and procurer of peace Thirdly by declaring himselfe fully appeased by this satisfaction so that former anger is turned into welpleasednesse Fourthly by expressing his placable and pittifull heart to a sinner in an offer of a covenant with him adding moreover that hee would have him to be reconciled and receive his promise as freely as hee makes it Lastly by enlarging his promise in the apprehension of the sinner both in respect of the infinite many good things contained in the same as also the most free full gracious faithfull heart of the promiser loving strong and sure which cannot lye I say by all these presentments of grace in a most apt sweete and powerfull manner hee workes in the soule such preparations of meditation desire esteeme inquisition restlesnesse of heart and unweariednesse of meanes using That at last this seede breakes out into fruit so that the soule weighing all duly in the ballance to wit the worth of grace offered the mercy of the offerer beyond exception and her unavoidable condemnation in refuzing it
continue unto them the fruit of Baptisme but at the houre of death or that the soule could in faith use the Sacrament of feeding which had refused the first Sacrament of begetting or as if God needed such our wisdome to preserve grace and intercept sin 1 Cor. 1.25 Let us beware of such wilworship The foolishnes of God is stronger and wiser than our best strength and wisedome The Second branch Secondly I adde consisting of water which is Sacramentally Christ Touching Sacramentall union I treate nothing Onely note that although the Grace of Christ must neither be equalled nor tied to a dumb creature yet he hath freely yeelded to unite himself with his creature so oft as he pleaseth to use it for the good of his owne and for his glory and that to this end that wee might learne to adore him in all such Ordinances by which he drawes neere to us for our comfort and to set a mark of honor and esteeme even upon those meane things which his wisdome hath devised for the releefe of our dulnesse deadnesse of heart and infidelity Vse 3 To teach us where he hath cast honour upon uncomely parts yea united himself for the gracing of a meet helpe to further us to himselfe there to account reverendly of his Ordinances and not commonly Act. 10.15 That which God hath not thought common beware we of thinking so Hath he taken water and joyned it with a kinde of equall necessitie with himselfe in this kind of conveyance Hath he said He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved and Except a man be borne againe of water Marke 16 16. Ioh. 3.5 c. And shall not we fasten both our eyes upon Christ and water Christ Sacramentall in and by water Better with it for our ease and helpe than without it Shall not he who despiseth water appointed to such an inseparable holy end despise the ordayner of water Shall wee take his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 by slighting that by which he makes himselfe and the power of his Word and Spirit manifest to beget the soule to him and bee holden guiltlesse When Christ hath put both in one Matth. 19.6 shall wee dare to say the one is strong the other is base Shall wee slight it slacken our haste to it our holy preparing of our selves to it our abiding at it our offering up prayer for blessing it our making it the joynt object of our humiliation faith reverence and thankes Farre bee it from us so to abhorre that Popish hyperbolicall esteeme of it and the merrit of the worke wrought of it that wee run into another riot to disesteeme it Doubtlesse he that cares not for Christ in the word Christ in the promise Christ in the Minister Christ in the water Christ in the bread and wine Christ Sacramentall cares as little for Christ God Christ flesh Christ Emanuell By these he comes neare us And he that despiseth you despiseth me Matâ—h 10 40. and him that sent me Beware we of such contempt even in the secretest of our thoughts and affections and let Christ in the water be honoured as Christ for that sweet union and fruit which hee brings to a poore soule thereby 2 Kings 5.14 Ioh. 5.2 1. Generall in the descript Persons If Iordan be precious when God will use it for the Angels healing by it much more this The next point concernes the due acts and performances of meete persons in the applying of water The persons are the parents the Congregation the Minister and the infant The acts are the mutual carriages of these toward each other Sacramentally Touching the which in breefe thus being loath to digresse much from the streame of the point Duty 1 The parents are to have competent knowledge the more 1. Parents duty Psal 51 4 Luk. 9.2 the better if sanctified both of the woefull pollution of nature which by themselves their child hath contracted to blesse the Lord for mercifull dispensing with it in the penalties deserved to be inflicted even outwardly upon it for the deformity of sinne in the markes thereof maymed blind halt lame monstrous yet in this not satisfied they ought to behold the inseparable inward defilednesse of the infants nature and spirit the more the Lord hath done his part the more tenderly to commiserate the wretchednesse of the inner man of it deprived of the image of God by originall sinne to mourne and sigh for it to God by deepe groanes and confession to pray and bee instant with God for the pardon of it the purging and the sanctifying of it Duty 2 To blesse God who hath ordeyned such a remedy as the Sacrament Rom. 6.3 not to abolish but to kill the poyson of sin to remember that the child of it selfe hath neither sence or favour in Baptisme Ephe. 2 11 12. no nor right thereto of it selfe it being the priveledge of the Church further than in and by themselves and their right to the covenant 1 Cor. 7 17. it partakes an holinesse Duty 3 Therefore they ought seriously to revive their faith in this covenant to offer their infant to God by vertue of that promise made to the righteous and their seede that God will be their God to many generations Duty 4 Gen. 17 7. Exod. 20 6. In this strength they are to plead their owne right for their child to beseech the Lord not onely to vouchsafe it his outward livery and cognizance of a visible member but further to extend the efficacy of Christ crucified Christ as presented in the water to the inward ingrafting it into his invisible Church when and how he shall please if it dye soone by baptizing it with the spirit of Election and Adoption Sanctification and renewing of the holy Ghost ere it depart If it live continuing upon it the power of baptisme by attending upon the ordinance of the word upon the offer of the covenant of grace that by it in due time it may be admitted to the condition of faith and faith it selfe by the calling of the Gospell and so receive the seale of it in due time with assurance and comfort Duty 5 In the confidence whereof they are not to distemper themselves about the estate of it whether it dye or live but cheefely apply themselves to use the meanes for the atteyning hereof Duty 6 And so with reverence they are in due season early and betimes setting aside all by-matters to addresse the infant to the publique assembly to the Minister by name desiring him as deputed by the Church to conferre the Sacrament to it Duty 7 Also giving it such a name as may savour neyther of curiosity nor vanity nor superstition nor profanenesse but rather edification and holinesse savouring of the graces offred by the Sacrament Duty 8 And so joyning with the people in humble supplication confession and thankes to devote it solemnely to God and his service carefully watching over it for
than no where what better proofe of the Lord Iesus at his best than this that he is offered to thee in no lesse mysticall union for the end of a more mysticall one I meane as united to poore bread and wine that he might also unite himselfe in the whole grace of his Sacrifice to thy soule and body What better und easier conveiance couldst thou wish than this for so feeble and weake a spirit as thine is When once that people which followed Christ sitting upon an Asse Colt and riding as a King to Ierusalem cryed Hosanna and sayd Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Thinke we not that they saw Christ at the best Why did they else except they had beheld his spiritual Kingdome cut downe Palmes and strew them in the way stripping themselves of their garments to set him thereon Surely they were not so offended at the meanenesse of his palfrey and basenesse of the outside but they saw in this his riding a cleere representation of his glorious grace and the Maiesty of his person So shouldst thou in this union of Christ with base crummes of bread or drops of wine behold a more spirituall presence of Christ who careth not for such creatures but for thy soule and being farre from stumbling at the basenesse of the Asse or Elements raise up thy soule to a more heavenly sense of the Lord Iesus comming into thy heart and spirit bringing thee to God and uniting thee to the fountaine of thy blessednesse in a farre closer manner than ever Adam was And is not this union the Lord Iesus at his best yes verily From this Sacramentall union proceeds that exhibitive nature of Sacraments carrying the Lord Iesus into the soule of all the elect that communicate For to what end is union Sacramentall save that the Sacraments being thus possessed of the Lord Iesus mystically in them might exhibite to all and effectually carry into the bosomes of the elect the power of this Lord Iesus and convey as Vessells channelles and Pipes that grace which they containe I doe not meane that by vertue of the worke wrought or by the force of Divine institution there is any naturall holinesse put into them or magicall power of inchantment to take hold of the soule No in no wise for how many thousands are there both young and old who after the enjoying of the Sacraments doe put most woefull barres in their owne way that the power of Sacramentall union might never come at them So that when the Covenant comes to bee dispenced unto them they fare as persons utterly disabled to receive it Nay neither dare I thinke that by vertue hereof it s of absolute necessity that all Elect Infants must receive conversion of grace just in the act of their Baptizing for what were this but to ascribe more to the Seale than to the Covenant yea to invert their order and to ascribe greater power to an ordinance under which they walke 20 30 40. yeeres carelesly without discovery of any grace at all rather than to the lively power of the Covenant preached and working from that time forth an apparant change So that although in charity I am bound to thinke no other save that all such as receive Sacraments duely concurre with the grace of the Spirit for future improvement Yet to tye the Lords hands behind him and to make the Lord of Sacraments to become their underling as if hee had put himselfe out of Authority and office wholly to be subject to his Sacrament what indignity were it for the ordainer No not so But so farre so often and where it shall seeme good to himselfe to make use of his Sacrament for the good of his Elect for whose good they serve there doubtlesse these Ordinances doe both present and conferre the grace which is put into them Else to what end should they have it except they might convey it Now summe up all and answere Is not the exhibitive power of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus at his best Is not a reall tender better than a bare signe or a promise onely without performance He that promiseth an hundred pounds to lend or give to his poore friend and presently tenders the money that he might be before hand doth he not lend or give at the best Nay more than this not the Sacraments onely are thus exhibitive of Christ to the soule But by vertue of the union I have spoken of the Lord Iesus himselfe is there present where his institution is duely observed to be the Baptizer of his members and to be the steward and nourisher of his family that is to bestow himselfe upon the soule Touching Baptisme first true it is That our Lord Iesus himselfe never baptised any outwardly howbeit as then so much more now being ascended he it is who in the outward Baptisme of the Minister doth give gifts unto men and doth still baptise all his with the holy Ghost and fire A poore sinfull man doth what he can doe but further he cannot goe He dives the infant into holdes it in and receives it out againe from the water baptising it in the name of the sacred Trinity But this our great Baptist he is all in all for the doing of the worke It is he who casts in the salt of his divine healing power into corrupt and of themselves accursed creatures and Element and element he removes the curse death and barrennes of the waters utterly unable to engender he takes off their base uncomelinesse he darts and plants in them the efficacy of his owne death and resurrection both for merit of pardon and of holines he sanctifies clenses them that they may become hallowed and purging instruments And as a planter takes the sien of the Apple-tree and pitches it into a Crabtree stock so the Lord Iesus takes the pretious sien of his owne Righteousnesse the Power of his owne death and grave the strength of his resurrection and exalting and pitches both into water so that water becomes Christ-water Christs death and life so that the soule is washt with the one as the body with the other The soule by faith in the covenant feele her descent into the water to become a spirit of diving her into the laver and blood and grave of the Lord Iesus her being under the water to become the spirit brooding and fructifying the water to become a seede of life abiding in the wombe of the soule to regenerate it to the life of Christ Her arising up from the water to become a spirit of Resurrection as Peter excellently speakes 1 Epist cap. 3. verse 21. and a baptising of the soule with the activity and raising of her up with Christ from her death grave basenesse and misery unto immortality and glory Yea in all three the soule feeles the power of a new and omnipotent creation of her to God ingrafting her in God never to be pulled from him any more as at first And as the
can heale worse diseases the disease of my nature the distempers of pride envie worldlinesse selfelove impatience 2 King 2 14. infidelitie and what not As Elisha having the cloake of his Master with the promise of his Spirit smote the waters and caused them to goe this way and that till he went o-over dry so doe thou cry Where is the Lord God of Baptisme The Lord Iesus in the water the Spirit of regeneration Oh! let the Arke carrie mee safe and free from the gulfe of wrath and destruction 2 Kin. 2 21. First O holy Lord let thy Spirit cast his salt into these waters which my sinne hath made barren and accursed even as all other creatures and sanctifie them by union and put a blessing upon them implanting the root of the Lord Iesus into my soule by dipping me into them that so as verily as I behold my childs face and my owne flesh cleansed from spots by outward water so surely we may find our soules and spots thereof to be washed by the bloud of Christ this true laver of the new Birth unto remission of sinnes and eternall life Thus much of this point I now come to the third and last The 3. general The end of it The third generall in the Description is the end whereto Baptisme serveth And that is the sealing up of all the grace mentioned before to be the soules owne in assured perswasion and possession I say not that this is the end which all baptized ones attaine unto nay not all who yet by the word and faith doe attaine some comfortable fruit of Baptisme But this I say is the end which God intends in the Sacrament To seale up the soule to an assured feeling and reall partaking of those holy things of Christ which are here offered I meane not that this sealing of Baptisme is inherent in it To seale our regeneration so as if the Spirit of regeneration were but an attendant to Baptisme no in no wise but this where the Lord meanes to bestow upon a beleeving soule which though it relies upon his Word and Promise yet finds many doubts and feares this grace of knowing it selfe to beleeve to be regenerated to be elect to be heire to heaven which reflexion is the worke of the holy Ghost there the Lord useth the Sacrament of Baptisme to be the instrument of this assurance and to make up the evidence of the word full and effectuall For even as the seale annexed to an evidence makes it past question as I said before so doth this Seale added to the word perfect the evidence of it and therefore we may truly say carries in it the last best and uttermost evidence which the Lord hath to bestow upon the soule to put her out of question To repeat things spoken already is not my purpose By looking at the Covenant onely apply the generall to particular The seale of Baptisme lookes at the extent of the Covenant Thou knowest what it is to have the Lord to be thy God in Christ I spake even now at large of the grace of Baptisme The selfe same is the extent of the Covenant it reacheth not one inch shorter than that I spake there Now marke as large as that is so large is this Seale of Baptisme and the Lord keeper of the great Seale is the Spirit of Christ he it is who brings it forth to the soule that needs it and hungers after it by the taste of the graciousnesse and sweetnesse of God in the Covenant And he aâ—kes the soule and saith Poore soule have not I oft convinced thee by my promise of my faithfull meaning Have I not said I will never faile or deceive thee Yes Lord but I am sold under carnall sence and infidelity Well but what saist thou if I bring forth the markes the wounds the water and bloud of the Lord Iesus side sprinkle them upon thee when Tamar knew not how to convince Iuda lo she sends him the cloke staffe Gen. 38 25. and signet asking him Whose they were and when he saw them he was convinced This course was better than words it had a reall relation in it So here the Spirit brings out the very instuments of assurance and laies water upon thy flesh to secure thee Christ in his life and death is thine and shall not this be a reall relation above the naked word unto thee Yes surely if together with the outward presenting of the things he also clap the Seale upon thy soule and leave a print upon thy soft heart which may assure thee he hath been there to fetch out thy slavish feare and infidelitie Ephe. 1 13. Reade Ephe. 1 13. where this Spirit is called the sealer of the Promise it s called the earnest of our Inheritance and purchased possession Reade also Ephes 4.30 where it is called the Sealer of our redemption Ephe. 4.30 By which phrases all the whole grace of Christ is meant viz. That the Spirit in Baptisme seales our Vocation our Iustification Adoption Sanctification and the rest one as well as the other Vse 1 Now for use Branch 1 If this be true what cause of mourning is there for us in these times that the grace and sealing power of the Spirit in Baptisme is so unknowne to the body of Congregations in this Church How few behold Baptisme with such an eye Oh! how do the most turne it into a ceremony Some of the richer sort making it a ceremony of Pompe and sensualitie the poorer of common passage and forme which when it s over the Pageant is done The better sort acknowledge but an initiating ordinance serving to make men visible Christians But as for grace especially this exceeding grace of the sealing Spirit of Adoption and assurance what one of an hundred sees it Oh lamentable We reade that when certaine disciples of Iohns baptisme at Ephesus Act. 19 2. were asked by Paul If they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved They answered They knew not so much as whether there was an holy Ghost or no. So may I say of our people Alas they are so farre from the Seale of Baptisme that they know not whether there be any such thing or not They know not that God hath any Ordinance of so high nature or no as this to convey assurance into a man of his regeneration And how can such chuse but live a sad drooping course Branch 2 Nay to this I may adde that it is the case of thousands of Christians whom we should highly offend if we questioned them who scarse see neede of such a sealing Ordinance They praise God they have beleeved their salvation and since that they have been rid of all feares and doubts and walke on and on without ayle or annoiance Indeede they found some adoe with themselves ere they could attaine faith But when they once got it they got all at once and since feele small doubts or oppositions to
called had beene Sacrilegious Even so here in the Elements resembling his separation and death But for the act it selfe consider two things first Two things in it 1. What it was What was it Why was it For answer to the first The breaking of Christ was a taking of the loafe and a breaking thereof with his holy hands into gobbets and morsels meet for his disciples not minsing the bread and cutting it with a knife into small bits nor yet into overgreat pieces but I say into morsels competent I doe not quarrell with the custome of cutting with the knife for as I said before of sprinkling the water so I say of this I disanull not the Ordinance thereby yet still I say I would rather chuse to cleave to the institution in so plaine an act of our Saviour if it may conveniently be done than to balcke it And the rather because it may savor of some Popish nicenesse For as they weare white gloves when they meddle with the Elements and touch them not with their bare hands pretending more reverence to be in a beasts skin than a mans naked hand so some thinke it too homely perhaps to breake the bread with their hands in comparison of cutting it with a knife To such I say that they are too nice herein and the institution of Christ much more to be followed the Minister himselfe breaking it and no leaving it as sometimes is used to the Clarke or Sexton to be done 2. Why was it Secondly why was it I answer for sundry causes first to parallell the Sacrifice of the Passeover a type of Christs Supper which was to be slaine and the bloud of it sprinckled about secondly for a more meete apportioning of the bread of the Sacrament and the Wine to the easier use of the Receivers than in the whole loafe or flagon thirdly and more principally to represent the voluntary offering up himselfe the next day upon the Crosse for an oblation to God Else he would have chosen some other to breake and powre out but in doing it himselfe he typified his laying downe his life freely Ioh. 10 18. when as else none could have taken it from him for when his apprehendors were cast upon the earth then did he yeeld himselfe to their hands fourthly to signifie to the Church that although the Lord Iesus were in himselfe the fountaine of all life and nourishment to his Church yet his Church could no otherwise be capable of him to such ends than by vertue of his being broken upon the Crosse He was as a sealed fountaine before Zach. 13.1 but now set open for the Church This Reason I would have well noted No other way but to be broken could make him meate and drinke indeede The Butt of wine in the Celler hath wine of excellent quality in it selfe but except it be broached none can be the better for it Hence the Church in the Canticles cries out Cant. 1 3. Thou art as an oyntment powred out in the savor of thy oyntments we will follow thee Ioh. 12 2. As that box of oyntment Iohn 12.2 which was broken upon him and powred out upon him so that all the house smelt of it Hence the holy Ghost especially dwells upon his powring out of his soule unto death his being broken for our transgressions Esay 53 12. Rom. 3.25 and other the like phrases there Esa· 53. And Saint Paul dwels upon his bloud-shed Rom. 3.25 ane in twentie other places to shew that nothing but death could make us the better for him either in pardon or Sanctification No incarnation of his no Innocency Miracles no Compassion Teares Love Reproaches Preaching Prayers without his being broken could make him usefull to us Fifthly as he could doe us no good save this way so there is a further thing in it for Christ could not be broken for nourishment till hee was for expiation and attonement By being once broken by death he both paid the price of wrath and also became meete nourishment Christ being made ours to pardon is also made ours to feede and furnish our soules with all graces of his Spirit the Supper is so the Sacrament of our growth in the Lord Iesus as first hee is our growth in faith and Iustification and then of holinesse Objection But here is an objection How can Christ be broken for our nourishment whereas the Scripture tells us Iohn 19 36. Not a bone of him should be broken Answer Answer No necessitie lay upon Christ to be broken according to the uttermost measure of breaking Onely essentiall breaking and powring out of his soule by death lay upon him and this was necessary to make attonement for sinne else no union could have beene purchaced with God nor any fruit thereof in either restoring of life or continuing welfare unto it restored The Providence of God was such in the alleniating of the Crosse and breaking of Christ that hee was dispensed with as touching those excesses extremities indignities which else might have lighted upon him had not the excellency of his person and his sufficiencie to satisfie taken them off Therefore whereas the Law was that the bones of the crucified should be broken to hasten their lingring death the Lord Iesus his bones were not broken he being dead before and so it was with him in the continuance in the hellish measure of torment that hee was freed from them It was enough that hee was so broken that the bande of soule and body was dissolved and his soule was powred forth unto death Vse 1 The uses are weightie first of Confutation of Popery And that first in this that they make a meere apish Pageant and Poppet-play of this Sacrament yea rather an enterlude to please and delight the sences of the blindly devout than a resemblance of the crucified body of the Lord Iesus for the comfort of the Church But especially that they destroy the essence of this act of Breaking In steed whereof they come and bring an whole unbroken Element made of a fine delicate wafer round and whole And as for powring out the wine to the people they never powre out nor allow any at all unto them but keept it quite from them Thirdly they professe not to act the part of the Father reaching out the broken body of Christ to his people but their Priest sustaines rather the person of a false Church and an Idolater to offer up to God a Sacrifice of Christ for expiation destroying the power of Christ our onely Oblation offered by himselfe never more needing to be offered And whereas we presse this argument against them they flie to a shift which overthrowes their cause saying They offer an unbloudy sacrifice in their Masse not bloudy as that of the Crosse In all three respects being the most wofull enemies of the Sacrament Hovv Papists enemies to a broken Christ For first they act it as a thing of mirth not as a broken Christ
secondly they neither breake nor powre out to the use of the Congregation thirdly they professe to have so little neede that God should give them his broken Sonne that they bid him take him backe to himselfe for they care not for him nay they give him backe with a mocking of God and say they offer him an unbloudy Christ and unbroken whereas its sure if the Lord Iesus had done so hee had blasphemed and not satisfied Heb. 9 22. Cursed be all new offering of a Christ as a propitiatory Sacrifice to God or offering of a Christ without bloud Thou shalt as soone satisfie wrath by thy owne or by an Angels or Saints Prayers as by a Christ unbroken and unbloudy A Christ neither broken nor bloudy is an Idoll nothing in the world neither meete to satisfie nor to nourish So that forasmuch as the Church of Romes Sacrament is a Christ no Christ no price no pardon no peace reconciliation or eternall life is to be found there We beseech God for ever to deliver us from her and our selves depart from her as a fatall enemy and destroyer of the Sacrament of the Supper Vse 2 Secondly This teacheth both Minister and people to bring with them pure hands and holy bodies and spirits when they touch breake powre out take and eate these pretious mysteries For what communion can be betweene light and darkenesse Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.16 The very Sacramentall acts alone require holinesse of all that thus draw neere unto God least he be revenged of their profaning his Ordinance And how carefull should the Minister be himselfe to act this breaking and powring out not leaving it to another since thereby the voluntarie Act of the Lord Iesus is obscured hee himselfe still freely giving himselfe by the onely hand of his deputed Minister Vse 3 Thirdly and especially let it be exhortation to all Christs people to acknowledge the admirable wisdome of this his ordaining the Sacrament for us in so lively a manner Exhort to diverse things and under such powerfull signification That whereas we come to the Supper for our nourishment and growing in faith and gracc in Christ Lo the Lord offers these under the lively sâ—â—nes of the Lord Iesus himselfe and not onely so but cruciâ—â—d and broken and powred out for us even meete nourishment meet to be apprehended by us in the act of his suffering to secure us of our justification by removing of wrath in the act of his preparednesse to nourish us by cutting himselfe out into morsels for us Oh! what life and sappe is there in a Sacrament so offered to a poore soule as crucifying Christ before our eyes and giving him so into our hands What thankes should this draw from us If Esay Chap. 63.1 could in the meditation of this point so many hundred yeares before Esay 63 1. ravish his heart how much more we How should the instruments of our soules peace with God and welfare in him cause us to cry out as he did Who is he that commeth up from Bozrah in his red garments be sprinkled with the wrath of God upon soule and body by agonies desertions outcries and dolors incomprehensible under that justice and wrath the winepresse fiercenesse whereof he trod And although he thereby was powred out to death yet he so trod out that wrath that it shall never seaze after upon a beleeving soule Oh! not only to thinke of this as Esay did a farre off but to behold the very thing in the Sacrament in a broken powred out bloudy Sacrifice made ready to our hand both to forgive refresh and revive the assurance of both to our soules what thanks and joy should it breed in us How should it magnifie the power of the death of our Lord Iesus in us He himselfe was wholy taken up in the joy of it as bitter as it was and shall not we Ioh. 12 24 25. Reade Ioh. 12.24.32 when some Greeke Proselites preassed to have a sight of him two or three dayes ere his suffering he pulls them to behold him dead not alive Except the wheate corne fall and die it abides alone If I be lifted up I will draw all unto me meaning by the word and Sacraments of this Passion And shall not these ravish us much more Vse 4 Fourthly what compassion and mourning should this sight worke in us Reade Zech. 12.10 Zach. 12 10. They shall see him whom they have pierced and mourne and be in bitternesse as one for his onely Sonne I exhort none to whip themselves for Christ for wo be to such as mourne for him whom they should rejoyce in No no weepe for your selves Come eate this Passe-over withâ—â—wre herbes Exod. 12 8. and behold your selves in this Sacrament who brake rent and powred out the heart-bloud of the Lord Iesus to the earth Truly if thou be not sensible of this thy sinne and broken for breaking the Lord Iesus thou art a Cain to this Abel Gen. 4.10 and his bloud shall cry for vengeance against thee Hearken to the voyce of Iustice crying out Either rend this sinfull cursed soule in pieces for her hypocrisie infidelitie profanenesse or teare the flesh of thy Son for him Aske oh Lord why should not I have beene torne and broken rather for my owne sin But thou hast laid the iniquitie of me upon him Oh! how I am stung for the cause Therefore I mourne not because thou did spare me and lay my guilt upon him but because I was that speare those nailes that brake his holy hands and sides Oh! How few come into the Congregation thus abased Behold thy owne just destinie in the broken body of Christ and mourne Oh thus my pride hollownesse worldlinesse had handled me if the Lord Iesus had not stept in Moderate that frothy lightnesse of spirit which beholds Christ in the Sacrament as an object of all joy and mirth Oh! Let it be thy sadnesse first and thy gladnesse after If the sight of a Page being beaten for a Prince will cause the Prince to mourne and see his errour in the Pages strokes what shall the Page do then when he sees the Prince smitten for his prankes Oh! such a broken heart would make Christ sweet in the Sacrament such a mourning would bring joy For why As thou shouldest have suffered unsatisfyingly except Christ had satisfied So he having freely broken himself for thee hath prevented thy breaking and caused thee to blesse him and say Oh! because thou hast delivered me from this anguish I wil take up the cup of salvation and praise thee Thou stepst in Oh Lord when Angels durst not betweene wrath and my soule Psal 116.13 that the snare being broken I might escape Vse 5 Fifthly concurre therefore by faith with this broken Lord Iesus in the Sacrament first behold the order of it then the act it selfe For the first Remember Two things 1 Order that all true right to the Lord
the Lord Iesus that so it might never faile nor wanze away any more Then surely it behooves that the Lord Iesus be as well the keeper of this life and the nourishment thereof as hee was the first the breeder thereof Answere 4 Fourthly the Father to this end must really convey into the person of Christ all such power and vertue as may enable him to be the life and nourishment of his members and therefore he must fill him with himselfe bodily and make him the treasury of all graces wisedome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption all good things necessary for the making of such as are not his to become his and such as are his to be more his or his in a more full and assured manner to prosper grow and thrive in him unto perfection Answere 5 Fiftly he must also qualifie the Lord Iesus with the gift of conveying this holy nature of his and this blessed nourishment of his unto his people and this he doth not onely by the union of flesh with God but especially by the death and satisfaction of Christ by which as by a wide dore he opened the treasure of life and nourishment which was in him and merited that the life of grace in forgivenesse and holinesse might be theirs and that himselfe in his flesh and blood broken and powred out might bee a most effectuall seede of life and foode of life to support them Answere 6 Sixtly to this end hee hath the authority to send forth the word of reconciliation and of nourishment unto his people and as by the power of vocation to call them from death to life that all who heare the voyce of God might live so also to create in their soules by that word of his Esay 57.17 the gift of faith to pull them to himselfe to unite them to himselfe and to convey his owne spirituall life by this union of faith unto them causing his blessed Spirit to concurre so with the word as to settle it upon them and having so done to give them this priviledge that they shall as truely bee maintained at his cost Iohn 17.11 be kept in his name be upheld in grace prosper in it be defended against all enemies within or without which might impeach this their welfare growth fruitfulnesse and perseverance as ever he bred life in them at the first Answere 7 Seventhly and lastly they receive by this priviledge as true right to claime plead for and expect the Lord Iesus to be their nourishment as the poore dumbe creature by the instinct of nature being brought forth runnes to the Damme for milke Or as the Infant comming forth of that wombe which gave it life cryes for the brest of the same mother and pleades to be nourished by her By these steps it may be conceived in generall how the Lord Iesus is made of the Father the true foode of his members The second question viz. How Christ is so in the Supper But as yet here is nothing of Christ our Sacramentall nourishmen Vnderstand therefore the Sacrament to stand in relation to the word of promise wherein Christ is made the poore soules owne to feede her As I noted in Baptisme so heere againe observe Christ in promise and Christ in the Supper differ not save in the manner and degree of exhibiting him out nourishment Looke then what the Spirit of the promise workes for the soule that it much more worketh by the Sacrament First persents the promises Take some instances First it presents the soule of every one truely bred with those choise promises of Christ her nourishment searching them out of each corner Tells her Esay 25. Esay 25.7 That the Lord makes her a feast upon the mountaines of fat things of wines refined and pure and the dishes of the feast are Christ in his graces plucking away the veile of darkenesse remooving death and feare bringing joy and peace Esay 55.1 Esay 55.2 he offers him in all kinds of things usefull and nourishing wine honey oyle bids her eate good things and delight her selfe in fatnesse In Pro. 7. Prov. 7.1 he invites her to his feast and provision of all choice dainties not for necessity onely but for fulnesse for delicacy for variety and delight for safety for durablenesse In Psal 23. Psal 23.3 hee leades her as a shepheard into his pastures streames folds guards her against dangers and death annoints her head with balme Cant. 4.13 and fills full her cup. In the Canticles he makes himselfe her husband to marry himselfe to her and bestow all at once upon her his garments smell of mirrhe Cinnamon and Cassia In Psal 84. Psal 84.11 he denies her nothing that is good for her either for light or defence in those Parables he makes her a feast Luk. 15.23 brings out the Calfe In Iohn 6. Iohn 6.55 tells her his flesh is not onely life but meate indeede and his blood drinke indeede And plainely saith They that live in him shall abide in him and out of their belly shall spring up waters of life they that eate him shall not dye but live for ever In Revel 3. Revel 3.18 he offers himselfe to her in all respects Attire for nakednesse Gold for poverty eye-salve for blindnesse himselfe a supply of all necessities How much more then doth hee leade her to this great Sacramentall promise mentioned in the Text This is my body given for you this is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood 2. Brings the fulnesse of Christ into the promise Againe the Spirit of the promise brings the Lord Iesus and all his fulnesse of nourishment into that promise the spirit of nature doth not so prepare the nourishment of the infant and seale it in the brest for more easie fastning than the Spirit doth settle all the fulnesse of Christ in a promise so that it offers it selfe to the hungry soule Besides 3. Puts the truth of the promiser into it it put the faithfulnesse of the promiser into the promise all the tendernesse and compassion of Christ to the wants of the Church and the truth of his meaning not to faile her in any good thing he can helpe her with Furthermore it strips her of all her owne strength 3. Strips the soule of her selfe tells her that although shee be borne of God yet except hee cleave to her as a feeder as a father a nurse a supply she cannot subsist shee will goe to worke else with her owne tooles and compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles Esa 50. ult and deceive her selfe with her owne trash shee cannot doe any duty get out of any temptation beare any trouble of her selfe without Christ shee can doe nothing Moreover hee sheweth her 4. Leads her to the sufficiency of Christ all her sufficiency is from Christ The worke and life of grace requires his daily hourely acting power in her to set it on
balke the Sacrament and lye downe in the could Couch of the Law and water it with teares conntinually till this fulnesse bee attayned For to say truth These are the effects rather of faith when judgment breaks forth for her unto victory Mat. 12.20 than the Act of beleeving 1 By concession One thing I must freely confesse That there was never more cause than now in this forlorne Age full of formalitye and dissembling in which the Divell and the error of the wicked wold deceave the very elect if possible to presse upon the soule the necessity of faith with power For weake faith hardly will beare out the strong fiery darts of Sathan which now in this subtill world are on foot to try our effectualnesse of beleeving Men heare preachers say Faith is as true in the least sparkle of it as in the whole fire and faith may as much excell in infirmity to hold the promise upon former experience as in the greatest strength c. Now as I said before what use doth Satan make hereof in hyopcrites save this They need not bee so earnest for faith for the kind of it must save them not the measure and the weakest may bee saved as well as the strongest I could in this respect wish that so oft as Gods Ministers fall upon these Arguments they tooke as good paynes to stave off the dogges as to encourage the faithfull-weak ones For when error hath once defiled a man in the root and truth of faith then he growes presumptuous to thinke that each wanzing motion and Pang after faith is as good as that which is attended with selfedenial and cleaving to the Promise Whereas faith of the true stamp although it come short of some feelings stirrings and much more that overpowring of spirit that quashes unbeleefe yet the Spirit of grace putts forth it selfe in combat against their infidelity setts it in the forefront of Gods battery as Vriah was sett by Ioab maynteins no ease or sloth in them but rather mourning for their standing so at a stay with continuall care to proove themselves to be in the faith and their calling to it to bee effectuall And in this warfare they looke for no discharge till God have answered them in some measure But to answere the objection and so to conclude 2 By Solution I affirme that not only the weak in faith simply but even the decayed in faith yea the fallen into sinne if recover'd by faith are not to be debarred from the Sacrament till they become partakers of overpowring grace of the Spirit It were exceeding absurd for a Physition to say to one tormented with a burning ague want of sleepe or like payne That hee must forbeare Physick and lie under his disease untill he get more strength and recovery What shall Physick availe him after if hee die before Or what needs it if he be recovered the Sacrament I say still is rather the portion of the weake childe than of the strong man so that a loose dallying heart bee abhorred and to such this ordinance serveth And to say truth such poore soules need not bee urged to more sorrow than they feele for what sorrow is like theirs who mourne under unbeleefe and yet even such as experience prooves have found the Sacrament effectuall to send them away much settled and confirmed And so for answer of these doubts and also the triall of our estate in grace ere we come to the Supper thus much bee sayd CHAP. III. Of the Tryall of our wants NExt to the triall of our estate fittly offers it selfe to our view the Triall of our wants Tryall 2. Of our wants The method whereof God willing shal be this First to lay downe the grounds of this Triall Secondly to shew the Nature of a Christians wants and what sorts they are of Lastly in the use to teach us in what duties the Triall of our wants standeth 2 thing 1 The ground of this triall 2. Al have their wants The ground of this triall is manifold First the necessity of Sacramentall trying of our wants appeares in this that as the Lord enjoynes al that receave to proove themselues to have grace so he suppozes al such to have many wants therin So lōg as this body of death and back-byas of Corruption cleaues to the regenerate soule to retarde and weaken it to defile to disable to dismay to quench it a poore soule shall never want matter to cry out even when grosse evills are farr off Miserable man who shall deliver mee Rom 7.24 How shall I doe to get out of this my dead luskish lazy and unsavory course Who shall supply my wants Now then if these wants be unknowne how shall the soule bee thankefull for the releefe of them How then should a Christian search them out and marke them In the duties of both Tables in the use of the ordinances in graces of the Spirit in the order of whole conversation For the Search 1 1. The circumstances of all duty what wants have they In the ground of our Actions how ignorant are wee of GODS particular will how erroneous in discerning the colors of good and evill and easily mistaken how unwise in weighing the fitnesse or inconvenience season or vnseasonablenesse safety or scandale of our Actions Why is it so save for want of wisedome and Iudgement Search 2 2. In the manner of doing how impure unsavory inconstant irresolute why save for want of holines heavenlynesse of minde courage Search 3 3. For the measure how remisse lazy cold backward and content with any thing Why save for want of soundnesse integrity and fulnesse Search 4 4. In the end how corrupt selfeseeking forgetting both Gods honour our owne peace and the good of others Why but through want of love uprightnesse and selfedeniall And so I may say of duties in speciall How hard doe men find it to keep a mediocrity and avoyd extremities In worldly busines to goe betweene loose carelessenes or else extreame carking either wholly improvident or buried in the earth In the duty of Charity and mercy who understands himselfe bound to giue according to his estate but rather under it In our words who keeps a meane betweene silence or jangling In judging of others who shuns partiality credulity prejudice censoriousnes Search 5 The like may bee sayd of vsing the Ordinances In hearing what want of waking attendance reverence mixing the word with faith In the Sacraments what sildomenesse unpreparednesse rashnesse and profanation In prayer what formality commonnesse and distrust It were endlesse to insist in all Search 6 In the exercise of graces what carnality and sensuality is there to weaken the life of faith What one grace of the spirit Patience Love Communion of Saints mercy to the afflicted Thankfulnesse Humblenesse or the like which hath not her langour and infimity Search 7 As for the order of our Conversation what weaknesse appeares not Who observes GODS Administration towards
know what a promise is what saying faith in a promise is what the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is which is the worker of this faith Answer 4 Fourthly the promise depending upon the Merit and Satisfaction made to justice without which God should be a lyar in promising to be reconciled to the soule most necessary it is and that above all other things that a man know who it is who hath satisfied the justice of God the angry judge what the Lord Iesus is both in his obedience and death how by vertue of both the Father having accepted a ransome from his Sonne offereth most freely and faithfully the fruit of it to a sinfull wretch Answer 5 Fifthly this reconciliation presupposing an estate of enmity and wrath necessary it is that the soule know by what meane wrath is discovered to belong by nature to every soule And that is the Law of God Also by what meanes the Law brings the soule to stand seaz'd before God as guilty of this wrath and that so as it may bee plunged into utter woe by it in respect of any ability of it selfe to wade out Answer 6 Sixtly because wrath in God and enimity in us presupposing in us some cause by which we contracted it which is sinne needefull it is that the soule know what it is and how it came upon us by whose sinne and what viz. The Rebellion of Adam and how that becomes setled upon us how unavoidable it is and what a staine and guilt it hath brought upon all flesh none excepted Answer 7 Lastly least it should be thought that God made man thus corrupt to damne him its necessary to know man was not made thus sinfull and cursed at the first but created in integrities of nature in all the parts and in the Image of purenesse and holinesse even his who made him and so should hee and wee have continued to this day had not wee wilfully forsaken and defaced it by revolt from God Conclusion of the answer By this draught of the truth of God its apparent upon what principles the Sacrament and the knowledg of it depends viz. immediatly upon the knowledge of the meanes of salvation next upon the knowing of the state of regeneration next upon the knowing of the worke of faith and a promise next upon a satisfaction and the Lord Iesus the worker of it next upon the worke of the Law convincing of the curse next upon the knowledge of sinne next upon the knowledge of creation I goe backward that the simplest may understand the coherence so that by this cheine of doctrine the last linkes whereof that is creation and the fall are the first in order and so downeward every one may see that a meere receiver is not onely to know the nature and use of the Supper But of sinne of the Law of pardon Christ and the new creature without which a Sacrament severally considered is a meare shred an Idoll an object of blinde devotion To apply what I have sayd both negatively and affirmatively Application of it This I sayd That although in all these seaven som-what there is which every receiver comprehends not fully yet the substance of truth in generall is to bee knowne by him except he will come to he knowes not what nor why For example Perhaps some poore soule distinguishes not the meanes of Salvation one from another Publicke private ordinary extraordinary in the name and nature of each one yet its necessary that he know the Supper to bee a meane of Gods ordeining for his growing in grace So againe perhaps every one cannot distinguish betweene the habite of a New creature and the operations of holinesse issuing thence yet its necessary that hee know all Gods people must be holy Say againe All cannot tell how many kinds of faith there are By what steps faith is wrought What is conteined in a promise What Christ hath in speciall obey'd in or suffered what the severall workes of the Law are how many kindes of sinne there bee and by what meanes Adams is derived to us yet necessary it is that he be convinced of all these in their natures generally and finde them wought in himselfe particularly And surely if none may receive at all save he who is in the state of grace needes it must follow that the lesser must bee where the greater must be I meane that knowledge there must bee of all these where faith must be to give a man his speciall portion in them Howbeit because now wee are about the triall of knowledge apart from the other and doubtlesse many both ministers and people teach and heare this point of knowledge as a thing sufficient to enable a Receiver though I abhorre their opinion as shall appeare in the sequele yet I would by this I have sayd stoppe the mouth of any such as dreame of a knowledge which is not competent to salvation Sure it is a knowledge incompetent for salvation cannot bee competent for the Supper A demand Some might here perhaps aske how they might bee directed to know these points soundly to wit of the Supper and Sacraments and all Those doctrines which they depend upon Answere I answere that belongs not to this chapter but the Reader shall finde them all handled in my Practicall Catechisme at large and briefly toucht in the second Chapter of this second Treatise And the doctrine of the Sacraments especially the Supper is handled at large in the former Treatise the three last Chapters to which I send the Reader with this caution That I handle these things at large here and there not to the end that my booke should never come into their hands save when they come to the Sacrament for to what purpose were that but that they duly exercise themselves in reading of the whole That noting those especiall things whiâ—h they most neede in the matter of knowledge and tryall they may be able to turne to them and make use of them familiarly when they come to the Supper I should now come to the third branch how a man may try himselfe about this knowledge But I consider that this will better come in in the use of exhortation I will referre it therefore to that place and being the breefer in other uses insist somewhat more fully in that Vses 1 First then let this doctrine teach us to abhorre the wofull superstition of Popish Sacraments and the wofull ignorance of Popish Receivers Exhortation with confutation who not onely in practise but even in doctrine maintaine ignorance to be the mother of devotion and so hatch in their bosomes all ignorant ones as principall members of their cursed Synagogue And to say truth their sacrifice of the Masse being it selfe a masse of confusion having no colour of bottome out of the word who but the blind are meete for it Who but the deceived as willing to be led by blind guides as they are to leade them would endure a Sacrament in an
when yet his heart was with him But these lusts will come againe as Absolon and that with more violence and sway afterward because the heart is not turned from them and set in a contrariety Hatred is not become love nor love hatred outside is not inside and inside outside Still old love abides and the falling out of old friendly lusts prooves a renewing of love A bad signe 3. By the forme Thirdly try it by the inward forme and nature of renovation which is the worke of the Spirit infusing the habit of Gods holinesse into the soule and letting in the efficacy of his power into the same to forme it to a new creature in righteousnesse and according to the Image of the Creator Ephe. 4.22 It s the second breathing of the Lord the breath of life not to be a living soule 1 Cor. 15.45 but a quickned spirit Try thy selfe hereby if repentance bee in thee then the Lord Christ is in thee and stampes thee for his owne sets his superscription upon thee as upon his coine Ier. 31.33 causes thee to be like himselfe and endues thee with his owne savour and qualities purgeth thy old caske and sweetens thee with new liquor Now purenesse innocency faithfulnesse thankefulnesse sobernesse and contempt of the world with deniall of thy selfe are powred into thee If then thou finde no presence or operation of new savour instinct appetite and affections to be wrought but old Adam still as he was wont as sensuall carnall proud selfeloving thou hast no repentance 4. By the parts Fourthly try it by the parts of renewing quickning and killing By quickning 1. Quickning I meane that power of Christ his righteousnesse and resurrection not onely in a dead habit but in a revived power Rom. 6 8 9 10. Rom 8.11 whereby thy dead spirit to the matters of God is stirred and changed to a lively life of grace We doe not say that a man is alive to his trade and businesse when he lies on his deathbed though he live yet hee is not lively unwearyed active and cheerefull to it Againe by killing 2. Killing Rom. 6.6 7. Rom. 8.10 I meane that other part of the Spirit of Christs crosse and grave which destroyes that old life and vigor of sinne that rankenesse jollity and crowne of pride which was in corruption For though sinne be call'd but a privation yet by the law it conceaves a kind of being and becomes living turbulent rebellious and venemous in the soule till the power of the Law of Christ doe suppresse this strong man and spoile him and tumbles him into the grave of Christ that he may lye and putrify there This is an excellent tryall when a man can say I was once dead to goodnes without the Gospel but now I am lively to it Rom. 7 9. I was alive to sin and where I would be but now dead to it as a woman to a dead husband as Abigail to dead Nabal A living death and a dying life is in my soule and a stirring spirit in both 1 Sam. 2â— enâ— My owne dead and living spirit is gone and Christs both dead living spirit is come in place and in both my heart is stirring and on wing neither flat in mortifying evill nor unoccupied in good but to both set at liberty I say this is good Fiftly try it by the extent both in parts and degrees 5. By the Extent If it be sound renewing it will be both universall and encreasing In the first respect it is like Leaven which being hid in three peckes of meale leavens all and sowers all Mat. 13 33. So doth this Leaven of renewing it seasons and sweetens all the parts the understanding judgement and memory The will and choice thereof the passions the spirit and conscience the appetite of nature the sences and the members Though it be weake in all yet it is entire and through all body soule and spirit And it is encreasing in all for life is growing as life is decaying Try thy selfe by this also For it is with most of us as with one that is in debt who perhaps would sell off some peeces of his land lying out of the way and lesse looked at But as for his faire lands of inheritance which lye close and about his Mannor he will not deface them nor sell them for any price So it is with most men Their renewing stands in some outsides they can tip their tongues or colour their braines and commande their sences but when Gods Image must bee in the inner man also they will none of that Rom. 12 2. Their spirit must still run it owne streame to dye for it And so for their growth many have some violent offers of goodnesse as mercy zeale and religion but alas All they doe addes no one cubite to their former stature they keepe not the good they had much lesse put it to advantage 2 Iohn 8. growing to to more sweetnesse and ease by experience or cleaving to God with fuller purpose of heart Act. 11.23 when they see the most to warpe This is a bad but the contrary a good marke 6. By the combate 1 Cor. 13. end Sixtly by the combate of the Spirit within it selfe For because we live heere to be conformed to our head Christ therefore we cannot be wholly spirituall and mortified but we abide in part renewed in part old not because Christ cannot make us better but because wee are not capable of perfection till we live by sence Therefore Grace will worke a perpetuall sence of strife in our soules against the law of sinne in our members Not onely a desire to be with our head in fulnesse of glory Psal 137.2 Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 But the whiles to grone and sigh under our burden till every drop of blood thereof be spent especially to warre against our strong personall beloved lusts which fight in us till we recover strength and get victory till the house of Saul be downe and the house of David be up We shall feele this combat in us Gen. 25.22 as Rebecca felt in her wombe by her twins Till the Lord answer us The elder shall serve the yonger Try then thy selfe heerein if this strife be held up in thee by the spirit not in thy judgement onely against thy ill will and lusts But in the very same part of thee in which corruption fights judgement against judgement will against will affections against affections conscience against conscience grace against sinne it is a good signe But if sinne rule and there be not scepter against scepter if there be much foyling many falls few or no resistances but rather willing slavery and bondage both by sinne and to it it is a poore signe And this is all I will say of a mans trying the roote of renovation in himselfe Perhaps the view of these may doe some good to comfort an heart
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
it hath beene I have hung zeale and esteeme of Christ upon the hedge other matters have defeated them of their birthright Secondly 2. Vnbeleefe bee warned against unbeleefe This takes off the soule from all her right to Christ to Christ and therefore marres her plea If I be the Lords I have right to his nourishment and cannot chuse but pleade it as the infant pleads with the mother for the brest But if Satan doe get in so farre as to dazle the soule with unbeleefe lo all the ground of gracious appetite is gone and then what succeeds but fulsomnesse and staggering Vnbeleefe is the death of the soule Doth the dead child misse the breast No no above all things abhorre this wofull enemy of infidelitie and nourish faith to the conservation of the soule Heb. 10. ult Heb. 10.38 If the soule be upheld in her life and being life must have nourishment and want of it will proove hunger But if the soule have once withdrawne it selfe from the body what is it but a carrion Thirdly Thirdly surfeit of lusts cast all superfluitie out of the soule which hath secretly soked at unawares into it The wombe that will conceive must be cleane from all former conception it will not conceive upon conception If then a proud heart loving it selfe if a techy revenging spirit if the love of gold and silver if gallantnesse jollitie and pride of life scorning to take it as we have done if uncharitablenesse slighting and neglect of meanes defile us as alas what is easier if a man be let loose to walke after the guise of the world how can appetite last 1 Pet. 3.1.2 If ye will covet the word purge out all your superfluities for they oppresse the seate of appetite and while they lie there small appetite will appeare Fourthly Fourthly excesse of liberties Pro. 23.2 cast out the tickling excesse of all lawfull liberties eating drinking feasting recreations pleasures and vanities of all sorts To goe beyond our bounds in these under pretence of warrantablenesse doth as much jarre with the spirit of a Christian as open offences for by these colours Satan withdrawes the Spirit from a close cleaving to God selfe-deniall and faith poisons it with libertie bewitches it with ease and corrups it with a declining of heart from that diligence sinceerenesse power and delight wherewith it formerly walked Adde to these such as thou hast felt to dampe affection in thee perhaps ill marriage a bitter root of infinite branches jealosies suspicions and ill affectednesse to each other Never looke that the appetite after grace can hold while such scurffe is nourished I tremble to see by wofull experience how farre some dare venture in this kinde So also crossings in our estates and health and businesse which drawes the heart off for the most part from God as also too much businesse and padling in the world many irons being in the fire at once to distaste affection and to craze the sweet temper of it for Christ and his Sacrament Vse 4 Fourthly let it be a short exhortation Exhortation to all Gods people in these dangerous dayes wherin scarce one of an hundred quits himself without some crack and flaw to look to spirit fervencie of desire and affection to all the wil and waies of God constantly as farre as our weakenesse will permit to file off our rust and scrape off the barren mosse that will overgrow a tree of righteousnesse Vse all helpes and motives to cast our Snakes skin and Eagles bill and to scoure our selves upon the salt marshes as sheepe doe that health and appetite may be preserved I meane afflictions wisely used Be wary of thy company keepe the watch of God preserve tendernesse and jealousie double the use of best means set God above them and renue thy Covenant daily This will easily worke Sacramentall appetite in thee Come with it to the Supper emptie thy stomacke bring not thy browne bread and cheese in thy pocket to feed on at Gods feast the fowlest contempt which thou canst offer him Remember desire after Christs fulnesse is the most proper and peculiar worke of a guest if he would have his inviter thinke well of his presence Marriage feasts poure out men into affection without it such occasions are odious but to God much more If a Iudge oppresse being in the place of Iustice it is horrible So for a communicant to come with a dead heart and no stomacke to Gods feast is most wofull Say to Christ as once he said to his Apostles Lord with desire I have desired note the phrase Luk. 22.15 Luke 22.15 to eat this Passeover with thee Lord nourish it in my soule I desire Lord pardon my indifferencie Thou seest that commonly looke what thou seekest earnestly thou gettest eagar pursuit of mony of wil or lust cōpasseth them so desire of the Sacrament shall attaine her end Esau with teares sought a blessing not a spirituall Heb. 12.17 but a temporall if he had an heart to have craved a better he had it Take heede least the Lord thus lode thee one day for thy fulsome receivings and let all this be some quickning of thy soule to receive aright Vse 5 Fifthly come to the triall of this grace with thy selfe seriously whether it be renewed at the Supper or no some few markes I will mention leaving the Reader to judge of other trials by these Triall 1 First Triall of it this is one maine one Luke 5.8 If the sight of that fulnesse of grace that is in this feast of Christ doe emptie our soules to the bottome of all selfe-sufficiencie of our owne Contraries applied to each other doe greatly enlarge one another ignorance with knowledge purenesse with corruption the modesty of a Matron with the impudence of a Harlot Try then hath the Lord Iesus his fulnesse emptied thee of all thy base counterfeit shewes and left thee confounded in thy selfe for thy seeming vertues thy barrennesse of grace thy fulnesse of corruption Thou seest what Christ is doth thy owne spirit beginne to smite in thee to consider what thou art compared with him Alas if there were no more to lay thee open to thy selfe than now and then to meete with here a shred and there another of sinne thou wouldest be oppressed with selfe-love and waxe a dunghill of drosse Onely Christ can truely perfect the discovery of natural poyson If then all that is said of Christ leave thee as it found thee it s a signe of a wretch But if confounded and emptie a good signe Triall 2 Secondly it will not there stay neither but thy emptinesse will so pinch and disquiet thee that thou shalt finde no rest in thy selfe The Spirit of Christs Sacramentall fulnesse will affect thy spirituall stomacke as long fasting will thy bodily Thou knowest what a grievous paine thy stomacke will feele and how thy veines will shrinke and take on with intollerable grinding till
death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. We see the Saints of old could make Songs of the Lambe and his deliverance Moses and Miriam gave not greater prayses for deliverance from Pharao Exod. 15.3 than they could make Songs for Christ But how should we doe so Surely if we would take the like course with our base hearts at the Sacrament which they could do without it we should do as they did They filled their soules to the brimme with the meditation of his benefits So should we doe at the Sacrament The Lord gives us a feast of him in all his dishes wee may chuse which our appetite most longeth after all summed up in the seales of his body and blood Meditate of that love which made him forget glory and become shame a worme of the earth continue with long-suffering and basenesse 30 yeeres upon earth that hee might be called and annointed to suffer and dye Consider his misery reproaches and indignities from the vassalls of Satan his being tempted by the Devill spending dayes and nights in fasting and Prayer willingnesse to be taken by his enemies and to endure his Fathers wrath to the uttermost and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Cull out what parcell thou canst from the cratch to the crosse such as affords the deepest the divinest grounds of meditation able to conquer and ravish the soule and to blow up that sparkle of love and thankes which is kindled in thee Thou canst turne thee no way but matter will offer it selfe to thee to raise affections to the Sacrament 2. Heart raysed thereby Matter being thus raysed set thine heart on worke therewith Let admiration at this love of Christ so set upon thee a traytor a rebell when thou wert not the most unprofitable or unworthy but most trecherous of a thousand others let it cause thee to cry out Iohn 14 22. To Admiration of God and Christ Phil. 2 4.5 Why shouldst thou thus reveale thy selfe to me and passe by so many What should move thee to empty thy selfe to the bottome of all thy excellent contents that thou shouldest obey even to the death of the crosse and that for such a wretch as I. Oh! how my soule is linked to thee How doe I love thee What parts wealth esteeme hopes welfare yea life it selfe should not bee dung to me in respect of thee Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.24.25 or whom in earth to be compared to thee Yea this abundance of thankes to Christ should carry thy heart through him to God the Father Col. 3 17. as Paul Col. 3 27. speakes O Father how couldst thou spye out such a sinner as I out of a thousand to chuse and call me home how couldst thou forgoe thine onely Sonne and suffer him to bee made the of-scouring of the earth Michael 7 â—nd rather than I should perish Oh! who is a God like unto our God forgetting and pardoning the transgressions of the remnâ—nt of thine heritage Oh! my soule magnifieth the Lord and my flesh rejoyceth in God my Saviour Of the Holy Ghost From both the Father and the Sonne let thy thankes proceede to the holy Ghost Oh blessed Spirit who blowest where thou listest what mooved thee to make this Sacrament such a sweete seale of pardon and heaven to such a staggering distrustfull creature as I am Why hast thou assured my soule by these sweete pledges of security that I shall not perish nor for ever be separated from thee My soule shall never forget such a blessed Spirit as hath conveyed his best assurance into my soule so barren and empty thereof before I say thine heart should fasten upon God the Father Sonne and Spirit with all admiration and thankes and from this thankes should issue into thy soule all peace joy complacence and delight in the Lord. All thy thoughts desires affections 2. To complacence delight and joy purposes endevours and abilities should pitch themselves in his founteyne wholly resigne up themselves to be at his command mourning that the fruit should be come to the birth Luke 1 47. Esay 37.5 and no strength to bring forth Yea besides this joy thy soule being thus warmed and inflamed with the bounty of the Lord should shake off deadnesse wearinesse inconstancy and renue her covenant with God for time to come saying thus oh Lord thus hast thou magnified mercy above justice towards me a sinner But what can thy servant do to thee 3. To thankefull expressions Psal 116 9 10. What shall I recompence thee with for all thy love Oh! I will take up the cup of Salvation and prayse thee I will not approach to thee with flockes of Lambes or with rivers of oyle but with an humble meeke and righteous walking with my God! Oh! that there were such an heart in mee of faith love and uprightnesse as to walke in and out with thee in all thy Commandements that it might goe well with me for ever Oh that there were not rather Deut. 5.29 Psal 19. ult such a base heart of sloth ease selfe world and sensuality to withdraw me Oh! Let the thoughts of mine heart 4. Indignation at out basenesse and the covenants of my soule and tongue be ever accepted and ratifyed with thee O Lord my God! Then should I goe 40 dayes to Horeb even from Sacrament to Sacrament in the strength of this thy feast 1 King 19 8. Yea this congregation wherein I stand which is partaker with me of the like mercy should be a witnesse of my faithfulnesse and in the midst of thy courts and Temple should I performe the vowes which I have made yea and that grace which I have found at thy Sacrament should goe with me Psal 116. ult and follow me through my life to season and sanctifie all my course my prayers my worship my marriage my company my blessings my crosses my whole conversation This may serve for a breefe view of Sacramentall Thankesgiving or remembring the death of the Lord Iesus The second duty is perpetuation 2. Duty Perpetuation Luke 22 20.21 Intimated in that clause of our Saviour For so doing ye shew forth the Lords death till he come I will touch it but breefely First know it is not with the Sacrament of the Supper as it was with that dayly Sacrifice which the Iewes offered to God morning and evening That was destroyed when the Temple of Ierusalem was ruined by Titus Vespasian But the Supper of the Lord Iesus typified in part thereby Esay 66.23 The Sacrament eternall in the Church is to last till the worlds end in one part of the Church or other Popery by their cursed Masse and other heretickes by their devices for many hundred yeeres together through Satans enmity interrupted shrewdly the Purity of Christ Sacramentall They brought in a Sacrifice for a Sacrament and defiled this ordinance so farre that they quite defaced it
the purenesse of God whose deputie hee is Much lesse to adventure with a mouth defiled with oathes rayling contention ribaldry with hands defiled with uncleane covetous acts with a body members guilty of incontinent intemperate lusts of drunkennesse lasciviousnesse ill companionship or the like scandales to approach the prâ—â—ence of God and his people Let holy outward acts be celebrated with sutablenesse of outward members For certaine it is as the honour is great which the Lord puts upon his Ministers in this kinde to seale the grace of his Covenant by his Sacrament to the people so the sacriledge of unholy and audacious dealers with these Ordinances is doubly dangerous If the people in their unworthy receivings be damnable how much more the Minister who defiles not himselfe onely in corrupt receiving but the Lord himselfe as farre as hee can by profane administration The second person is the Congregation who also are bound to answerable acts in accepting and embracing the offer of God in the Minister Of which also in speciall wee shall treate in the two next Chapters there it shall be sufficient to signifie that as all acts Sacramentall are as essentiall to Sacraments as the materials themselves so the want of Sacramentall receiving disannuls the Sacrament as well as the want of offering So that the people also have their parts to act herein Theirs are these legacies to them they belong They are therefore with all holy preparation of themselves and theirs Exod. 12.4 by prayer to offer themselves to the Lord in the Congregation presenting themselves soules bodies with such comely chaste reverend and holy thoughts affections and behavior as may testifie them to be meete guests of such actions before in and after the actions demeaning themselves so as they may sanctifie the Lord thereby and not pollute his name who draweth so neere them in these mysteries yet this I adde as in the former that although such carriage is that which the Lord commands and will severely be râ—venged of the contrary yet if through the sinne of man and decay of Gods Order such shall be admitted as doe contradict this rule that we doe not thinke this eye-sore and defect to disanull the Sacrament But with mourning and heavie hearts both for the sinne and sacriledge of such receivers and givers of the Sacraments to looke up above both and with so much the more serious preparing and sanctifying of our selves to come to the Lord beleeving that the prophanesse of the vile shall not hinder the faith of the well prepared sithence we come into the presence of that God of piercing eyes who can pierce betweene the joints and marrow and both behold the humblenesse of beleeving soules Heb. 4 12. to reward them and discerne the impudencie of the contrary to accurse them and yet not thereby to prejudice the comfort and hope of them that are truly prepared and abhorre to come in their sinnes And of this Chapter also thus much which I have divided from thâ—â—ormer though concerning the same description because I saw that Chapter to grow somewhat larger than the rest CHAP. V. Of Baptisme the Description of it opened and the use thereof annexed HAving thus treated of a Sacrament in generall wee come to the particular Sacraments of the Gospell and first of Baptisme For although our chiefe scope be the Supper yet because the other is much unknowne and therefore neglected we will take it in our way to some consideration Three things on it First by shewing what â—ue performance is required to it Secondly what the grace of it is Thirdly what the use of the Doctrine and all these in one Description whose parts all be examined Baptisme then is the first Sacrament of the Gospell What it is consisting of Water which is Sacramentally Christ or wherein by water duely applied not only the presented partie is made a member of the visible Church but also sealed up to an Invisible union with Christ and thereby interessed in all those benefits of his which concerne the being of regeneration By calling it the first Sacrament I point at the precedencie and order of Baptisme The which al those names of Baptisme The first branch both in Scripture and elsewhere doe approove It s the seede of the Church as the other is of food It issued first out of the side of our Lord Iesus upon the Crosse It s the creating instrument of God to produce and forme the Lord Iesus to a new creature and to regeneration in the soule Tit. 3 5. It s called our Vnion with Christ our marriage Ring our militarie Presse-money our Matriculation Cognizance and Character of Christ our emplanting or engrafting into him and his Body Rom. 6 3. 1 Cor. 10.2 our Ship our Arke our red Sea our putting on of Christ For as all those goe before our Nourishment Communion Cohabitation Service fruit Manna or foode from Heaven so this Sacrament must goe before the other Breeding begetting and bringing out of the wombe doth not more naturally goe before the feeding of the Infant by the mothers breasts than this wombe of the youth of the Church Psal 100.3 goes before the breasts and milke thereof the Church being no drie Nurse but a Mother of her owne the sonnes and daughters of her owne wombe Vse 1 Which convinceth thousands of their preposterous sacriledge in that they prâ—sse in upon the Church for her pappes and nourishment when yet they are bastards and no youth of her body no sonnes of her love or desires And therefore she abhorres them and hath drie breasts for them whom she never bare The Lord Iesus abhorres to be food where he hath not beene seede flesh and bloud indeede to feede whom he was never seed to beget Let all who desire to taste of the sealing power of the second Sacrament to nourish them as Saints first proove the sealing power of the former Sacrament to beget and make you Saints Doe not impute such folly to the Lord Iesus as to give the milke of his breasts to still-borne ones or to set them into his stocke who are rotten and dead twigges 1 Pet. 3.21 as if the bare outward washing of the flesh were sufficient to regenerate and give title to nourishment This is to dissemble with God the Church and our soules and to turne both Sacraments to our perdition Beware al such mockers least the Lord be froward with them that fight against the God of Order least in stead of finding nourishment before breeding as they rob God of his Order so they meete with wrath and judgement before mercie and salvation yea least God accurse their single emptinesse of Christ with such a double barrennesse as will admit no conception or birth Vse 2 And Secondly it taxes the confused devotion of such as would not be baptized till death having yet enjoyed the Supper usually all their life As if the Lord were not able to grant and