Heavenly Treasure offered us in the Word is really and spiritually tendered and represented by those Signs so thorough the hidden Power of the Holy Ghost Faith whereby we are united to Christ intervening his Benefits and the Holy Ghost are thereby exhibited to and derâ—â—ed upon us From this Sacramental Union of Sign and Thing Signified arises the Sacramental Phrase or manner of speaking used in Scripture whereby the Thing Signified is spoken of the Sign and the Sign of the Thing Signified thus (t) Gen. 17.10 11. Circumcision is called the Covenant which verse 11 is called the Sign of the Covenant that is the Sign and the Seal of it the Bread is the Body of Christ (u) Mat. 26.26 27 28 This Cup is my blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins That is the Bread is the Sign and Seal of my Body the Wine is the Sign and Seal of my Blood Baptism is the (w) Tit 3.5 Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost That is the Sign and the Seal of Regeneration or of the Blood of Christ which cleanseth all our sins Many more such Expressions we find in Scripture Furthermore by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ made Members of his Body (x) 1 Cor. 12 13. for We are all baptised in one Spirit to be one body Jew or Greek bond or free (y) Eph. 5.25 26. The Church is Sanctified by the washing of Water and (a) John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God I know the visible sign of Water is not meant there 't is the thing signified 't is Regeneration the working of the Holy Ghost 't is a spiritual Water (b) John 4.14 A Well of Water springing into Eternal Life (c) John 7.35 Rivers of living Water (d) Isai 58.1 All that are Thirsty are invited to come to the Waters which are promised to be poured upon (e) Ezek. 36.25 even clean Waters This is that Love of God said to be (f) Rom. 5.5 shed abroad in our hearts Those Gifts of the Spirit promised Joel 2.28 and Fulfilled upon the Apostles Acts 2. 'T is that Baptism of the Spirit which our Saviour (g) Acts 1.5 commanded them to wait for though I say the Water in Baptism be not meaned here yet the Thing Signified is therefore it shews the Excellency of that Sacrament wherefore it must not be Despised or Neglected I say further (h) Gal. 3.27 All who are baptised have put on Christ at least outwardly and (i) Rom 6.3.4 As many of us saith S. Paul as were baptised in Christ were baptised into his Death thorough baptism and raised again to walk in Newness of Life These are the Three Parts of our Regeneration First The Death of Sin which clearly appeared in Christ's Death and because the Old Man doth not presently dye in us then comes the Second Part It 's Burial whereby and by Degrees it Wastes away After which is the Third Part We begin to raise in Newness of Life This I shall no longer insist upon having as I think said enough to shew how great a Reverence we ought to have for and what a high Account we must make of that Holy Sacrament for the Divine Ordinance and Glorious Attributes given it in Scripture This being thus Premised I proceed and fall to the Point I Argue thus First Under the Old Testament Infants were Circumcised therefore under the New they ought to be Baptised for there is the same Reason for Baptism under the Gospel as was under the Law for Circumcision which by St. Paul is called (k) Rom. 4.11 the Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which is a proper Denomination for Baptism by Circumcision the Jews the Seed of Abraham were distinguished from others who had no share in the Promises and by Baptism we are received in the Church and made visible Members of the Body of Christ Now Circumcision and Baptism in Christ we have (l) Colos 2.11 12. and find them both joyned together and as Circumcision is brought to the time of Christ so in some sense Baptism was very long before the Birth of our Lord (m) 1 Cor. 10.1 2. I would not ye should be ignorant saith St. Paul how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and passed thorough the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses I know they will say there is a double Circumcision so there is a double Baptism if I may call it so when we distinguish the Sign from the Thing signified one Circumcision is made with Hands [n] Coloss 2.11 the other without that of the [o] Rom. 2.29 Heart so there is an Outward and Inward Baptism one of Water the other of [p] Mat. 3.11 the Spirit and of Fire yet this doth not hinder but that the Circumcision with Hands was the Sign of that made without Hands as the Baptism of Water is the Sign and Seal of that of the Spirit We conclude therefore that all their Infants were Circumcised and all as well as the Parents were Baptised in the Cloud and Sea for all passed thorough so all Infants of Christians ought to be Baptised May be they will make the following Exception which is not to the purpose that according to this only Males and not Females are to be Baptised because only the Males were Circumcised but as to this the reason is different for Females as well as Males are capable of Baptism which was not of Circumcision Men must not dispute with nor be wiser then God who instituted Circumcision at first and now Baptism at last having then appointed that feal he commanded it to be applied to the part that was capable of it and the fittest for his end which was to shew the corruption of Mans Nature and the casting of that superfluity was the seal of his Promise to sanctify Abraham's Seed and we may say this seal was in some manner communicated to the Females Now I think 't is clear enough how under every Testament there hath been a Sacrament appointed by God to introduce those whom it is administred to into the Church Circumcision was it in the time of the Jewish Church as Baptism is in the time of the Christian this is the Key that openeth it for us whosoever doth not go in at this door which is the Ordinance of God when he may (a) John 10.1 He is a Thief that would break into the Sheepfold My Second Argument is from Christ's command to the Apostles (b) Mat. 28.19 To Baptise all Nations under which Men Women and Children must be comprehended and he who saith all excludes nothing When St. Paul saith (c) Rom. 5.12 By one Man Sin came into the World and by Sin death so death passed upon all Men none may deny but that Children as well as Men are comprehended under the Name all Men for
shall enter into the Kingdom of God In another place he is as Positive as can be upon 't and no doubt to be made of it (p) Ephes 5.5 For this you know that no Whore-monger nor Vnclean Person c. hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God 'T is as certain as it is that the Spirit of God who saith it by the Apostle is the God of Truth this is the unavoidable Doom of all that are such except they be (q) 1 Cor. 6.11 v. 15 16 18 19 20. Washed Sanctified and Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God With how much Abhorrency this Holy Man speaks of that filthy Sin in the same place we read v 15 Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ Shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid And to shew how great a Concernment this matter is of he again comes upon 't v 18. Flee Fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own body And to press it the more in the next Verse he saith in a Chiding and Wondering way What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Therefore you may not dispose of your Body but ye are to glorify God in your body Here is not one word without a great Emphasis That Sin must be an Infections Disease and a great Plague seeing we thereupon are forbidden to have any Society with the nearest Friends and Relations for in the foregoing Chapter he saith (r) 1 Cor. 5.11 But now I have written unto you not to keep Company if any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator c. with such an one no not to eat That holy Apostle is so set against that filthy Sin that he fotbids any thing that is an Inticement to or a Fruit of it and would have us to be Chaste in Lives and Tongue (s) Ephes 4.29 cha 5.3 4. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth and in the next Chapt. he explaineth his meaning but Fornication and all Vncleanness or Covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints neither Filthiness nor Foolish Talking nor Jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of Thanks He will not suffer any thing that is or may happen to be Accessory unto that filthy Sin and in another place among other things which he advises to this is one (t) Coloss 3.3 〈◊〉 To put off filthy Communication out of your mouth The Reason he giveth elsewhere (u) Thess 4.3 4 5. For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour Hitherto I have spoken of Fornication and Adulteâ—â— together but as this last carrieth with it great Aggravations and is more Hainous than the other I must speak of it by it self for so doth Scripture in several places and indeed Adultery doth imply Fornication which is a lower Degree than the other God having done speaking with his Saints turns to the Wicked and One of the Articles of the Charge is this (w) Psal 50.16 18. Thou hast been partaker with Adulterers Thy Portion was with them and thô this deserved Punishment because I presently Executed it not upon thee Thou â—houghtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but â—hou shalt come to Judgment For I will reprove thee and set these things in Order before thine Eyes Adulterers shall not escape Punishment Adultery is such a Sin as makes God's true Servants such as Jeremiah wish (x) Jer. 9.2 Oh that I had in the Wilderness a Lodging place that I might leave my People Why so y c. 23.10.14 For they be all Adulterers And in another place he complains that the Land is full of Adulterers He is not the only Prophet that said so another speaks to the same purpose (z) Hos 7.4 They are all Adulterers Hence it appears how God takes a special Notice of that as an abominable Sin Hitherto we heard of none but Adulterers thô under that Name both Sexes be understood but the Apostle Names Men and Women (a) Jam. 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses and calls them Enemies to God because Friends to the World Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity with God But what will become of God's Enemies b Matt. 8.12 They shall be bound Hand and Foot and cast into outer Darkness There shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Out of all this it clearly appears How Eternal Death and Damnation are prepared for Fornicators and Adulterers except God be pleased to give them true Repentance But because this Sin especially Adultery doth Highly Disturb humane Society and brings Confusion into Families therefore God in his Word hath appointed Temporal and Bodily Punishments for those that are Guilty of it and that 's no less than Death (c) Lev. 20.10 The Adulterer and Adulteress shall surely be put to Death Which is confirmed in (d) Deuter. 22.22 another place The Scribes and Pharisees said to Our Saviour how (e) John 8.3 5. by the Law of Moses the Woman taken in Adulterie that was brought to him should be Stoned This is a Precedent for all well-governed States to have Penal Laws to punish Offenders in this kind and to this very Day in Conformity to those Laws of the Jews in many places they are put to Death which they well Deserve Adultery imports a great Aggravation above Fornication for there is Perjury in as much as in the Presence of God and of Men a solemn Promise is made of being True and Faithful one to another And although in the sight of God the Guilt whether of Man or Woman be the same and that even Death was equally Inflicted upon both Yet in some Cases Moses had a greater regard for the Husband than for the Wife as in the matter of Jealousie no Remedy afforded for the Wife but there was an indulgent and miraculous way for the Man to satisfy himself when he wanted Proofs and this was the Water of Tryal and of Jealousie as we have it at large in the Book of (f) chapt 5. from 12. to 31. Numbers and if she were Guilty in an extraordinary way she was punished with Rotteness but if she were Innocent yet nothing was done against the Husband This Disparity appeareth also in another Case about the Bill of Divorce which upon slight Grounds (g) Deuter. 24.1 The man might give the wife and send her out of his House But the Woman was not allowed to do so with her Husband Therefore as I already said thô in the Husband and Wife in
thô the Husband's Fornication be a Breach of the Faith promised and given his Wife yet God doth not Allow the man's but only the woman's Adultery to be the lawful Cause of a Divorce This was the Practise under the Law the Husband gave the Wife the Bill of Divorce but the Wife never to the Husband And herein our Saviour makes no Alteration thô he had a fair Occasion to have spoken of it and to the Purpose in case it had been his pleasure and mind to have admitted it but nothing is said in the way of Precept Approbation or Toleration in relation to 't the Reason of this Disparity on Man's behalf is shewed by St. Paul (b) 1 Cor. 11.7 8 9. Man is the Image and Glory of God but the Woman is the Glory of the Man for the Man is not of the Woman but the Woman of the Man neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Now the Laws call it Adultery in as much as the Husband thereby Defiles his own Bed but not that of another But a Wife committing Adultery makes the Adulterer to defile another's Bed and bring in a spurious Seed into another man's Family therefore God's Law (c) Levitic 20.10 condemned both Adulterer and Adulteress to Death and so should the Laws of every Countrey That which made it a Capital Case Exod. 22.16 17. Deut. 22.28 29. was the Woman's being Married it was Death for any married or unmarried man to lay with a married Woman but 't was not so with the man for if a man thô married had enticed a Maid not betrothed lain with her he was to Marry her or give her Dowry in case the Father utterly refused to give her A Reason that may be assigned is this That a man was allowed to have many Wives but no Woman was allowed to have more than One Husband which gave men a great preference above Women and sheweth how the Woman's Bond was within a narrower Compass and shorter than the Husband 's which comes up to what we say how thô the Wives Fornication broke the Bond of Marriage yet the Husband 's did not It must be observed how strict the Law was against Women in this kind of Sin that if a Virgin was only Betrothed and not actually Married yet if she had suffered her self to be either Seduced or unvoluntarily Abused if she had not cryed for help in the City where she might have had it she was to be Stoned to Death as appeareth in the same Chapter 'T is observable Deuter. 22 24. that the Law which appointed Sacrifices to make Attonement for many and several sorts of Sins yet none therein was appointed for Expiation of Murther and Adultery nothing but Death could do 't God's Law doth Forbid Adultery as well as Murther and Theft so that Adultery is as much the Breach of the Law as are to Kill and to Steal and the Breakers in any Branch deserve Punishment but if there be any difference the Severity was greater against Adultery than against Theft the Adulteress was unpardonably Punished with Death but according to their Civil Laws the Thief was not punished with Death but Condemned only to make a Restitution sometimes Two for One sometimes Four and at other times Five for One Exod. 22. So that though in Relation to God both these were a Breach of the Law of an Infinite Majesty and so for both the Law required that Satisfaction which no Finite Creature is able to give to an Infinite Creator yet in relation to the Party wronged the Penalty made a great Difference in the Punishment the one being Capital the other not About this here the Laws of the Land have made a great alteration for Theft when it reaches to a very small Sum which may be called as little as Nothing is punished with Death when Adultery is not which is quite the contrary of what among the Jews was practised I know that the Ceremonial Law being Abolished doth not at all Oblige us but the Moral we are as much bound to as they were as to their Judicial Laws those which related to the Ceremonial indeed do not Tye us in the least but those which related to the Moral and are part and Explanation thereof do Now one would think it had been better in this kind of Laws to have followed the Pattern of those which God gave his People by the ministery of Moses but our Law-givers thought fit to do otherwise and we may suppose they had some Reasons for it if there be any in and for such things for indeed sometimes such Circumstances happen as do much Aggravate the Nature of Crimes as when they grow Epidemical too Common and too Frequent too Bold and Presumptuous then to prevent the Spreading and other dangerous Consequences thereof the Legislative Power doth well and wisely and God's Laws allow them so to do to put stronger Curbs and lay greater Penalties upon Offenders the Civil Power is allowed to Enforce the Observation of God's Laws but hath no Dispensing Power to Relax therefrom Wherefore if once the Legislative Power thought fit upon occasion to lay more Severe Penalties upon the Breach of One of God's Commandments than there was among the Jews much more may the same Power revive those Penalties which once were inflicted by God's Law and make Adultery a Capital Crime as it was among the Children of Israel Certainly nothing can be said thô never so much for changing the Penalty for Theft but there is more for renewing the Punishment which by God's special Precept was laid upon Adultery for now that filthy Sin is as Common Frequent and Brazen-faced and Odious as ever it was or at this time Theft can be wherefore the Penalty for Adultery should now be Death as it was in the beginning There is no Justice Equity nor Sound Reason to punish with Death one who Steals Half a Crown from me and let another who with bringing in Strange Blood into my Family Robs it of Thousands and Thousands to go Unpunished This with humble Submission I may say 't were too much for men with their Tradition to make God's Commands of None Effect Another Truth I must make out which is this After a Divorce is made upon the account of Adultery then the man is Free and at Liberty to marry another so that Uncleanness doth Intitle not only to a Separation a mensa thoro as by a new Unscriptural Name they call it of Board and Bed but also it breaks off the Bond of Matrimony and this Last is a necessary Consequence of the Former thô there are some men in the World who allow a Divorce but deny the Liberty to Marry another misgrounding their Opinion upon what is said Matth. 5.32 Whosoever shall marry her that is Divorced committeth Adultery But any heedful man to know the meaning of this latter part of the Verse will read the whole Whosoever shall put away
all manner of Equivocations and mental Reservations for those Locusts that are broke loose out of the Bottomless Pit I mean the Jesuits But for true Christian Protestants who make a Profession of the pure and true Doctrine of the Gospel they ought in their Practise as in their Principles wholly to detest and abhor it Every honest Man ought to fear an Oath and not be forward rather avoid being brought to it except upon a Good and Lawful account and before-hand consider the binding Nature and Consequences thereof and when upon the Stage to remember he must Swear the Truth and nothing but the Truth therefore to be the more Cautious of what he saith for though one may happen to impose upon Men yet he never can upon God who hears and seeth all windings and turnings of the heart this rule holds for Young as well as for Old Men for young die as well as old though one would think according to the course of Nature they have a longer race to run yet Experience teaches it to be a mistake for more die under Thirty years then above however soon or late all must die Death is certain but the time uncertain and truly though some Perjured Young Men should live the longer yet this Sin would make their life but uncomfortable for being Enemies to God they cannot be at peace with their Consciences and themselves nor with others for there is a Curse tied to the back of Perjury which except they be wholly hardened and that on this side Hell is the greatest of all Judgments hunts them perpetually and makes them miserable for (i) Isa 57.20 21. The Wicked are like the Troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the Wicked nor shall be As for Witnesses that are come to Age they ought to be the more weary of what they say because having already one Foot in the Grave they cannot tell how soon the whole Body shall be tumbled into 't Wherefore they ought to consider every Day and every Moment as being possible for it to be the last of their Life and when they give in their Evidence as if they were upon their Death-bed and come to their last Gasp and as if they were taking the Sacrament upon 't Surely in that Condition besides the immediate Presence of God no man that hath any sense of Religion would take the Holy Ordinance of the most Sacred Blood and Flesh of Our most blessed Saviour to be a Witness to a Lie and go out of this World with a False Oath in his Mouth to appear in the Presence of the All-seeing and All-knowing God of Truth to give an Account of himself I am Charitably loth to believe any one is so desperately Wicked as considering all these Circumstances would Swear Falsly If so when any is upon such an Account brought to his Oath let him look upon himself as at that very time lying under all such Circumstances for he can be sure of nothing to the contrary it being not impossible for him to Dye at that time of a Sudden Death which hath been and is still the case of many Now I say these Thoughts may work upon and Influence one on such an Occasion to say the Truth and not to suffer himself by any means to be Byassed in what he is upon nor to have any Regard to those he doth speak for or against from the King that Sitteth upon the Throne to the Beggar that lyes on the Dunghill he must be Partial only for the Truth and withal Consider that he Witnesseth not for men only but also for God who is Concerned called to be a Witness and whose Cause Truth is Every one that is Witness for another hath his own Witness for himself and must with Joh say (k) Job 16.19 Behold my Witness is in Heaven this God owns and I Wish that every one when he gives his Evidence would represent God speaking to him thus (l) Jerem. 29 23. Even I know and I am a Witness saith the Lord. It should make one Tremble to speak a Lie in the Presence of the God of Truth as no man when he doth an evil thing desires to have any one present and witness to what he doth for as Evil is a work of Darkness so he that commits it in any kind doth seek dark places and avoids the Light which would reprove him for his Work now if one when he doth a bad thing is so unwilling and afraid to be seen by any man for Shame from the Time of our First Parents is an Attendant of Sin how much more ought one to be ashamed and afraid to do Evil and speak Lies in God's Name in God's own Presence and under his Eye which none can avoid This Presence and Testimony of God is the only way to clear and secure all things at least for time to come Thus Samuel upon his going out of this World takes great care to make all things even between himself and the People (m) 1 Sam. 12 3 4 5. how He had not Defrauded nor Oppressed them neither taken any Bribe to blind his Eyes The Truth whereof he calls God to Witness to whom after his Death he was to give an Account of The People gave in their Witness that he had spoken the Truth but besides he had that of his own Conscience but that of God was the greatest of all for therein lyes the Comfort and Assurance of a Good Soul for (n) 1 John 5.9 If we receive the Witness of men the Witness of God is greater And this I Wish every man that is brought upon his Oath would Consider well Upon this Point one thing more I would Commend to the serious Consideration of Judges and Juries namely the Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents of Perjury among other things the Malicious Designs and Contrivances thorough the Suggestions of the Devil and Corruption of Man's Heart whereby the Guilty do inure themselves to and harden in Evil things thereby fitting and disposing themselves thorough ill Habit and Custom to commit any Villanies in the World according to their own Counsels by which at last they fall from worse things to worst of all Some of the Concomitants are Falsehood Hypocrisie Deceit Impiety c. all Punishable by the Laws of God and men As to the Consequents they are Dreadful Pernicious and Destructive for thereby a Dishonour is put upon God and Occasion offered his Enemies to Blaspheme a Scandal upon Religion followeth with a Stain upon a Nation this also will Ruin Persons Families and overthrow whole Kingdoms After this no man's Good Name Honour Estate Liberty or Life can be safe and secure So after this rate no man may call his own any thing he hath thus farewel Property and Right And what to Day is one man's case may to morrow be any one 's else so Division Distraction and Destruction are at hand as