men of his interest should be received then Christ would not at any hand have knowingly gone against it and given him admission to it And what he did according to the mind of God as a Minister by a Minister may be done And to pronounce him at that time that he received it such that had no right for admission yet to admit him were such a precedent as Christ would not have given Christ would not trust himself with some upon that account that the knew what was in them Joh. 2.23 24. and he would not have trusted the Sacrament with such a one in case he had not known that it had been the mind of God that men of that standing should partake of it If it be objected that Christ knew that Judas was not in a capacity to improve the Sacrament for sanctification and salvation being a reprobate I answer respective to his gifts wherewith he was endowed he was in capacity of improvement The Sacrament is of use to those that were his inferiours and an eye is had to the tendency of the work according to Gods revealed will and not to that which is in Gods secret purpose Let us summe up the argument briefly into this form Ministers must give the Sacrament so as it may be to edification and not certainly to destruction But they must give it to some not yet throughly sanctified Therefore some not throughly sanctified may receive it to edification and not to destruction Thirdly the Law and Gospel in their joynt strength applyed in power to the understanding may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms conditions and propositions of the Covenant may work men of profession of faith to faith saving and justifying may work a man that is onely in name the Lords to be truely and savingly his This none can deny if Law and Gospel cannot do it in the way of instruments and ordinances appointed of God there is no way on earth in which it can be done But in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour of Law and Gospel applyed in power to the understanding Therefore the conclusion followes that the Lords Supper may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms of the Covenant men of profession of Faith to Faith saving and justified The Assumption is clear that in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour both of Law and Gospell There we have the curse of the Law in the highest degree held out Christ made a curse and bearing all that the Law denounces against sin even all that which sinne according to the Law did demerit There are sins bruises transgressions wounds There we have the summe and substance of the Gospel held out Christs death for remission of sinne laid open There we have Christ a curse which is that which the law inflicts upon transgression There we have Christ a sacrifice which is that which the Gospel doth promise all brought home and applyed to the understanding of the communicant Fourthly That which is high in the aggravating of sinne to the conscience and clear in holding out the pardon of sinne may work a man of Covenant interest up to the terms and conditions of the Covenant may work men of profession of Faith to a Faith saving and justifying This is clear which way else are men brought up to faith and sanctification but upon the sight of sinne in its aggravations and Gospel tenders for the removal of it The Assumption that sin is in this ordinance in the highest way aggravated and the removal of it held out is also clear and may easily per partes be proved 1. The highest aggravation of sin to the breaking of the heart and the melting of the soul is the looking upon him whom our sins have pierced Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born and that we thus look upon him in the Sacrament I shall choose to set it out in the words of the Ministers and Elders met in the Provinciall Assembly of London in their Vindication where speaking to those that joyn with them at the Lords Table pag. 104. You must so remember Christ as to find power coming out of Christ Sacramental to break your hearts for all the sins you have committed against him Christ is presented in the Sacrament as a broken Christ his body broken and his blood poured out And the very breaking of the bread understandingly looked upon is a forcible Argument to break your hearts Was Jesus Christ rent and torn in pieces for you and shall it not break your hearts that you should sin against him Was he crucified for you and will you crucify him by your sins And besides the breaking of the bread is not onely ordained to be a motive unto brokennesse of heart for sin but also in the right use to effect that which it doth move unto And pag. 105. You must so remember Christ Sacramentall as to find power comming out of Christ to subdue all your sins and iniquities as the diseased woman felt vertue coming out of Christ to cure her bloody issue so there is power in an applicative and fiducial remembrance of Christ at the Sacrament to heal all the sinful issues of our soules there is no sin so strong but it is conquerable by a power derived from Christ crucified And pag. 106. You must continue in remembring Christ in the Sacrament till your hearts be wrought up to a through contempt of the world and all worldly things Christ instituted the Sacrament when he was going out of the world and when he was crucifying the whole world was in darknesse and obscurity and he is propounded in the Sacrament as a persecuted broken crucified Christ despising and being despised of the World And if you do practically remember the Sacrament of his death you will find vertue coming out thereof to make you dead to the world and all worldly things And pag. 107. Cease not remembring Christ till you be made partakers of the rare grace of humility Of all the graces that were in Christ in which he would have Christians to imitate him in humility is one of the chiefest Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am humble And Christ in the Sacrament is presented as humbling himself to the death of the crosse for our sakes And what a shame is it to remember an humble Christ with a proud heart The practical remembrance of the humility of Christ Sacramental when sanctified is mighty in operation to tame the pride of our hearts And pag. 110. To endeavour that your eyes may affect your hearts when you are at the Sacrament For as Christ in the Ministery of his Word preacheth to the ear and by the ear conveyeth himself into the
Gods way to infuse grace into the soul unfitted for it no more then it is to infuse life into the body unorganized A new being is put of God into the soul when reason appears to it of closing with it The Word Prayer Sacraments may all have a hand in it And all are in vain to the soul Word Prayer and Sacraments with all other Ordinances and endeavours unlesse they lead the soul to it make it thy businesse to come up to the Covenant or else it is without fruit that thou comest to the Sacrament CHAP. VIII SECT I. Of the necessity of Sacraments THe next Observation that the words offer is Sacraments are not arbitrary but necessary That Sacraments are not arbitrary but necessary the Covenant-people of God not onely may but must partake of them As God appointed so Abraham received this sign of circumcision And as he received it so all in confederation with him received it likewise Gen. 17.23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abrahams house and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the self-same day as God had said unto him And the stated time for circumcision of those children who were born of parents in Covenant being the eighth day the text tells us That Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight dayes old as God Commanded him Gen. 21.4 And when Moses had a son born in his exile and had neglected this duty The Lord met him in his way from Midian to Egypt and sought to kill him Exrd. 4.24 he appeared in some formidable way of death to him in that way as many do conjecture that he appeared to Balaam on his way Numb 22.23 Not that God really intended his death whom he now employed in that great work to deliver his people out of Egypt but he appeared in this posture to let him know what his sin deserved and by these terrors to bring him and his wife to take the course after mentioned for prevention of it And though there have been some that have gone about to assign other causes of Gods anger against hith and this apparition in such terror yet no other in the text appearing and God departing from him upon the childs circumcision the neglect of that Command was undoubtedly the cause of it Whatsoever reason moved Moses to this neglect whether the fear of displeasing his father in law or his wife which Rivet judges to be most probable certain it is from the Lords displeasure against him that it was his sin This was after given in charge by Moses to the people of God Levit. 12.3 speaking of the birth of a man-child he saith The eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised This the Israelites except the intermission of it in the wildernesse exactly followed when the eighth day happened on the Sabbath that work was yet observed as Christ notes Joh. 7.23 On the Sabbath day they received circumcision that the Law of Moses might not be broken John Baptist therefore on the eighth day was circumcised Luk. 1.59 and Christ himself on that day was circumcised Luk. 2.21 as also Paul Philip. 3.5 That of the Passeover was appointed 400. years at the least after circumcision It had its first institution in Egypt Exod. 12.3 4. c. to be observed as a feast to the Lord throughout their generations to be kept as an Ordinance for ever ver 14. It was again commanded by Moses and inserted into the body of the Law Levit. 23.4 Numb 28.16 This was carefully observed by the Israelites in their generations though at some times when Idolatry prevailed sinfully neglected We read of many famous Passeovers observed viz. In Joshua's time in Hezekiah's in Josiah's dayes also by Ezra upon the return of Gods people out of the captivity of Babylon Ezra 6.19 It is observed of the Lord Christ that he kept four Passeovers after the time that he publickly appeared as the Messiah The last was the evening before his death concerning which he said With a desire have I desired to eat this Passeover with you before I dye Luk. 22.15 With extreme earnest affection he was carried towards it and then he put a period to it and did institute his Supper in the place and room of it That heavy menace so frequently threatened in the Law of being cut off from among their people is given out against the neglect of both of these Sacraments Gen 17.14 The uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my Covenant Num. 9.13 The man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season that man shall bear his sin which commination however we do interpret it whether of the more immediate hand of God as dying childlesse The case of Jeconiah Jer. 22.30 or being cut off by untimely death The case of Er and Onan Gen. 38.1.9 and of Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.2 or perishing everlastingly The case of all presumtuous and inpenitent siners 1 Cor. 6.9 or whether the execution be committed to man and that either the temporal Magistrate which was the case of Achan Josh 7. and of Shelomiths son Levit. 24.14 or by Ecclesiastical censure which was the case of the incestuous Corinthian 1 Cor. 5.13 As there be that appear for each of these which way soever it is understood it sufficiently proves a necessity of these Ordinances For the Sacraments of the New Testament when John baptised and the Pharisees did refuse to submit to his Baptisme the text saith They rejected the Counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7.30 and the Commission given to the Apostles to disciple all Nations baptizing them Matth. 28.19 implyes a necessity of all discipled ones to submit to Baptisme Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Faith is of absolute necessity in all that hear the tender of the Gospel and therefore it followes He that believeth not shall be damned and Baptisme is the ordinary way set up of God that leads to it Peter counsels his converts when he had them in an hopeful way Repent and be Baptized Act. 2.28 And Ananias counsels Paul Arise why tarriest thou and be baptized Act. 22.16 For the Lord Supper we find it under a precept 1 Cor. 11.24 25. Luk. 22.19 Do this in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup implies as a preparation for it so also a necessity that we eat and drink of it so that every Sacrament hath its injunction upon it First The institution of it is a sufficient proof of the necessity God did never institute it to have it
beares no relation to the cleansing of sin but washing with water and bread and wine no relation to the setting forth of the Lords death remembrance of him or life by him but the breaking eating and drinking Thirdly That which being removed nulls a Sacrament that is necessary to the being of Sacraments This is plain Nothing can destroy being but the want of that which is necessary to being But the removal or taking away of the use nulls and destroyes the bring of Sacraments Let not the foreskin be cut off nor the Lamb rosted and eaten the water not be applyed to the person nor bread and wine eaten and drunken there is no Sacrament therefore the use of Sacraments gives being to them Fourthly All benefit of and in the thing signified consists in the application therefore the Sacraments for their being use and benefit consist in their application likewise The consequence is grounded upon the analogy that is between the sign and the thing signified The antecedent is clear the blood of Christ the sufferings of Christ not brought home to the soul and interest obtained by application doth not benefit or profit Fifthly That which enters the definition of a Sacrament is of the being of it This none can deny But the use or office of a Sacrament enters the definition of it Ergo. The Apostle defines it to be a sign and seal which plainly speaks not the nature but the use of Sacramental elements Here is no Conroversie in this thing among parties save with the Church of Rome neither is there any with them save in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper They confesse that the being of Baptisme doth so consist in the use that without it it is no Sacrament Onely the Lords Supper for Transubstantiations sake though never used is still a Sacrament when they reserve it in a box carry it about for pomp hold it up for worship it is still a Sacrament The body of Christ is still there and if a mouse falls upon it the mouse receives a Sacrament knawes upon Christs flesh But when worms breed in it as they may by their own confession they are hard put to it They cannot breed upon accidents the shape the colour of bread cannot give being to worms And to say that the substance which remains there which is the flesh of Christ breeds them is no low blasphemy The generation of one is the corruption of another and God will not suffer his holy One to see corruption I remember an answer to this great difficulty when I first read Philosophy out of Conimbricenses Physicks That learned Society did determine that God by miracle did create matter and laid it by the consecrate host and that did putrifie and not the consecrated bread and so Worms were generated They sure believe that it is an easie thing to put God upon miracles Against this permanency of this Sacrament out of the use of it we say First If the use of this be instituted The Sacrament of the Lords Supper equally transient with Baptisme as well as the use of Baptisme and given in command then this Sacrament consists in the use as well as Baptisme This cannot be denyed for the institution and Comman of Christ must equally lead us in both But in the Lords Supper as well as in Baptisme the use is within the institution and given in Command by Christ Therefore this Sacrament of the Lords Supper consists in the use as well as that of Baptisme Whereas Bellarmine replyes to this that Christ commanded the bread to be eaten but not presently after consecration therefore to delay eating is not against the institution To this we answer 1. Neither did he command water as soon as set apart for Baptisme to be applyed to the party to be baptized yet till it be applyed the party is not baptized water is no Sacrament and so the bread and wine in that interim still applyed still wants the nature of a Sacrament 2. He did command it then to be eaten by Bellarmin's confession though not instantly to be eaten and he gave the like command of the cup as of the bread yea with more exactnesse a note of universality added Drink ye all of it yet their Laity have a Sacrament and never drink of it 3. That which the Apostles did that Christ enjoyned as Amesius well replyes they understood Christs intimation as well as the most nimble-headed Jesuites but they did not reserve it but did eat it Secondly If there be no footsteps in all the holy Scriptures of any other way of dealing with the elements of the Lords Supper then the eating and drinking of them then according to the institution they must be eaten and drunken But there is no footstep there of any other dealing with the Sacrament then eating and drinking Therefore according to the institution it is not to be reserved but to be eaten and drunk Indeed Chamier quotes Croquet replying that some of the Ancient have said that Judas took one part of the Sacrament and reserved the other for scorn but this may be well reckoned among others of like nature in their Legends And I would advise all those that believe it if they be ambitious to be disciples of Judas to follow it Thirdly The promise in this Sacrament is not to be divided from the precept by any that will expect a blessing But where the promise is This is my body this is my blood in the New Testament in the institution There is a precept Take eat Drinke ye all of this therefore they must eat and drink that will have benefit in the promise It would little I suppose please the Reader to hear Bellarmine Suarez and other Jesuits to exempt this Sacrament from the common nature of Sacraments and to make it permanent when the other as they speak are transeunt Thomas Aquinas Part 3. Quaest 73. art 1. resp ad 3. makes this difference between the Eucharist and other Sacraments This Sacrament is perfected saith he in the consecration of the matter other Sacraments are perfected in the application of the matter to the person to be sanctified Suarez disp 42. Sect. 4. quotes it with approbation and Scotus in quanto Dist 8. quaest 1. as he is quoted by Amesius All the Sacraments except the Eucharist consist in their use so that in them the Sacrament and the receiving of the Sacrament is the same He that pleases may read Bellar. Arguments lib. 4. de Eucharistia Cap. 2 3 4. Suarez in the place named with Whitakers Amesius Vorstius in 3. Tom. Bellar. Thes 9. pag. 406. Chamier against them both with others of that party de Eucharistia lib. 7. cap. 4 c. I shall desire to take up the Reader with that which I judge more necessary Gerard in his Common places Cap. 4. de Sacramentis makes it his businesse to find out the Genus in the definition of a Sacrament in which the general form of Sacraments he sayes is to be
world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned or in whom all have sinned 4. The readinesse and pronenesse of little ones to run upon sin is an evidence of it The thornes bryars and weeds that the earth casts out when precious flowers and choise plants are more hardly nourished is an argument that the earth is under a curse and is not now as once it was The sins that even in childhood appear and together with age grow forwards when graces are difficultly planted and that which is good very hardly produced is as great an evidence of a mans innate degeneration This even Heathens could see though they knew not whence it was e Homines natura sua esse malos induci non posse ut justitiam colant Plato observed that men by nature are wicked and that they cannot be brought to learne righteousnesse and f Hominem à natura noverca in lucem edi corpore nudo fragili atque infirmo animo ad molestias anxio ad timores humili in quo divinus ignis sit obrutus Referunt Theol. Lydenses Disp 15. Thes 6. Tully lamented that man is brought into the world by his stepdame nature with a body naked frail and weak a mind anxious in troubles low under fears weak for labour prone to lust in whom every Divine spark is overywhelmed If any man demand how it comes to passe that we are thus we must look as far as Adam to see the inlet of it By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 His was peccatum originans giving the rise to all evils in us thence issued peccatum originatum our original condition as before decribed Sin seizing upon the Angels made them unclean and they have through that defilement the denomination of unclean spirits sin seizing upon man hath rendered him unclane It defiled not onely the person of man but the nature of man had man stood all mankind had stood man falling all mankind became filthy Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 Adam begat a son in his own likenesse Gen. 5.3 like himself when he had lost the image of God what sin made man that an infant is so far as of capacity to be not to act sin he that can do nothing cannot do evil but in them there are those principles that shew themselves in action so far as there is power to act A young Serpent doth sting none poysons none but there is in them a poysonous and destroying na ure which growes as nature growes 5. By the duty incumbent upon Christians to put off the old man Ephes 4.22 which is not so called in opposition to that which is young as though man grew up to it by degrees many years being gone over his head before he had gotten that name but in opposition to that which is new as we see ver 23. The old hath the precedency of the new and is before it as the old garments are worne and put off before the new put on why must all of necessity be new if the old would serve the turn Secondly This sin which is mans hereditary estate This Original state of man is not onely a want of Primâ—tive integrity but is attended with universal defilement hath in it not onely a want of that Priwitive purity which God stamped upon man according to his own likenesse but also an universal defilement and pollution Therefore the Apostle setting out this estate under the name of the old man gives it this character corrupt according to deceitfull lusts Ephes 4.22 All the pollution in the world is from lust 2 Pet. 1 4. that is the sink and source from whence all proceeds and the old man is wholly made up of these corrupt filthy and defiling principles They promise better when they draw aside but that is their work and therefore as they are corrupt so they are branded as deceitful likewise Upon this account it is that man is dead in trespasses and sins able to rise no higher in nature then that which is sin and this renders his conversation to be according to the course of this world after the prince of the power of the air the former is his pattern and the later is his Soveraign the one is followed the other served And consequently with guilt or ordination to punishment In fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh and mind Ephes 2.23 serving divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 as wholly enslaved by this defiling principle And as this is of the being so guilt or ordination to punishment is a necessary adjunct or consequent of it Death is in as great a latitude as sin Rom. 5.12 the proper wages of that work Rom. 6.23 Therefore all that have a nature thus defiled are by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Men may descant as they will upon the word and tell us of another use of it in prophane Authors but all their wit will not work men from under this guilt or gain him any thing more in his birth-state but wrath for his portion Thirdly To restore man to his Primitive happiness his nature must be healed Nature must be healed and guilt removed for restitution of man to his Primitive glory and his guilt removed there must be a change wrought in his principles and a pardon vouchsafed of his sin If either the stain continue or the guilt hold man will be wretched till he be again like God and reconciled to God his case is forlorne This needs no proof man was without stain or guilt when God made him upright his stain must be washed and guilt removed or else his happinesse is not repaired And this was the converted Corinthians glory they were under the defilement of Adultery Idolatry Fornication Drunkennesse c. and upon this account under the sad doome of exclusion out of the Kingdom of heaven but being washed sanctified justified the doome is reversed However you Interpret these several phrases we have their deliverance from the stain and guilt of sin in them Fourthly Either of both of these is the work of Christ and the happy priviledge of all of Gospel-interest Either of both of these is the work of Christ by his blood and Spirit He takes off the stain in the work of Regeneration and Sanctification by the power of his Spirit as by our fall we were dead in sin so by this new work on our hearts we are dead to sin we were free from righteousnesse now we are alive to righteousnesse Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you When we were dead in sins he hath quickened us together with Christ Ephes 2.5 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it
faith bring as 1. Whole of Christ theirs 1. Christ is his and all that is Christs who doth believe Christ with all his unsearchable riches is made over to believers This is the greatest of gifts that God hath in his hand for to bestow and imparting this gift with it he gives all things These are sons of God Joh. 1.12 and being sons they are heires joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 heirs of the righteousnesse of faith Heb. 11.7 heirs of a Kingdome Jam. 2.5 Heaven and all on this side heaven that stands in any reference to it is theirs Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.22 2. These stand secure against every enemy First 2. They stand secure against every enemy 1. Against Satan In his accusatious they are secure against Satan mans capital and most potent adversary They stand secure against his accusations having an advocate in heaven that makes appearance to answer every charge against them It is of the beleiving elect not onely chosen from eternity but in time taken out from the rest of the world that the Apostle speaks Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Christs death resurrection and intercession in glory is his answer to every plea. All that the unbeliever wants in those several relations that we spoke to in Christ that the man of faith enjoyes nothing can be conceived in sin but there is in Christ to answer Secondly In his temptations 2. Against the world The believer stands secure against Satans temptations upon resistance Satan flees Jam. 4.7 and they make strong resistance 1 Pet. 5.9 These are secure against the world Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even onr faith 1 John 5.4 Greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 The everlasting arms are underneath them Faith interests it self in God and all that is of God 3. It interests in God and all that is Gods His power for safety and preservation The office or work which is ascribed to God respective to mans preservation is ascribed to faith The Lord Is a shield or Buckler for defence Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rock my fortresse my deliverer my Buckler Prov. 2.7 He is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly Psalme 3.3 Thou Lord art a shield for me with endlesse more places Yea God is so a shield that there is no other Psalme 47.9 The shields of the earth belong unto God yet faith is a shield Ephesians 6.16 What God can do for safety faith cand do not by any strength of its own so faith were advanced into the place of God but onely as interesting us in God and in all which is of God Faith interests it self in the power of God and takes in omnipotence for help so did Abraham by faith Rom. 4.21 No difficulty in the thing could cause his faith to stagger So did Jehoshaphat in that danger in which he stood 2 Chron. 20.6 so Asa 2 Chron. 14.11 so the three children when they were in danger of the fiery furnace Dan. 3.17 Faith interests it self in the faithfulnesse of God and realizeth every promise to the soul and therefore it is said by the Apostle to be the evidence of things not seen His faithfulnesse Heb. 11.1 what no eye can see any other way then in a promise that faith looks upon as present so Sarah in the promise which she received Heb. 11.11 so David 2 Sam 7.28 So that he praies In thy faithfulnesse hear me and in thy righteousnesse Psal 143.1 Gods truth is the believers Shield and Buckler Psal 92.4 Faith interests it self in the mercies of God His mercy in the multitude of his bowels and compassions so the Psalmist in those depths in which he was plunged Psal 130.1.33.4 and under that guilt that he had drawn upon his soul Psal 51.1 and so the Church in that low condition into which she was cast Lament 3.22 Faith interests it self in the Wisdom of God His wisdome when all light is so clouded and all channels so stopt that no visible means on earth can be found faith knowes that what we see not God sees As Christ could convey himself out of the midst of his enemies so he can free his from their enemies As he could enter when the docres were shut so he knowes how to open all obstructions So Jehoshaphats faith was acted We knâ—w not what to do but our eyes are upon thee 2. Chr. 20.12 So Mordecai's faith likewise Esth 4.14 Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jewes from another place So Peter The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations 2. Pet. 2.9 Faith interests it self in the help of the Angels of God His Angels when the Prophets servants eyes were opened he saw Mountains full of horses and Chariots 2. King 6.17 a whol host of Angels for defence in straits and those Jacob saw when his Brother Esau marched against him Gen. 32.1 2. The believing man knowes what the Psalmist sayes Psal 34.7 The Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them This promise is made to every confiding soul Psal 91.11 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone Mot. 3 3. This work though difficult and not easie to passe through yet is feasible and possible This assurance is possible difficult it is or else such a narrow search and diligent scrutiny needed not and possible it is otherwise it booted not Copper may be like unto Gold and tinne unto Silver yet that gold or silver which is right may be known from all that is counterfeit The good ground well-look'd into may be differenced from the best of those grounds which are bad A temporary faith may be like that which is true yet it is not the same with it and may be distinguished from it There is somewhat in the faith of the elect that is not to be found in the faith of any other in the world Otherwise hypocrites must everlastingly feed themselves with vain hopes and the true believer lye under unnecessary fears so no Minister of Christ could be able to divide the Word aright to any of his people The hypocrite would apply the believers comforts and the believer would lye under the hypocrites terrors Fourthly Upon tryal thy faith may be found temptation-proof Mot. 4 It may appear upon search to be such as it ought Upon tryal faith may be found approved There is many times most hopes of those that are aptest to call it into question As
a may to life as though we must get Salvation by our fulfilling of its conditions nor must we look upon its curse as lying upon as remedilessely This is as much as I assert or rather imply in that which I say that the Covenant of works is of no use to the attainment of Salvation upon which the Sacraments of that Covenant the see are laid aside with it we hear no more of a tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Rivet Exer. 40. on those words Lest he put forth his hand and take of the tree of life and live for ever Observes a resemblance between that proceeding of God and the Churches proceeding in keeping unworthy men from the Sacrament The l Quemadmodum nunc ex Dei instituto à Sacramentis arcentur indigni ne sibi Symbola sumant ad judicium condemnationem ita hac prohibitione usus est Deus tanquam ex communicatione minori quam abstensionem vocant ad hominem magis magis humiliandum ut se indignum agnosceret vita qui à vitae Symbolo arcebatur unworthy saith he are kept from the Sacrament lest they should eat of those signes to their judgement And so God made use of this prohibition as a lesser excommunication called suspension for the further humiliation of man that he might see himself to be unworthy of life being kept from the outward symbole or Sacrament of it But me thinks this is so far from resemblance of that kind of Excommunication which is called the lesser that it is a sentence in terrour farre above that which is highest and greatest And this it seemes my Author saw and therefore addes m Praeterea tale Sacramentum homini lapso non erat amplius aptum quia arbor vitae non data erat ut vitam restitueret mortuo sed ut viventem in statu vitae commodo conservaret Ergo Adamo per peccatum mortuo mutanda fuerunt Sacramenta Furthermore such a Sacrament was unmeet or unsuitable to fallen man because the tree of life was not given to restore a man dead to life but to preserve life in a living man therefore Adam being dead by sin and his condition changed the Sacraments were to be changed likewise Two sorts of men then are here fitly to be parallelled with Adam in this proceeding of God against him 1. Those that God casts out of Covenant taking away their Candlestick and his Kingdom refusing to be their God or to own them as his people God denying them his Covenant all must deny them the sign and seal of it 2. Those that cast themselves out of Covenant and apostatize from the faith of Christ Jesus Where there is no Covenant in which men may expect happiness where there is no profession of such expectation there is to be no Sacrament there the seal is put to a blank and these Sacred Mysteries are prophaned Therefore I cannot but marvel at those that deny the Church of Rome all being of a Church and affirm that they are in no Covenant-relation to God yet yeeld that they have Baptisme in truth among them explaining themselves that it is as a true mans purse in the hand of a theefe But the purse and the man stand not in that relation as Covenant and Sacrament the Covenant being gone the Sacrament hath no truth of being remaining Satans imitation of God in his precepts of worship to his followers Fourthly Let us yet see how forward Satan is to imitate God in prescribing a way of worship to his servants and how ready the world is to follow Satan in these things by him prescribed God appointed a tree of life as a sign and pledge of immortality in the due use of which man might have lived for ever and been preserved from the evils and infirmities of age and Satan among those in the world that are his for worship hath of old found out a fiction of certain meats called by them Ambrosia and certain drinks named Nectar and Nepenthe which the gods using to take were preserved from age and death It cannot be imagined how they should reach such a fancy but that the posterity of Noah had scattered some Divine light of this tradition among them Their gods who were but men and some of them the worst of men bringing all wickedness to renown by their example being supposed to have an immortal being must have some way or means to come up to immortality As they had their meats and drinks that made immortal so also their fountains found out by Cadmus to whom they ascribe the first invention of letters Aganippe Hippocrene Castalius near to Parnassus at which their Muses drunk which raised them in eloquence These they have borrowed from these symboles of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil dreaming of a Physical operation and not understanding any Sacramental efficacy God also instructed his people in the use of sacrifices which we know was with his people from the beginning and I cannot believe with some Jesuits that this was of the dictates of nature which as they say led them without any revelation to the use of sacrifices For in what sense soever we take sacrifices Nature could never teach man to give it unto God If we take it more largely for a gift tendred reason would tell that the Divine Majestie stands in no need of it And in case we understand it more strictly and make the destruction of that which is offered essentiall to a sacrifice how could this in reason enter into any mans thoughts that when a man had sinned a beast must dye And that of the Apostle Heb. 11. doth fully contradict it Abell offered by faith and faith is not of nature but above it This then was a worship of God by institution not commanded in the first but second Commandment and this Satan is ready to follow As there was scarce a Nation as the Orator observed but worshipped a god so there is scarce a Nation that did not sacrifice to those gods and the Apostle gives us to understand what those gods were The things that the Gentiles offer in sacrifice they offer to Devils and not to God 1 Cor. 10. It is his worship and he teacheth his the way of it As in duties of worship there is this imitation seen so in wonders and prodigies in like manner there is an emulation God had his miracles in Egypt and Satan his We know the general Deluge in the sacred Histories in which none were preserved from death but Noah and his family by an Arke prescribed of God Heathens must have a fable in imitation and tell us of drowning of the World onely Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha in an Arke preserved likewise And as Noahs Arke rested on the Moutains of Ararat upon the asswaging of the waters so theirs rested on the Mountain of Parnassus We have a narrative of Jonah cast into the Sea
Psalmist also shewes the efficacy which nature gives to bread and wine Psal 104. But for either water bread or wine to pardon sin infuse habits or new qualities into the soule or add to the strength of those that are already wrought is an unheard of secret Others yet say that they are hyperphysical or supernatural instruments in the conveyance of grace which might easily enough be understood in case it could be believed A power they mean put into them or exercised by them above that which in their naturall workings they have any possible activity to reach as in the water of the Poole of Bethesda upon the moving of the Angell to heal him that first stept into it and in the water of Jordan to cleanse Naaman of his Leprosie by seven times dipping in it Had it had that naturall power of cure Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus would never have been esteemed equall with it But that these elements should be standing instruments of the work of miracles of this nature we had need of full and clear texts of Scripture to make good to us I shall assoon believe a transubstantiation in the bread from hoc est corpus meum as such a transmutation or renovation of the soul or any such priviledges of glory as Scripture makes the peculiar inheritance of those in whom this change is wrought upon the bare application of these Elements Most say they are morall instruments in what they do but then there is so much work to understand what a morall instrument means that I dare neither without further expression of my self affirm or deny it Some make them such instruments by which God works according to pleasure sometimes working that which they signifie and sometimes working not at all by them as sometimes he works by the Word but sometimes it remains a dead letter Others make it an instrument of conveyance as a staffe of an Abbotship a pall df a Bishoprick a Book of a Canons place and this doubtlesse is according to the meaning of Scriptures as men vouchsafing gifts appoint at pleasure Ceremonies and Solemnities evidencing such donations so God hath appointed these elements as signs of that nature Having a precedent right the initiating Sacrament is a means of solemn inauguration and the following Sacrament an evidence of continued possession Baptisme takes into the body 1 Cor. 12.13 and Bread and Wine evidence that we are of the body 1 Cor. 10.17 And as a twig and turfe vests a man in his purchase of lands a rod vests a customary tenant in his Coppy-hold a Crown vests a King in his Kingdom so these elements having this office assigned them of God vest a man in Covenant in visible Church-membership and give him actual interest in all visible Church-priviledges But yet this difference The Staffe the Pall the Book the Twig and Turfe the Rod the Crown lead no further then to that which they immediately conferre which is the present dignities and possessing whereof they are solemnities and these dignities are also terminated in themselves and lead men into no expectation of any higher honour But Sacraments vesting us in Church-priviledges and these priviledges leading us to higher and greater things as they vest us in present in these so by way of sign and seal they lead and raise us unto all that Church-priviledges serve and are appointed to advance us unto So that God works as a Moral agent in appointing according to pleasure these elements as solemnities of his grant and they work according to the nature of the office assigned them that is by way of sign and seal for the help of our understandings the refreshing of our memories and strength of our faith in promises of greater things SECT II. Propositions tending to clear the doctrine IN order to the discovery of some further light concerning the operation of Sacraments and for detection of erroneous opinions about them I shall lay down several Positions Explicatory Propositions 1. Mans first original is in sin First This must be held as an uncontroverted truth between parties in this dispute that Mans first original is in sin his first estate not by Creation but by birth not as he came out of the hands of God but as he comes into the world is in full opposition against heaven The imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth Gen. 8.21 The word as Ainsworth and Rivet on the place with Mr. Hildersam on Psal 51.5 observe signifies infancy the same title which is given to Moses when he was new-born Exod. 2.6 Compare with this Psal 58.3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lyes The sin of all begins then the sin of bad men still remains no change is wrought in them nor amendment seen but a progresse in evil Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me The cavils of old Anabaptists to take off the force of this text are vain That by iniquity here is not meant sin but sorrow which for sin came upon women in child-bearing and that by sin in the later part of the verse is meant the height of lust in Davids parents Let any man look into the context and see whether it will bear any such glosse David is there upon a serious humiliation of his soul for sin and aggravating it in the circumstances of it and how his mothers sharpe throwes in travel or either of his parents height of lust can add any thing at all to aggravate his guilt or increase his sorrow none can understand he presently prayes that this may be cleansed and taken away which can be understood of neither of those particulars which are in the objection This pollution by birth sin abundantly appears in reason Arguments evincing it 1. By the necessity of regeneration or new-birth in all those that enter into the Kingdom of heaven As the Apostle saith of Covenants If the first had been faultlesse there had been no need of a second Heb. 8.7 so we may say of births there is a necessity of a second therefore there was a fault in the first take away this birth-sin or original pollution and then you destroy regeneration If all be as it should be in our former birth then there needs not any other 2. By the Lord Christs Incarnation in order to the work of Redemption taking mans nature he began as man begins in sin even with infancy he dyed in our nature for all of all sorts conditions and ages infants partake of the fruit of his death and were upon that account admitted as his by Circumcision and are in Baptisme and are therefore under the defilement of sin 3. By the stroke or judgement unto which infants are subject being lyable to sicknesse taken away by death subject to miseries of all kinds sin goes before as the cause where these follow as effects Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entered into the
the mercies of the Covenant No opinion that they hold party that they take name that they think they have got supposed interest that they have in Christ can acquit them They may be denominated unsanctified or unholy men having not obtained that which the Apostle sought in prayer in behalf of the Thessalonians that they might be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body sanctification purifies all the unclean and heales all the diseased parts And no unclean person can inherit the Kingdome of God Eph. 5.5 They are truely styled impenitent ones Repentance is a return to God in the same latitude as our departure by sin was from him In every sin of all these and of the like kind we depart from God In repentance therefore we are to return from every sin to God The Prophet tells us upon what terms our souls may be freed from ruine by sin Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine and unlesse we repent we shall all perish Luk. 13.3 5. They are justly pronounced to be void of grace there being that contrariety between grace and sin that they cannot rest in the same subject or lodge continually in the same heart without opposiition Where grace is prevalent sin falls and where sin prevails grace is excluded and it is the grace of God that brings salvation Tit. 2.11 They are void of the Spirit of regeneration As our birth-corruption hath in it the spawn of all sin so regeneration hath the seed of all grace And Except we be born again we cannot see the Kingdome of God John 3.3 These are the men which by their claime of Baptisme The uselessenesse of Sacraments to these persons and offer of themselves to the Lords Table subscribe the equity of their own condemnation and justifie the sentence of death pronounced against themselves They accept the Covenant on those terms on which it is tendered in the Gospel and upon these terms they are under the wrath of God and lyable to the sentence of eternal death Yet not remedilessely helplessely hopelessely as it is with those oftentimes that upon forfeitures of Covenant fall into the hands of man the forfeiture being once made advantages are taken by many to the uttermost The prodigal is an instance of the Fathers readinesse to receive to mercy those that have gone away from him in wayes of sin And the Prophet tells us Ezek. 18.21 22. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall live And though it be a wickednesse that reaches to the highest violation of Covenant yet this shall not hinder Jer. 3.1 They say If a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne again to me saith the Lord. He that hath hitherto come in the highest degree of unworthinesse to the Lords Table as oft as he hath come to it yet casting that off which was his unworthinesse and coming up to Gods terms he is now received and accepted SECT VII A further Corollary from the former Doctrine THen let all take heed that they look for no more from Sacraments then God hath put into them We are to look for no more from Sacraments then God hath put into them and promised to do by them and hath promised to work by them least looking unto them and waiting for them as the troops of Tema and companies of Sheba for the stream of Brooks which vanish when they wax warm and are consumed out of their place they be confounded and coming thither be ashamed And this caveat is no more then needs seeing men in all times have been wonderfully apt to delude themselves upon account of their fruition of outward Church-priviledges Mens aptnesse to delude themselves in Sacramental priviledges and in particular Sacrament-priviledges And to this they are induced by divers reasons 1. Because Sacraments are an honour which God hath vouchsaf'd to his people and denyed to others that stand not in that relation and they cannot think that it is in vain that such an honour is conferred upon them 2. There are great promises annext to them and made to those that make right improvement of them The bread is the Communion of the body and the wine in the Lords Supper the Communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor 10.16 It is the New Testament in Christs blood shed for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 Baptisme saves through the resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Insomuch that we have been taught that in Baptisme we are made children of God members of Christ and inheriters of the Kingdom of heaven These promises are streight applied without any eye had to the terms and Propositions annext to them like unto men that look at dignities in offices and never regard the burthens 3. Interest in Sacraments is not onely a priviledge but a duty not onely an honour but a work of obedience in them that partake of them To be baptized with water and to eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup in the Lords Supper is a duty as it was to be circumcised in the flesh of the foreskin and to eat the Paschal Lambe at the time appointed and there is danger in neglect of these This gives some ease and speaks some peace to the conscience that they have done the Command of the Lord. 4. They are yet matters of ease especially New-Testament-Sacraments Here is no mortification of the members no crucifying of the flesh no cutting off the right hand or plucking out the right eye and therefore no marvel that men could wish that all Religion were in them and hope that salvation may be gained by them Lastly Those of these conceits have alwayes met with teachers to sooth them up in them In all Ages some have over-highly advanced Sacramental priviledges and carry on their delusion How high was Circumcision set up in the Apostles times as in regard of the necessity of it Acts 15.1 Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved So also in regard of the power and efficacy of it and therefore the Apostle was put to it to warn men in that way of the delusion and to give that undervaluing term of concision to it Phil. 3.2 After-age produced Schoolmen and Popish Writers to magnifie them affixing and limiting salvation except in some cases extraordinary to the water in Baptisme and