Coin 4. The Romanists would indeed have more then two Sacraments of the New Testament foisting in other five as equal Corrivals of the two to make them seven and the Sublime Speculation of Tyrabosco Patriark of Venice may not be omitted This Seraphick Doctor undertakes to assure the world that there must be seven Sacraments and neither more nor less and his proof is this because their were five Loaves and two Fishes where with Christ fed the people Luke 9. 13. and neither more nor less 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of this Doctr. his Notion 't is a Mistery of Misteries and if it would not spoile his Number might stand for another Sacrament But herein he hath done well to make a distinction 'twixt the two and the five for as the two Fishes were things of Gods making and the five Loaves were things of the Bakers making So the two Sacraments to wit Baptism and the Lords Supper are true proper and genuine Sacraments Gods Creatures and of Gods making as the two Fishes but the other five to wit Confirmation Pennance Extrem Unction Orders and Marriage have the knavery of the Baker in them made up more of course bran then of fine Meal They are of the Popes making and not of God they are bread of deceit and not sanctifyed food as are the two Sacraments of the Gospel Instituted by Christ and not invented by Antichrist 5. The main and principal constitutive parts of a true Sacrament be three to wit Verbum Signum Signatum the word the Sign and the thing signifyed 1. There must be the word of Divine Institution under the Covenant of grace which yet is not the form of a Sacrament but the efficient cause instrumentally taken by which God out of his tender compassion to us maketh for us a Sacrament accedit verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum The word of Institution comes to the Element and makes it a Sacrament faith Augustine 2. There must be the outward Sign ordained of God and not to be altered or adulterated by Man and when the instituting word is applyed hereunto then doth it begin to signify truly to us something that is Divine and Heavenly and that not of ' its own nature so much as through the Ordination and Appointment of God Those are called Sacramental Elements which do Sign and Seal the Covenant 'twixt God and Man 3. There must be the thing signifyed to wit the inward grace of Christ promised in the word to be annexed to those Sacred Symbols and signisyed by them 6. Thus the five pseudonomous or Mock-Sacraments of the Romanists are Justly exploded by Protestants seeing they 1. Have not any Divine institution to make them Gospel Sacraments nor 2. Have they any outward Sign ordained of God for them nor 3. Any promise of grace annexed to them for the benefit of those that use them as Sacraments But the two standing Gospel Sacraments hath all those ingredients and constituting qualifications as 1. Baptism hath 1. An outward Element ordained of God to wit Water and 2. A Divine institution by our Lord Christ Math. 28. 19. and 3. It hath also the promise of Remission of Sin annexed to it Mark 1. 10. Act. 2. 38. and so 2. The Lords Supper hath 1. ' Its Elements appointed by Christ to wit Bread and Wine Math. 26 26. and 2. The word of institution do this in Remembrance of me Luke 22. 19. yea and 3. A promise annexed of partaking of the benefits of Christs body and blood for our nourishment to life eternal Joh. 6. 50 51 53 54 55 56. Therefore those two only are the true Gospel Sacraments Of Baptism CHAP. IX 1. THose are the only Sacraments which we may safely say did flow out of the sides of our dear Saviour Joh. 19. 3 4. When his Pericardium was pierced by the Soldiers spear which nature hath filled with water to cool the heat of the heart there came out blood and water and this the same John alludes to in his Epistle 1 Joh. 5. 6. when he saith that Christ came by water and blood not by water only but by blood also Not only to teach us that he justifies none by his merit but whom he sanctifies by his Spirit the grace of justification held out in the blood is always accompanied with the grace of Sanctification hold out in the water but also to shew which be the two only Gospel-Sacraments that he hath Ordained for and bestowed as pledges of his love on his Church his spouse that was taken out of his side also as well as those Sacraments just as Eve was taken out of the sides of Adam Gen. 2. 21 22 23. The five Popish Sacraments came not out of the side of Christ as Sacraments for his bride but out of the side of Antichrist being his mere Inventions and none of Christs holy Institutions 2. Those two Gospel-Sacraments Christ hath appointed the one for a Sacrament of Initiation and the other for a Sacrament of nutrition The former once only to be administred to one and the same Subject and the latter to be often according to the Institution and that of Augustin may pass as a plausible Reason Semel Nascimur soepe Pascimur We are but once born but we are often fed feeding is a daily work as often as ye eat this bread and drink this blood ye do show the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 20. First of the first to wit Baptism in the general 't is a fleeing from wrath to come Math. 3. 7. And a running to Christ as to a Sanctuary for Salvation from that wrath the terminus a quo or what is fled from doth suppose that there is a terminus ad quem or a City of refuge to run to for safety Pro. 18. 10. In case Malady be not without a Remedy Hence the Pharisees are said to Reject the Counsel of God against themselves and were Ingrati gratioe Dei as Ambrose speaketh ungrateful to the grace of God Luke 7. 30. 3. Baptism doth also now save us saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 3. 21. as the Ark did Noah and his Family from that deluge of Divine wrath that destroy'd the old World First 't is said to save us as 't is called the Laver of Regeneration and the Baptism of Repentance and the washing of the New-birth and a being Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire as well as with water Tit. 3. 5. Eph. 5. 26. c. This saveth yet not as the efficient cause of Salvation for that is Christ alone nor yet as a necessary Instrument for that is Faith alone but only as a pledge of Salvation and as a badg of the saved you must look upon it as a special favour from God to you that he hath given you this Gospel Ordinance and Secondly 't is said to save us now to shew the permanency of ' its use and efficacy to that Soul which makes a believing use of it 't
is a work that is wages to it self as you will find within Psal 19. 11. In as well as for keeping Gods commands there is great reward 'T is verily as the work of glorified Saints and of glorious Angels it being of the same nature with theirs whose work is their wages O then you may rationally conclude with your self from hence What a shame it is that I who am created to an Eternal being and that do possess an Immortal Soul should spend 20. 30. 40. or 50. Years in Vanity if not in Villany all the time wearing the livery of a cursed Master being a Slave to Sin and Satan and never look up to God the best Master and the Supreme good Alas you may hop from Mountain to Hill Jer. 50. 6. And go Satans round Jab 1. 7. yet find no rest with Noah's Dove for the Soles of the Feet of your Soul until you come to the Ark of this blessed work your Soul is Created with such vast Capacities as nothing bears proportion either to ' its being or to ' its wants below God no Created being hath Room enough in it to entertain so ample and so endless a guest 't is of such unlimited desires that nothing but the Immortal God can satisfy an Immortal Soul Secondly Observe the method which is first general in the whole duty of Man to God this is held out in those three general Names 1. Of godliness 2. Of Religion 3. Of Christianity Together with the necessity of each then Secondly you have more particularly the many good duties of Man to God both personal and relative Treated upon and that with as much perspicuity and plainness as so little a Book would admit of If you meet with any passage that seems obscure ascribe it to the Curtnes of my stile who indeavours to say much in a little and after some acquaintance herewithal with a little pondering you will be able through grace to understand the darkest Sentence If you desire direction in natural and civil Actions c. As well as in Religious I refer you to my little piece called the Crown and glory of a Christian If either in that or in this any thing may be blest to your Soul and bring you further of from Sin and nearer God which is the best thing in the World Psal 73. 28 both for Living and Dying let God have all the glory for the gift how mean soever bestowed on me how unworthy soever 2 Cor. I. II. And let me have the Relief of your Prayers for further abilities and your faithful Improvement of those poor performances which I commend to your Candour and your Soul to God and to the Word of his grace Subscribing my Self to be Yours in the best Bonds Christopher Nesse London this 10th of April 1678. Short Rules for your general Direction Let your Thoughts be Divine Awful and Godly Talk be Little Honest and True Works be Profitable Holy and Charitable Manners be Grave Courteous and Cheerful Dyet be Temperate Convenient and Frugal Apparel be Sober Neat and Comly Will be Ready Obedient and Constant Sleep be Moderate Quiet Seasonable Prayers be Short Devout and Frequent Recreations be Lawful Brief and Seldom Mind be Suitable to your Means Memory be Of Death Judgment and Glory Conscience be Void of offence to God and Man Task be Always doing or receiving good Conversation be In Heaven while your commoration be on Earth Latter-End be That of the Righteous Hopeful in the Lord not Hopeless in Sin A well-wish to your weal in both Worlds Utinam Saptres Praeterita Malum Commissum Bonum Omissum Tempus Amissum Intelligeres Praesentia Vitae Brevitatem Salvandi Difficultatem Salvandorum Paucitatem Praevideres Futura Mortem quâ nihil inevitabilius Judicium quo nihil terribilius Infernum quo nihil intolerabilius I wish you would First make a wise use of things past to wit evil committed good omitted and time lost and gone Secondly consider things present to wit the shortness of life the difficulty of Salvation and the fewness of those that are to be saved Thirdly Foresee things to come to wit death than which nothing is more unavoidable the day of Judgment than which nothing is more terrible the pains of Hell than which nothing is more Intolerable A Christians Walk and Work on Earth c. CHAP. 1. 1. YOU must know that Man is the master-piece of the Worlds ' Maker God calls as it were a Counsel in Heaven saying Let us make man Gen. 1. 26 Us all us the whole Wisdom of the Trinity was exercis'd in the making of Man The consultation and deliberation therein plainly demonstrates that there was then the bringing forth of a piece of work of greatest moment and importance and therefore what is said of Behemoth He is the chief of the ways of God Job 40. 19. may more eminently be said of Man he is the chiefest of the ways and of the works of God The Sun Moon and Stars are but the work of Gods fingers Psal 8. 3. But man is the work of his hands Psal 139. 14 15. Job 10. 3. 8. Hence David speaking of Man first wonders and then speaks and when he hath done to speak he hath not done to wonder Psal 8. 1. 9. 2. Every Creature of God is indeed a wonder yea little Creatures those Decimo-sexto's of the Creation are great wonders as well as the great Behemoth and other large Folio's thereof for the infinite Wisdom and Power of the Creator is manifest in couching up both life and motion in such a little compass as in Insects Flies Ants c. But Man is the greatest wonder as having the excellency of all other Creatures in him he is the abridgment of all wonders You believe that God is a Spirit and you see that the World is a Body Man is an Epitome of both 1. Of God in respect of his Spirit And 2. of the World in the composition of his Body as if the great Jehovah on purpose to set forth a plain mirrous of himself and his work designed to bring into this one narrow compass of Man both the infiniteness of his own nature and the vastness of the whole world all together 3. The soul of Man resembles the circumference of Heaven as being everywhere over the little world his brain the Sun that gives light to this little world and the senses stand round about it as so many Stars His heart represents the Earth in its Center his liver is as the Sea from whence flows the blood in all its circulations the like correspondency you may easily imagine in all other parts too long to particularize Hence is it that Tertullian calls the World a great Man and Man a little world Man the Microcosm is Gods Text as it were and all other Creatures in the Macrocosm or great world are as so many plain Commentaries upon that dark Text. 4. You may learn a little further herein if you would have yet more
of prayer Sanctified the Gold and all other Materials and Utensils in it Matth. 23. 17. So this holy duty of prayer doth Sanctify all things 1 Tim. 4. 5. All Ordinances all Providences all Enjoyments all Employments prayer doth not only Gild them over but also turns them into the finest Gold So that to pray continually is to carry this Temple as Austin called it about with you at all times in all places upon all occasions and in all conditions yea all your life even to your very death this Spiritual breath must conterminate with your Natural For the last work of a dying Christian is to breath out this prayer Lord Jesus receive my Spirit 19. The fourth true sense of praying always and continually is the keeping of your heart in a praying frame continually so that upon all occasions that occur you may be lifting up your heart your thoughts and affections unto God whom you have set always before you Psal 16. 8. and darting out frequent Ejaculations to the Throne of grace Thus your Harp or heart should be ever kept in Tune for prayer as the Souldier hath his Armes ready by him and right fixed upon any Assault of the Enemy and as the fire in your guest Chamber it is always prepared though it do not ever burn or blaze out upon your friends coming to be blown up into a Flame thus you may pray when you do not set your self a-part to pray even in the works of your callings and besides your set Meals for your Soul in your Morning and Evening prayer called the continual Sacrifice Numb 28. 3 4. as well as for your body you have many other refreshing morsels to wit occasional Apostrophes and Ejaculations to nourish the inner man and to make it increase with the increasings of God through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 19. Eph. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. 20. Thus to pray continually quoties aliquid occurrit as Dr. Willet senses Rom. 12. 12. as oft as any thing falls out that calls for Divine assistance 't is not only your duty but your priviledge 't is like the herb All-heal an universal remedy against all diseases a choice yet a cheap Catholicon and Antidote both against the evil of sinning and off suffring This is the best and most blest Expedient to avoid dangers to overcome difficulties and to procure both safety and success in all your honest designs Thu Nehemiah before he opens his mouth to the King even in the Kings presence first opens his heart to God Neh. 2. 4. his sudden and secret Ejaculation he darted up to God for ordering his speech and speeding his Petition is called his praying to the God of Heaven and this was his frequent practice upon several other providences Neh. 5. 19. 6. 14. 13. 29. Thus Abrahams servant darted out desires to God that he might prosper in his Enterprize Gen. 24. 12. 26. Thus Moses cryed to God yet said nothing Exod. 14. 15. Thus Hannah was not heard yet prayed and thus wherever God sets you up an Alter you must be ready to offer Sacrifice crying either mentally or vocally Lord prosper me in this work Lord protect me in this Journey Lord direct me in this duty c. Thus Christ often did for you 21. The fourth Direction is your prayer must be earnest and intent or instant you must not only pray but cry Psal 130. 1. out of the depth have I cryed unto thee David crys there and in many other places unto God with his utmost strength out of the depth of his heart You must be servent in it as well as constant to it neither the frequency nor the fervency of prayer ought to be abated prayer is cal'd wrestling which requires your utmost strength as well as skill it requires the very strength of your affections you must be fervent in Spirit while you are serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. and be instant as well as constant in it Ver. 12. your heart must be seething-hot as the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies your heart must be boiling a good matter as Davids Psal 45. 1. in the Hebr. Reading this will be the best cure of wandring thoughts Flies sieze not on Honey while it boiles nor Beelzebub the Prince of flies upon your heart while 't is boiling any good matter in prayer God loves not cold prayers as some men love not cold dishes yea even lukewarm hearts are Nauseous to him Revel 3. 16. every offering that is of a sweet Savour is made by fire unto the Lord Levit. 1. 9 13 17. 'T is three times over every Sacrifice must have fire in it aswel as Salt Mark 9. 49. the fire of Zealous Devotion as well as the Salt of truth and sincerity yea the Sacrificer as well as the Sacrifice must have both those Ingredients Salt and Fire in him You must have the grace of truth Psal 51. 6. which as Salt must dry up those evil humours in you that would breed the never dying Worm and you must have the grace of Zeal which as fire must burn up those corruptions in you that otherwise would carry you to that unquenchable Fire Mark 9. 43 44. 45 46 47 48. 22. This blessed Spirit of burning so cal'd Isa 4. 4. that makes a true and through combustion among your fleshly corruptions must prevent you of everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. as the Sun of the Firmament with ' its hot Beams will eat out the Kitchin-Fire that is upon the Hearth So this Coelestial Fire of Zeal and fervency for God in prayer which is indeed a warm beam of the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4. 2. will eat out the stinking fire of Sin that is in your heart This fire of Heaven will devour that fire of Hell Jam. 3. 6. in you a live-Coal must touch your heart as well as your lips Esa 6. 6. and you must be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 4. 11. Act. 2. 3 4. Elijahs Sacrifice had not only much water out of Kishon but also fire from Heaven to Render it an acceptable Sacrifice 1 King 18. 33 to 30. So you must not only have the water of godly sorrow and Gospel repentance but also the fire of Zeal and servent Devotion to make an acceptable prayer unto God The fire of Aetna and the water of Nilus are said to be the Hieroglyphicks of those choice Ingredients of a rightly compounded prayer God requires hot bread to be set before him daily 1 Sam. 21. 6. 23. The breath that a pair of bellows breaths out is cold breath and so is it not properly breath but wind accordingly cold prayers that are carelesly breathed out are not truly prayer but wind and vanity the breath of a living Man is not cold as bellows breath but warm the lack of servency is the loss of prayer God will be cold and careless in accepting and answering if you dare be cold and careless in
Supper yea the best of the kind a wedding-Dinner as Matthew calls it Mat. 22. 4. and 't is a wedding Supper as Luke calls it Luk. 14. 16. to shew that the Saints do Dine and Sup with Christ they Eat and are satisfyed continually with the fatness of his Table Psal 65. 4. 'T is a thousand pities God should say I have prepared my Dinner or my Supper 't is both his and of his preparing and that when it is prepared of God it should be sleighted of man Some by keeping from it that should come and others by coming to it that should not for want of the wedding garment the word wooes and beseechs us this Sacrament makes up the match and marries the Redeemed with the Redeemer neglect it not Num. 9. 13. 2. More particularly three things are required of you herein 1. Preparation before 2. True participation in And 3. Right improvement after First of the first to wit due preparation First in the General Man before the Fall had no need of preparation 't was only his changing of employments and a bare going out of secular work into spiritual and religious but fall'n man cannot do so he must prepare his heart first and then change his employment fall'n man is as Joseph in his prison state Gen. 41. 14. who puts off his prison-garments and changed them for better and then came in to Pharaoh accordingly and much more you must put on your best graces when you are to come in unto the Lord in this solemn and sacred Ordinance in which are the highest mysteries of the Christian Religion 1. As it is a standing evidence of transcendent affection both of the Father in giving the Son to us and of the Son in giving himself to us 2. As it is a lively representation of your blessed and bleeding Redeemers suffering upon the Cross far beyond all Popish Crucifixes it being of Christs own institution 3. As it is the nearest Communion we have with God upon Earth a sitting down at the Kings own table which earthly Monarchs practice not as his Favorites and familiar Friends And 4. as it is a Prelibamen or foretaste of that eternal banquet you shall hereafter eat off in your Fathers house and therefore you may not rush into this Ordinance above all others but prepare for it as you would do for death itself Casuists say Sacramentum Articulus mortis aquiparantur you should be as serious in your coming to the Lords table as in your going at the point of death into another world in both you appear before the great God 3. Your preparation for this solemn Ordinance is held out in that Scripture-expression the purification of the sanctuary 2 Chron. 30. 18 19. which consisted of three parts 1. Washing with water 2. Changing their Garments and 3. Purging out all leaven out of their Houses to prepare for the passeover If the Jews were thus zealous in the shadow and Ceremony how much more ought Christians to be in the truth and substance First of the first washing with water every Jew had his water Pots beside him for his daily washing Joh. 2. 6 for his Purification God will be Sanctifyed of all those that draw nigh to him Levit. 10. 2 3. and therefore God requires this Purification of all the People Exod. 19. 10. this outward washing was a time of inward cleansing Isoe 1. 16. which is principally required Heb. 10. 22. grace purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and they must be pure in heart that would see God Mat. 5. 8. without holiness no man can see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. much less come nigh him for iniquity is a wall of Separation Isa 59. 2. As in those Levitical purifications they were to wash off 1. All defilements 2. The deepest stains 3. From off all the parts from head to foot 4. And this often as in the Leper yea 5. Their very Garments spotted with the flesh Jude 23. the resemblance is 1. That you be washed from the blood of your Nativity Ezek. 16. 4. the Spirit of Sanctification must be applyed to every sowle faculty of the Soul and Member of the body Especially to the Conscience Heb. 9. 14. 2. The pains you must take in mortifying your Earthly members Col. 3. 5. which are as the spots of a Leopard Jer. 13. 23. which will not wash out without much rubbing and scouring and many nights frosting out of doors You must be contented to endure much hardship 2 Tim. 2. 3. and many tribulations Act. 14. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 12. many bats and blows so the stain of Sin may be fetched out which will not be done easily but sticks as close as flesh to the bone 3. Your whole frame being all out of frame must be washed and throughout Sanctifyed 2 Thes 5. 23. You must cry with Peter wash Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head Joh. 13. 9. 4. And this you must do often 't is not the work of a day week moneth or year but 't is the daily work of your whole life renew your Repentance daily that you run not your life out in Hypocrisy and die like a fool at last Zach. 13. 1. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 4. The second part of the Jewish purification was change of Raiment Gen. 35. 2. Though the Ceremonial Law was not then Written yet it was practiced by the Patriarks all along before Moses as Sacrificing c. Alas filthy clouts and rags of Sin are upon you even the appearel of death till Christ give you change of Raiment Zech. 3. 3 4. 'Till Christ cover you with embroidered work Ezek. 16. 10. and make you comly with his Robe of Righteousness V. 14. hereby you are acquitted from the curse of the Law and also accepted into Gods favour This is the Goodly raiment wherein Jacob got the blessing Gen. 27. 15. the Garment of your Elder Brother Jesus Christ you must put on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13. 14. Unless you bring this Benjamin with you there is no seeing the face of the Lord of the land neither will there be any Corn for you as Gen. 44. 23. you cannot expect to Eat the flesh unless you be clothed with the Fleece of the Lamb of God the skin of a cruicifyed Christ must be your Coat to cover your nakedness as God clothed the first Parents with the skins of the Sacrifices Gen. 3. 21. You must have the Livery of this blessed Lord and Honourable Master which the followers of the Lamb are distinguished by from the World both the imputed and imparted Righteousness Rev. 19. 8. which you can of your self neither purchase nor put on You may not come to the Lords feast or supper without this Wedding Garment Christ will come in to see his Guests If you appear there in the tatterd raggs of the wretched old Adam you will have nothing to say for your self but be as the muzzled beast So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies mute before him Mat. 22.