starting holes but set too our seale that he meanes no lesse than his words import for his Sonnes sake that he will be our God and forgive us Now there is weight in the promise alone sufficient to overpeize our infidelity But such is the basenesse of spirit in us being disabled by our fall that neither can our feeblenesse reach it or remember and represent it to us in due sort and much lesse our guilty slavish and treacherous hearts which muse as they use and thinke God like themselves to hate them whom they have hurt can beleeve it Heere the Lord not content with the bare offer and Covenant of grace in Christ rather than he would leave any who is not wilfully an enemy and hating reconciliation unconvinced of his unfeignednesse of meaning to doe as he speakes What the Sacraments doe assure condescends so low as to stoope to our weake forgetfull and base hearts and therefore comes as the author to the Hebrewes speakes cap. 6 17.18 Heb. 6 17 18f to joyne an oath to his Covenant That by two things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge upon pursuit of our conscience Satan or any enemies Now what is the oath of God in the Ghospell Surely no other save his seales that is his Sacraments which I take to bee no small cause why the Fathers devised the Name of a Sacrament that is an oath This oath or seale call it as you will must be that uttermost security which the Lord can or will reach us forth in his Gospell to take away our distrust and slavery That as among men in the greatest Controversies an oath is beyond all expectation able to decide the doubt so in this matter of Gods open and hearty meaning in his covenant if the soule question it he desires that his oath might put an end to our unbeleefe The Lord to speake with reverence taking a kinde of corporall oath in the Sacrament I take these Sacramentall Elements united to the Crucified flesh of my Sonne to witnesse that as surely as nothing can sever from the one a cleansing feeding cherishing quality to the bodyes of the creatures to whom my word hath so appointed them so nothing shall separate the quickning comforting and refreshing quality of my Sonnes satisfaction that is my love and grace from the soules of them whom I have ordained it unto I swere and vow my Sonne is theirs as truely as the bread they eate and the wine they drinke Let us then collect out of this that hath beene sayd a threefold end of Sacraments 1. To be Glasses 2. Memorialls 3. Pledges and that of best assurance if oath seale be sufficient of the true meaning of God to the Soule in bidding it be reconciled The last of these three is the cheefe Three ends of them yet there is use of the former two Of which seeing partly I have spoken and partly shall speake therefore heere the lesse Touching the first then that Sacraments are as Glasses to the Soule I spake before in that point of the matter of Sacraments 1. To bee sses noting that the Lord chuseth things of most ordinary familiarnesse to helpe the feeblenesse and carnality of our minds And in the like respect the Lord hath given them to this end that they might be looking glasses that as in them each part of the face may bee cleerely discerned so in this mirror of the Sacrament for that of Paul is as proper to the Sacrament as to the promise 2 Cor. 3. ult 2 Cor. 3. vlt. that with open face we behold the Lord we may fullyer discerne the very letters of the covenant which before seemed dim Spectacles we see are of use to cause a weake eye to see clearely by multiplying and inlarging the character or object And the perspective glasse will so extend the object a farre off that a man may perceive a two or three miles distant a little cottage under a darke wood side with all the proportion of it not a doore wall or window of it excepted Even so is it heere The Sacraments are glasses yea perspectives which discover to the dim eye of the soule all that fulnesse of Christ which the only promise could not yeâ— its as a picture at large shewing the soule all the dimensions of mercy of Christ his length depth height and breadth which is as Paul calls it the fulnesse of God That as the Prophet speakes of the writing which should be written in great letters that he that runnes might read it so heere 2. Memorialls Habak 2.2 For the 2. Memorialls of Christ I shall more fully handle afterward when I shew the duty of the Communicants behaviour in the act of receiving Heere this may be sufficient to signifie that as Monuments Marble Pillars with engraven characters serve to bring to the memory the lively impression of things fallen out or done time out of minde so the Sacraments serve to be memorials to our forgetfull mindes to make lively and fresh the memory and impression of the Lord Iesus crucified together with the power of his death and satisfaction So that no injury of time weakenesse of memory or craft of Sathan might ever be able to weare out the print of such a divine gift and favour as much worth as the salvation of mankind See at large in the place quoted 3. Pledges or seales But thirdly and chiefely I adde for pledges and seales of security to the soule doubtfull about the meaning of the COvenant The other two make way in the minde for this but this is the last and finall end of Sacraments in Gods ordination To adde a word or two to that I have said of it the Lord by his Seales seekes the uttermost securitie of the staggering soule in his true and faithfull meaning to save and sustaine it here during the kingdome of grace These Seales he appoints frequently to be offered and received that as the weake soule finds her selfe to stand in need so shee drinking at these brookes might lift up her head Illustration To make my meaning more plaine we see among men for sundry causes it is meet one secure the other of his faithfulnesse If men be suspected for restoring what they borrow wee see they are faine to lay in a pledge with the lender to secure him of his owne When Abraham sent his servant upon a weightie errand far off Gen. 24.24 2 3 he caused his servant to put his hand under his thigh and bound him with oath to deale behind his backe as if he were in his presence So God doe and more if thou faile of ought which lies upon thy trust and fidelity Even so doth the Lord abase himself to us in Sacraments seemes to yeeld to our infidelity as if it were excusable and to make himselfe obnoxious to us who is free and bound to none hee is content to cleere
spirit whereby the Lord offered up himselfe was so is the power of the same spirit to the soule begetting and renewing it Eternall also so that the never dying power of baptisme keepes the branch of the vine thus one put in to abide for ever ingrafted and planted into the person of Emanuell so that himselfe the stocke shall as soone wither as the soule which by faith is in him shall perish No more baptisings shall neede than one because Christ ever liveth in the soule and recovereth her by his unrestrained influence from all her swouning decayes and wanzings to her former integrity no more Barkes are required after shipwracke save this one Now if Christ himselfe in person not the poore Minister with all his acts onely be the true Baptist can it be otherwise but Baptisme must needes be the Lord Iesus at the best Lastly to adde one word also of the Supper The sinfull tongue and hands I say not of a wicked Masse Priest but even the best consecrater of the Sacrament that lives cannot blesse sufficiently But the Lord Iesus our steward he is the Administer of it completely he is the true consecrater yea the foode and feeder of the Soules of his owne with his pretious body and blood unto eternity None whom the Father hath given him to be his living ones can decay pine or wither under his hand while he lives to make them Provision He told his Desciples he would eate and drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine till hee dranke it in the kingdome meaning till he spiritually without mouth or hands did present himselfe with his Church Sacâ—amentally there to feede them But in that sence he promised to drinke it with them to the worlds end He it is then who as the Master of the feast and the feast also welcometh provideth for and encourageth his guests to eate good things and to delight in fatnesse He it is who not onely in the Ministers person still consecrateth but by his might and strength derives all his blood spirit marrow and nourishment into the bones and veines of his poore members by his union with the elements whereby he saveth and sustayneth all his true borne ones that cry after his brest and succour he cannot suffer them to lacke And as himselfe in divers phrases expresseth he feedes them in his Pastures leades them to the waters he cherisheth them as his spouse nourisheth them as his branches and by him as the doore they goe in and out finding pasture For he hath made himselfe one with bread and wine that man not living by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God may in and by these Elements draw a secret foyson and increase to the soule and be therein susteined with faith and the fruits as after in the Treatise God willing I shall more fully declare He whose flesh once eaten is immortall yet offers himselfe often for the releefe of daily defects And is not this the Lord Iesus at his best in this Sacrament also Endlesse it were to recite all which might convince thee of this excellency of Christ Sacramentall Who would not confesse that friend to shew his love at the best who should most draw neare to him in his greatest troubles And is not Christ Sacramentall for the nonce To what end then doth he offer thee his blood and bid thâ—e drinke it save to conforme thee to a sweete meekenesse of spirit in suffering and to a fellowship in all his Afflictions with confidence of overcomming in his strength Againe if a man should promise to doe thee a kindnesse wouldst thou not interpret his kindnesse at the best if it lay in such a kind as should supply thy peculiar want What kindnesse is counted of like that which is most seâ—sonable That which releeves not some defect may be thought superfluous Even so is Christ Sacramentall a releefe of each soules personall peculiar diseases wants decayes distempers Like to the man of Baalshalisha 2 King 4.42 who brought loaves of Corne and presents to the Prophet when there was a necessity of famine and a multitude to bee fed But I end in a word Wherein can it more cleerely appeare that the Lord Iesus is offered thee in the Sacrament at his best than in his blessed fulnesse If thou shouldest visite thy friends house tell mee when shouldst thou most thinke thou camest at the best than in the middest of a feast So I say heere The Sacrament is the Kings feast at the marriage of his Sonne The feast of the hills the feast of God and heaven a full feast of all refined wines fat and delicate things If Gods ordinarie be so good is not his feast of Christ Christ at his best Wherein thy soule may fill it selfe for the present and for afterwards with choice Deinties as the Aramites campe and the fulnesse thereof filled the leapers But now what is the upshot of all Oh! sad mourning That we are at our worst when Christ is best Oh mourne that after 70. yeeres liberty of the word and Sacraments in the Church yet by the sinne of man such mysteries as these should lye by disesteemed because unacknowledged True it is as once it was a deepe conceit with the Iew that his Messia must neede be some speciall person But when the true Messia indeed came they knew not what to make of him he was a strange wonder unto them So now it deepely dwells in most men that in the Sacrament some mysticall thing lyes hidden but when they come to it they receive they know not what The cause is their carnality and sensualnesse which is offended at the spiritualnesse of them which makes them alleadge oh they are darke matters and for great Divines not for such as they to meddle withall And thus in time corrupt ease breeding error that errour growes to proove religion and as at first men thought them difficult so at length it s their best devotion to rest in blind and superstitious reverence of a thing unknowne As those Athenians who set up an Altar to the unknowable God blind devotion being the meere falling short of faith If this disease had infected popery onely it had beene well â—uâ— this Popish leaven of carnall Sacraments which sowred the first reformation with a consubstantiate Christ hath tainted us with as dangerous an error even to rest in a carnall devotion and the opus operatum of a devout blinde receiving counting it the top of religion Alas poore soules To what purpose doe we so crake and boast of our Sacraments of the Gospel that they are above those of the old Testament in al respects as indeede thy are when as its cleare by good experience that setting aside some places enlightned by the word our Sacraments to the body of our people are as dimme and dumbe representers of a Christ already crucified as to the Iew they were darke pretendings of the Messiah to come Oh! How woefull
receives no encrease Yet faith Sacramentall in apprehending it receives encrease And thus both agree in conveying whole Christ to the soule Secondly 2 Sealing Christ in respect of their sealing up of all Christ to the soule of which in the next Chapter for except both concurre in sealing neither of both do seale him True it is that some further thing is offered to the soule in the Supper than was in Baptisme but yet because still one Christ is offered in both therefore encrease of grace cannot be sealed up where ingrafting and begetting hath not beene already conferred by spirituall Baptisme Neither without other give whole Christ if both may be enjoyed although each give him wholy because Christ is inseparable from himselfe the whole soule is in each member which is in the whole body yet if we divide the toe from the foot there will be no soule in the toe Take Baptisme from the Supper and the Supper can bee no sealing Supper for how shall life be encreased in a thing which never had true life begotten in it I conclude then The Sacraments of the Gospell although they are two yet do not cut Christ into two parts as the Child which Salomon bid to be divided in two parts but still offer one Christ to be communicated Both those harlots could not have one and the same child but all Christs members have that one Child Iesus Sacramentall although for severall ends as by and by shall appeare one serving to create him the other to enlarge him yet both agree in exhibiting one Iesus Of the use anon Now lastly touching their disagreement Their disagreement in five things as it standes in many lesser thing so in the particular ends especially for the former they are these five 1. Order Order 1. 2. Frequency 3. Opportunity 4 Elements 5. Subject For the first The order of them is that baptisme goes before and the Supper followes even as being goes before prospering Yet I deny not but thousands have beleeved ere baptised but now I speake of the order of the seales not otherwise Which discovers the folly of such as would deferre baptisme to the last period of their life out of an errour both that it conferd grace by a vertue inherent and that it pardoned sins onely past By which folly some bereft themselves of Baptisme finally by sudden death Secondly in frequency Secondly frequency Baptisme it but once to be administred the Supper often We are but once borne And therefore the rebaptizing of Anabaptists is a cursed profanation not onely in respect of their condemning Infants baptisme in generall but of repeating baptisme administred although by or in a false hereticall Church for even such baptisme must not be doubled if the mystery of the Trinity the Doctrine of Christ be maintained in any generality although with much corruption The like I may say of those that denyed to restore them that were once lapsed upon pretence that then they must bee rebaptized and also them that presumed to rebaptise such as they received againe into the Church after their repentance of some notorious heresie or odious practise which they had fallen into or committed Noe we abhorre such scurfe affirming one Baptisme and that one once to bee given to the Church for true sealing up the ingrafting of the soule into Christ when it shall beleeve the Covenant Thirdly in opportunitie or season Thirdly season Which I speake not positively but upon supposition of the Churches wisedome and liberty in determining the season of the Supper to be in the morning leaving the season of Baptisme indefinite as occasion serveth And that because the one being administred to growne ones requires fit and due season to quicken them up which in the other is not requisite But for all this I doe affirme no necessitie to be in this season of the Supper seeing its in the Churches power to alter the morning to the afternoone and if we should so receive I dare not impeach it so it be done without confusion The fourth is the Elements Fourthly the Elements the one having Water the other Bread and Wine both serving pertinently to the uses they were made for and neither having in them any fitnesse to resemble each others use water being no more fit to nourish than bread to wash but each suiting properly to his end The last is the Subject Fiftly the subject the one the Infant the other the growne and such as are of discretion Which I speake not as if the Church may Baptise none but Infants for as it doth baptize them as lawfully in the faith of the Parents and in hope of their owne when they come to understand the Covenant as it offers the Supper to actuall beleevers so yet if any such be brought into the Church as never was baptized being as falles out of twelve twentie thirtie yeeres the Church is bound upon the due examination of such and confession of his faith to baptize him as well as an Infant But for the other Sacrament to admit children though under colour of ripe knowledge and grace above others its not a fit thing in respect of scandall and opening a way to the profanation of Sacraments by others of like age not to speake of the rashnesse of it in ascribing that to raw youth which requireth setling of judgement and soundnes of affection But of all other differences Addition the particular ends are greatest in which the two Sacraments are irreconciliable The one so serving for the Breed of a new Creature the other for the Supper thereof See Chap. infra that neither can or ought to be applied to others end or use as in their due place shall be spoken The use is Vse 1 First to blesse God and adore his Wisedome who hath in these two Sacraments so harmoniously and agreeably united represented and sealed up all the Lord Iesus so farre as a poore soule can comprehend him not wearying us with confusion of Sacraments Vse 2 Secondly acknowledging God to be the God of order and distinction in appointing us these divers seales and that for three causes First In three branches to avoide the blinde devotion of Idiots who not looking at which is which but confusedly at both as objects of holinesse and devotion goe no further to consider Sacraments in their distinct ends Much like Papists who use Holy-water and the bread of their Pix because hallowed after their manner to any ends they first light on as to sprinckle a sicke man to scare away Devils yea putting the Hoast into a dead mans mouth Any thing serves to any end among such Merchants and Hucksters of holy things And how few thinke wee are there to be found in many Congregations who can discerne betweene these two Sacraments in their particular ends Save that they see they be two solemne performances having diverse Elements and Acts belonging to them else they know no ods but put
his fidelity by laying a pledge in our lap and by securing us of his faithfulnes by oath the end of all strife Nay to speak more fully the Lord in the assuring of the bargain of his grace doth much like to an honest man willing to sell his inheritance Finding out such an honest chapman as gives him content hee offers him the Land upon a price declares the goodnesse of it tells him it s richly worth his money Having thus presented the object to the free choise of the Chapman Lo the Buyer mooved by the sinceritie of the Seller and the goodnesse of the penny-worth consents to his price and contracts with him for the Land They both are firmely agreed neither suspecting other their words seeme as deeds each to other But in the upshot the Buyer considers while the Seller and I live and there shall be no question betweene us all is well but if the Seller die and leave me no security for my owne what availes it me to pay my money Who knowes what may befall besides either of our intentions in so bad a world as this Hereupon these ingenuous dealers treate further and the Seller taking great content in the buyer tells him I see you are willing to deale with me to beleeve my honest contract and I find few so true in paying for their purchase as I see you are your money I have received and therefore you shall well see I will not be more backward in security than you are in paiment Goe to the learnedst counsell you can meet with get him to draw the Covenants as sure and strong as can be and looke whatsoever shall be demanded I will make good and I will settle the land upon you as strongly as Law can â—evise to settle it In like sort deales the Lord with a beleeving soule I see thou hast a good desire deale with me for my grace and pardon in Christ thou hast received my report beleeved my promise for the faithfulnesse sake which thou perceivest to be in me howbeit I see many doubts rise up in thy minde to unsettle thee I see thy sensualitie is great thy heart wavering for time to come I am absent from thine eye and Satan buzzeth feares into thee of my unfaithfulnes I have therfore resolved to assure thee to the uttermost of my simplicitie and have added to my Covenant a further ratification of my Sacraments I here give thee a pledge an oath a seale I chuse the Symbols of the flesh water and bloud of my crucified Sonne the very instruments by which he wrought satisfaction for thee as verily as this Sacrament offers thee these united Elements which be as a marke and print of the very nailes and wounds that pierced and slew him and wrought my angry soule to be appeased so verily doe I in particular tender them to thee and make them thine so that if thou be frustrate I am content to cease to be faithfull and shall become a lier Behold therefore in my Sacrament all my Sonne and the utmost security which I am able externally to give thee and to make him thine as surely as my Gospell can make him Thus I say doth the Lord and joyneâ— the Spirit of his Sonne called his sealing Spirit to the Spirit of promise before given That the one with the other the seale with the Covenant might be above the Covenant alone so leave the poore soule in peace and securitie as concerning his faithfull Covenant to save and sustaine the soule in all her feare and doubtfulnesse and to take refuge with strong consolation Vse 1 And let the use hereof in Gods feare be as weightie with us as the point it selfe is First to teach us to mourne to consider how lamentably this end of Sacraments on Gods part is unknowne untaught despised in the Church of Christ after threescore yeares restoring of the Gospell and upward and all by the sinne of wofull and wicked men who have by their sloth deprived Gods people of so great a Iewell as the Ministry and use of Sacraments Where is there one congregation of many to whom this mystery of Christ Sacramentall is revealed in the kinde How hidden and darke is this Doctrine to the most And where it hath sounded how strange is the sound thereof even as of many waters I may say the one halfe of Christ in his efficacie and power either by Covenant or Seale is kept from the body of people by the carelesnesse of Teachers Vse 2 Secondly to exhort all that care to receive the Sacrament to any purpose not to rest themselves satisfied in knowing what I have spoken Eph. 4 21. till they know the truth as it is in Iesus Sacramentall till they finde and feele Gods end of Sacraments to be fulfilled in and to their owne soules in the sealing and securing power thereof Oh! Iohn 4 10. Didst thou know the gift of God in a Sacrament how the Lord hath hung it to his Covenant as a seale of uttermost assurance of Christ thy peace and wellfare how wouldest thou both addresse thy selfe to it and set thy seale of faith to it As concurring with Gods end and receiving full securitie to thy doubtfull soule of Gods being thy God reconciled and alsâ—fficient Oh! looke to it as thy life Heb. 6 14 15.16 Shall an oath among men decide all and shall God stake pledges sweare seale up his Covenant with his owne hand and shalt thou dare to remaine notwithstanding at as dead a point as if he had never wet his finger to give thee contentment Oh! how shalt thou endure that wrath of his which shall burne forth against all that give him the lie 1 Ioh. 5.10 holding their owne against him and his Oath and receiving his Word as a vaine thing Doubtlesse if his wrath shall smoake against that soule which having heard his Law and Terrors shall crie peace to it selfe and say none of these plagues shall befall me Deut. 29 19. What wrath shall breake forth against him that hearing the Lords Oath and beholding his hand and seale to his Covenant shall treade it under feete and adde drunkennesse to thirst by unbeleefe in stead of adding assurance to faith a seale to a Covenant Let us teach our selves by the practise of men If a man having received the uttermost witnesse and security which the Law of the Land can give him applies it in speciall to the securing of his heart and rests in full perswasion that his money is not lost his purchase is good what shalt thou doe towards the Lords security For tell me I pray thee wherein rests the securitie of a Purchaser Is it not in the spirit of the Law of the Land Doth he not tell himselfe This is thine the strength of the law of the Land is thine thou art on sure ground the Law must be no Law ere the right be no right Sleepe therefore securely enjoy thine owne feare nothing Such a Law
Bookes Bells Candles Reliques Creame Oyle Salt Spittle and stuffe not of Christs but their owne separation So much of the former branch Vse of latter branch Touching the latter let it be a comfort to all Gods people to consider the perpetuitie of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the nourishment of his Church So long as Christ Iesus shall have a Church till he drinke this Passeover in his heavenly kingdome with them hee will see these holy signes separated by himselfe to holy use to abide therein for hee hath setled them upon it for ever What persecutions what confusions of Popery what malice of enemies could ever prevaile these 1600. yeares to robbe the Church hereof As Iachin and Boaz abode while the Temple stood 1 King 7 21. so these two Pillars of Gods Sacraments shall never cease till the ordeyner of them shull come to judgement They may be eclipsed the light purity of administration defiled and for a time sundry corruptions of men may bee permitted by Gods providence to pester the Church but none of all these changings of the Sacrament into a Masse-sacrifice none of their pollutions and superstitions brought in and obtruded upon the Church shall prevaile That setled separation of our Lord Iesus shall give life to the Sacrament and as the Church her selfe Micah 7.8 Micha 7 8. saith to those Babylonians Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy for whâ—n I am fallen I shall risâ— Then shall she who upbrayded mee see it and tremble and be trodden downe as the mire of the streets So may the Sacrament of Christ triumph over all popish enemies who set up a signe of contradiction against her Masse and Altars and other defilements Rejoyce not over mee for I shall see thy ruine the life of Christs ordinance shall give mee a rising and recovery and I shall say Where is now your mouth that scorned the Sacrament where is your God of bread become Oh! one day the Lord Iesus shall consume your trash with the breath of his mouth Revel 11 and then his owne Sacrament and all his holy ordinances shall be set up in their purity when all humane scurfe shall breathe his last and say Thou hast overcome Oh Lord thy truth and ordinance have prevailed Vse 3 Lastly seeing the Minister hath deputed power from Christ thus to separate the Elements from common to divine use It should teach him to begin with this act and as may be obteyned to take the materialls himselfe at the entrance of separation and thus to separate them by vertue of the ordinance not to leave it to his Sexton or Clerke to fetch from the Taverne as he list and powre out at his pleasure Better is an overplus than a defect in this behalfe And for the first act thus much The second act of the Minister about the materialls 2. Act of the Minister blessing is blessing them for so our Saviour Luk. 22.19 Luk. 22 19. is said to doe ere he brake them Still I must put in this that the Minister of himselfe can doe nothing oftentimes he is farre from being blessed himselfe but the obedience to the institution doth it Now by blessing is meant sanctifying What it is Sanctifying the word being taken from the ordinary manner of the Iewes in their feasts and meales whose graces were called blessings because the first word of them was 1 Cor. 10 10. Blessed be God who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and who giveth wine out of the grape c. From hence our Saviour is said to blesse bread and wine though in another forme and to an higher end yet in generall as in the use of the creatures And the truth is whosoever they be that dare come neare the Table of the Lord and the blessing of the Minister being privy of ordinary using the creatures without blessing are fit to bee quite excluded from this Sacrament Remember the phrase of this blessing issued from that Now besides this blessing although it properly denote Thankes yet it includes prayer also First by Prayer Both make up the blessing of the Sacrament Our manner at this day is to say Wee give thankes not as if we did nothing else or as if prayer were inferior to it but so the use of speech hath prevailed First then our Saviour prayed and secondly praysed and gave thankes to his Father and in both stood this second act of blessing He was in this his act subject as mediator to his Father and so acknowledged no lesse viz. That looke what hee did hee did deputedly from him as the cheefe Agent in the sanctifying of the Sacrament And even so is the Minister much more to doe in his stead not to arrogate to himselfe Popishly this power but to abase himselfe to the lowest earth as a worme creeping out of her hole when he lifts up his heart in this kind to the Lord in the behalfe of the Church for a blessing upon the Sacrament It s farre from him or his intention to make or not to make the Sacrament it depends upon an higher power For in this case without question the greater is blessed of the lesser to wit instrumentally For the former of these two viz. our Saviours prayer it s not to be wondred at that its a part of this blessing For why Why It was put up to his Father to the end that he would give his solemne consent to it and by his word establish it to bee a Sacrament Even our blessing the creatures is by applying the strength of the Word Matth. 4.4 for man lives not by bread but by each word of God So that our Saviour here craveth a word from his Father 1 King 8.22 for the blessing of this Ordinance Salomon when he consecrated the Temple what did hee Applyed a word by Prayer unto it Thou O Lord art so great that the Heaven of Heavens cannot conteine thee yet thou hast sayd I will dwell in this house and make it a place of my residence Oh! be it so Vers 27. Matth. 12.42 Now although a greater than Salomon be heere yet lo as being now deputed by his Father to this great worke he beggeth from him to set his Fiat to this his act of Institution As if he should say Father it s not of my selfe as man but from thee and thy command I thy righteous servant have separated these Elements Esay 42.1 Oh Father then as the cheefe ordayner shew that I have done nothing rashly and without thee in this attempt Conteines 4. things But more fully to speake of this Prayer of Christ it conteines these foure things in it First as I said The Lord Iesus having abrogated one Sacrament and substituted another craves a consent from his Father by prayer as if he had said If thou oh Father say the word these Elements shall be Sacramentall they shall be united to my Deity and
is the highest perswasion and Sacramentall sealing the highest sealing We doe not limit God to his Sacraments but ordinarily we say he limits himselfe in this kinde Lastly I adde the most apt way to get the perswasion of the Spirit in an higher measure is to hold close to the lower measure As in the promise the best way to get the perswasion of the Spirit of promise is to cleave to the bare naked word and truth of the Promiser for himselfe So the next way to compasse the best measure of sealing perswasion in the Sacraments is to come unto them with faith in the perswasion of a promise for marke the Spirit in multiplying perswasion doth never lose the former measures but holds them still as grounds unmoveable He that can now swimme without bladders yet retaines the skill he got first by them and he that makes true Latin of his experience and art yet forgets not his Rule by which he first attained it still the power of the bladders abides in the man who swimmes alone and still the power of the Rule is in him who of himselfe doth suddenly speake true Latine Even so the promise still abides in the seale of the Sacrament and the perswasion of the sealing Spirit although it be above a promise yet it is not without it but holds the relation close Even as the seale and delivery and seasin of a purchase is above a Covenant yet never without it but alway relating to it and adding a superiour strength which it had not before of perswasion and assurance Vse Terror in two Branche◠Now I finish with the Vses First if the Sacrament of the Supper hath this end to seale the assured growth of the soule in grace let it be terrour for two sorts 1. Papists who pervert the end of the Sacrament to base hellish ends of their owne of which before Secondly profane ones who come in their sinnes who turne the Table of God into the table of divels yea turne the seale of the grace of Christ into a Seale of Gods Curse into gall poyson and the water of triall of the Adulteresse The Sacrament is not given thee to beget thy soule to God but to nourish it being begotten When then thou commest to the Supper bearing the Lord in hand that thou art the Lords Lo thou callest for vengeance if thou be an unregenerate one still Thou saist in effect Lord let this Bread and Wine be my bane if I belong not to thy Covenant As shee that durst drinke the water of jealozie knowing her selfe defiled implied her craving the rotting of her wombe So I say to all such If they come not hither for the right end of God they cannot chuse but come for the wrong either for the better or for the worse A seale it must needes be no man can hinder it yea to a covenant if not to the Lords then to such a covenant as they belong too that is a league with hell Esay 28. a league with their lusts adultery pride c. As if the Lord should say Bee thou yet more filthy still by rebuke of my Sacrament more proud more profane Adde drunkennesse to thirst Fulfill thy measure It s not my Sacrament which causes thee to bee so but thy uncleane dungill which dare offer it selfe to the pure beames thereof As Ieremie Lam. 3. Lam. 3.65 So doth this ordinance cry in Gods eares Lord seale them to an hard heart which is thy curse to an hard hart which cannot repent mourne beleeve because they have abused all thy calles in the word all thy patience and meanes and dare come hither in their sin send them hence with thy blacke marke upon them for the scaring of others Nay the Spirit of this seale cryes after yee ere yee bee gone out of the presence of God saying how durst thou sit here to catch the food of my People with a dogs impudencie with that heart which thou bringest with thee frō the alehouse or thy harlot or oathes Goe thy wayes never fruit grow more upon thee No raine no dew fall upon thy hard heart That which was a snare to Iudas Iohn 13 26 even the Table and soppe of Christ be a snare to thee to fall and rise no more If thou wouldst avoyd this let this Doctrine of the seale pull thee to the knowledge of the Covenant Vse 2 Secondly let it be an use of mourning to us that we have so few to whom the end of this Sacrament pertaines Sure if it be the Sacrament of any it s theirs whose hearts want sealing of faith in the Promise question the perseverance of their faith their comfort hope peace Doubt that these decay so fast as they shall hardly recover them and feare that Gods measures of health growth setlednesse and fruitfulnesse is too good for them But alas where are these now a-dayes Hath not the streame of this age carried them into another extreame rather of formall presumption and securitie What shall then this Sacrament doe if there be so few whom it concernes Shall it returne in vaine to him that sent it No it belongs to those few for all are not alike whom the Lord loveth and will seale to the day of the full assurance and redemption The Spirit of sealing shall not be quite streightned for all the sinne of others Mica 2 7. Vse 3 Therefore thirdly let it be admonition to all such that they slight not this end of the Sacrament Admonition upon two grounds so that it should not effect that end which it serves for To which purpose remember these two items First that this holy seale annexed to the legacies of Christs last Will and Testament doth beare date from the first Institution and was purposely then ordained by Christ because he knew the next day following it was to be in his full vertue immediatly upon the Testators death as wee reade Heb. 9 16. Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 8.56 If then those rejoyced in this sealing day a farre off ere it come and saw it as Abraham and others by faith then what excuse shalt thou pretend who seest not this power and end of the Sacrament being after the death of the Lord Iesus and being offered under the Signes of his death thou mighst not doubt of the effect of it Secondly the Supper hath the preeminence in this kinde Grounds not onely above other Ordinances of growth but even the Word it selfe wherein although there be a power also of Sealing yet not under such Evidences of the Lord Iesus crucified nor under so great an authoritie and commission to Seale Vse 4 Lastly therefore let the Lords end in the Sacrament be thine even every poore soules portion which groanes in spirit for further perswasion of her growth and increase in pardon holinesse and glory Put not off any measures or the Seales thereof which the Lord offers thee Let there be no effect of any Ordinance which thou shouldst count strange
to thee or walke in the want of with any peace Who knowes what encreases God hath provided for thee But howsoever that be dismay not thy self as if it were the portion of such or such none of thine If God will deny thee it it is to humble thee he can bring thee to heaven through a lesse open doore but let not thy sloth and base heart as Ahaz deprive thee either of the bounty of his promise or signe least others enjoy it and thou be stript even of that thou seemst to have Goe rather and summe up those sweet promises of God for thy growth Behold them Iohn 10.9 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 15 4. He that commeth in by me shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture Ioh 15 4. Those that abide in me shall bring forth fruit in me My Father will purge them that they bring forth more fruit Such as are planted in the house of my God shall bring forth fruit in the Courts shall in their age bring it forth and be fat and well liking Reade also those texts before Ephe. 3.16.17 and 4.15.16 Col. 1.11 and such like to set thy teeth an edge Spread these promises before the Lord begge his Spirit to seale them Vrge 1 Ioh. 3.24 and 4.13 upon the Lord And as a poore woman would cry to the Lord Keeper for his Seale so thou to this great Keeper of the Seale to bring it out to thee Doe not give him the lie make him not a lier in his chiefe worke wherein his honour most standeth and in due time he will heare him The end of the First Part. An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the first Part. A ANtiquity of Sacraments Page 3 Agreement of new Sacraments in two things Page 22 23 Author of Sacraments is God reasons of it Page 29 Appropriation of Elements one part of their forme Page 38 What it is ibid Application of Elements by divine ordinance what Page 39 Assurance of Sacraments relateth to the Covenant Page 54 What they do assure Page 55 Acts Sacramentall in celebration why necessary Page 64 Admission of the Infant into visible communion is the generall use of baptisme Page 82 Aptnesse of the Elements in the supper to resemble Page 109 Acts of administring the Supper must follow the institution Page 112 113 Christ is the nourishment of his in point of their Affliction Page 107 Acts of the beleeving Communicant in the Supper two Page 173 B. Baptisme what Page 70 Order of Baptisme Page 71 Matter of Baptisme water Page 72 It is united Sacramentally with Christ ibid. Not to be despised ibid. Persons requisite to Baptisme are foure Page 73 Grace of Baptisme is partly generall and partly speciall Page 81 Baptisme a great stay to fearefull minds Page 83 Against prophaners of Baptisme ibid. Baptisme requires many things to make it our owne in the power of it 87. partly for grounds 88. partly for application Page 89 End of Baptisme what Page 92 How attained Page 93. ib. Ignorance of Baptisme and her use great cause of mourning Page 94 Want of true knowing Baptisme hinders assurance Page 95 Vse of Baptisme how to be tried Page 98. ib. Grace of Baptisme unlimited not restrained to the act of it See preface Bounty of God in cloathing the Elements with honour for us Page 116 Blessing of Supper Elements the second act of the Minister In how many things it stands Page 119 Breaking of Sacrament a third act of the Minister what and whereto Page 129 Broken Christ must provoke compassion and how Page 134 Broken Christ cannot be applied but by faith Page 135. ib. Broken Christ is nourishing Christ Page 136 Christ is not availing to us except Broken Page 130 How Brokennesse comprehends Christ both in merit and power Page 131 Papists love an whole Christ in both Elements unbroken overthrowing him Page 132 C. CIrcumstances of Sacraments six Page 1 Congregation requisite for Sacramentall persons 69. their duty ibid. Duty of Congregation in the act of Baptisme Page 75 Carnall reason abhorred in use of Baptisme Page 90 Closing with the Spirit necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 91 Popish Consecration confuted by the blessing of Christ Page 123 A true Communicant concurres with Christ in taking the Supper Page 173 Carnall reason to be abhorred in the taking of the Supper Page 177 Maintaining of our Communion with God in Christ is one part of our enjoying him in the Supper 191. and how we may do it Page 192 Communicating the good things of the Supper to our fellow members is a part of our enjoying and eating Christ in the Supper Page 193 Communion with God how it may bee nourished the directions for it foure exercise of Graces walking with God service of our time and knocking off from hence Page 192 193. D. DIfference of old and new Sacraments in three things Page 14 Difference of the two Sacraments of the Gospel in what Page 23 In five things ibid. Dulnesse of most in conceiving the Sacraments whence Page 41 Discerning of the Sealing power of the Sacrament necessary Page 59 Dipping in Baptisme most agreeing to the institution Page 77 Distribution of Supper Elements the last act of the Minister 137. the ground of it Page 138. ib. Drinking Christ in Supper vid. Eating Delighting in God and Christ one part of our enjoying him Page 190 Christs Dainties disgrace the Delicates of all worldings Page 199 E. EXcellency of Sacraments See the whole preface and pag. 27 Dumbe Elements how they shall condemne unbeleevers Page 52 End of Sacraments what Page 53 And how manifold ibid. 55 Ends of Sacraments must bee observed and not separated Page 62 Basenesse of Elements must not blemish the Sacraments See preface Exhibiting power of Sacraments whence it is See pref Eating and drinking Christ the second act of the people in the Supper Page 185 What Eating and drinking of Christ imports viz. injoying him and how Page 186 187 188. Grounds of Enjoying Christ foure viz. his Safety Purenesse Completnesse and Durablenesse Page 187. 188. Enjoying of Christ in foure things Page 190 End of the Supper is the sealing of Christ her Nourishment to the Soule Page 194 F. FOrme and essence of a Sacrament wherein it stands Page 37 Faith mainly required to discover Sacramentall union 50. and to apply it Page 51 Forme of Baptisme viz. Grace of Baptisme Faith required for the getting of the grace of Baptisme Page 89 Fulnesse of the Elements of the Supper Page 112 Fruit of Sacramsnts a great cause of our thankes even for others Page 128 Fulnesse of sayles of Faith a marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Fruitfulnesse in grace the fourth step of soule prosperity by the food of the Supper 160. and how Page 161 Recovering out of a Fruitlesse course is one worke of Sacramentall fruitfulnesse Page 163 Faith obeying the offer of Christ in the Supper takes him Page 175 Application of the Supper resembled by foure
thing viz. 1. How the soule hath carried it selfe in respect of former Sacraments received how it hath lived and thriven in grace by them 2 How it hath fayled therein and broken the covenant there renued in speciall 3. What repentance it feeles for that speciall sin what faith it hath in the promise of the Sacrament what fitnesse to joyne with the Church in communion of the body by love What desire after former fruit and growth by experience thereof 4. This triall at the Sacrament is a speciall Reviving stirring up and quickning of all these graces for the use of the Sacrament that thereby through mercy the soule may goe and receive with the lesse feare and more faith to speed of her desire The summe and scope of all is thus much Vse 1 1. To teach Gods people how to make use of all the former Trialls for the helping them forward to this Vse 2 Then secondly to shew how a Christian should accommodate himself to every duty wifely orderly without error and confusion which is no small grace Vse 3 3. To confute the blindnesse of such as see no distinct grace contein'd in this triall for the Sacrament and therefore thinke that if they can be devout catch up a booke and reade put on a demure habit and violently keepe off themselves from usuall riots and profanenesse of life or simper with a few good words that they carry good hearts to God meaning no man any hurt they thinke this to be that which will passe for their tryall at the Sacrament To whom I say Prov. 19 2. Without knowledge the heart is naught If they who have practized the 4. Tryalls abovesayd yet must not confound them with this but revive this triall at and for the Sacrament what shall be sayd to such blind and ignorant tryers as these without rule or reason Lastly it should informe every good communicant in the nature of this true tryall not to desist and give it over by wearinesse sloth or difficulty till in some measure he finde how he is qualified for the Sacrament seeing till then hee doth but mistake the whole scope of the Ordinance and mocke his owne soule The fourth branch of the description is Generall The issue of it The issue of this triall viz. That accordingly a man may either proceed to the Sacrament or desist for the present And this the nature it selfe of triall requires and otherwise it were needelesse to try except it were for the issue Which is plaine by the end which the Lord hath in trialls of another kind Why is the Lord sayd to try his people with false teachers and lying Prophets Deut. 13 3. Is it not no know whether wee will cleave to the truth or beleeve lyes Is it not that the faith of the elect might bee discerned from the rottennesse of hypocrites Why doth the Lord try us with streights and crosses Doth hee not intend to try whether wee will bee content with our portion or murmure and use indirect shifts So the Lord tryed Gedeons souldies who were meet for warre Iudges 7.5 who not Men also in their trialls as at Assyses what intend they save either to acquite or condemne My scope is to shew that Sacramentall triall hath also her issue either to encourage a man to receive with comfort or to desist for the time till beter provided with caution and warinesse The Vse 1 Which point is of great use 1. To instruct all Christian examinants in their triall to bee carefull of themselves and not to suffer themselves to bee deceived by error or selfe-love For why Instruction The issue is great either the comfort of well receiving and danger of loosing a great blessing if we come not Or else the perill of incurring of a great mischiefe and judgement if they presume to come We say the end of a thing is last in execution but first in intention If this were so in the purpose of such as try themselves how wisely jealously and religiously would they goe to worke If they knew and considered that the scope of triall is either to come or to forbeare and that our desisting it selfe if it bee ordinary is a mocking of God what colour soever we pretend how close and wise would it make them in going betweene both extremities either of rushing to the Sacrament without triall or desisting upon unsufficient triall How would it cause them both to tremble at contempt and refuzall and yet also at neglect of due triall ere they come Which is indeed to make a vertue of a necessity The Vse 2 Secondly this condemnes the formall and fulsome practise of common Protestants Reproofe who if they pull'd out of the vile profanenesse of such as abhorre all triall doe presently thinke that God is so beholding to them for their trying themselves that let their tryall bee what it will hee owes them welcome to the Sacrament for it Alas poore wretch Triall is appointed for an issue not for a fashion and formality to stoppe the mouth of God and conscience That triall which hath no issue can have no due substance of matter or manner in it but rather is a confuzed doing of somewhat without rule with opinion of something in the deed it selfe to commend a man to God No. As well the tryer of himselfe may see cause of not comming as the not trier ought not to come Triall hath still a respect to the issue and must be used to avoyd sin and punishment not to encrease both The Vse 3 Lastly let it be Admonit admonition to others who upon triall doe finde themselves unfit for the Sacrament Of which sort there may be two Braunch 1 Some such as although Gods people yet having fallen into some such sinne as hath deepely defiled and hardened them cannot find either their faith so lively or their repentance so sensible as that they dare to come In such a case I say if upon advise with wiser than themselves they find it so to require their duty is to consider that the Sacrament may prove so far from helping thē that it might rather encrease their guilt by boldnesse Therfore it shal be their wisedome to consider That the Lord hath other Ordinances to use than the Sacrament As that serves to nourish the faithfull so there bee others that serve to humble and cast downe the loose and presumptuous Let them therefore inquire after them as Counsell of the Minister of God able to helpe them Penitentiall Search and Triall of themselves about the occasion of their fall Fasting and Prayer with conference if they feele Sathan hath deeply bewitcht them and hardned them These Ordinances are appointed to cast out sinne if it be yet unseene and unrepented of Mark 9.29 and to expell such Devills as neither the Sacrament nor any other Ordinance can especially the publique Ministery being the setter of them on worke and the first convincer of the conscience It s a
used by the Apostle The difficulty of this triall 1 To discerne hypocrisie from soundnesse is not a word which aimes at some defect in the measure of our grace onely as the triall of light gold may be dispatch'd by weights which any man may use but it especially signifieth triall of substance and soundnesse of mettals such as onely the Goldsmiths skill can finde out the Touchstone and the Fornace onely can trie gold or separate the silver from the drosse Even so it s not a common skill nor easie worke to discover the soundnesse or falsehood of the heart in matter of grace There is nothing more hard than this discovery 2 Cor. 11 14.15 Satan and Hypocrites can transforme themselves into Angels of light and make men to think them so And the hollownesse and depth of the heart and the selfe-love of it in easily beleeving our selves to be that wee would be and yet are loth to be is unspeakeable Nothing more easie than to pray for such things as indeed wee would not have if God would give because then our hearts and courses must be changed and yet wee thinke wee pray aright Nothing more easie than to looke upon our selves in our outside of duties and performances and reflect an opinion thereby that wee are true worshippers No grace but a false heart will counterfeit and the depth of the heart is such that there is no shew of meekenesse innocencie tendernesse of spirit thankefulnesse love of Gods people but a bad person may accommodate himselfe unto and act a part therein The soundnesse of the heart is very hard to discerne 2 To discerne soundnesse where it is Secondly although there be soundnesse in the heart yet it is not alway discernable As it is not easie to finde a Pearle in the dunghill nor a needle lost in rushes so its hard to finde out a little truth of heart and faith when they are so covered and mixed with abundance of drosse Besides it is no easie thing although a man finde them yet to walke constantly with God in the practise thereof 3 To discerne our not improving of grace Either in our privacie 2 Iohn 8. It s with us as with the foole who not knowing the worth of gold stoppes here a peece in an hole there another in the thatch and forgets it So doe wee slight tha grace which should rule us in each part of life lose the good things which have cost us labour to come by It s hard to improove the things wee have heard and learned and to bring them forth in due season they are to seeke with us patience when wee are provoked faith when wee see no likelihood of Gods hearing or answering our prayers and so of the rest as it is with tooles seldome used so there growes a rust upon the gifts of God in us for lacke of watchfull improovement Sloth and ease do fret into us as a kanker and creepe so insensibly upon us that they marre us ere wee be aware The Talents of God which wee have received become unprofitable in us The greatest part of the duties we do is not the least of them we omit in the use of meanes and Ordinances formality and commonnes unreverence unsavorines defiles us and the life of faith in crosses blessings duties is very poore and wanzing in us It were endlesse to speake of all Or in our outward course Now if it be so hard to trie our grace how much hard to trie our whole course in which the wearisomnesse of our hearts doth tire us so that the errors thereof in so manifold parts cannot be reckoned as the sinnes of our single estate or married state our callings dealings in the world lawfull liberties company solitarinesse with other innumerable occasions wherein as it is hard to survey our selves distinctly so it s as hard to watch to our rule unweariedly Much more is it hard to trie our corruptions To conclude if the triall of our grace be such what is the triall of our corruption Who can perceive the danger whereto the best lie open by the unspeakable sweetnesse of their personall and beloved sinnes How secretly doth Satan and lust creepe in as sleepe to one warme in his bed even to an honest heart ere it be aware By what fine slights is it at first entertained either because it is but one or small or soone shaken off And having once entred how doth it defile the conscience When once the tendernesse and sensiblenesse of the soule which is the Sentinell is gone how soone doth sinne grow upon it and increase That whereas at first it seemed a great thing to attempt now it seemes little to goe through with it and that which seemed little now becomes as nothing till at length it foulds up the heart in selfe-love and carelessenesse and growne to a custome and falling sicknesse that it is a great difficultie for a man to picke out an end in this confusion of estate or to know where to beginne or where to end So then if triall bee so hard a taske how due and conscionable ought the practise of it to bee seeing the Lord hath set the Sacrament to bee the awer and holder in compasse of our course Reason 2 Secondly except wee trie our selves before wee come the Lord who searcheth and trieth the reins will search and trie us to our cost and little to our likeing Hee will revenge our profaning of his Seale with sealing up our soules and giving us over to those evils in which we presumed to come so that they shall become our scourges penalties to harden and defile us draw impenitencie over our spirits that although we would we shall not repent Perhaps if we may escape present judgement upon our persons Rom. 2.3 to be smitten downe suddenly with a thunder-bolt or to be plagued in our bodies and children with sicknesse or death as those Corinthians wee are content the Lord should deale with us otherwise as hee pleaseth 1 Cor. 11.29 But oh wretches To be accursed with barrennesse for ever with an insensible dedolent heart with a dead benummed spirit to be stript of those gifts wee seem'd to have to be sent more emptie away from God than wee came to be pull'd out with that guest that wanted his wedding garment and cast into utter darkenesse Mat. 22.11 these are curses tenne times greater than the former Thou eatest and drinkest thy owne condemnation as Iudas did the handsell whereof was this that upon the eating of the soppe Ioh. 13.27 Satan entred into him and fill'd his heart ripened his treachery and seal'd him up to a desperate resolution that he would finish it though hee went to hell for it They that judge not themselves make worke for the Lord to judge them finally 1 Cor. 11 30. and although it appeare not to men yet the wrath of God abides upon them and shall in time smoake out as
one body at once as selfe and Christ in equall termes to a soule The red earth had never had the breath of life put into it if it had not beene a meere dead patient and at Gods dispose to be as he would have it The flesh of Christ had no subsisting in it selfe save in the Godhead Rom. 11.32 and what is else that of Paul God shutting up all in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all Not of the willer or the runner but God c. Rom. 9.16 The Doctrine of imputation what doth it import saue that righteousnesse stands in counting that as ours which is none of ours What else is that of the Apostle Romanes Chapter 11. verse 6. If of Workes not of Grace Rom. 11.6 else Workes were no Workes If of Grace not of Workes else Grace were no Grace Trie thy selfe then by this Rule Triall by this Dost thou observe this backebyas of corruption in thy soule alway playing her parts and resisting grace Is this spirit of originall sinne as irkesome to thy spirit as the most odious sinnes of swearing or theeft Is it so much the more suspected by how much the more fine spunne and subtill running in the streame of thy best Religion Dost thou feele it in the Worke of the Law of the Gospell of Sanctification still resisting Grace and starting as much from the Word as the Sacrifice from the Knife of the Priest Dost thou wholly set thy selfe against it both selfe on the right hand deceiving thee with thine owne hopes and deserts and on the left scaring thee with feares of unworthinesse Art thou as well afraid of a white Divell as a blacke yea more Dost thou tremble to thinke that selfe should share with God in thy conversion Dost thou chuse rather to bee as base as dung and dogges meate yea when thou hast done all dost thou thinke thy selfe no neerer heaven thereby than if thou wert a Publican Dost thou confesse that there is no bloud no merit no congruity in selfe to purchase any dramme of grace And that it is just with God rather to seeke himselfe glory by abasing all flesh and carnall proppes than to suffer selfe to perke above him or mixe with him Yea canst thou say oh Lord I chuse to lie as the dust under thy footstoole and to be at thy pleasure as a fatherlesse Orphan to doe with mee what thou wilt yea when thou art under the deepest abasement and selfe-desertings and without a subsisting in thy selfe canst thou say Verily gladdly will I bee under this buffeting 2 Cor. 12.9 though it bee as a pricke in the flesh that Gods grace may bee another selfe and a new principle of comfort to stay my selfe upon Yea in this want of carnall stay I wait upon the promise to be my stay If it be thus in any true measure in thee it is a sweet signe The fourth ground I come to the fourth ground of trying faith to wit by the act of it The act of faith And that in two things First in the naked and free consent of the whole soule to the truth of God which is that he will ease the loaden soule comfort the mourning and satisfie them that hunger after righteousnesse Math. 5 4 5 6. The Lord requires that the soule simply relie it selfe upon this bare Word of his because he will performe it without descanting this way or that against it Esay 1.16 Psal 32 1. Secondly in the relying upon the meere and free act of Gods not imputing sinne or imputing righteousnesse to the soule yea a righteousnesse inhering in another and not in thy selfe The Lords act of esteeming and reckoning to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ is as reall an act as if hee had infused a reall habite of it into the soule to dwell personally in it as it dwelt in Christ Triall by this Trie thy selfe then by this rule thus First canst thou say truely that in the beleeving of Gods promise thou didst directly goe from a word to a word without adding or mixing the slime of thy owne conceits to defile the purenesse of it Didst thoâ— with Peter emptied of himselfe obey and say At thy Commandement Lord I will let downe though else I should not Luke Chapter 5 verse 5. Luke 5 5. Canst thou say oh Lord thou bidst a loaden wretch come unto thee to take ease as if there were no more circumstance in it than onely so Lord I have found my soule loden and pinch'd by thy Word therfore I come to thee for ease beleeving that seeing thy selfe art the Author of both words therefore thou who wouldst so really lode me canst as truely ease mee Canst thou say Lord in thy words is neither hooke nor crooke and therefore as I seeke to adde nothing to it so neither doe I detract nor dare I Revelation Chapter 22. verse 18. Rev. 22 18. Ephes 4 21. but take thy truth as it is in Iesus even truth it selfe subject to no exceptions or cavills of flesh I enquire not why thou dost it or why for mee and not for many hundred thousands that lie in their blindnesse still Secrets are for thee but revealed promises are for mee and therefore to thee I leave the one and claspe so much the more closely to the latter by how much the former is more above mee If thou canst find in thy heart thus freely to concurre with free grace saying Luke 1 38. Luke 7 30. Bee it to thy servant as thou hast spoken I dare not despise thy Counsell for my salvation or gainesay and give thee the lye but put my seale to thy word that it is true I say againe Iohn 3 3â— if in any true measure thou canst doe thus it is a sure signe And secondly if the Act of God in heaven justifying a poore wretch by his bare accompting him his righteousnesse when yet corruption abides in him exceedingly yea his perfect righteousnesse can so farre prevaile with thee as to say O Lord thy one witnesse and approbation of mee is to my conscience as a thousand though I neither see thy face nor can heare thy voyce yet O Lord I accompt my selfe as thou esteemest me even thy perfect righteousnesse in the midst of my greatest sinfulnesse and all because thy accompt is a done deede and my faith compts it done in earth because it is done in heaven I say this act of thy faith is a good signe The fifth ground is from the end of thy beleeving The 5 ground The end and that is that God may have the glory of his rich grace in saving a lost soule The last and full end of God in thy pardon and savation is not that thou mightst be happy but that himselfe might be glorified This the Lord so lookes at that all other ends are but second hand ends unto him although reall ends Try thy selfe also in this The tryall of this