Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	aaron_n	bless_v	dew_n	68	3	10.4242	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76812	The covenant sealed. Or, A treatise of the sacraments of both covenants, polemicall and practicall. Especially of the sacraments of the covenant of grace. In which, the nature of them is laid open, the adæquate subject is largely inquired into, respective to right and proper interest. to fitnesse for admission to actual participation. Their necessity is made known. Their whole use and efficacy is set forth. Their number in Old and New Testament-times is determined. With several necessary and useful corollaries. Together with a brief answer to Reverend Mr. Baxter's apology, in defence of the treatise of the covenant. / By Thomas Blake, M.A. pastor of Tamworth, in the counties of Stafford and Warwick.	Blake, Thomas, 1597?-1657.; Cartwright, Christopher, 1602-1658.	1655 (1655)	Wing B3144; Thomason E846_1; ESTC R4425	638,828	706

them making them to think that this is all that can be said for them Mr. Fuller in his history of holy warre lib 3. cap. 20. quoting out of Reinerius a charge against the Albigenses that they gave no reverence to holy places answers It is true And then gives in this for a reason because most in that age ran riot in adoring of Churches as if some inherent holinesse was ceiled to their roof or plaistered to their walls yea such as might more ingratiate with God the persons and prayers of people there assembled Let men take heed that they raise not Sacraments above the honour that Scripture gives them with like successe as these did places of publick holy assemblies a good cause hath not a greater adversary then a weak argument taken up in the defence of it This argument I confesse had it ground to stand upon might be of force for the battery of Anabaptisme but having no Scripture-bottome it presently falls before any adversary and Anabaptisme gathers strength by the fall of it 3. As to the argument it self tending to evince the uselessenesse of infant-Baptisme it may very fitly be parallelled with that Objection made against Pauls doctrine Rom. 3.1 when he had made it his great businesse to set circumcision on its right bottom and declared that it was not efficacious in the way that they expected and that it was without use for salvation unlesse it were answered with the Circumcision of the heart an objection presently is raised What profit is there then of Circumcision so these likewise when Sacraments are not raised to that height as the Schoolmen have advanced them to be instruments of conveyance of grace by the work done and as they expect from them they presently demand what profit And affirm as to infants at least that they are uselesse 4. That answer which Paul gives to his Questionists that demanded what profit is there of Circumcision I give to those that demand what profit is there of infant-Baptisme Having asserted in general Much every way he answers more punctually instancing in one eminent priviledge that virtually comprized all the external priviledges enjoyned by Israel as Church-members chiefly that to them were committed the Oracles of God It was said before that these priviledges in all Sacraments are either actually conferred or infallibly evidenced In Baptisme a true title is legally conferred Upon account of our baptisme we have an orderly and legall right and title to all succeeding Church-priviledges as the Jewes had done upon account of their Circumcision though there be not alwayes an aptitude for actual admission to them or improvement of them Upon this ground infants have 1. Their share and interest in all the prayers made for the Church collectively even in all that are preferred to God by his people for Zion and Jerusalem This was the duty of every son of Zion Psal 122.6 This was the faithfulls practice Psal 51.18 and in these infants as Church-members had their interest on this account infants were brought to Christ Priviledges following upon infant-baptisme That he might put his hands upon them and pray Matth. 19.13 2. They have their share in the blessings of the Church we see with what solemnity it was to be done Num. 6.22 c. The Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee c. and they shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will blesse them Infants had their share here and upon this account infants were blessed of Christ Mar. 10.16 3. Their relation to God by virtue of Covenant-interest is hereby evidenced and ratified How transcendent a priviledge this is to have the Lord for our God we see Psal 144.15 having reckoned up several mercies the Psalmist concludes Happy is the people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord This is the priviledge of every infant that upon Covenant title is baptized God will not suffer their enemies to passe without vengeance As it was an acceptable work to dash the infants of Babylon against the stones Psal 137.9 being a seed growing up against God so it is as displeasing and provoking to harme these that are a seed dedicated unto and growing up for God 4. Baptisme teaches them to know as soon as they are of capacity to learn to whom they belong what Master they are to serve and in what School they are to be trained 5. A necessity is seen to get the knowledge of Christ and timely to walk in his wayes 6. A delight is wrought in them towards those in whose communion they are bred and that own them as theirs whereas being debarred in childhood from this society and denyed this badge it is the way to bring them to maligne them each one is apt to love those of his owne fraternity and on the contrary to study the opposition of others 7. The aggravation of their sin presently rings in their ears by reason of the favour they receive from God the society into which they are incorporated when their conversation doth not in some measure answer their profession 8. Parents here see a strong engagement to bring them up for Christ whom they have thus dedicated to him and put into the fellowship of those who are his Saints and members When they have brought forth children unto God they see their sin heightned in giving them to Moloch or any other besides God and there is no example of any believing parent in all the Scripture bringing up a child for Covenant but in Covenant with the Lord. These alone though more might be added might stop the mouthes of all that insultingly move this question 5. That which in present does not but hereafter may work upon the understanding is not vain and uselesse when it is done That was not vain which Christ did to Peter Joh. 13.17 when he said unto him What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter 6. Seals of purchases taken in infants names are of use to infants though during infancy they know not how to make actual improvement themselves of them If Baptisme hath its actual use in behalf of infants whilest infants as hath been shewed and remains with them to be improved by their understanding and faith when they come to maturity it cannot be thought to be vain and uselesse SECT IV. A Corollary from the former doctrine THen it followes by way of necessary Corollary from that which hath been said Answer to Sacramental engagements● ncessary to salvation that unlesse the soul answer to Sacramental engagements Sacraments are not efficacious for salvation to the receivers This is a clear result from that which hath been said and is fully delivered by the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 speaking of the Arke of Noah wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water he

we derive our being from Parents not onely in our essentials and integrals but in a great measure in our temperature of body and mind Who sees not vertues and defects of body and mind to be hereditary and that from either sex Children do patrizare follow their Parents inclination without any imitation now the heavens were not in the same posture Mars Jupiter c. were not in the same ascendent in their birth as in ours A begger is delivered under the same posture of the heavens with a Noble-woman shall the children of both be of the same trade and way Secondly If the Stars and their influences were universal causes of what is done in and shall befall our persons yet these men profess acquaintance onely with some few and those almost onely the Planets The Stars of an unfixt motion Those innumerable Stars which we call fixt and have been said to be in the eighth which we call the starry sphere are not observed nor known in their various postures what some may incline to others will thwart and destroy For a third rule Natural signs when causes unlesse an extraordi●a y power inte●v●ne w●rk un●voydably those signs which fairly may be looked upon as causes in nature have their effects and produce the thing signified unavoydable irresistible so that is a labour in vain to use any wayes a tempting of God to make any addresses to him for prevention who ever prayed that the day and night should not be of an equal length at such a day in the Spring and Autumne which are known to us by the name of the aequinoctial or that the Sun shall not be eclipsed at such a time when it is known that the body of the Moon will interpose it self in that season If the heavens are alike causes of mans vicious wayes of the ruine and bane of Nations endeavours for prevention will be equally vain whether it be by prayer or repentance He that cannot make the Sun to stand still or to return backwards by prayer let him not think to stand in the gap for a land or turn away Gods fiery indignation seeing the course of nature appointed of God brings it about above resistance I have heard of some Rabbins that pray every night that the Sun may rise again and the earth enjoy a new morning as though it were no otherwise in nature by the God of nature ordered and setled but it lay in them to hinder it but Christians have learned better then to think by their prayers to impose a new course on the way of nature And knowing that prayer and repentance are wayes appointed of God and by experience succesfull for reversal of judgements and prevention of National desolations they know that Stars in a way of nature cannot effect it nor yet the sons or disciples of nature foresee or foretell it Secondly There are prodigious signes 2. Prodigious signe such that are either miraculous exceeding all power of nature or else wounds and monsters in nature And I know not the reason why Chamier lib. 1. Cap. 11. de Sacramentis in genere should exclude them from the number of signes certainly the return of the Sun in Hezekiahs time was to him a sign of his recovery from sicknesse and of his deliverance from the Assyrian Isay 3 S. 4 5 6 7 8. Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will adde unto thy daies fifteen yeares And I will deliver thee and this City out of the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend this City And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken Behold I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone down in the sun-dyal of Ahaz ten degrees backward The like may be said of Gideons fleece that had dew on it when all the earth was dry besides and again the fleece dry when upon all the ground else it was dew This was to signifie that the Lord would deliver Israel by his hand Those eclipses of the lights of heaven to the Egyptians when there was light in Goshen to the Israelites Exod. 10.21 22. and at Christs death when from the sixth houre there was darknesse over all the earth unto the ninth houre Matth. 27.45 was no other I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord Joel 2.30 31. There shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the earth distresse of Nations and perplexity the sea and the waves roaring mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken which Zanchius understands of those Comets which as wonders in nature in severall ages have appeared He that pleases may consult the Author himself treating de Cometarum prognosticis lib. 3. de operibus Dei Cap. 2. Thes 12. Signes by Instition Thirdly There are signes by institution not so in nature or by way of prodigy but as they are designed to signify These are 1. Of man some by imposition man putting at pleasure such a signification upon them words in this sense are signes no other reason of primitive names of things can be given but his pleasure that gave them Some by custome as an Ivy bush is a sign of wine Sometimes by covenant or agreement so the arrowes that Jonathan shot with the words that he agreed to utter were a sign to David that there was peace or that there was harm intended to him 1 Sam. 20.20 c. So the Scarlet thred was a sign between Rahab and the spies Joshua 2.18 A Souldiers Colours or the word that is given on his guard or in fight is such a sign 2. There are signes by institution from God such was the rainebowe It may be a naturall sign of showers but it is by institution that it signifies that there shall not be any more a flood to destroy the earth Gen. 9.11 These instituted signes whether of God or man admit of other distinctions which will be touched upon in the next place in opening the nature and shewing the properties of Sacramentall signes There are signes of a fourth sort which might have been spoken to namely those that are Diabolicall or superstitious But I shall not trouble my self or the Reader with them SECT II. The properties of Sacramental signes FIrst Sacramental signes are externall and sensible Sacramentall signes are 1. Exte●nal and s●nsible such that do not immediately but by the help of the senses affect the understanding There are indeed such signes that immediately offer themselves to the mind which some call mentall or intellectuall Signes These are either notions framed in

So that in case any will contend still that it is an inward Covenant that Scripture usually mentions and honours with that title yet being here in as for a great part we seem agreed that priviledges of Sacraments are annext to the outward Covenant or outward administration we have what we desire When this was almost ready for the Presse Mr. Baxters Apologie came forth in which pag 103. I am challenged for this distinction of an outward and inward Covenant as though I had been the Author of it when all know that it is a distinction that of a long time among Divines hath been in common use and in case it had not been commonly received I should have forborn the use of it As I heard Mr. Ball once in discourse say that he denyed any such distinction of an outward and an inward call to the Ministery all calling being external unlesse the man called were a Prophet That which men terme an inward call being onely qualifications fitting for the work so I deny in exact propriety of speech that the inward Covenant is any Covenant but the answer of the soul unto that which the Covenant requires And whereas Mr. Baxter saith It is apparent that Mr. Blake distinguisheth ex parte Dei between the outward and the inward Covenant It is probable that he thus distributes them from the blessings promised whereof some are inward and some outward for though he explain not himself fully yet I know no other sense that it will bear I thus distinguish them to apply my self to the Readers understanding that hath been accustomed so to call them and I say indeed that men that barely Covenant and keep not Covenant have onely privlledges that are outward they are visible Church-members and they have visible Church-priviledges And those who answer to Covenant engagements which usually is called the inward Covenant have priviledges both outward and inward A Jew outwardly had outward priviledges A Jew inwardly that is he that answered to his outward profession that worshipped God in his spirit hath both those that were outward and inward It is there said It is evident that his outward Covenant hath no seal for it is a Covenant de sigillis conferendis If therefore it have a seal it is either the same which is promised or some other What he meanes when he saies it is a Covenant de sigillis conferendis I am to learn If he mean that the seal followes the Covenant and is put to after the Covenant so it is in all Covenants whatsoever He saies they no where tell us what is the seal of their outward Covenant me thinkes we had no need to tell what the seal of that Covenant was that the Jew entred was it not Circumcision and did there not another follow viz. the Passeover Now I tell him that Circumcision and the Passeover were and Baptisme and the Lords Supper are seales of this Covenant The Nation of the Jewes were in Covenant as Mr. Baxter though he would yet must not deny they were in no inward Covenant and yet they had these seales Mr. Baxter sayes we are bound to give the seales to such Apolo 88. Vocation which is effectual onely to bring men to an outward profession of saving faith is larger then election and makes men such whom we are bound to baptize And such we say have right to Baptisme And to help Mr. Baxter those men that he saies the Church must baptize though without right we say are truely in Covenant and have right when he knowes what child he is to baptize he knowes who we say are in Covenant and have Covenant right to Baptisme so that a second Covenant of which he speakes to give right to a first is a strange fancy But of this I shall have further occasion SECT IV. Proposition 3. Fundamental rihgt and priviledge of actual admission to be distinguished VVE must yet distinguish between a fundamentall right and title to the Sacraments and the priviledg of actual admission between a first and second right in them between jus ad rem jus in re In civil titles this distinction holds A child in non-nage upon his Fathers death is entitled to his inheritance A post thumus child whose Parents death prevents his birth which was the case of Asher the son of Ezron 1. Chron. 2.24 upon the first instant that he sees the light stands thus entitled yet the law suffers not his admission to an actual personall managing of it till he be able to improve and employ it to his own and the publique benefit The leper whom the Priest had pronounced unclean so that he must dwell alone without the Camp in a several house severed from all company which was the case of Vzziah King of Judah 2 Chron. 21.26 according to the law in that case provided Levit. 13.46 had in the mean space title to his house and his whole inheritance and upon his cleansing was to be actually received unto it There is a Sequestration and there is a confiscation and proscription Men that are held from their estates upon just reasons are not yet totally and finally outed This distinction also holds in Ecclesiasticall immunities in that Passeover held in the Wildernesse by Gods appointment the fourteenth day of the first moneth there were certain men that were defiled by the dead body of a man that they could not keep the Passeover on that day and they came before Moses and Aaron and said unto them We are defiled by the dead body of a man wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer an offering to the Lord in his appointed season Numb 9.6 7. They stood equally entitled with the rest of the children of Israel to that Ordinance yet there was a barre in the way that they saw to keep them back They therefore plead their priviledg and hold it as a matter of grievance that there was any obstacle in their way This puts Moses to a stand he cannot deny their right yet by reason of the barre in the way dares not give them admission therefore he saies Stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you ver 8. And the Lords order upon it was If any man among you or your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body or be in a journey a farre off yet shall he keep the Passeover unto the Lord the fourteenth day of the second moneth at even shall he keep it ver 10 11. Their right is there confessed by the Lord himself and the present barre also acknowledged A physicall barre is confest when being distant in place they cannot come A legal barre is also confest when in their present condition they are not fitted for it And when some that were under this law of suspension in Hezekiahs time came to the Passeover otherwise then was written having not cleansed themselves even many of Ephraim Manasseh Issachar and Zebulon Hezekiah prayed for them 2