name of the thing signified by a Sacramental Metonymie is given to the sign So the words of Christ must be understood Sacramentally the Bread is called the body of Christ because it is the sign of the body of Christ and the Cup or the Wine in the Cup is called the blood of Christ because it is the sign of the blood of Christ And the Cup is called the New Testament because it is the sign of the New Testament So the true sence and meaning of Christ's words This is my body which is given for you is thus This Bread which is broken by Me and given to you is a sign of My body which is given to death for you and is a certain sign of your conjunction and union with Me so that he that believeth and eateth this bread he doth truly feed on My body But according to that impious fiction of the Popish transubstantiation many absurdities follow As 1. Christ brake bread not His body therefore the bread is not really the body of Christ 2. The body of Christ is given for us and not bread therefore bread is not really the body of Christ 3. Christ did not say under these species is My body or My body is contained under these species therefore Papists pervert Christ's words and keep not to the institution 4. Christ said not of bread let this be made My body but this is My body 5. Notwithstanding their transubstantiation the bread is neither annihilated nor changed into the substance of a body but remaineth bread still 6. In every Sacrament there are two things the sign and the thing signified but transubstantiation taketh away the sign namely Bread and Wine therefore it doth wholly overthrow the Sacrament 7. Transubstantiation takes away the analogy between the sign and the thing signified But no more of this I will only add four Reasons against the carnal or corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament Reason 1 If the bread were turned into Christ's body then there would be two Christs one that giveth and one that is given for our Saviour gave the bread c. Reason 2 If the bread be the very body of Christ there would then be no more sign of the thing signified and so no Rom. 4. 11. Sacrament Reason 3 Then the wicked receiver might eat and drink Christs body and blood as well as the true believer Reason 4 The Minister cannot give the inward Grace but the outward elements only in the administration of the Sacrament There is another gross error also of Consubstantiation Consubstantiation is a coexistency of two substances in the same place or the presence of the body and blood of Christ not under the species of Bread and Wine but under the very Bread and Wine Luther was of this opinion that it remained bread still but under in or with the bread is the body of Christ And this is the common tenent and opinion of those who this day are called Lutherans Against this these few reasons may suffice 1. The whole action of the Lord's Supper is done in remembrance of Christ what need have we of that if Christ's body were really present either under with or in the elements 2. Christ's body is in Heaven and the Heavens must receive Him until the times of restitution of all things Acts 3. 21. 3. This is an essential property of every magnitude and therefore of Christ's body also to be in one place and circumscribed or encompassed of one place 4. If Christ's body were eaten corporally then the wicked as well as the Godly partake of the flesh of Christ but to eat His flesh is to believe in Him and to have eternal life 5. It is absurd to think that Christ sitting with His disciples did with His own hands take His own body and give it wholly to every one of His Disciples This is the Sacrament not of the living or of the glorious body of Christ but of His suffering and crucified body So Christ said This is My body which is given for you it is the Sacrament of Christ's body delivered unto death for us And that these two ways 1. It is a visible sign bringing to our remembrance or representing to us the body of Christ that as with our bodily eyes we see the bread of the Lord so with the eyes of our Soul we may see Christ's body crucified for us 2. It is a seal sealing to our faith that Christ's body was certainly delivered to death for us and is become the bread of life unto us We must not therefore seek Christ's body in the earthly element but by faith lift up our hearts to Heaven whither Christ ascended and where He is So in our Liturgy at the celebration of this Supper we are admonished to lift up our hearts Now let us come to speak of the outward actions both of the Minister and also of the Receivers 1. The actions of the Minister are these four 1. To take the Bread and Wine into his hands and to separate it from ordinary Bread and Wine Which is to signifie to us that God in His eternal decree separated Christ to be our Mediator and that He was set apart for this office Him hath God the Father sealed 2. To bless and consecrate the Bread and Wine by the Word and Prayer Which signifies to us that God in His due time sent Christ into the world and sanctified Him furnishing Him with all gifts needful for a Mediator 3. To break the Bread and pour out the Wine Which signifies the passions and sufferings of Christ with all the torments which He endured both in soul and body for our sins 4. To give and distribute the Bread and Wine to the receivers which signifies that God gave Christ and that Christ gave Himself to us and that whole Christ and all His merits are freely offered to all sorts of receivers And that God hath given Christ to the faithful receivers to feed their souls unto eternal life Joh. 3. 14 15. Joh. 6. 50 51. 2. Next we come to the Sacramental actions of the receivers and they are these two 1. To take the Bread and Wine offered by the Minister every one into his or her hand This signifies his taking and laying hold of Christ freely offered from God the Father by the hand of faith Joh. 1. 12. Or the receiving of Christ with all His benefits into his soul by faith They and they only have benefit by Christ crucified which thus apply Christ to themselves by a true and lively faith To as many as thus receive Him to them gives He power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on His name 2. To eat the Bread and drink the Wine receiving them into the body and digesting them And this signifies our uniting to Christ and enjoying of 1 Cor. 11. 26. Him or our application of Christ by faith that the feeling of our true union and communion with Christ may be increased We
upholds all things by the word of his power And they cannot Heb. 1. 3. subsist a moment without Him In Him we live and move and have our Acts 17. 28. being In Whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind He giveth a being to all His Job 12. 10. promises In Him all the promises are 2 Cor. 1. 20. yea and in Him Amen All the creatures out of this inexhausted fountain have all the good which they have For we are not sufficient as of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but all our sufficiency is of God Rom. 11. 36. Of Him through Him and by Him are all things therefore to Him be glory for ever Amen And now what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord Deut. 10. 12 13. thy God to walk in all His ways and to love Him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandment of the Lord and His statutes for thy good continually Loe this is My God I have waited for Him and He will save me this is the Lord I have waited for Him Isai 25. 9. I will rejoyce and be glad in His Salvation He shall guide me here with His Psal 73. 24. Counsel and afterward receive me unto Glory Now blessed be the Lord My God the God of Israel who only doth wondrous Psal 72. 18 19. things and blessed be His glorious Name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with His glory Amen and Amen EXERCITATION THE SECOND Of Sacraments in general which are the Seals of the Covenant Q. VVHat is a Sacrament A. A Sacrament is an Ordinance of God wherein by giving and receiving of outward Elements according to His Will the promises of the Covenant of Grace made in the blood of Christ being represented exhibited and applyed unto us are farther signed and sealed betwixt God and Man Sacraments are seals annexed to the Rom. 4. 11. Covenant of Grace to instruct assure 1 Cor. 11. 23. and possess us of our part in Christ and His benefits and to bind us to all thankful Gal. 3. 27. obedience to God in Him that we Rom. 6. 4. should walk in newness of life God alone is the Author of a Sacrament because He alone can bestow those Graces which are sealed therein There be two only Sacraments in the New Testament 1. Baptism 2. The Supper of the Lord. Baptism is a Sacrament of our entrance into the Covenant of Grace the Lords Supper is a Sacrament of our continuance therein The other five Sacraments of the Papists as Matrimony Orders Extreme Unction Penance and Confirmation do want an outward sign and institution by Christ and so be no seals of saving Grace I could severally and distinctly prove those five to be no Sacraments but then I should be too prolix The word Sacrament is not used in all the New Testament it is here taken for a Divine Mysteric propounded and represented by outward signs and figures or symbols This signification in the word Sacrament is fitly answered and is borrowed by the Latin Ecclesiastical Writers from Military businesses in which the Oath that Soldiers took and were obliged by to their General was called a Sacrament This may aptly and sitly be so used here for in our Baptism by our Sureties until we come of age to perform it our selves we oblige and bind our selves by a solemn vow to our great Captain and General the Lord Jesus Christ to fight under His banner against Sin the World and the Devil and to continue His faithful Soldiers and Servants to our lives end These were the words used by every Roman Soldier in his Oath Obtemperaturus sum facturus quioquid mandabitur ab imperatoribus juxta vires And these were termed milites per Sacramentum The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mysterie or a hidden secret belonging to holy things known but to few and not to be communicated but to those that are initiated or let into the Church From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacris initior or instituor doctrinâ quae ad res sacras pertinet I am instructed in the Doctrine concerning holy things But the word Mysterie is of larger acceptation than Sacrament A Sacrament is called a Mysterie because it signifieth secret things and such things as are unknown to those who have not been taught out of the Word of God concerning the signification and use of them and because there one thing is seen and another thing is meant The lawful use of the Sacraments is not the observation of the external Rite but to have faith to reserve the Rite it self to that end to which it was ordained by God For to the Sacraments of the Covenant of Grace no other promise is annexed or added but the promise of Grace which hath always the condition of faith with it either expressed or implyed Faith is the instrument medium or hand by which the things signified and offered by God are received both in the Word and also in the Sacraments Christ Himself by His Spirit doth make the things promised present to our faith and so faith receiveth them In the right use of the Sacrament the giving and receiving the sign and thing signified is joyned and goes together The giving and receiving of the sign is bodily by the hand of the Minister and receiver but the giving and receiving of the thing signified is spiritual through true faith in the receiver and by the hand of Christ Himself giving it A Sacrament in proper speech comprehends the whole action as well the sign as the thing signified But by a Synechdoche it is taken only for the sign the outward visible sign of the inward invisible and spiritual Grace The outward and earthly matter of the Sacrament is the visible sign or element The inward and heavenly matter of the Sacrament is the things signified Christ with all His benefits The external form consisteth in the lawful administration and participation of the Sacrament according to the command of God The inward form is in the Analogy proportion or union of the sign and the thing signified which is a spiritual relation whereby the things signified are really communicated to them who rightly receive and use the signs The Sacraments are signs in a fourfold respect 1 Signifying 2 Exhibiting 3 Applying 4 Sealing 1. The outward signs in the Sacrament do signifie or represent the body and blood of Christ 2. Together with the sign the thing signified is exhibited and given yet not in the sign or element but in the sacramental action the Minister giving the sign or element but our Lord Jesus Christ gives the thing signified 3. The thing signified in the Word of the Gospel generally promised to all true believers is applyed to every believing Soul the outward sign or element being
Baptism are the Sacrament of our reception and entrance into the Church Q. Wherein do Circumcision and Baptism differ A. 1. In the Rite or Ceremony which is not the same in Baptism as in Circumcision for in Baptism is only a washing but in Circumcision a cutting off the foreakin of the flesh 2. In the circumstance of the sex or age Circumcision belonged only to Males and at eight days old Baptism belongs to both sexes Male and Female and presently after they are born 3. In the manner of signifying Circumcision on God's part promised Grace through the Messiah to come but Baptism through Christ already come And on their part they being Circumcised were received into Grace by believing on the Messiah to come but we through faith in Him already come 4. In the particular promise Circumcision had also the promise of corporal blessings as of the land of Canaan c. But Baptism hath no such special promise of any temporal benefit 5. In the manner of obliging Circumcision on their part obliged them to the keeping of the whole Law Ceremonial Judicial and Moral but Baptism obligeth us only to the keeping of the Moral Law that is to faith and repentance 6. In the objects and duration Circumcision was commanded to the posterity of Abraham only and the Proselytes and was to endure but till the coming of Christ Baptism is instituted for all Nations that will come into the society of the Church and to endure to the end of the world To close up all with these few heads Aphorisms about Baptism 1. Baptism avails though administred by a contemptible person as much as if it were administred by an Apostle for if Baptism were in the merit or worth of the Minister then it did not belong unto Christ 2. The power of baptizing the Lord hath reserved to Himself it is Christ alone that baptizes with the Holy Ghost the applying of the outward Element Christ hath committed to His Ministers lawfully called and deputed 3. Baptism is the same as He is by whose power and authority it is administred Not as He is by whom it is performed 4. Every true believer in Baptism is made a King and a Priest and Prophet Rev. 1. 5. Christ washes us from our sins in His own blood and so makes us Kings and Priests unto God and His Father So St. Crysostome When as Christ hath washed us from our sins in the laver of Baptism by His blood He makes us Kings and Priests unto God Baptism as we have seen is a high Ordinance of God and a means whereby He hath appointed to communicate Christ and His benefits to our Souls and therefore not to be neglected or slightly esteemed but used with all reverence and thankful devotion when it may be had Yet where God denyeth it either in regard of the shortness of the Infants life or by any other unavoidable necessity there comes no danger from the want of Sacraments but only from the contempt of them The right use of Baptism is when inwardly in thy heart thou feelest some motion to sin through thy lusts then meditate on that solemn vow thou madest to God in thy Baptism And if by infirmity thou fallest once or oftner into some sin still have recourse to Baptism that thy Soul may be encouraged therehence For although Baptism be but once administred yet that once testifieth that all mans sins past present or to come are washed away 1 Pet. 3. 21. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. And never rest before thou hast a feeling of that renewing power signified in Baptism namely the power of Christ's death Mortifying sin and the virtue of His resurrection in the renewing of the Spirit EXERCITATION THE THIRD Of the Lords Supper the second Sacrament of the New Testament IT hath several appellations it is called 1. The Lord's Supper or Caena Domini from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communis caena vocatur à communione vescentium For seorsim prandebant prisci Romani sed cum amicis caenabant About Supper-time the Jews were to eat the Paschal Lamb which circumstance of time the Church hath changed according to the liberty in these things she hath It is called the Lord's Supper because our Lord Jesus Christ sitting at His last Supper ordained it instead of the Passeover 2. It is called the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 21. 3. A convention of the Church 1 Cor. 11. 20 33 When ye meet together in one place c. And When ye come together to eat 4. The Eucharist because of the usual Thanksgiving 5. A Sacrifice so it was called by the ancient Fathers non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut meritorium not a propitiatory or meritorious Sacrifice as the Papists would have it but an Eucharistical Sacrifice because it is a solemn commemoration and celebration of the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ 6. At length it was called Missa from the offerings sent by the rich to the relief of the Poor or from a dismission of the Congregation after the publick Ordinances But we retaining the appellation or name delivered in Scripture call it the Supper of the Lord. There are many detestable and abominable differences between the Lord's Supper and the Popish Mass which I think not fit here to recite as not at all for edification I define the Lords Supper thus The instituted and commanded distribution of Bread and Wine by Christ Himself in which Christ is certainly promised to me and all true believers Or thus The Lord's Supper is the distributing and taking of Bread and Wine commanded by Christ to all true believers that He might testifie by these tokens that He gave His body to death for us and shed His blood and that He gave us these to eat and drink to assure us that He will dwell in us and nourish and quicken us to eternal life First He assures and seals that He gave His body for us upon the Cross and that His blood was as truly shed for us as we see with our eyes the bread to be broken for us and the cup to be given to us Next that He by that His body Crucified and by that His blood poured out will as certainly nourish our Souls to eternal life as surely as our bodies are fed by Bread and Wine taken from the hand of the Minister which are reached forth unto us as seals and pledges of the body and blood of Christ The Rites or Signs here are the Bread broken and eaten the Wine distributed and taken or the breaking and distributing of the Bread the distributing and drinking of the Wine The things signified are the body of Christ Crucified and the blood of Christ poured out the eating and drinking of them signifie our union with Christ by faith whereby we being made partakers of Him and all His benefits from Him as branches from a Vine do suck and draw eternal life or nourishment to eternal life Of this our union and communion with Christ
we are certified 1. By the analogy or proportion between the sign and the thing signified 2. By the promise which is added to the sign The analogy chiefly proposeth two things to us 1. The Sacrifice of Christ 2. Our Communion with him Because the bread is not only broken but also is given to us to eat Or more clearly thus The Lord's Supper is the second Sacrament of the New Testament wherein by the outward elements of Bread and Wine sanctified and exhibited by the Minister and rightly received by the Communicants assurance is given to those that are ingraâ—sed into Christ of their continuance in Him and receiving nourishment from Him unto eternal life In the same sense it is also called the Lord's Table thou dost therefore come to the banquet of Christ to be His guest as often as thou dost eat and drink of this Supper The Lord's Supper came in stead of the Passeover or Paschal Lamb not because He appointed it a Supper unto us but because He ordained it in room of the Passeover For in the same night wherein He was 1 Cor. 11. 23. betrayed immediately after He had eaten the Passeover with His Disciples He did both Himself with them celebrate Mat 26. 26. this Holy Sacrament and withal gave charge for continuance of the same in the Church until His second 1 Cor. 11. 20 coming The parts of the Lord's Supper are two 1. The earthly matter or the outward signs 2. The action requisite for the use of the outward sign The outward sign or earthly matter is again twofold 1. The Bread 2. The Wine 1. The Bread of the Lord is Christ's body given to death for us so Christ said This is my body which is given for you 2. The Cup of the Lord is that New Covenant through His blood which was shed for us By a Synechdoche the Cup is put for the Wine contained in the Cup. Then by a Sacramental Metonymie because neither the Cup nor the Wine in the Cup is substantially that very new Covenant which was confirmed by Christ's blood shed for us but it is the Sacrament of that Covenant and that in a double respect 1. Because it is an outward sign calling to our remembrance and as it were representing before our eyes that New Covenant or Testament established by the blood of Christ 2. Because it is a seal of our faith sealing up the certainty of that Covenant and the continuance of it with us So the Wine is a Sacrament of the blood of Christ not contained in the veins but shed out of His body upon the Cross or as it was shed for the forgiveness of sins So our Saviour said This Mat. 26. 28. is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Also here by Bread and Wine is noted out unto us that we do perfectly and wholly find in Christ not meat alone but drink also that is not only one cause or part of Salvation and eternal life but whatsoever wholly is requisite or necessary thereunto Q. What are the ends of the Lord's Supper A. 1. To confirm our faith and to be a most sure testification of our union and communion with Christ For Christ by these signs testifies to us that He by His body and blood doth as truly nourish us to eternal life as truly as we receive these signs out of the hand of the Minister And this testification is directed to every particular person that with true faith receives these signs or symbols And we so receive these elements out of the hand of the Minister as if Jesus Christ Himself did reach it forth with His own hand unto us 2. That it may be a publick profession of our faith and a solemn thanksgiving with an obliging our selves to perpetual thankfulness and a celebration of this so great a benefit And these are included in Christ's words This do in remembrance Luk. 22. 19. of Me. This commemoration is chiefly faith in the heart joyned with a publick confession and thanksgiving 3. That it may be a publick distinction or discerning mark between the true Church of Christ and all other Nations and Sects whatsoever For the Lord instituted this for His Disciples and not for others 4. That it might be a bond of Love between all those who lawfully take it to become Members of one body under one Head the Lord Jesus Christ We being many are one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10. 7. for we are all partakers of that one bread Now the Members of the same body do mutually love each other 5. That it may be a bond of the publick meetings of the Church for the institution of this Sacrament is that it be done in the publick Assembly or Congregation Thence are those words When ye come together into one place And 1 Cor. 11. 20 33. when ye come together to eat c. Or more briefly thus The ends of the Lord's Supper are 1. To be a remembrance of Christ's Sacrifice performed on the Cross 2. To be a sign of the Covenant of Grace established by the blood of Christ 3. To be a Sacrament of the nourishing continuance and preservation of them in the Church which once by Baptism have been ingraffed into the Church of Christ Our Lord Jesus Christ by this Sacrament doth teach us by the communion of His body and blood that our Souls are nourished in hope of eternal life By the Bread Christ represent His body to us and by the Wine his blood to shew unto us that as there is in Bread a nourishing faculty to feed and strengthen our bodies for this present life So His body hath a nourishing and quickening power with it spiritually to nourish our souls In like manner also as Wine exhilarates and cheers the heart of him that drinks it refresheth his spirits and maketh the whole body the more strong Even so Christs blood doth strengthen our hearts and fill them with joy and gladness We do truly by faith feed on the body and blood of Christ when we are pâ—rswaded that we shall be saved by His obedience righteousness and satisfaction to His Father on our behalf as the Father imputeth it unto us Therefore we must necessarily have an interest in Christ for we can never be partakers of His good benefits unless first He had given Himself unto us By this Sacrament our communion with Christ is confirmed and sealed The Lord's Supper refers us to the death of Christ that we may so communicate of His virtue for upon the Cross that His own and perpetual Sacrifice was offered for our redemption He redeemed us by His blood and He made atonement for us by the blood of his Cross So we do not as the Papists say offer up the body of Christ to the Father for Christ Himself alone is worthy of that honour who was both Priest and Sacrifice and who offered up Himself He remains a Priest
must with delight apply Christ and His merits to all the necessities of our Souls spiritually feeding upon Him and growing by Him For the eating of the Bread to strengthen our nature betokeneth the inward strengthning of our souls by Grace through the merit of breaking Christ's body for us And the drinking of the Wine to cherish our bodies betokens that the blood of Christ shed on the Cross and as it were drunk by faith doth cherish our souls And as God doth bless these outward elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish him and preserve him both body Joh. 6. 50 51. and soul unto eternal life 1 Cor. 10. 3. 11. 17 19. Q. Who are to be admitted to be partakers of this Sacrament A. 1. They who are of years of discretion and sound judgment able to discern the Lord's body ought to repair to it If they are able to prove and examine themselves and rightly to remember the Lord's death For so is the Commandment This do in remembrance of me And let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup for so ye shew the Lords death till He come 1 Cor. 11. 27 28. 2. They who are baptized and by Baptism made members of the Church For our Covenant with God made in Baptism is renewed in the Lord's Supper As formerly none might eat of the Passeover unless he were circumcised so none may partake at the Lord's table unless baptized 3. Who in word and deed profess their faith and repentance or who express the profession of their faith and repentance by the actions of their life For of occult and hidden things the Church judgeth not but she admitteth all those whom she can judge to be members of Christ that is those whom she hears and sees by their confession and by their outward deeds to profess their faith and repentance whether they be Godly or whether they be Hypocrites not yet made manifest Q. What is to be performed of every Christian that he may partake worthily of the Lords Supper A. Three things 1. A due preparation before receiving 2. Great heed in the whole duty of receiving 3. A thankful close and shutting up of it Of all these in order Q. What is the preparation requisite to this holy Sacrament A. Duly to search and examine their own souls if they can find in themselves those things which God requires in worthy Communicants This preparation is twofold 1. Inward 2. Outward 1. Inward which is spiritual and that consists in a man's examining of himself and so to try his own worthiness There is a double worthiness 1. A Worthiness of the person if thou hast faith and the righteousness of Christ imputed by faith to thee 2. A worthiness of the using which is true reverence inward and outward forgiveness love a serious bewailing of sins and repentance the meditation of the benefits of Christ the discerning the body of the Lord thanksgiving and the avoiding of all offences All these things be particularly discussed by many worthy writers and therefore I here wave them Briefly thus Such as will in a holy sort prepare themselves to celebrate the Lord's Supper must have 1. A knowledg of God of Man's fall and of the promised restauration into the Covenant by Christ 2. True faith in Christ for every man receiveth so much as he believeth Heb. 4. 2. 3. True repentance of all their sins past Isai 66. 3. Psal 26. 6. 4. Perfect love and charity forgiving as we would be forgiven true repentance purgeth out malice among all other sins and a sound faith worketh by love towards God and towards our brethren also Mat. 5. 22. Jam. 1. 19. 20. Gal. 5. 6. The holy Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29. placeth preparation in these three acts 1. Discerning the Lord's body 2. Examining of our selves 3. A worthy disposition To speak a little of all these distinctly 1. Discerning the Lord's body which consists in a good understanding and judgment of the nature use and necessity of the Sacrament Now because these things cannot be understood but out of the fundamentals of Christian Religion about sin and misery following thence the Grace of Christ and the blessings therehence slowing of our duty in thankfulness and obedience to God therefore the knowledg of the principal points of Christian Religion which are necessary to Salvation are needfully required to this discerning here spoken of 2. Examining our selves which consists in a serious trial if we are so disposed that we may use this Sacrament with profit The rule of this examination is the Word of God especially as it concerns the institution of this Sacrament Our dispositions to be looked into in this trial of our selves are our faith repentance charity a desire of new obedience 3. A worthy disposition which consists in an agreeableness of our affections with this sacred business And here is required 1. That we renew our repentance as for all our former sins so especially our late failings and for those sins we are most inclined unto and those committed since our last receiving 2. To stir up in our selves a hungring and thirsting after Christ and His Grace as for pardoning and mortifying our sins so to be enabled for better obedience and newness of life 3. To stir up our faith to lay hold on the promises of the Gospel 4. That with all humility reverence and devotion we receive this Sacrament as the Seal of the Covenant of Grace and of the promises of God Thus far of the first part to be performed by every Christian worthily to partake of the Lord's Supper which is Preparation Now for the second Heedfulness in the duty of receiving And that consists in these four things 1. Reverendly to attend the better to apply the whole action joyning with the Minister in his Prayers making use of all the Sacramental actions both in the Minister and also in the receivers whereof we spake at large before and so thankfully commemorating the Lord's death for the comfort and refreshing of our souls 2. According as it is commanded all must take the Bread and Wine into their hands 3. According to Christ's command to eat that Bread and drink that Wine 4. They must use thanksgiving offering up themselves both souls and bodies is a Sacrifice of thanksgiving In which Rom. 12. 1 respect this Sacrament is properly called the Eucharist As oft as we eat this bread and drink this cup we shew the Lords death c. The Ordinance it self is full of death what other language doth bread broken and the blood severed from the body speak but a dying Christ As the Ordinance so the Communicant doth by eating and drinking in fact declare his profession of adherence to Christ and embracing of the death of Christ for remission of Sins and reconciliation of his person unto God Which although at all times
by the finger of God whereas Exod. 31. 18. no part of the ceremonial Law was 3. It was written in tables of stone to signifie the perpetuity of it 4. It was before any ceremony of the Law yea before Christ promised for it was instituted in Paradise Gen. 2. 2 3. 5. The ceremonies were as a partition-wall betwixt Jews and Gentiles but God extends this Commandment not only to the Jews but also to strangers Exod. 20. 10. Herein I say the Moral Law which is the ten Commandments is preheminent above the ceremonial or judicial Law 1. Because the Moral Law is a foundation of the other Laws and they are reducible to it 2. The Moral Law was to abide always but not the ceremonial nor judicial 3. This was immediately written by God and commanded to be kept in the Ark which the others were not The ceremonial Law was to continue but until Christ came The judicial Law Gal. 3. 19. was for the Jews political estate for the time being But of the Moral Law it is spoken The Lord came from Sinai with Deut. 33. 2. ten thousand of His Saints from his right hand went a fiery law for them The Service and Ministery of the Angels in promulgating of the Law makes much to the honour of the Law for we never read of a Law enacted by so solemn sacred and august a Senate as the Moral Law was where Jesus Christ accompanied with thousands of Angels was the Speaker and gave these Precepts Acts 7. 53. Heb. 2. 2. Psal 68. 8. By how much the more glory God put upon this Moral perpetual Law the greater is their sin who derogate from it I have read a story of Stesâ—chorus that when in some words he had disparaged Helena's beauty he was stricken with blindness but afterwards when he praised her again he obtained his sight It may be because some men have not set forth the due excellency of this Moral Law God hath taken away their eye-sight not to see the beauty of it but let them begin with holy David to set forth the excellent benefits of it and then they may see the glory perpetuity and morality of it more than ever How careful then should men be that they transgress not this Law which hath so sacred authority It was Christ that appeared to Moses in the bush He is also called the Acts 7. 35. Isai 63. 9. Angel of the Covenant because He made that Covenant of the Law with the people on Mount Sinai And it was no created Angel for thus He beginneth I am Jehovah thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt Well might Paul then speaking of the Moral Law say It is holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. Away then with those prophane opinions and licentious Doctrines of some against the Sabbath-day which is a taking away of one of the Commandments The Sabbath hath its morality and perpetuity from the meer positive Commandment of God Pardon this digression and come we to a more practical discourse The Sanctification of the Sabbath is Description whereby we rest from labours and outward work that man together with his family and beasts may be refreshed that the whole day may be spent in the Worship and Service of God So there are two parts of this 1. Rest from labour Parts of it 2. Sanctification of this Rest To sanctifie the Sabbath is not to make it holy so it is already by God's institution but to separate it from prophane uses and to devote it to the Worship of God We must omit upon this day the works of our outward temporal Vocation which must be done in the six dayes of the week But the proper works of the Sabbath are these three 1. Works of Necessity which are allowed for our bodily sustentation 2. Works of Charity both to man and beasts which can no ways be deferred to another day So our Saviour which of you having an Oxe or an Ass Luk. 14. 5. fall into a pit will not help him out on the Sabbath day 3. But especially of works Piety which are the proper works of the Sabbath as to frequent the publick Assembly to read and hear to meditate and speak of the Word of God sing Psalms receive the Sacrament to exhort and encourage each other to Piety to build up Jude â—0 each other in our most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost c. And to refrain all those things which may hinder divert or distract the mind from the Service of God and everlasting benefit of our Souls such as vain thoughts idle worldly and unsavoury speeches which no ways tend to edification pastimes recreations and such-like which are Isai 58. 13 14. expresly forbidden in the Prophet Isaiah as some well observe which may be explained thus Turn thy foot from the Sabbath that is from spurning at it and this is Paraphrased by not doing our own ways nor finding our own pleasure nor speaking our own words Herein is the negative Sanctification of the Sabbath Affirmatively it consists as the same Prophet farther goes on 1. In calling the Sabbath our delight that is in a real account of it to be such and using it as such both in desiring it before it comes and rejoycing in it when it is come as a good and joyful day 2. In calling it the holy of the Lord that is by faith to apprehend it to be of His holy institution and so set it apart from all other worldly time to sanctifie it 3. In calling it honourable or a glorious day a portion of time honoured with the name of God stamped upon it as the day of days and so accounting and using of it 4. In honouring Jehovah herein by declaring His holiness and goodness in His Sabbath setting forth His praise from morning to night The due sanctifying of the Sabbath is hedged about with many great and precious promises both of the upper and nether springs Judg. 1. 15. heavenly and earthly blessings to keep men close to their obedience why should not these cords of love bind and engage men They who abhor Sabbath-performing in duty drive the Lord from promise-performing in mercy bitterness will be to them in the latter end I have observed that a serious strict and conscientious observation of the Sabbath is the outward greatest character of an upright and gracious person The 92 Psalm entituled a Psalm for the Sabbath-day declareth that it is a good thing to begin the day with Praises to God early in the morning and continue the same until it be night Q. Some will say this strict observation of the Sabbath belonged only to the Jews A. Nay but as the most Reverend Arch Bishop Vsher and others very well say we are bound more strictly to observe these Sabbath-duties than they were and that because of the greater measures of Gods Graces upon us than ever were given unto them Q. But the
day is altered The Jews did and do observe Saturday because upon that day God rested from the work of Creation which now is changed into the first day of the week A. This was done not by humane but by Divine authority which appears by the practice of Christ and the Apostles Joâ— 20. 19. 26. 20. 7. which should be a sufficient rule to us especially because the Apostles have added a Commandment thereunto And 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. there is no other reason but in regard of the Lord Christ's special institution Rev. 1. 10. why it should be called the Lords-day as the Lords Prayer because of His making and the Lords Supper is so also 1 Cor. 11 2â— called because it was of Christ's immediate institution therefore there is no special mention made of it in the New Testament because there was no question made at all of this change in the Apostles time it was so commonly known and another reason which I imagine why it is not mentioned in the New Testament not to deter the Jews from coming into the Church for we read in several places of the Acts of the Apostles how much and how far they Acts 15. 29. 21. 24. condescended to the Jews to win them to Christ So this day is specially dedicated to the Lords service for otherwise all the dayes of the week are the Lords dayes and he is to be served and worshipped in them but on this day wholly and more especially For Christ alone could change the sabbath day who is the Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Athanasiuâ— plainly saith that Christ himself did change the day There are many more arguments for the change of the Sabbath which we read of but I spare prolixity As God rested from the works of Creation then he sanctified and blessed the seventh day on which He rested so it was meet that our Lord Jesus Christ having finished the work of our Redemption on the Cross when He said It is finished and Joh. 19. 30. bowed His head and gave up the ghost and rested in the grave and was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1. 4. by His resurrection from the dead this same day in which Christ rested from His labour and the work of our redemption which was greater than the work of Creation this day did He sanctifie unto Himself This day as Christ sanctified by His resurrection so by twice Joh. â—â— 19. â—â— Acts 2 â— â— appearing to His Apostles on the same day and by sending the Holy Ghost upon them on the same day which day Acts 20. â— 1 Cor. 16. â— Apoâ— â— â—â— the Apostles observed and the Churches also But in the words at first read God said that the Sabbath was a sign between Him and the Children of Israel therefore some say it is a type or a ceremony or a representation of something to come We have proved it not to be a ceremony but we may well and will also grant it to be a type or representation of our heavenly rest that perpetual Sabbath Heb. 4. 3. 9. of rest we shall keep there But sign signifies here as much as a document so Christ said By this shall Joh. 13. 35. all men know that ye are My Disciples if ye love one another In the observation of the Lords Day there is a common and publick profession made of that Communion which is between God and us So then every solemn profession is a sign of that thing of which it is a profession so also the Sabbath is called a Sign in that common reason But some will say this Sabbath was enjoyned only to the Children of Israel what is that to us This belongs also to the spiritual Israel and not only to the bodily which Rom. 9. â— were of that lineage by corporal generation The Jews alone were Israel 1 Cor. 10. 18. after the flesh but we also after the spirit for the believing Gentiles are called the Israel of God Gal. 6. 1â— The word Remember is prefixed to this fourth Commandment to shew that although all the Commandments are needful diligently to be observed and remembred yet this more especially The word Remember is to put us in mind 1. Of our natural forgetfulness of this Commandment 2. Of the excellency and worth of it 3. To prepare our selves for the due keeping of it For we are naturally most negligent in it suffering our selves to be with-drawn by our worldly businesses from the Lords Service upon the Lords day and therefore such a special warning is needful to be added And as to keep it holy when it is come so also to prepare our selves for it and put our hearts our selves in a ready Sabbath-days posture and to dispose our worldly businesses so that if possible we may have no avocation lett or hinderance on the Lords day To speak a little more of the words read at first in Exodus 31. 13 c. for this word Verily the Septuagint render it see to it or look unto it that ye keep My Sabbath then we have the reasons annexed 1. It is a sign between Me and you of which word Sign we have spoken already 2. That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you as ye expect a Sabbath-blessing or for Me to instamp My image of holiness upon you see that ye keep holy My Sabbath Observe here also the frequent iterated injunctions ye shall keep it holy therefore 3. It is fenced with such dreadful Comminations Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death And whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from amongst his people And again he shall surely be put to death and more such expressions here are So then it is not at every man's liberty if he will observe the Sabbath or no. God as He is faithful in His promises of mercy so also in His threatnings of vengeance Although Sabbath-prophaners may escape punishment here God will assuredly without great repentance make them suffer for ever hereafter for slighting neglecting and breaking of His Covenant of the Sabbath For the breaking of the Sabbath is a violation of the whole Worship of God Wo therefore to those prophane ungodly Sabbath-breakers who are also usually addicted to Oaths Cursings and Blasphemies to Whoredom Drunkenness and other notorious abominations for one such hainous sin never goes alone whose judgment lingreth 2 Pet. 2. 3. not and their damnation slumbreth not Wo also to those who idle away the Sabbath spending it in worldly discourses gadding gazing idleness and such-like as if the negative part of keeping the Sabbath thou shalt do no manner of work were enough never looking to the positive part to keep it holy to spend the whole day in God's Service to His glory and for their own spiritual edification and advantage They that will not sanctifie God's rest here shall never enter
into His rest hereafter Now a little to speak farther of the right sanctifying of the Lords day summarily and we have done Our care must be over-night having laid aside all our earthly affairs to begin to fit our selves for the Lords-day and His Service thereon Rising as early or earlier on the Lords day as we do on other days for our own businesses as David said O Lord thou art my God Psal 63. 1. early will I seek thee when we are dressing our selves let us have heavenly thoughts as to put on the garments of Christ's righteousness to be as a Bride trimmed to meet the Bridegroom of our Souls Then to retire our selves and pray to God that He will prepare our hearts aright for the preparation of the Psal 10. 17. Prov. 16. 1. heart is from the Lord. That God would enable us for to sanctifie His holy name in all our duties of worship for He will be sanctified of all that draw Levit. 10 3. near to Him Then if we are governours of families to call our family together and strive to prepare them likewise so to Psal 42. 4. Josh 24. 15. Acts 16. 14. Mat. 15. 10. go to the house of God together that we and our family may serve the Lord Attend diligently to the Word of God hear and understand and hear as for our lives so to hear as our souls Isai 55. 3. Deut. 30. 19. may live it is not a vain thing it is for our lives take heed also be not forgetful hearers of the Word but doers of it Jam 1. 22. that we may be blessed in the deed else we deceive our own souls and that is the greatest deceit and of most dismal consequence Let us joyn with the Congregation in Prayer Sing with the Spirit and sing with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. If the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be administred having duely prepared ourselves let us receive it When the Sacrament of Baptism is administred Pray for the party baptized give thanks to God for adding one member more to His outward visible Church and remember we our vow made to God in our Baptism to be humbled for the breaking of it and resolve by God's Grace to perform it better for the future And depart not from the Church before the Minister hath pronounced the blessing And so let us not turn our backs on any of God's ordinances When we come home let us feed in fear and season it with meditation and speeches of holy things After Dinner let us meditate confer on and repeat what we have heard examine and catechize our families and strive to make that we heard to be our own ruminating upon it as those only were clean beasts under the Law which did chew Lev. 11. 3. the cud Then to return in season to the afternoon Publick Worship and demean our selves as in the morning When we return home then to do as before we did after dinner If we are enforced to walk through the fields then to contemplate the works of God His Providence and Mercies After Supper to confer read meditate sing Psalms instruct exhort encourage c. And close the day with Prayer craving pardon for sin and for the iniquities of our holy things Pray for more Grace to profit by all we have heard for it is God alone that teaches us to profit and that we may persevere therein Isai 48. 17. unto the end blessing God that hath given us one Sabbath-day more and hath in any measure assisted us in the performance of our duties Thus sanctifying the Sabbath God hath made it not only our duty so to do but also an essential means of His bestowing Mercies Blessings and increase of Grace on us in this our religious observation of the same Thus God blessed the Sabbath-day Isai 56. 6 7. When we lye down in our beds examine we our hearts how we are bettered what increase of knowledge and Grace what strength against corruptions what heavenly-mindedness more we have obtained And so repose our selves to sleep in the arms of our heavenly Father having heavenly thoughts in our hearts that we may be able comfortably to say How precious are thy thoughts to me O God that is my thoughts which I have of Thee how great is the sum of them when I awake Psal 139. 17 18 I am still with Thee Be not weary of Sabbath-duties and exercises like those wicked Jews who said When will the sabbath be gone that Amos 8. 5 Mal. 1. 13. we may go to our worldly businesses and what a weariness is this and so snuffed at it These men and women are far from tasting how gracious the Lord is and from those who by reason of use 1 Pet. 2. 3. Heb. 5. 14. have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil They see no such excellency and preciousness in Christ they find no sweetness in His ordinances to say with Peter Lord it is good for us Mat. 17. 4. to be here They are far from David's temper to have their souls to long yea even to faint for the courts of the Lord Psal 84. 1 2. and cry out when shall I come and appear before God our blessed Saviour for us spent a whole night in Prayer to Luk. 6. 12. God Heaven will be no Heaven to Rev. 4. 8. 11. such persons as these where we shall for ever be praising God And like as God rested the seventh day from all His works Heb. 4. 4. 10. as one would say God did retire Himself to the quiet enjoyment of Himself His glory and blessedness So we being by death freed from the works of this life from all our labours and toâ—ls from all sin and suffering from all sorrow and misery when God shall wipe away â—â—v 7. 17. â—â—â— 35. 10. all tears from our eyes and sorrow and sighing shall flee away then shall we altogether live with God in the perfect rest of glory For there remaineth a rest or keeping an everlasting Sabbath â—â—â— 4. 11. to the people of God Sabbath in Hebrew signifies Cessavit Addition quievit vacavit a Sabbath-day is a day of rest It signifies not such a rest as when one sitteth still and doth nothing but a resting and ceasing from doing that which he did before So God called this day a Sabbath which He dedicated and consecrated to His own publick Worship 1. Because on that day God rested from His creation of all those new species but not from conserving and propagating of them by the continual generation of individuals 2. Because the Sabbath is a representation of that spiritual rest from sin and of that rest in everlasting life 3. Because that we must on that day cease from all our secular and worldly employments that devoting our selves wholly to God's Worship He may work His work upon our hearts and exercise His works in us 4. That our
could not be induced to Print it But he writes Religious books doth as one said Retia salutis expandere spread the nets of Salvation to catch souls in and the good works of Rev. 14. 13. such will last as long as their Books live and follow them also after death I cannot Momo satisfacere as the Proverb is satisfie one who will do nothing himself but carp and cavil at every thing another doth whether deservedly or undeservedly Neither care I much for a detracting Zoilus whom I answer with the Poet Pexatus pulchrè rides mea Zoile trita Sunt haec trita quidem Zoile sed mea sunt Leaving these following Exercitations and Meditations to your most serious Meditation and your Meditations to Gods especial blessing and setting it home upon your hearts by His Holy Spirit that God in all things may be glorified and the salvation of Souls furthered against that great and notable day of the Lord Jesus to whom I commend you and remain Your Friend and Servant Sam. Thomsonn Esse tibi tantâ cautus brevitate videris Hei mihi quà m multis sic quoque longus eris Martial ad librum THE CONTENTS Exercitation I. OF the Covenant and our Covenant interest in God upon these words Ezek. 16. 8 I entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest Mine Where is discussed 1. What a Covenant is The difference between a Law Covenant and Testament The Covenant of God with man twofold 1. Of Works 2. Of Grace What the Covenant of Works was it was confirmed by a double Sacrament proving that God dealt with man in a Covenant way How God can be said to Covenant with man Why God deals with man in a Covenant way rather than in a meer supream absolute way Gods great mercy therein Of the Covenant of Grace Four Reasons why all depends upon faith The sum of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of grace divided into the old and new first and second The Covenant of grace is one in substance proved by two arguments Three things wherein the old and new Covenant agree Fight things wherein they differ Inferences thereupon The happiness of all those that are in Covenant with God and the miseries of those who are not Exhortations comforts and admonitions to those that are in Covenant with God God hath confirmed his Covenant four ways to us How to know if we are in Covenant with God The blessings ensuing thereon A farther description of Gods Covenanting with us A short Paraphrase on Jehovah God in the Old Testament revealed himself by ten names The Conclusion Exercitation II. 1. Of Sacraments in general There first what a Sacrament is How many Sacraments there are Of the word Sacrament whence borrowed and how used A Sacrament is a mysterie and why so Of the outward signs The external and internal form The Sacraments are signs in a fourfold respect Three thrings required in a Sacrament The ends of Sacraments are three Our want and need of Sacraments c. 2. Of the Sacrament of Baptism in particular Of the word Baptism Word Baptism used six ways A fourfold Baptism Baptism represents unto us two things The right use of baptism What baptism is How baptism came in place of circumcision Four ways To be baptized in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the S. S. implies three things Two parts of baptism The action of the Minister is twofold the inward baptism is done 1. By the Blood 2. by the Holy Spirit of Christ The ends of baptism are four In baptism Original sin is taken away c. Why was Christ baptized answered in four things How baptism belongs to Infants Infant-baptism asserted by nine Arguments Answer to an Oâ—jection That we have no rule or example for â—aptizing of Infants What warraâ—â— we have for sprinkling answered in â—our things How circumcision and baptism do agree answered in three things Wherein they differ answered in six things Four Aphorisms about baptism Exercitation III. Of the Lords Supper the second Sacrament of the New Testament It hath six appellations What the Lords Supper is A short Paraphrase upon the definition of the Lords Supper The signs and the things signified The analogy and proportion between them How the cup of the Lord is the new Covenant in two respects What are the ends of the Lords Supper answered at large in five respects and more especially in three respects How and wherein bread and wine represent Christs body and blood By this Sacrament our Communion with Christ is sealed and confirmed Two abuses of the Papists 1. Offering up Christs body c. 2. Denying the Cup to the Laity What it is to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ This signifies four things This our eating c. is our Communion with Christ That place 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 explained The Bread and Wine are the sign and testimony of our Communion with Christ About Transubstantiation Seven Arguments against it and four Reasonâ— against it What Consubstantiation is Five Reasons against it This is a Sacrament not of Christs living or glorified body but his crucified body and that two ways The outward actions of the Minister are four What each signifie The outward actions of the receiver are two what they signifie Q. Who are to be admitted to be partakers of this Sacrament Answered in three particulars Three things to be performed of every worthy communicant 1. Preparation before the right manner of it and several things wherein it consists 2. Heedfulness in the duty of receiving consists in four things 3. A thankful close consisting in two things What it is to do this in remembrance of Christ in three things The allegory between Christ and the Paschal Lamb explained in thirteen particulars Some sentences about the Supper Exercitation IV. Fear God Eccles 12. 13 The whole verse is thus Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep His Commandments for this is the whole duty of man The fear of God is commanded in the first Commandment The scope and meaning of the first Commandment Seven virtues or parts of obedience due to the first Commandment Descriptions of the fear of God Fear due to God Twofold fear of God as 1. Servile 2. Filial both described Three things wherein servile and filial fear differ Some things oppose the fear of God in excess and some in defect Nine acceptations or significations of fear in Scripture What the fear of God is which is here required Many Encouragements out of Scripture to fear God Several Encomiums or Praises of the fear of God all wholly also out of the Scripture Exhortation to the fear of God Q. What fear Saints may have in the service of God answered in two things Differences between the fear of the Godly and the fear of the wicked God requires the reverence both of a Father and also of a Master An answer to that place in 1 Joh. 4.
exhibited and given unto them 4. The same promise is sealed in the Sacrament whence it is they are not called signs only but seals also So we have it in the Word Abraham received Rom. 4. 11. the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had c. There are three things required in a Sacrament 1. The outward signs and sacramental actions concerning the same 2. The inward things signified thereby namely Christ Jesus with His saving Graces and Spiritual actions concâ—rning the same 3. A similitude and likeness between them both As for example In Baptism as water doth wash away the filth of the Body so the blood of Christ doth wash away the spots of the Soul As the bread and wine do nourish and feed the Body so the body and blood of Christ laid hold on by true and lively faith do nourish and cherish the Soul to eternal life The signs used in the Sacraments are either 1. Representing as Water Bread and Wine Or 2. Applying as washing eating drinking c. The signs and the things signified in both Sacraments do so agree that the sign doth so fitly represent the things signified thereby that the mind of a Christian is drawn by the signs to consider of the things thereby signified The ends of Sacraments are the sealing of the Covenant of Grace or more fully thus in these three particulars 1. To help our understanding and insight therefore the Sacraments are as clear glasses So the Apostle said to Gal. 3. 1. the Galatians in regard of the celebration of the Lords Supper that Christ was crucified before their eyes that is Sacramentally in the breaking of the Bread and pouring forth of the Wine whereas we know that corporally Christ was crucified at Jerusalem which was far distant from the region of Galatia 2. To help our memories to bring to our remembrance as lasting Monuments Do this said our Saviour in Luk. 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. remembrance of Me. 3. To perswade our hearts and to confirm our faith as most certain seals and pledges to assure and strengthen us in the promises of Salvation which God hath not only made to us in word but confirmed it by writing and lest we should any ways doubt as naturally we are inclined to do therefore He hath set to His seals that nothing may be lacking to increase and strengthen our faith from whence the Sacraments become not only marks and pledges of our Christian profession but also so many bonds to bind us to obedience So that hereby not only the free Grace of God and the promises are sealed to us on Gods part but also our thankfulness and obedience towards God This is the primary end of the Sacrament and the secondary end is the profession of our faith and charity For there are represented in our use of the Sacraments not only that union which we have with God in Christ but also that communion which we embrace with all those who are partakers of the same union with us We must understand and believe that the efficacy of the Sacrament is not included in the external element but wholly comes from the good Spirit of God as He is pleased to shew His manifest power by those instruments that so He may help our weakness For if we were wholly spiritual as the Angels are then we should be able spiritually to contemplate God and His gifts but now sith we are overshadowed with this lump of our earthly body it is necessary that God should by certain figures as it were by glasses as I said before represent unto us spiritual and heavenly things who cannot otherwise conceive of them in our minds For now we see as through a glass 1 Cor. 13. 12. darkly We enjoy the efficacy of the Sacraments when we receive them by faith Of Baptism NOw come we particularly to speak of the two Sacraments and first of Baptism Baptism is a Greek word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immergo abluo which is primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mergo tingo to dip or plunge into water signifying properly such a kind of washing as is used in Bucks where linnen is plunged and dipt Yet it is taken more largely for any kind of washing rinsing or clensing where there is no dipping at all as Mat. 3. 11. 20. 22 c. Christ no-where requireth dipping but only baptizing which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies no more than lavatio ablutio washing or ablution which may be done without dipping This word Baptism is used many ways Dr. Featly 1. Generally for washing Luk. 11. 38. Heb. 9. 20. the Pharisee marvailed Christ washed not before dinner 2. Figuratively for great and sharp afflictions Mat. 20. 22. Luk. 12. 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished 3. To sprinkle or wash ones body Sacramentally Mat. 3. 11. John said I indeed baptize you with water c. 4. For the whole work and action of the Sacrament of Baptism as Mat. 28. 19 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. 5. Spiritually to wash the Conscience Mat. 3. 11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Acts 1. 5. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost 6. The native and proper signification is to dip into water or to plunge under water tanquam ad tingendum mergo Acts 8. 38. Philip and the Eunuch went down both into the water Mat. 3. 16 Jesus when he was baptized went up out of the water So Joh. 3. 22 23. There is a fourfold Baptism 1. Fluminis seu aquae which is a Baptism of water Mat. 3. 11 I baptize you with water c. 2. Luminis seu doctrinae Mat. 21. 25. the Baptism of John is put for the whole Ministery of John both his Preaching and his Baptism Acts. 18. 25. Apollos knew only the Baptism of John 3. Flaminis seu donorum Spiritus Sancti Acts 1. 5 Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost that is with the gifts of the Holy Ghost 4. Sanguinis seu martyrii a Baptism of Blood or Martyrdom so Christ asked the Apostles Can ye be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with Mat. 20. 22 23. Baptism represents unto us two things 1. The forgiveness of Sins 2. Spiritual regeneration Q. But what proportion hath water with these that it should be a sign of these things A. 1. Because the remission of sins is in a sence like unto a laver whereby the sinfulnesses and defilements which are in our minds are cleansed as the filthiness of our body is washed away with water 2. The beginning of our regeneration is that our nature should be mortified as the end is that we should be new-creatures the pouring of water signifies a death and in that runs away from us and we remain not under it it signifies a return unto life as
baptized into His death Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it thâ—â— He might sanctifie and cleanse it by the Eph. 5. 25 26. washing of water through the word The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from 1 Joh. 1. 7. all sin As the filthiness of the body is washed away with water so we are purged from our sins by the blood and spirit of Christ Ye are washed ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. ye are justified in the Name of the Lorâ— Jesus and by the Spirit of our God That inward washing is made or done both by the blood and by the spirit of Christ 1. Washing through the blood oâ— Christ is Justification So we have it Acts 22. 16 Arise and be baptized calling on the name of the Lord. 2. Washing through the spirit is regeneration when we are by the Holy Spirit regenerated or born again to a new life 1 Cor. 6. 11. Thus far of the action of the Minister now to speak of the action of him or her baptized Every faithful person that is baptized receiveth the outward Baptism of water that there may be signified and sealed up unto him that he is assuredly washed from his sins by the blood and spirit of Christ as surely as his body is sprinkled or washed with water Then will I Ezek. 36. 25. sprinkle said the Lord clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesses and from all your Idols I will cleanse you To be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ signifieth to be made partakers of the Covenant of Grace namely to be reconciled to God justified regenerated adopted to be the Son or Child of God and to be endowed with the freedom of the Sons of God All are washed with water but believers only by the blood and spirit of Christ Therefore not all that are baptized receive remission of sins and regeneration but the believers only For without a man have his name in the Covenant the seal set to it confirms nothing unto him To the receiving of the Sacrament as very worthily it is in our Liturgy there must be adjoyned thanksgiving which is presently performed by every person that is baptized if he be adult or of years of discretion or by the witnesses in his stead if he be an infant who when he comes to years of discretion all his life long ought to be thankful unto God for this benefit Q. What are the ends of Baptism A. Especially these four 1. To be a seal to us of our receiving into the Covenant of Grace and fellowship with Christ and His Church 2. By the outward washing to represent and confirm to us the inward cleansing of our Souls which standeth in justification and regeneration Eph. 5. 26. So in this sence Baptism as it is 1 Pet. 3. 21. is said to save us because it sealeth unto us eternal salvation 3. To mind us of repentance and reforming our lives for we are baptized with water unto repentance Mat. 3. 11. 4. To be sealed to the certain hope of resurrection and of an eternal blessed life In Baptism Original sin is washed and taken away especially as concerning the guilt that is to say the fault and the punishment there remaining notwithstanding the vitiation and the sickness namely wicked lusts and inclination to evil and that to this end that we might all our life long fight against sin and the Devil who is the Author of sin But the Papists say that by Baptism rightly administred not only the guiltiness but also the corruption of Original sin is so washed away as that it is not afterward properly accounted a sin But we contrarily distinguish thus of sin sin in regard of the guiltiness or obnoxiousness to the wrath of God and also in regard of the punishment together by one act is taken away in Baptism But in regard of that error and corruption of Nature it is not at the first wholly taken away but successively and by little and little or by degrees it is extinguished even as our renovation or renewing by the Holy Ghost is by little and little begun increased and carried on in us And this we evince by these four reasons 1. Else St. Paul would not so greatly bewail his Original sin if after Baptism it ceased to be a sin when-as he cryed out O miserable man that I am who shall Rom. 7. 23 24. deliver me from the body of this deathâ— I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 2. Original sin is called a sin exceeding or out of measure sinful and a sin that hangeth fast on or easily encompasseth Rom. 7. 13. us about Heb. 12. 1. 3. Concupiscence is the root of actual sin and therefore after Baptism it must needs properly be a sin 4. Unless that concupiscence were a sin where would or could be that vehement and hot combate between the flesh and the spirit for the flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 17. the spirit and the spirit against the â—lesh and these are contrary the one to the other Q. Why was Christ baptized what could Baptism signifie or seal unto Him He had no sin to wash away A. â— That He might fulfil all righteousness that is for us and on our behalf Mat. 3. 15. 2. That He might in His own person commend and confirm Baptism against all those who so debase and decry it 3. That He might sanctifie our Baptism in Himself 4. That by Baptism we might know Him to have entered into His office and the execution of it Q. How doth Baptism belong to Infants and how are they capable of performing the conditions required A. I have perused the learned Exercitations of Mr. John Tombes B. D. formerly a Cotemporary with me in Magdalen-Hall who is the best and most learned of that opinion and perswasion who hath many arguments against Infant Baptism which require a large volume particularly to answer I shall therefore only lay down some argument to assert the laudable use of the Churches Infant-Baptism which do fully convince and satisfie me and I suppose by God's blessing on serious meditation and consideration may satisfie those which will not wilfully close their eyes against the truth Arguments 1. Because Infants are comprehended in the Covenant of the Grace of God and therefore both the faith of the Parents themselves and also of the Church 1 Cor. 7. 14. is confirmed by this sign that God will be the God and Saviour as of the faithful Parents so of their seed and children which promise of His He at His good Rom. 8. 29 30. Tit. 3. 5. time performeth in His elect 2. Because to them belongeth also the promise of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ 3. Because they belong to the Church of God 4. Because they are redeemed by the blood of
Christ 5. Because to them is promised the Holy Ghost 6. Because they are to be discerned from the Children of Infidels 7. Because in the Old Testament Infants were circumcised As Circumcision was then the first beginning or initiating Sacrament into the Jewish Church so is Baptism the first beginning of Christianity There can be no reason given to deprive Infants of Baptism but that which may be given against circumcision the main whereof is the incapableness of Infants of the Grace of the Sacraments But He that said of Infants to them belongs the Kingdom of God knows how to settle upon them the title of that Kingdom And we have no reason to think but that even before or in at or by the act of Baptism the Spirit of Christ doth unite the Soul of the elect Infant unto Christ and cloath it with His righteousness and impute unto it the title of a Son or a Daughter by adoption and the Image of God by Sanctification and so fit it for the state of Glory 8. To them to whom the Covenant belongs to them belongs the seal of the Covenant that confirms the right to them But to the Infants of faithful Parents the Covenant belongs to you Acts 2. 39. and to your Children are the promises Mark 10 13. made and to them belongs the Kingdom of God Therefore we rationally conclude that if the thing it self belongs to them therefore the sign and seal thereof 9. Your Children are Holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. there is a faederal Sanctity or an external and visible Holiness at least in Children of believing Parents and they are to be judged of the true flock of Christ until they shew the contrary Objection But the Anabaptists urge we have no rule or example in Holy Scripture for the baptizing of Infants We read of nothing in Scripture that Solution doth infringe the liberty of the Church therein neither do the Scriptures afford any proofs by consequence of it to deter from it We read of several whole housholds baptized doubtless some Infants were therein And if the Scriptures not expressing directly the baptizing of Infants were a sufficient reason of denying that Sacrament to them is a senseless thing Circumcision was a sign of repentance Deut. 10. 16. Jer. 4. 14. and a sign of faith Rom. 4. 11. and yet Infants were not kept from Circumcision but God commanded them to be circumcised the eighth day which is a sufficient ground to us for baptizing of Infants For the ancient promises of God to the people of Israel belong now to every believer in any Nation whatsoever Sith God under the Law shewed Himself the Saviour of Infants and commanded them to be signed with such a visible sign as Circumcision was it would be a very grievous and a hard thing if the Children of believers now under the Gospel since the coming of Christ should have less priviledg than the Infants of the fathers of old seeing the same promise is to us as was to them And God hath now more manifestly declared His goodness to us in Christ The promise belongs to Infants Acts 2. 37. therefore St. Peter would have his hearers to repent and to be baptized and he adds the reason because the promise belonged to them and to their Children c. whence I argue because they are partakers of the promise therefore they are bid to be baptized Or thus the promise belongs to the adult repentant persons and their Children or Infants therefore adult repentant persons and their Children or Infants are to be baptized for remission of sins The adult or those of years are to be baptized upon their repentance and the Children or Infants of those repenting baptized persons yea before they are actually capable of repentance are to be baptized also for the promise is made unto them upon the account of their Parents So St. Peter there commands them to be baptized and why because the promise is made unto them So also he shews the cause why those adult repentant persons are commanded to be baptized which is not because they were adult or repentant and so Baptism belonged only to them but also it belonged to their Infants and so he proveth that as well the Infants as the adult should be baptized Not because they believe or do not believe but because they are partakers of the promise Regeneration or receiving into Grace is enough for Infants Much more might have been said to several others of their arguments which are many and would digress into a large volume but I shall dwell no longer hereon Although we be but once baptized yet Baptism is unto us a perpetual Sacrament of our washing from sin and of our regeneration that is to say as Baptism doth not only evacuate and wash away Original Sin in the sence before premised but also all other Sins either past or present for they that are baptized are baptized into Christ's death Now Christ's death is available not only to wash away those Sins that are before Baptism but those also in our whole life which follow Baptism Q. What ground or warrant have we for sprinkling which is commonly used with us in these cold Countries A. Our Church allows no other than dipping unless in case of the Childs weakness as most consonant to our Saviour's Baptism where we read of His descending into the water and coming Mat. 3. up again out of the water Others conceive the very action of sprinkling water very warrantable especially in young Children to whom farther wetting may be dangerous to them The reasons are such as these 1. Because neither dipping nor sprinkling is essential to the Sacrament of Baptism but only washing and applying water to the body as a cleanser of the filth thereof 2. As in the other Sacrament that of the Lord's Supper a spoonful of Wine is as significant as a whole gallon so here a handful of water is as significant as a whole river 3. The action of sprinkling bears fit resemblance with the inward Grace as well as dipping and hath authority also in the Scriptures We read of sprinkling of the blood 1 Pet. 1. 2. Heb. 12. 14. of Christ and the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel 4. It is not unlikely that the Apostles baptized as well by sprinkling or pouring water upon as by dipping into it Sith we read of diveâ—â— baptized in houses as well as in rivers However the washing of the body with water is essential though Eph. 5. 26. whether way it be done seems not to be essential so water be applyed to the body for the cleansing of it Q. How do Circumcision and Baptism agree A. 1. In the principal end for the promise of Grace through and by Christ which was the same in all ages is sealed in both of them 2. In both is signified regeneration and a promise of faith and obedience towards God 3. Both Circumcision and
for ever And when He said take and eat He commanded Heb. 5. 6. us not to offer up His body but only to feed on it So also another abuse of the Papists is to deny the Cup to the people whereas Christ in His institution said Drink ye all of this It is a high Sacrilegious impiety thus expresly to go against Christ's institution in His own words It is by faith alone we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ And yet we say not that the body of Christ is included in the Bread and His blood included in the Cup but if we will enjoy the truth and reality of the Sacrament we must have our hearts lifted up heaven-wards and look upwards where Christ is in the glory of His Father and from whence He shall come to be our Judge for he that seeks Him corporally in these corruptible elements manifestly errs So for me to eat the body of Christ crucified for me and to drink His blood shed for me is not only firmly to believe the whole passion and death of Christ and by it to obtain remission of Joh. 6. 35. to 54. sins and everlasting life but also by His Spirit which dwelleth in me to be more and more united to His blessed body as Christ there said He that eateth My Joh. 6. 56. â—lesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me and I in him So that although Christ is in Heaven and we on Earth yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone Eph. 5. 30. 3. 16 17. 4. 15 16. Joh. 6. 57. Even as all the members of the body are quickened and directed by one soul so are we by one and the self same S-pirit So then our eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ which is not corporally but spiritually done signifies four things 1. Our believing of the passion and death of Christ 2. Our receiving remission of sins and everlasting life by faith in Him 3. Our union with Christ by His Holy Spirit which dwelleth both in Christ and us 4. The benefit of quickening by the same Holy Spirit So to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ is to believe that we through the merits of Christ are received by God into grace and favour and by the same faith we receive remission of sins and are reconciled unto God and that the Son of God that Word which was made flesh who hath Joh. 1. 14. united to Himself our humane nature which He personally took doth dwell in us and hath joyned us to Himself and His assumed humane nature by pouring upon us His Holy Spirit by which He regenerates us and restores light in us righteousness and eternal life the same which shineth in His assumed humane nature Or more briefly thus to eat the body of Christ is 1. To believe in Him 2. By faith to receive remission of sins 3. To be united unto Christ 4. To be made partaker of the life of Christ or to be conformable to Christ by His Holy Spirit which worketh the same things both in Christ and in us This our eating is our communion with Christ which the Scripture teacheth and which in this Sacrament we do profess namely our spiritual union with Christ such as is of the members with the head and of the branches with the vine This eating of His flesh Christ teacheth in John 6. and confirmeth it by these outward signs in the Lord's Supper For in the Lord's Supper as we do eat the Bread and drink the Wine even so there as surely Christ gives to all true believers His body to eat and His blood to drink This is clearly manifested to us in the words of institution Mat. 26. 26 27 28. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. And this promise is repeated by St. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread To explain this briefly It is called the cup of blessing or of giving thanks because it is received to this end that we should give thanks to Christ for His death and passion for us or that we should use it so as to put us in mind of Christ's benefits towards us and for these to give Him thanks Communion of the blood of Christ Communion is a participation of a common thing the Communion of the body and blood of Christ is by faith to be made partakers of Christ and all His benefits the same Spirit being in us which is in Christ and working the same thing in us which he doth in Christ It is a spiritual communion which believers have with Christ as members with the head and as branches with the vine For the Bread and Wine are the Communion that is the sign and testimony of our Communion with Christ This Communion as the Apostle there said consisteth in this that we being many are one body This makes against the corporal eating of the Papists in this Sacrament for our communion with Christ is only by faith and by the Holy Ghost Christ is the common head His benefits are common and communicated to all His members Hence also it follows that the members are common among themselves whence should flow mutual love and amity The Papists to uphold their Transubstantiation do say that we must take the words litterally and so immediately after the words of consecration at the last syllable of the last word that the Bread is transubstantiated or changed into the very body of Christ and the Wine into His blood But this is a Sacramental speech of Christ This is my body As St. Austin to that general rule about Sacramental actions adds this instance of eating the body of Christ This is a certain way said he of finding out whether such a phrase or speech be proper or figurative that whatsoever in Divine Word or holy Scriptures cannot be done by honest and good manners nor be properly referred to the truth of our faith we must know it to be a figurative speech And shortly after instances in that place Vnless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man Joh. 6. 53. and drink His blood ye have no life in you Doth our Saviour here command such a nefarious act to have the Jews fall upon Him kill and â—ley Him to eat His flesh and drink His blood No it is a figurative speech there Christ commands them to communicate with the passion and sufferings of the Lord and most sweetly to lay it up in remembrance that for us His body and flesh was crucified and wounded So also this is a figurative speech when our Saviour speaks of the Bread This is my body and of the Cup This is my blood This Cup is the New Testament in My blood where the
we may and should remember yet God would have a solemn standing Ordinance in His Church for the commemoration and shewing of it forth which Ordinance is this of the Lord's Supper This must be our actual exercise at the time of our eating and drinking at this Holy Table to shew forth the Lord's death The death of Christ then must fill our eyes ears lips and thoughts If any of us could see Christ dying that sight would take us up Here we come as near to see Him dying as can be represented unto us Here Christ is Crucified before our eyes Thus much Gal. 3. 1. for the second part which is a Christian heedfulness in the act of receiving Now of the third and last part a thankful close and shutting up this our duty in this Ordinance 1. By joyful thanksgiving with Prayers 2. Meditation how we are bettered what increase we find of our faith in Christ love to God and all His Saints what strength and power we have gotten against sin lust and corruption what new obedience we shew forth in our lives and what increase and confiâ—ming we find of all other sanctifying and saving Graces in us to help us to lead new lives and to run the ways of all God's Commandments with more strength and alacrity than formerly This do in remembrance of me This is a solemn Memorial instituted by Christ Himself Great Deliverances or Mercies have solemn commemorations Such was the Passeover and the Feast of Purim c. among the Jews Christ did not ordain it for His Nativity Circumcision Ascension c. though all these were for us and our Redemption but in remembrance of His death hereby we shew the Lord's death Because our sins are done away by His death therein in His death was made the Sacrifice of atonement Redemption and Reconciliation was made thereby the Covenant confirmed the justice of God satisfied and everlasting life procured c. 1. Let us make this thankful remembrance to and within our selves what fruit and benefit we receive from Christ and the torments and pains He endured for us both in His blessed body and soul nay His Soul-pains were the sole or chief of all His pains Do not these deserve a thankful remembrance 2. We make this remembrance to others to all the world by our solemn profession of Christ and His death to which we stick for remission of sins and acceptation with God 3. We make this remembrance to God that Christ by His death hath satisfied God's justice and hath made peace through the blood of His Cross Who shall therefore lay any thing to the Col. 1. 20. charge of Gods elect it is Christ that dyed for us c. Rom. 8. 34. I close up with the Allegory of the Paschal Lamb and Christ how the type and anti-type or the thing signified fitly answer and agree in these thirteen things 1. It must be a lamb of the flock so Christ was true man Joh. 1. 14. 2. A Lamb without blemish so Christ was without sin 3. To be killed and roasted with fire to shew the bitter death and passion of Christ 4. A bone of it must not be broken so Christ had not a bone broken Joh. 19. 36. 5. It must be in the evening so Christ suffered in the end of the world Heb. 1. 2. and 9. 26. 6. The posts were to be sprinkled with the blood so Christ's blood is sprinkled on our Consciences and His satisfaction is imputed to us Rom. 3. Isai 53. 6. 7. Seeing the blood the destroying Angel passed over and they were preserved from death so Christ by his blood frees us from everlasting death 8. The Lamb was to be eaten and in every family so Christ by faith is to be applyed by every believer 9. The Lamb was to be roasted whole his head legs appurtenances so whole Christ is to be received and wholly according to all the articles of our faith 2 Tim. 3. 7. 10. Without leaven that is without hypocrisie 11. It must be eaten with bitter herbs with true repentance and bitter grief for sin which caused that bitter passion of Christ He that will be Christ's Disciple must take up the Cross 12. It must be eaten hastily and with their staves in their hands after the fashion of strangers to shew that we are Pilgrims here and travailing to our heavenly countrey have need of such a Viaticum in the way 13. Only Circumcised to eat thereof So only the regenerate feed on Christ by faith and Christ is profitable only unto them Some Sentences 1. Our Union and Communion with Christ doth not mingle the persons nor unite the substances but it consociates our affections and confederates our wills 2. This is to eat that bread and drink that cup to abide in Christ and to have Christ abiding in thee And hereby it follows that he that abides not in Christ nor Christ in him doth not spiritually eat of this bread and drink of this cup although carnally and visibly he eateth of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ 3. To believe in Christ is to eat that bread of life He that believeth in Christ feedeth upon Him and is invisibly fatted by Him because he is invisibly regenerated 4. Believers only eat the bread the Lord wicked men who are against Christ in their practises may eat the bread of the Lord. 5. All Glory to God and Salvation to Men is placed in the death and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ EXERCITATION THE FOURTH Ecclesiastes 12. 13. Fear God The whole Verse runs thus Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep His Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man THe meaning is thus as if King Solomon had said the whole subject of this Book of Ecclesiastes is summarily comprehended in this point that man should lead his life in the fear of God and in holy obedience unto Him So that after this life he may enjoy everlasting blessedness and happiness in Him Now the fear of God is commanded in the first Commandment the scope and meaning of the first Commandment is thus that Jehovah one in Substance and three in Persons the Creator and Governour of all things and the Redeemer of His people is to be entertained for the only true God in all the powers of our soul And that the inward Mat. 22. 37. Prov. 23. 26. Deut. 5. 29. Prov. 4. 23. Mat. 12. 35. and spiritual worship of the heart wherein God especially delighteth and which is the ground of the outward worship may be given to Him and none other and that sincerely without hypocrisie as in His sight who searcheth Jer. 17. 10. and knoweth the heart For this word before Me or before My face noteth that inward entertainment and worship whereof God alone doth take notice And thereby God sheweth that He condemneth as well the corrupt thoughts of mans heart concerning His Majesty as the wicked practise of
back and that they had cast away the Law There is no fear Isai 5. 24. Psal 36. 1. of God before their eyes Like the unjust Judge who neither feared God nor regarded man We may have cause to Luk. 18. 2. fear such as Abraham said of the Philistins at Gerar Because I thought that Gen. 20 11. 1 Sam. 21. 10 23. 26. the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wifes sake So David fled for fear of Saul There are many acceptations of fear in Scripture 1. It is taken for natural fear which is a certain natural affection whereby men are stricken by reason of some natural or hurtful evil either true or imagined So Jacob said of his brother Gen. 32. 11. Esau I fear him lest he will come and smite me and the mothers with the children So the City of Jericho feared because of Israel So Peter being on the Josh 2. 9 11. Mat. 14. 30. 28. 4. Sea when he saw the wind boysterous was afraid and cryed out c. This natural fear is in it self neither good nor evil It was in Christ Himself as He was man It becomes evil and sinful Heb. 5. 7. Mark 14. 33. when distrust is mixed with it 2. There is a free voluntary fear and reverence which inferiours shew to their superiours making them careful to obey and loth to offend and that for the Lord's sake Let the wise see Eph. 5. 33. that she reverence her husband but the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that she fear her husband So render to all their due fear to whom fear Rom. 13. ◠belongeth 3. Fear sometimes in Scripture is taken for the thing or danger feared the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me said Job and that which I was Job 3. 25. Prov. 1. 27. afraid of is come unto me When their fear cometh as desolation c. that is when that which they feared cometh c. 4. For the person which is feared In this sence God is called the fear of Isaac So Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac that is by God whom Isaac Gen. 31. 42 53. feared a Metonymie 5. Fear in Scripture sometime is taken for an holy affection of the heart awing us and making us loth to displease God by sin in respect of His great goodness and mercies and for a love we bear to righteousness There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with Thee that Thou mayest be feared This is a filial or child-like fear spoken of before The Godly are commanded Job 1. 2. Acts 10. 2. thus to fear and are commended for it so is Job and so Cornelius that they feared God 6. For a terrour in the heart of wicked men fearing God as a Judge being loth to offend Him by sin in regard of His punishments and not from any hatred of wickedness Thus Felix trembled Acts 24. 25. and feared This is servile and slavish fear spoken of also before 7. Fear is taken for the whole worship of God Thou shalt fear the Lord. In every nation he that feareth God and Deut. 6. 13. Acts 10. 35. Prov. 1. 7. Psal 112. 1. 128. 1. worketh righteousness is accepted of Him Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord where is a Synechdoche of the part for the whole For where the fear of God is truly planted there will follow the whole worship of God 8. To think upon dangerous things which breed fear So thine heart shall Isai 33. 18. meditate fear 9. For a great terrour and fear from God which was sent on the hearts of the men of those Cities of the Canaanites that they pursued not after the sons of Gen. 35. 5. Jacob to slay them And the fear of 2 Chr. 17. 10. God was upon those cities round about them c. Thus we see the several significations and acceptations of fear in Scripture and also what the true fear of God is which is whereby we so fear and reverence His holy Majesty and His Word that we take heed by all means of offending so gracious a Father not so much for fear of punishment as out of true love to God Several encouragements out of Scripture to fear God 1. God wisheth it Oh that they would fear Me that it may be Deut. 5. 29. well with them and with their children and for their good alwayes 6. 24. 2. The secret of the Lord is with them Psal 25. 14. that fear Him and He will shew them His Covenant He will teach them 119. 102. 3. There is no want to them that fear Him The young lyons shall lack and Psal 34. 9 10. suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall lack no good thing 33. 18 19. Prov. 22. 4. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches honour and life There is Psal 11 1. 5. 112. 1 2. Prov. 15. 16. Psal 61. 5. a special heritage belongs to those that fear God therefore David said Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name That is as these present so also eternal good things which properly belong to God's Children wherein they of the world have no part at all 4. The Lord is nigh them that fear Psal 85. 9. Him And blessed are they to whom the Lord is nigh to hear and help Moses described the happiness of Israel herein and said What nation is there so great Deut. 4. 7. who hath the Lord so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is to us in all things that we call upon Him for Surely His salvation is nigh them that Psal 85. 9. fear Him c. In the fear of the Lord is strong considence Prov. 14. 26. and his children shall have a place of resuge The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting Psal 103. 11 to everlasting on them that fear Him c. He will fulsil the desire of them that 145. 19. fear Him He also will hear their cry and save them For the Lord taketh pleasure in them 147. 11. that fear Him in those that hope in His mercy The fear of the Lord prolongeth days Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of 14. 27. life to depart from the snares of death The fear of the Lord tendeth to life 19. 23. and he that hath it shall be satisfied To you that fear My name shall the Mal. 4. 2. Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings c. His mercy is on them that fear him Luk. 1. 50. from generation to generation Who is among you that feareth the Isai 50. 10. Lord that obeyeth the voice of His servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon His God
even so must we be and that in all the faculties and powers of our souls and in all the members of our bodies Let us therefore have holy and heavenly thoughts holy and gracious speeches Let our speeches be always gracious Col. 4. 6. seasoned with salt with the salt of wisdom and discretion that it may Eph. 4. 29. minister Grace unto the hearers that others may be edified and bless God for our holy and religious speeches and discourses And let our affections be set upon heaven Col. 3. 2. Phill. 3. 20. and heavenly things and our conversation be in heaven but the word here rendered conversation is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City holding forth thus much that we are Burgesses Citizens free-Denizens of Heaven and therefore it is the property as well as the glory of all holy persons true believers to whom only Heaven belongeth to live in this world as if they were in Heaven already Sith God when we Eph. 2. 5 6. were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The meaning is thus there is a most strict union between Christ our glorious Head and us His members that which is done to the Head is done and belongeth to all the members therefore the members of Christ's body in right and in virtue of the infallible cause and in certainty and assurance of faith are already raised up and glorified and at the appointed time shall really and effectually be so Thus as members of so blessed an Head in Heaven let us so live in this world as if we were in Heaven already bending all our thoughts and desires all our speeches and actions that way having heavenly thoughts when we are about our earthly and worldly employments And so walk in that way which is called the way of holiness that holiness to the Isai 35. 8. Zeâ—h 14. 20. Lord may be written both on our hearts and foreheads for the Lord hath called us not unto uncleanness but unto holiness that God may establish our hearts unblameable 1 Thess 4. 7. 3. 13. in holiness before Him That our holiness may not be like the righteousness of the Israelites as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth Hos 6. 4. away therefore God threatned them That they should be as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth away as the chaff that is driven with a whirlwind Hos 13. 3. out of the floore and as the smoak out of the Chimney that is they should not be stedfast or established but quickly dispersed and brought to nothing But let us walk as becometh holiness Titus 2. 3. how much soever holiness is slighted and derided by the prophane ungodly wretches of this world yet strive we to go on perfecting holiness in the fear of 2 Cor. 7. 1. God For without holiness no man shall Heb. 12. 14. see the Lord that is to his comfort So that yeilding our members servants Rom. 6. 19 22. to righteousness unto holiness we may have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life To sum up this last briefly Hath God quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ That is not only so hath done spoken in the Preterperfect tense for the Future tense that He will assuredly do it or that it is as sure as if it were already done for that we do believe But this expression signifieth something more that as we are mystical members of the body of Christ quickned and raised up together with Him and made to sit together in heavenly places in Him How then should we have raised thoughts sanctified affections and a holy and heavenly conversation being cloathed with the long white robes of the Imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness to have the Moon Rev. 12. 1. which is in the lowest Orb that is all these sublunary and lower earthly things under our feet Therefore what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God c. And sith we look for such things to be diligent that we 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 14 may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless Wherefore as we are thus partakers Heb. 3. 1 2. 14. of the holy and heavenly calling let us consider the Apostle and great High Priest of our profession even Jesus the Son of God 6. 20. who as our forerunner is for us entered into the heavens and is gone to prepare a place for us so will He come again and Joh. 17. 17. 19. receive us unto Himself that where He is there we may be also that we may for ever behold the glory which His Father and our Father hath given Him Who when He was here upon earth prayed to His Father to sanctifie us through His truth his word is truth And for our sakes did he sanctifie himself that we also might be sanctified through the truth For both he that sanctifieth and they who Heb. 2. 11 are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren For our sake did he sanctifie himself the meaning is though He was perfectly holy and sanctified in His humane nature wherein for us He did accomplish all righteousness and all manner of holiness He did consecrate Himself to the death of the Cross to cleanse us from all our sins and to procure for us the gift of the Holy Ghost to regenerate us in a holy and permanent newness of life We are Gods house the Temple â—eb 3. 6. God's house under the Law was overlaid within with pure Gold Let us especially look to our hearts our inward parts and strive to cleanse our 2 Cor. 7. 1. selves from all filthiness of the spirit as well as of the flesh For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries Mat. 15. 19 â—0 c. These are the things which defile a man Oh these heart-wickednesses The heart is as a cage full of unclean birds The heart of man is deceitful Rev. 18. 2. above all things desperately Jer. 17. 9. wicked who can know it Let us give our hearts to God as He Prov. 23. 26. commands us For the Lord searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and hath 1 Chron. 29. 17. pleasure in uprightness God is the great heart-maker He must be the heart-mender Go to God in these or the like expressions and pray O create in me a clean heart O Psal 51. 10. God and renew a right spirit within me Let my heart be perfect with Thee 1 Kin. 8. 61. that I may walk before Thee in truth in righteousness and in
uprightness Jer. 30. 21. and may engage my heart to approach unto God to walk before Thee to do every thing as in Thy sight and presence Lord help me to keep my heart with all diligence and to wash Prov. 4. 23. my heart from wickedness that I may be clean that although vain and evil Jer. 4. 14 thoughts will pass through me yet I may not give them entertainment or suffer them to lodge within me Take Thou away this stony heart from me and give me a heart of flesh a heart Ezek. 36. 26. pliable and flexible and capable of being governed and guided by thy Spirit Vnite my heart to fear thy name Let Psal 86. 11. 119. 80. my heart be sound in thy statutes That so when my heart is sound Christ may set me as a seal upon his heart and as a seal upon his arm keeping me nearly Cant. 8. 6. and dearly joyned unto Him and refresh me by the comfort of the presence of His Grace setting me as a signet upon his right hand to have me always Jer. 22. 24. in His eye and in His heart to be present with me to guide me in His ways to bless me and to do me good that at last He may present me glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish For holiness becometh thine house O Lord for ever as here in this life which is glory begun so especially in Heaven where Grace and Glory is consummate and made perfect into which place no unholy thing shall ever enter Holiness is the badge of Christs people Addition Isai 63. 18. they are called the people of his holiness Israel was holiness to the Lord Jer. 2. 3. The Spirit of holiness distinguisheth and setteth a mark upon the sheep of Christ they are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Eph 1. 13. Holiness setteth us apart for God and Psal 4. 3. Tit. 2. 14. for His Service to do His Will and to serve Him He hath set apart him that is Godly for himself to see and enjoy him for without holiness none shall see Heb. 12. 14. the Lord Our holiness is not the cause of our Salvation but it is the way thereunto Holiness hath none but gracious and honourable effects it filleth the soul with joy comfort and peace with joy unspeakable and full of glory with Rom. 15. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Isai 32. 17. peace and quietness and assurance for ever Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall Isai 35. 10. flee away God is glorious in holiness and glories most in the Attribute of holiness God stands upon nothing more than to appear to all the world to be a Exod. 15. 11. holy God therefore the Angels when they celebrate the glory of God cry out Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts Isai 6. 3. Let those therefore that draw nigh to God and make profession of his name labour to hold forth above all things the glory of his holiness in their lives and conversations EXERCITATION THE EIGHTH Jer. 23. 9. For because of Oaths swearing the Land mourneth IF the holy Prophet in his dayes cryed out as in the former Verse Mine heart within me is broken because of those cursings and oaths which do make the Land to mourn that is which draw down God's judgments upon the Land as it is evident in the following words the pleasant places of the wilderness are dryed up namely God did send drought and scorching heats and withheld the rain in its due season for those crying sins so it cannot be meant Metonymically the Land for the People of the Land but the Land mourned because the people had no hearts to do it Oh what cause have we now to break our hearts with sighting to have rivers Psal 119. 136. of water to run down our eyes because God's Laws are so broken and his name so highly dishonoured by hellish Oaths and Blasphemies by damned damning curses and execrations whose judgment 2 Pet. 3. 2. lingreth not and their damnation slumbereth not These as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed shall Verse 12. utterly perish in their own corruption These are raging waves of the Sea foaming Jude 13. out their own shame to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever We read of a flying rowle which is interpreted a curse that goeth forth over Zech. 5. 2 3 4. the earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on that side according to it and every one that sweareth shall be cut as on that side according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of hosts and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by My name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Oh this dreadful denunciation O that prophane Swearers would consider it and lay it to heart hearing God's dreadful threatnings on themselves both Souls and Bodies and all that they have yea even their houses and habitations where they dwell and that for their sakes How many times doth the Lord God and how frequently forbid this horrid sin of Swearing Ye shall not falsly swear by My name Levit. 19. 12. neither shalt thou prophane the name of the Lord thy God I am the Lord. Where-ever in Scripture this is added I am the Lord it is to shew that God is faithful in revenging the breach of His Commandments and on the contrary that He is faithful in rewarding the observation or keeping His Commandments Our blessed Saviour biddeth us Swear not at all that is in our ordinary discourses but let your communication be Mat. 5. 34. 37. yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that evil one meaning the Devil who is the father of all lyes oaths and blasphemies Joh. 8. 44. So Saint James But above all Jam. 5. 12. things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth that is by nothing which is either in heaven or earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into damnation No less punishment than everlasting damnation is here threatned against all prophane Swearers If of every idle word that we shall Mat. 12. 36. speak of the same shall we give account at the day of judgment how much more then of every horrid oath and wicked cursing Oh that the terror of 2 Cor. 5. 11. the Lord might awaken and perswade men The Lord is a Sin-revenging God a consuming fire a jealous God Who Heb. 12. 29. Isai 33. 14. can dwell with everlasting burnings who can dwell with devouring fire These even
their faith and troth to every trivial thing which is an evident sign that they have little faith or truth in them or know not the true worth and value of them else they would not so lightly lay such precious Jewels to pawn upon every slight occasion Let all such and every one also remember our blessed Saviour's rule afore-mentioned in all their ordinary speeches and communications Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evil But of this we shall have occasion to speak more anon Now to speak what an oath is the parts of an oath how an oath may be lawfully taken and other things An oath is the craving of God's testimony to confirm the truth of our testimony Men swear by the greater and an Heb. 6. 13. 16. â—ath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Deservedly is the testimony or witness-bearing of God called to confirm a truth for He is the truth who neither can deceive nor be deceived About an oath consider two things 1. How an oath is to be taken 2. How it is to be performed Q. 1. How to be taken In taking of an oath four circumstances are to be considered 1. The parts of an oath 2. The form of an oath 3. The end of an oath 4. The divers sorts or kinds of an oath 1. The parts of an oath and they are four 1. Confirmation of a truth 2. Invocation of God alone as a witness of a truth and a revenger of a lye 3. Confession that God is a revenger of perjury when He is brought in as a false witness 4. A binding over unto punishment if we use deceit 2. The form of an oath we must swear 1. In truth lest we forswear 2. In righteousness lest we swear to that which is wicked 3. In judgment lest we swear rashly or for a trifle So we must swear truly advisedly and rightly As it is commanded Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth and Jer. 4. 2. in righteousness and in judgment They who do not thus are reproved which swear by the name of the Lord and make Isai 48. 1. mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousness 3. The end of an oath which is to confirm some necessary truth in question either for the ending of controversies or for the performing of promises So an oath for confirmation is among men an end of all strife 4. The divers sorts or kinds of an oath 1. Publick 2. Private 1. Publick when the Magistrate doth upon just cause exact a testimony under the reverence of an oath 2. Private which two or more take privately As Jacob to Laban Gen. 31. 53. Bodz to Ruth Ruth 3. 13. and Obadiah to Elijah the Prophet 1 King 18. 12. So also there is an assertory oath and a promissory oath 1. An assertory oath or a confirming oath which is to confirm the truth of a thing either past or present 2. A promissory oath which is about a thing to come So we see that an oath is the calling of the name of God the searcher of the heart to witness a needful truth for the ending of strife and controversies In a lawful oath lawfully taken there is a worshipping of the name of God When Joshua would cause Achan to confess the truth he saith to him My Son Josh 7. 19. give glory to the God of Israel c. meaning thereby that God is highly dishonoured if a man swear falsly by Him For he doth in a manner as much as lies in him prophane and pollute God's holy name with a lye and on the contrary if a man swears truly he honours God False swearing is called prophaning the name of God Ye shall not swear by My name falsly neither â—evâ— 19. 12. shalt thou prophane the name of the Lord thy God I am the Lord. This manner of Joshuah's speech was used among the Jems so often as any was called to take an oath as it appears by the like protestation of the Pharisees used to the blind man whom Christ had restored to sight they said to him Give God the Joh. 9. 24. praise we know this man is a sinner To this heedfulness the forms of oaths used in the Scriptures do advise and instruct us As the Lord liveth God do so 1 Sam. 14. 39. 44. to me and more also 2 Kings 6. 31. And the Lord be witness upon my soul 2 Cor. 1. 23. All which do prove that we cannot call God to witness of our sayings but that we call Him to take witness of our perjury if we speak falsly or deceitfully The name of God is made vile and common when it is used in superfluous speeches as in foolish admirations which is a manifest taking of God's name in vain Swearing was suffered and ordained not for lust or pleasure but for necessitie sake And there can be no necessity pretended but where it is to serve either religion or charity But now it is so licentiously and customarily used that men think it no sin at all But the Commandment of the Lord remaineth still in force the penalty abideth in strength and shall one day have its effect whereby there is a special revenge proclaimed against all those who take God's name in vain though they may here escape for a time the judgment of men The very Heathens will condemn herein those who are outwardly proâ—essed Christians for among the Heathen ex animi sui sententiâ according to the purpose of their mind was to them instead of an oath Did they who had but the glimmering knowledge of God from the book of the Creatures and the Law of Nature written in their hearts do such things and shew such truth and reality in their speeches and dealings How shall this rise up in judgment against us and condemn us who have the written Word of God the knowledge of the true God and the glorious Gospel of his Son shining as a light among us and yet to do such things whereas the Heathen sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of Mat. 14. 16 death Thus far about the taking of an oath now Q. 2. How an oath is to be performed A. If the oath be made about lawful things it must be performed whether it be of much difficulty or great dammage to us or extorted by force from us So it is said he shall dwell in God's tabernacle that sweareth to his Psâ—l 15. 4. own hurt and changeth not Yet the Magistrate hath in his power as may seem right and convenient either to annihilate or moderate such oaths But of this we shall treat farther anon An oath in Scripture sometimes is taken for the whole Worship and Service of God Thou shalt fear the Lord Deut. 10. 20 thy God Him shalt thou serve and swear by His name And five Cities in the Isai 19. 18. land of
while they daily say Psal 42. 3. Ezek. 9. 4. unto me where is thy God That the Lord may remember us for good and mark us out for mercy when we mourn and sigh and cry out for all the abominations which are done in the Land It is not enough for us to refrain from those abominations but we must also be truly humbled for them and that because of the great dishonour redounding to God thereby 3. Speak not of God but with fear and reverence and as in His sight and hearing for there is not a word in our Psal 139. 4. mouths but he knows it altogether Seeing we are unworthy to take God's holy name in our mouths much less ought we to abuse it vainly and lightly in our speeches But to abuse it in vain rash or false oaths is an undoubted sign of one that hath no fear of God before his eyes They shall make their own tongue Psal 64. 8. Hos 7. 16. to fall upon themselves they shall fall for the rage of their tongue So the Prophet complains Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen because their tongue and Isai 3. 8. their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory 4. Let our speeches be always gracious seasoned with the salt of wisdom and discretion such as may edifie or Colâ— 4. 6. Minister Grace to the hearers Let no corrupt communication proceed out of our Eph. 4. 29. mouths but that which is good c. for 1 Cor. 15. 33. evil communications corrupt good manners 5. Pray to God in the words of David Set thou a watch O Lord before Psal 141. 3. my mouth and keep the door of my lips c. and let us take heed to our ways Psal 39. 1. that we sin not with our tongue and keep our mouth as with a bridle For whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble For he that loveth Prov 21. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 10. life and would see good days must refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile 6. Consider wherefore God gave thee a tongue and the organs of speech thou art not so bruitish as to think it was to curse and swear and blaspheme his name No no know assuredly that the tongue is the glory of a man and so David calls it and faith awake my glory Psal 57. 8. I my self will awake early to praise the Lord. And so in another place Thou hast shewed such mercies to me to the end 30. 1â— that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent c. They that use their tongues to God's dishonour and refuse to praise him with their tongues here shall never sing Hallelujahs hereafter but shall gnaw their Rev. 16. 10. tongues for pain because of their pains and that for ever where the worm dyeth not and the fire never goeth out I might farther speak here of the government of the tongue which containeth two parts 1. Holy speech 2. Holy silence In Holy speech must be considered 1. The matter of our speech 2. The manner of it But I shall be too prolix and expatiate too far to insist particularly on these and the several branches thereof I shall close up this discourse with these Sentences The lips of the righteous know what is Prov. 10. 32. acceptable but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his 13. 3 life but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction Whoso keepeth his mouth and tongue 21. 23. keepeth his soul from evil The breach of this third Commandment is very hainous and so much the more as the glory of God is most dear and precious to Him And good reason for if sinful men regard their reputation ought not God much more respect His honour and glory The punishment God threatneth iâ— not to hold the party offending guiltless that is faultless And though noâ— particular punishment should follow yet impunity is punishment enough God is greatly angry when He correcteth not And an hardned heart is punishment enough So a man may be grievously punished and yet not feel it Besides in this threatning no time is affixed that offenders may fear always for suddenly oft-times God cometh anâ— shews His vengeance on such wicked persons as we have many examples No kind of punishment is named that they may look for all There is no exception of persons every one so offending shall be punished and plagued EXERCITATION THE NINTH Exod. 8. 32. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also IT is a fearful thing for any man to harden his heart against God Who ever hardened himself against God and Job 9. 4. hath prospered Pharaoh first presumptuously and wickedly hardened his own heart then the Lord judicially hardened his heart and gave him over to hardness of heart Though he had those ten direful Plagues upon his Land though the Egyptians his own people cryed out to him to let Israel go urging to him Doest thou not know that all the Exod. 10. 7. land of Egypt is destroyed yet still he hardened his heart Like other wicked men who after their hardness and impenitency of heart treasure up unto Rom. 2. 5. themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgments of God The plague of hardning of his heart was a greater plague than all the ten plagues of Egypt For so obdurate and desperately hardened was his heart that although he had let the people of Israel go and had had all those ten plagues on him and on his Land yet he pursued after them with all his Hoast Chariots Horses and Horsemen even into the middest of the red sea and there they were all drowned there remained not so much as one of them Like as they made their hearts Exod. 14. 28. harder than the nether milstone as it is spoken of Leviathan so they all sank Job 41. 24. Exod. 15. 10. as a stone or lead in those mighty waters Thus God brake the heads of Leviathan in pieces viz. Pharaoh and all his host and gave them to be meat Psal 74. 14. to His people inhabiting the wilderness The meaning whereof is not as some though pious and learned and the Septuagint also do too too grosly interpret it to the wild beasts which devoured the Egyptians carcasses that were cast upon the shore but the meaning is that God overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the red sea and gave them to meat to His people of Israel in their wilderness-condition for their souls to feed on by faith to consider God's signal miraculous preservation of them and deliverance of them out of Egypt and from those mighty Leviathans who would have swallowed them up and destroyed them and so to strengthen their faith in an experimental way that God would still go along with them
an anxious and solicitous care of which before we spake which distracteth the mind that it cannot wholly be intent to God's Service as is required And this doth partly arise from covetousness and partly from diffidence and distrust in God's Promises and Providence as before we said So we must regulate our desires of these outward things in subserviency to God's Will His Glory and our own Salvation and to desire heavenly things in the first place before and above all earthly things Spiritual things we may pray for absolutely and there let us open our mouthes wide be large in our desires for them and God will fill us Blessed are they that hunger and thirst Psal 81. 10. Mat. 5. 6. after righteousness for they shall be satisfied God takes it well at our hands when we ask heavenly things in the first place then He will give us earthly things as an advantage So God did to Solomon because he asked not riches or honour or the necks of his enemies but because he asked Wisdom therefore said the Lord Wisdom and knowledg is granted unto thee and I will give thee 2 Chron. 1. 10 11 12. also riches and wealth and honour such as none ever had before thee c. Take we heed yet that we seek not earthly things inordinately or over-earnestly Gen. 30. 1. as Rachel said Give me children or else I dye Nor to seek them by sinful or unlawful means to the hazard of our souls and everlasting Salvation A Christian can be set in no estate or condition wherein the abundant care of God is not seen over him and commonly in the greatest straights He sheweth the greatest care of us As water runs strongest in the narrowest passages so when we walk in darkness and have Isa 50. 10. no light when we seek water and there is none and our tongue faileth for thirst Isa 41. 17. then is Gods fittest time to help us and then is our most needful time to stay our selves upon Him God many times takes our extremity for His opportunity to do us good In the mount will the Gen. 22. 14. Lord be seen Many will say they trust in God aye but most commonly it is when their Coffers and Barns are full then it is an easie thing for them to say they depend upon God But the tryal of a Christians Faith is if God doth strip him naked and bare of worldly comforts and enjoyments deprives him of humane helps yet then to rest on the Name of Isa 50. 10. the Lord and to stay himself upon his God then to live by Faith upon the promises as the Apostle Habakkuk Hâ—b 3. 17. 18. said although the Figg-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord is my strength c. Here is the tryal of Faith and of a holy dependance upon God if God bring us into such or the like streights and we never let go our hope and confidence in God but still trust in Him like Job who said though He kill me Job 13. 19. yet will I trust in Him then we glorifie God by believing and greatly engage Him so that He will doubtless appear for our help succour and relieve us for Psal 44. 26. His mercy and truths sake For He that said Call upon Me in Psal 50. 15. the day of trouble I will hear thee and give the cause to glorifie Mee None that wait upon God shall be ashamed Rom. 10. 11. We shall never be ashamed of our faith and hope and confidence in Him For that engageth God to succour help and supply us because we have trusted in Psal 33. 21. His holy Name Blessed are all they that thus wait and hope and trust in God as in regard of Spiritual and Everlasting Isa 30. 18. blessings especially so also in regard of these Temporal and outward supplies This is a great argument we have to prevail with God in prayer that in Christ we call Him Father as God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by Eternal Generation so in and through Christ He is our God and Father also by Grace and Adoption Therefore said our Saviour I ascend to my Father John 20. 17. and your Father to my God and your God We present our selves before God as His own Children and Servants we make mention of no other Lord or Name over us but His alone we are called Isa 63. 8 19. by His Name and therefore He cannot deny us those things which are good for us These outward things are necessary for us in a Three-fold respect 1. In respect of Nature to the sustaining of Nature as food and rayment Having food and rayment let us therewith 1 Tim. 6. 8. be content It was Jacob's desire and wish if God will be with me and Gen. 28. 20 21. keep me in the way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God c. 2. Necessary in regard of Persons when we have sufficient for our selves and those that belong unto us He that 1 Tim. 5. 8. provideth not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an infidel If I have not wherewithal I cannot provide for them 3. Necessary in respect of State when we have that which is sufficient to maintain us in that rank place and calling wherein God hath set us These things we may lawfully desire and beg of God Contrary to these are 1. A voluntary affectation of poverty as in the Popish begging Fryers commending that for a vertue and a degree of perfection which the Spirit of God hath taught us to pray against give me Prov. 30. 8. neither poverty nor riches c. 2. The immoderate affectation of riches and honour and that in a greater measure than is needful for us If we have more than is needful or necessary we are apt to be proud therewith to have our hearts lifted up with pride and so to fall into the condemnation of the Devil For riches are a snare and are 1 Tim. 6 9. ver 17. apt to drown men in destruction and perdition they are also uncertain they soon flee away as an Eagle towards heaven Prov. 23. 5. and yet they are to us as a stone or a piece of Lead ty'd to a Bird hindering our soaring upwards in heart and affection towards heaven they are desiling also for we cannot tell a sum of money but it will foul our singers but worst they are apt to deâ—ile our hearts and
that hideous cry Art thou come to torment us before the time This terrible fire these hideous torments prepared for the Devil and his Angels all wicked Mat. 25. 41. men must enter into and remain in and and that for ever Oh that dreadful word Eternity never never to have end The damned might think themselves some ways mitigated to endure these horrible pains and extremest horrors more millions of years than there be sands on the Sea-shore or stars in the firmament c. they would still comfort themselves with thinking that their misery will once have an end But alas this amazing word Never will rend their heart in pieces with much rage and hideous roaring and give still new-life to those insufferable pains and sorrows which infinitely exceed all expression or imagination There are in Hell both Corporal and Spiritual plagues and torments The punishment of loss and the punishment of sense 1. The pain of loss the privation of Gods glorious presence and eternal separation from those everlasting joys happiness and blessedness in Heaven which is a most unutterable and inexpressible torment 2. The pain of sense the extremity exquisiteness and perpetuity thereof no tongue can possibly express or heart of man conceive It doth not only exceed with an incomparable disproportion all possibility of patience and resistance but also even ability to bear it And yet notwithstanding it must of necessity be born so long as God is God They shall weep to see how that weeping it self can nothing prevail yea in weeping they shall weep more tears than there is water in the Sea for the water of the Sea is finite but the weeping of the reprobates shall be infinite Their Consciences shall ever sting them like an Adder when they think how God used all means for their Salvation how Christ wooed them by His Ministers to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. offering them freely remission of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven if they would but believe and repent and how easily they might have obtained mercy in those dayes and yet they suffered the Devil and the World and their unruly lusts to lull them asleep and keep them still in impenitency and unbelief and how the day of mercy and grace is now past and will never dawn again Oh that men and women would timely and seriously think hereupon that they may never come into this place of torment to lye as it were in fire and brimstone kept in the highest flame by the unquenchable wrath of God and that for ever Where they shall have nothing about them but darkness and horror wailing and wringing of hands desparate yellings and gnashing of teeth Their old companions in sin and vanity cursing them with much rage and bitterness wicked Devils insulting over them with Hellish cruelty and scorn the never-dying worm of conscience feeding upon their Soul and flesh for ever and ever the smoak of their Rev. 14. 11. torments ascending also to all eternity This is the estate of the reprobates in Hell this is the second death the general perfect fulness of all cursedness and misery 4. Come we to the last head mentioned 4 Heaven Heaven When Christ by His Almighty power and Ministry of His Angels hath cast the Devils and all the reprobates into hell the righteous Psal 58. 10. shall rejoyce to see the vengeance and glorifie God in the confusion of His enemies and have cause then to say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verse 11. verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Then the elect shall be by Christ carried up into Heaven and put in possession of His glorious Kingdom where they shall be unspeakably and everlastingly blessed and glorious in 1 Cor. 13. 10 12. Body and Soul Being freed from all imperfections and infirmities yea from such graces as imply imperfection as Faith Hope Repentance c. and endued with perfect Wisdom and Holiness possessed with all those rivers of pleasures Psal 16. 11. Rev. 3. 21. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Psal 17. 16. 1 Thess 4. 17. Heb. 12. 22. which are at Gods right hand seated as Princes in thrones of Majesty Crowned with crowns of glory possessing the new-heaven and new-earth wherein dwelleth righteousness beholding and being filled with the fruition and enjoyment of the glorious presence of God and of the Lamb Jesus Christ in the company of innumerable Angels and holy Saints c. The efficient cause of this eternal blessed life generally is the whole Trinity But especially the Lord Jesus Christ who by His merits hath obtained it for us and by His effectual Power gives it unto us Hence He is called the eternal Father or rather the Father Isa 9. 6. of Eternity And the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. And He also calls Himself metonimically I am the life John 14. 6. This eternal happiness shall be clearly seen by our freedom from all evil both of sin and suffering and by the variety greatness and eternity of all joys and happiness God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes and there shall be Rev. 21. 4. no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away The variety of those Heavenly joys may farther appear and be seen in these following particulars 1. In the glorification of the whole man both Body and Soul 2. In the pleasantness and sweetness of those Heavenly mansions 3. In the blessed Society of the Angels and Saints 4. But above all in our communion with God To insist briefly upon these The variety of Heavenly joys appear 1. In the glorification of our whole man 1. Our bodies shall be endued with impassibility that is never capable to suffer more with nimbleness and agility with subtility and clearness shining as the light and as the Dan. 12. 3. brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever and fashioned like to Christs glorious body 2. Our Phil. 3. 21. Souls shall be far more perfect then shall we have understanding without error light without darkness wisdom without ignorance reason without obscurity memory without forgetfulness c. 2. The pleasantness and sweetness of these Heavenly mansions was shadowed by the temple of Solomon and the New-Jerusalem Glorious things are spoken Revel 20. 10 to 27. Psal 87. 3. of thee O thou city of God 3. The blessed Society of Saints and Angels we shall not only have a communion Mat 22. 30. Luk. 28. 36. with them but we shall be as Angels 4. The communion we shall have with God shall be such as we shall see Him without end love Him for ever and praise Him without weariness In Psal 16. 11. whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore God so of His gracious good will distributeth glory that none shall have cause of