Perhaps one hath beene sicke or upon a journey and his wife was loth to receive till they might goe together I doe not mislike the joyning of couples but if God by disease have hindred thy husband or by absence must his wife needs hold off what scurffe is this for sinister ends to balcke the Sacrament Oh! the qualmes of cold undesirous Communicants should justly stirre the faithfull to loathe it in themselves Such as come not with desire either may come or not come upon any base pretext as because they see others come or because t is Easter or because they thinke it is a better thing at so holy a time to be among devout folke than to sit in the chimney corner at home alone So alas Many come because they came not last time and they are loath to be noted to absent themselves too often or because some of their neighbours receive to day Oh fulsome beast Avant from the presence of that God who will be followed in the savor of his ointments Marke 9.50 who will receive no sacrifice from any but such as have salt in them and season it therewith Who abhorres a dead beast with the throat cut and not raised up and burning upon his Altar If the least drop of relish were in thee could these be the motives to bring thee to Gods table God give thee an heart to tremble at thy sottish profanenes and if meere ignorance have hitherto caused it adde no more drunkennesse to thirst least the Lord by some fearefull hand rend thee from thy companions with horror at thy death or else leave thee a most saped senselesse conscience in thy presumption Tremble to thinke how many thousand of affections of Gods Ministers both by Sermons and Sacraments must finally be lost upon such stones and stockes If ye lay sicke upon your beds and your stomackes were lost what an outcry would your wives make in the eares of the Physitian saying Helpe for Gods cause my husband is a dead man he takes nothing But Oh thou beast Thou takest neither droppe nor crumme of the flesh or bloud of Iesus Sacramentall and yet feelest no aile Beware least sence be reserved for thee in hell except thou repent Vse a reproofe Math. 11.10 Secondly here is also reproofe even of Gods owne for comming to the Sacrament without renewed appetite It is with many unsavory receivers as it was with Iohn Baptist hearers at the first they rejoyced in his light but shortly they became so fulsome that their savor was gone So that our Saviour upbraides them saying What went ye out into the wildernesse to see a reede shaken with the wind Or a man wearing soft raiment Their zealous devotion was turned into forme and custome So it is with these Those sacred layes of first Love which shined in you at your first receivings then when the Sacrament was as honey to their taste lo now they are damped and cooled Plenty makes no daintie now with you but except God rouse ye up to meditate of the object which first drew your affections to burne within you while he preached and reached out the Sacrament unto you so that the same fulnesse makes as great daintie as ever and the oftner the greater God shall not hold ye guiltlesse of this forfeit I tell thee the very besotted Papists shall rise up against this saplesse age and condemne it for they as Esay saith inflame themselves under every greene tree with their Idols They burne in their adulterous desire after their Wafer and their saplesse god their Agnus Deis and Crucifixes Images of the Virgin and the Saints But as for us the Lord Iesus preach'd and offered in the feast of a Supper leaves us as barren emptie and saporlesse as a chip Oh brethren be zealous and amend What cold or surfeit hath taken us that the things of God should wax as dry Manna to the Israelites Num. 11.4 Could the Lord endure their brutishnesse Did he not sweare they should not enter into his rest Heb. 12.11 If there be but a dramme of old appetite and sparke of old fire left upon the Altar take Gods bellowes of indignation and blow it up that it die not Strengthen the feeble knees and hands Heb. 3.12 12. that they faint not Hath the day beene wherein the morning watches of a Sabboth have beene more precious than all the dayes of the weeke And yet every houre in the day appointed for Gods honour more sweet than the houres of eating and working and is now meate drink gaming and pleasure so full of taste that Christ and his Supper can afford no appetite The Lord recover it in thee if thou be his he will by some smarty Crosse or sting of conscience rather than suffer thy affections to lie buried in the earth Doe as those do who must carry home logges or timber which are sunke and buried in some dirty ditch or quagmire first they must raise it by their skill and unsettle it and then being loose they may carry it and carry it home So doe thou if there were ever true desire in thee lo it s sunke into some dirtie pit of the world leud company sloth and ease raise it first out of it and after thou shalt the better carrie it home with thee to Gods house Oh! I touch a sinne now more frequent than I know any in the Church viz. of sleepy dead Sacraments without affection If thou seest that the Lord will not take of this cover off darkenesse Esay 25. â—7 and dampe of undesirousnesse from the body because of their long desperate carelesnâ—sse yet steppe in for thy owne soule that it perish not in this common yea Epidemiall lathergie Vse 3 Thirdly let this be admonition Admonition to all that know what this point meanes to be weary of all those enemies of desire which haunt the soule in an insensiblenesse and indifferencie of appetite toward the Sacrament They are these first 1. Against resting upon former affections a resting upon former affections in receiving and supposing they are still the same when as yet they are oppressed and surfeited with such scurffe as hath choked them and therefore are not now at hand as they have beene to cheere us at the Sacrament whereas affection had neede be revived daily in secret above all things What should be a Christians daily exercise but this to try how those promises of the Sacrament can affect us as this Christ is my feast of full nourishment his flesh is meate indeede c. These would have affected mee in time past but now they will not stirre mee As that Courtier told Alexander that hee would appeale from him drunke to himselfe sober so had wee neede to doe when wee feele neither judgement nor affections tender and open to the Sacrament nor perhaps to any thing else either word or workes of God shake thy selfe before God and say It is not with me as
the doctrine use of Sacraments effectually in the Church A thing very much neglected for the most part The which needfulnesse may appeare by this that it serves to prevent a threefold inconvenience The first is woefull ignorance Three causes of teaching the doctrine First Ignorance Scarse any one point of Doctrine there is in all Religion in which people are blinder than in the true nature and use of the Sacraments They thinke that because Sacraments are given as glasses to behold Christ in therefore they are cleare enough of themselves But as the clearest Crystall glasse can shew no face while it is locked up in a cofer or the backside onely looked upon So till the Sacraments are brought forth and opened their light is smoothred Parables were used by our Saviour to cleere doctrine Meth. 13.44 howbeit they were riddles to the Disciples themselves till expounded And sure its a question whether the want of Instruction about the Sacraments make the people so ignorant of them or their ignorance causeth the Ministers labours so unprofitable by the confirmed custome thereof in the people Secondly to prevent superstition in some Pope-holy persons Secondly Superstition who are so leavened with superstition that they thinke the Sacraments are holy things even by the work wrought without any relation to the Covenant not knowing them to be the New Testament of Châ—ist in his blood Luke 22 19. Also they thinke that the Easter Sacrament is holier than others That its too presumptuous for them to come to them often because they are so holy Such matters must bee seldome used least they waxe common and many such Popish dreggs abide in their hearts Thirdly and especially to prevent unpreparednesse 3. Vnpreparednesse Generally our nature is awck to this worke even the better sort need a helpe and manuduction to it and as for others though well disposed yet for lacke of helpe in this kinde they do necessitate unto themselves a great rashnesse unreverence unfitnesse to this duty growing to a custome in doubtfull and unfruitfull receiving Of the use hereof more in the second Treatise in the point of knowledge Sacramentall Circumst 4 The fourth Circumstance is their Number Number There were never more than two in the Church of the old Testament neither hath the New any further liberty So many and no more the Lord hath bequeathed to his Church Onely 2. Sacraments And those two are not Sacraments of some speciall graces but of whole Christ our wisedome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnes sanctification and redemption in one word of the grace of God either for the sealing of the reall being of it and the begetting of it in us or the nourishing of it One Christ is still the body of the Sacraments God hath not clogged his Church with multitude of Sacraments least hee should divert his people too much by outward objects from holy things Scarse one of many is fit to profit by Sacraments but to cleave to the barke of them leaving the substance Here therefore that is verified God neither is wanting in necessaries nor exceeds in superfluities So much and no more as may serve for our good he hath thought good to bestow choosing rather to supply number by power efficacy and extension than to clogge us with too many It was that which the Lord shunned even while that world of Ceremonies lasted much more now in these dayes wherein he calles for spirituall worship Why so few hee yeelds two for releefe of our infidelity but no more for prevention of our curiosity wil-worship and sensuality Against Popish Sacraments It came not from the Lord to ordaine one Sacrament for the Clergie as Orders a second for the Lâ—â—y alone as Marriage a third for Catechised ones as Confirmation a fourth for sicke ones as Vnction a fift for lapsed ones as Penance these are no Scripture but tradition Sacraments and by like reason if once we transgresse Gods bounds wee might devise one Sacrament for the King and his Nobles a second for learned ones a third for ancient ones a fourth for yonger ones for strong or for weake c. But the Lord hath allowed in these two all Christ eyther to breed grace in the soule or to nourish it He hath not given us Sacraments of humility of patience of selfe deniall of mercy and the like but in Baptisme and the Supper he hath ordained one Christ to breed faith and to nourish it to beget sanctification patience love and to confirme them to seale up the covenant of Grace in both to all sorts Prince people rich poore old young learned idiots weake and strong so that as few as there are yet the Lord inlarging them to so manifold supplies and uses we have more cause to blesse him for not oppressing us with a burden than to accuse him for defectivenesse towards us To teach us seeeing wee have so few The Vse to emproove them well and cleave fast to the fruit and the power thereof and by faith to draw out the strength thereof in both those regards for which God gave them But to praise God especially for ridding of us from that Popish yoke of Sacraments before named as most repugnant to Gods ends and to Christian liberty yea as bringing in a yoke upon the necke of the Church most intollerable to beare Many things breed distraction few things cause more union If a man have but one or two children his love is more united If a citie have but one or two Bulwarkes they will apply them throughly So let us Circumst 5 The fifth Circumstance concernes the publiquenesse Publiknesse of Sacraments Sacraments are Legacies of Christ to his Church and Pledges of Communion of Saints therefore to be the acts of an Assembly lawfully met As Paul speakes of the censures Sacraments must be publique When yee are therefore met together 1 Cor. 5.4 1 Cor. 5.4 with my Spirit Let such a one be given to Satan even so he speakes of the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.20 1 Cor. 11.20 When ye are therfore come together c. Noting the solemne publiquenesse of them when they may be so enjoyed Christ hath appointed them as markes of Communion therfore the Church Acts 2. 4. Acts 2 and 4. is said To abide together in mutuall fellowship of breaking bread and prayer So that each member must fetch his or her speciall portion of Christs Sacraments from the communion of Saints Therefore let us abhor Popish Masse-Priests who with their boyes or Clerkes offer up three or foure private Masses in three or foure corners of the Church at once as we deny them the name of this Sacrament so wee say like Sacrament like Celebration both are abhominable Vse 2 Also let this keepe us in humility and love both towards our selves and the Church For not we hold the roote but the roote us If the eye be bold and say I neede not the
body is it not of the body Be humble for thou hast nothing from thy selfe but from Christ by the channell of the Church Cleave therefore to the Church as members to the body if thou desire to get any blessing from her nourish love to the body as thou tenderest the good of thy selfe a member Vse 3 Lastly be as frequent as thou canst in the Congregation The Church is the Mother of us all as the Children flocke to the mother so let the people of God to the Assembly even as the youth of the wombe and as the dew falles upon grasse Psal 110.2 Circumst 6 The last Circumstance is the season The season of Sacraments In which I will be briefe because somewhat will be offered againe to speake in the doctrine of them Onely thus much As in the old Testament the Lord appointed a set day for Circumcision noting as some of the Fathers say the Resurrection of Christ so in the Gospell Baptisme hath no rigid season yet a proportionable Gen. 17 12. there ought to be a proportion Not that we are so tied to a day as the Iewes were but yet to declare our reverend esteeme of the Ordinances For as wee are not overmuch to hasten Baptisme which some doe without just cause so neither too much to protract it in respect of honour to the Ordinance The Lord esteeming it one part of his honour when his worship hath a predominant respect with us above our owne affaires or ends Touching the Supper although the Lord Iesus instituted it at night yet that being for speciall reason The season of the Supper altered justly because the Passeover was then to be eaten bindes not the Church but may be altered Which I speake to rectifie some mens consciences in point of tendernesse For to the end they may disproove some supposed abuses in the Sacrament they argue from the circumstantiall practise of our Saviour not seeing how many wayes crazie their argument is For is it not a jarre with the nature of a Supper to eate it in the morning Yes doubtlesse the Church hath her liberty in all such Circumstances as doe necessarily concerne worship So that she use it to edifie and not to destroy It is good to defend truths upon warrantable grounds least when wee rest upon unwarranted ones when they faile wee faile and suffer the truth to perish As touching the frequencie of the Supper which borders upon this point no doubt of it The frequēcy of the Lords Supper the Lord would have his people not onely to have an eare to heare him where he hath a mouth to speake but also a mouth to eate where he hath diet to impart And how can a man comfort himselfe in his hunger at any time who when God offers his dainties turnes his backe upon him I am not so punctuall as to condemne them who upon any tearmes receive not perhaps speciall unpreparednesse in a journey when its suddaine or after a journey or when Sacraments hold a weeke together or in some unavoideable perplexing occasions may fall out to excuse But the charge of God is for frequency He saith not As seldome as ye doe this but as oft as ye doe it speaking to them who did it dayly Acts 2. and 4. Continued daily in breaking of bread and prayer Vse 1 The formality of some in this kinde argueth a deepe leavening with Popish blindnesse who thinke that oft receiving may derogate from the honour of the Sacrament As those that come to some great mens feasts once in the yeere must looke for no more welcome there till next so heere Once at Christtide a Landlords feast and once at Easter Christs feast to come oftner were sawcie No no the seldomer thou commest the more unwelcome thou art to this Master of the feast If thou foundest it a feast the Lord should heare oftner of thee thy bare and starven soule is the cause why thou makest so poore haste to recourse thither And it is to be feared they who never receive though they may save at Easter never fast but in Lent that they never repent till they die Gods peoples wants pinch them so that they can neither fast repent or receive too often And when thou seest others of thy brethren to communicate oft and thy selfe depart doth not a voyce tell thee that either thou thinkest it too hard to prepare much or needest not so much as they What is this save to condemne the generation of the righteous Or to justifie thy selfe above them Vse 2 Secondly this serveth to teach us to enlarge our selves not onely in the substance of worship it selfe with all our strength and courage but even in the circumstances our gestures our seasons and like behaviours looke what time doth best sute with our spirits for more cheerefull affection for more zeale and intention likewise what gestures we finde to be aptest to quicken us from dulnesse and deadnesse wandring or wearinesse that ought we to chuse especially that the Lord may have the best of us and herein the Apostles tooke liberty to change the Supper of the Lords season from night to morning not as if they did determine it as an indifferency but for edification sake because the more early such solemne duties are performed the better is it for soule and spirit and wee owe the Lord the first fruits of all both of the day of our strength of our bodies and spirits if any Season be more golden precious stirring and provoking to goodnesse that we must chuse to prevent corruption The Lord deserves at our hands to be served with the best The rigid season of Baptisme at the day of Iewish Circumcision is removed howbeit either to over-hasten or to prolong or so neglect such a season of Baptisme as the Church deemes in her judgement to testifie our reverence and to preferre to it base ends of our owne is a contempt of the Ordinances which though I am farre from thinking any prejudice to the infant yet its a grosse blemish in the Parents Concerning which I shall say more in the particular discourse upon that Sacrament Let us so order our selves in the worship of substance that we neglect not the very Circumstances for although the circumstance be not worship in it selfe because undetermined yet when wee tender any we worship God in it and therefore had neede to looke to our selves that wee be as spirituall and carefull in it as we can that it may helpe the chiefe substance of the worship And this may serve for the first Chapter CHAP. II. Of the agreement and difference of Sacraments NExt we are to treate of the consent and dissent of Sacraments and first of the old and new Touching the which first of the consent Papists enemies of consent then of the difference In the former we have the Papists our maine opposites affirming that the old Sacraments were signes and Types onely not conveiers of grace and so in effect
there is by vertue of which the generall equity and provision of the Land and the securitie of every men thou maiest buy and sell upon it that thine is thine owne Gods security best And is not there a greater and stronger spirit to secure thee in the matter of thy salvation offered in the Sacrament Is there not here the Spirit and seale of the Lord Iesus to secure thee Will not this Spirit deliver thee into as firme a Tenor and Possession of Christ thy pardon and life as the other of a peece of land Shall a clod of a field and the ringle of a doore the seazin and delivery of a house and land thereby leave thee better satisfied for the temporall right than the Spirit of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Iesus for thy spirituall Looke to thy selfe and beware Weakenesse of unbeleefe the Lord will pardon But if thou despise his mercifull releefs of this weakenesse and turne it to wilfulnesse beware least thy wilfull falling proove not a falling sicknesse and thy weakenesse become not such a disease in thee as the Lord will have no regard to cure thee of but leave thee to thy contempt to thine heart of infidelity that cannot beleeve Rather be exhorted to seeke the Lord in his gracious way of assurance bewaile thy impotencie and say Oh! Lord except thou adde thy Spirit to thy Seale as well as thy Seale to the Covenant my cursed spirit is as prone to breake all bands in sunder as any mans With thee Lord weake meanes of beleeving shall be strong without thee the strongest are weake how much more then canst thou made the strongest to become strong I deny my selfe I set my boate upon thy streame to be carried by thee Lord sanctifie thy Sacraments to become unto my soule the utmost assurances of thy Grace and carry me so into this assurance as that being rid of my feares I may ever blesse thee for the fruit of thy Sacraments Thus much for the first end Touching the second to adde a little to that I said formerly I call this â—n occasionall or subordinate end of the Sacrament Secondary end The secure God of our Covenant viz. That we might renew our Covenant with God Wonder not that the ends of the same Ordinance differ in weight for as in Sacramentall graces faith and love we say all are essential to a good receiver yet not equally necessary to the act of receiving so here both these ends are intended more or lesse although Gods sealing of Covenant to us be chiefe Briefely then the Lord expects that the soule being made partaker of his Christ in the feast of the hills as Esay 25. Esay 25 12. I meane with the fat things and refined wines of his Supper and feeling his love sealed to her there in reconciliation and renewed holinesse do occasion her selfe thereby even while the benefit is fresh to revive her love reassure the Lord of her fuller purpose of heart to cleave to him And how Surely in better living by faith better affections zeale fruitfulnesse courage better mortification of lusts and deniall of self better and closer watching of the heart Act. 11.23 and walking with him in uprightnes as our God alsufficient For why If there be mercy with him that he may be feared much more is there renewed mercy with him that he may be doubly and renewedly feared Psal 130.4 And how can we without hypocrisie long for the Sacrament ere it come upon pretence that our spirituall darke dead hearts will be revived and our appallings in grace cured and new strength added and yet having our turne served leave God to himself to go seek the fruit of our being satisfied with the pleasures apples and flagons of his House How doe many complaine between whiles of their damping coldnes and desertion what should then such do 1 Chron. 4 9 Iudg. 1 8. but with that holy Iabez or Othniel vow professe to the Lord that if he wil make the Sacrament a day of feasting joy send us from him welraised up then wil we be the Lords not suffer his oath Sacrament of sealing to passe away from us without a restipulation and reciprocation of double affection duty and thankes But returne him the strength of his cost in his owne service Vse 1 The use herof is first to taxe the most for their extreame base requitall of God for the grace they pretend to reape at and by the Sacrament Surely either they deceive them selves with a shaddow for substance or they faile God marvellously in this end of his Either they make no vowes at the Sacrament or breake them as fast Oh! the formalitie of most Professers in their receiving As appeares by this that in stead of making this Ordinance an hint and opportunitie to provoke themselves to a closer and narrower survey of their hearts and wayes Lo they turne this grace into commons and into a bare frequency of oft and monethly receiving which I doe not dislike in it selfe but alas grow to an habited falling-sicknesse and numbe Palsie of practise and walking uprightly no sooner hath the raine fallen upon their rockie and stony spirits but the next puffe of wind hath dried it up and so they live in a most mortall and wofull contempt of the end of Sacraments whereas they are ordained for the speciall advancing of the soule to God and the furthering of the bent and streame of the conversation to him Lo they are never more dead hearted dull secure saples than after their Receivings Oh wofull Surely beware least ye be of that sort of whom Iob speakes That they shall never enjoy the flouds of honey and butter Iob 20.17 never come to that welfare and encrease of God which he bestowes upon his carefull servants who keepe touch with him and come to him as well for Gods glory as their owne good Except thou keepe those things close together which God hath united his Seale to thee for comfort and thy oath and vow to him for better service thy Sacraments are liker to proove thy bane than thy gaine Vse 2 Secondly let it be speciall exhortation to all Gods people to unite both these ends in one as they desire comfort froÌ„ either Let no Sacrament passe thee by thy good will but the sad remembrance of thy dead barren and formall Religion may so sting thee that with all thy might and endeavour thou strive to obtaine of the Lord a more lively resolved and bent heart to returne to thy Christian course with closenesse and keeping of Covenant Borrow from the present experience of mercy in the Sacrament an hearty purpose to shake off the usuall enchantments of Satan and the errour of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. ult which have pluckt thee from thy stedfastnesse formerly beseech the Lord to ratifie thy covenant which thou hast so oft broken and pray him that by this if by any occasion
it within or without No do What was all grace laid in one houre in your bosome Have ye no steppings in of Sathan flesh infidelity revolt had world to unsettle ye I will not judge you but judge your selves and enquire whether that sudden peace of yours be not rather such a one as savors of presumption or of a desire to be troubled no longer about the matter than solid and profound Feare the worst the best will save it selfe Tremble to thinke God should have an Ordinance in store which you stand in no neede of If it be so then such as neede it shall have it but you may misse it well enough Branch 3 To these I may adde another though better object of mourning whose hearts are afflicted enough for lacke of assurance but what with their selfe-loving rest in their complements and not going to the golden Scepter with Ester and what with their deapth of melancholy Ester 4.16 and 5 2. hardnesse to be perswaded as also their deepe bondage by unbeleefe they will not heare of such a possibilitie of sealing assurance but either thinke it a fable or farre from their reach and therefore set downe their staffe that if unbeleefe and staggering can doe it all their dayes must be miserable The Lord hath removed them farre from prosperitie and put out their light Oh Lam. 3.13 Deut. 32.6 unthankfull ones Doe ye thus requite the Lord for his Sacrament Is this your meditation application of the sealing power of it Is it too good for ye with Ahaz to receive a signe from God! Doe ye not neede it or Esay 7.12.13 are ye so saped in bondage and anguish that ye heed it not Why then yeeld ye purposely to it Why strive ye not to lay in for any grace which God hath for ye What service shall God have from ye without it If ye slight this comfort must ye not needs slight obedience If God should streighten ye in seeking it and hold ye off yet is there any such employment so precious as this Oh! poore soules if lamenting would doe you good what neede have ye of it Oh! consider and come out of your dungeon Tell me when our Adversaries the Papists laugh and scorne the Doctrine of assurance say its impossible doe you favour them Sure I am in your conscience and conversation ye are of another stampe and do ye not tremble that you should dwell next doore to such and fall into the same streame of their error 2 Pet. 3. ult Vse 2 Secondly let all humble ones that would follow the Lord in his Ordinance if by any meanes they might comprehend that for which they are comprehended of Christ admire and adore this bounty of God in his Sacrament Phil. 3 11 who so long since thy Baptisme when thou thoughtst no other but thou hadst beene forgotten yet hath remembred or offers to remember thee with the fruit of thy Baptisme who could have dreamt it Once Ioh. 13 7.8 9. when Peter heard Christ offer to wash him he told him he should never doe so meane an office to him But when our Saviour replied What I now doe thou knowest not but hereafter thou shalt know then hee changed his minde When the Lord gave thee Baptisme in thine infancie which was a pledge of further favor he shewed thee mercy But lo he had a deeper reach and in due time thou shouldst know it and now he offers it thee No Sacrament passeth thee but if thy heart and mind be matches he revives the print of thy Baptisme unto thee Oh! Why is not thy heart broken at it Lord I have lived loosely and basely this twenty thirty fortie yeares since thy baptizing me Shewing that I was not much the better for it And now shouldest thou at last send a showre to fetch up the seed of regeneration Iud. 14 14. from under this drie clod Out of the eater bring sweetnesse and create thy selfe in a wombe so old barren and past all hope of new birth Gen. 18.12 Sarah laughed the text saith when she heard of such newes But truly Lord my heart hath cause to rend in pieces to see such mercy Oh Lord I see with thee a thousand yeares are as one day 2 Pet. 3 8. Rom. 4 17. Thou callest things that are as if they were not Thirtie yeares of ignorance saped in the world carnall civill saples under the doâ—trine of thy Grace and Covenant it may be also a swearing drunken uncleane wretch to be sure a son of old Adam still an hypocrite and unbeleever Oh! shouldst thou now ere I die prevent hell for me and cause that word of Regeneration which never afforded any favor to me now to shew me that thy Sacrament fortie yeares since cast upon me hath not lost her strength and efficacy Oh Lord methinks now I see plainely why thou wert aforehand with me Even that I might be ashamed I should be so behind with thee That being on the surer hand I might ply thy Covenant the more earnestly Oh Lord if thou hadst not prevented me wth the grace of the Spirit I had slept in death and in thy livery lived and died a Traitor But now since thy Covenant hath entred into mee behold I see well thy Sacrament hath added some strength unto my unbeleeving heart and laying all thy dealing together I perceive thou meanest to heape hot coales of fire upon me that I might at leasure ere I goe to the pit and be no more seene know and feele that blessed use of Baptisme which I never saw Oh Lord I know there is a sealing power in it It s an annex to thy Covenant No sooner did that allure me to beleeve but thy Spirit joyned it selfe to me to second it to strengthen my fainting heart and then I saw If thou hadst meant to destroy me thou wouldst never have spent one cord upon me Iud. 13 23. But seeing thou meanest to save me all shall do me good promise Seale and so I have found it Lord and blesse thee in the view of such experience How many hundreds of my age education and fashion have quite given thee over in the covenant they made in Baptisme But now I doe adore and wonder at this unspeakable love of thine towards me Oh let it never be forgotten Vse 3 Thirdly let it teach thee to examine thy selfe about the truth of the sealing grace of the Spirit in thy Baptisme If the Seale be as large as the Patent to all uses and ends of it the way to trie thy selfe herein will bee this to examine thy self about the work of the word of Regeneration in thee If that have brought thee neere to thy birth lo here is the Spirit for thee to give strength for bringing thee forth to the light For Baptisme truly understood seales up all which the word hath bred in thee Deceive not thy selfe in thinking that the water alone will beget the to God No it
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
Bookes Bells Candles Reliques Creame Oyle Salt Spittle and stuffe not of Christs but their owne separation So much of the former branch Vse of latter branch Touching the latter let it be a comfort to all Gods people to consider the perpetuitie of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the nourishment of his Church So long as Christ Iesus shall have a Church till he drinke this Passeover in his heavenly kingdome with them hee will see these holy signes separated by himselfe to holy use to abide therein for hee hath setled them upon it for ever What persecutions what confusions of Popery what malice of enemies could ever prevaile these 1600. yeares to robbe the Church hereof As Iachin and Boaz abode while the Temple stood 1 King 7 21. so these two Pillars of Gods Sacraments shall never cease till the ordeyner of them shull come to judgement They may be eclipsed the light purity of administration defiled and for a time sundry corruptions of men may bee permitted by Gods providence to pester the Church but none of all these changings of the Sacrament into a Masse-sacrifice none of their pollutions and superstitions brought in and obtruded upon the Church shall prevaile That setled separation of our Lord Iesus shall give life to the Sacrament and as the Church her selfe Micah 7.8 Micha 7 8. saith to those Babylonians Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy for whâ—n I am fallen I shall risâ— Then shall she who upbrayded mee see it and tremble and be trodden downe as the mire of the streets So may the Sacrament of Christ triumph over all popish enemies who set up a signe of contradiction against her Masse and Altars and other defilements Rejoyce not over mee for I shall see thy ruine the life of Christs ordinance shall give mee a rising and recovery and I shall say Where is now your mouth that scorned the Sacrament where is your God of bread become Oh! one day the Lord Iesus shall consume your trash with the breath of his mouth Revel 11 and then his owne Sacrament and all his holy ordinances shall be set up in their purity when all humane scurfe shall breathe his last and say Thou hast overcome Oh Lord thy truth and ordinance have prevailed Vse 3 Lastly seeing the Minister hath deputed power from Christ thus to separate the Elements from common to divine use It should teach him to begin with this act and as may be obteyned to take the materialls himselfe at the entrance of separation and thus to separate them by vertue of the ordinance not to leave it to his Sexton or Clerke to fetch from the Taverne as he list and powre out at his pleasure Better is an overplus than a defect in this behalfe And for the first act thus much The second act of the Minister about the materialls 2. Act of the Minister blessing is blessing them for so our Saviour Luk. 22.19 Luk. 22 19. is said to doe ere he brake them Still I must put in this that the Minister of himselfe can doe nothing oftentimes he is farre from being blessed himselfe but the obedience to the institution doth it Now by blessing is meant sanctifying What it is Sanctifying the word being taken from the ordinary manner of the Iewes in their feasts and meales whose graces were called blessings because the first word of them was 1 Cor. 10 10. Blessed be God who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and who giveth wine out of the grape c. From hence our Saviour is said to blesse bread and wine though in another forme and to an higher end yet in generall as in the use of the creatures And the truth is whosoever they be that dare come neare the Table of the Lord and the blessing of the Minister being privy of ordinary using the creatures without blessing are fit to bee quite excluded from this Sacrament Remember the phrase of this blessing issued from that Now besides this blessing although it properly denote Thankes yet it includes prayer also First by Prayer Both make up the blessing of the Sacrament Our manner at this day is to say Wee give thankes not as if we did nothing else or as if prayer were inferior to it but so the use of speech hath prevailed First then our Saviour prayed and secondly praysed and gave thankes to his Father and in both stood this second act of blessing He was in this his act subject as mediator to his Father and so acknowledged no lesse viz. That looke what hee did hee did deputedly from him as the cheefe Agent in the sanctifying of the Sacrament And even so is the Minister much more to doe in his stead not to arrogate to himselfe Popishly this power but to abase himselfe to the lowest earth as a worme creeping out of her hole when he lifts up his heart in this kind to the Lord in the behalfe of the Church for a blessing upon the Sacrament It s farre from him or his intention to make or not to make the Sacrament it depends upon an higher power For in this case without question the greater is blessed of the lesser to wit instrumentally For the former of these two viz. our Saviours prayer it s not to be wondred at that its a part of this blessing For why Why It was put up to his Father to the end that he would give his solemne consent to it and by his word establish it to bee a Sacrament Even our blessing the creatures is by applying the strength of the Word Matth. 4.4 for man lives not by bread but by each word of God So that our Saviour here craveth a word from his Father 1 King 8.22 for the blessing of this Ordinance Salomon when he consecrated the Temple what did hee Applyed a word by Prayer unto it Thou O Lord art so great that the Heaven of Heavens cannot conteine thee yet thou hast sayd I will dwell in this house and make it a place of my residence Oh! be it so Vers 27. Matth. 12.42 Now although a greater than Salomon be heere yet lo as being now deputed by his Father to this great worke he beggeth from him to set his Fiat to this his act of Institution As if he should say Father it s not of my selfe as man but from thee and thy command I thy righteous servant have separated these Elements Esay 42.1 Oh Father then as the cheefe ordayner shew that I have done nothing rashly and without thee in this attempt Conteines 4. things But more fully to speake of this Prayer of Christ it conteines these foure things in it First as I said The Lord Iesus having abrogated one Sacrament and substituted another craves a consent from his Father by prayer as if he had said If thou oh Father say the word these Elements shall be Sacramentall they shall be united to my Deity and
flesh they shall be conveyers of holy things the blood spirit power life of the Lord Iesus into the soules of the faithfull Oh Father then as thou and I are one Ioh. 17.22 so declare that looke what I upon earth have done that thou hast ratified in heaven let not thine elect make any question but that its thy will as well as mine that these Elements be sanctified for such use Secondly as he begges of his Father Consent so especially he craves blessing upon them As Salomon in that his prayer begs Oh Lord since it s thy will to dwell in this house which I have built 1 Kin. 8.28 therefore I beseech thee shew it by reall effects Whensoever thy people shall be hem'd in by their enemies be afflicted with famine pestilence sword or whensoever they shall pray for any good thing Oh Lord looke downe from heaven and let it be enough that thy people looke toward this house Oh then meet them and blesse them So our Saviour here Oh Father I know thou hearest me alway and by name in thy consent to this separation of the Sacrament But Lord shew it both at this time to my disciples for ever to the end of the world Let them not looke toward this ordinance in vaine but put the savor and foyson of thy Sons grace strength refreshing into them that they may actually conferre upon all hungry beleeving soules my righteousnesse of satisfaction and sanctification of merit in the one 1 Cor. 1 30. Exod 20.1 and efficacie in the other to sustaine them and encrease their comfort both in their reconciliation and holinesse as the neede of each requires 3. He begges of his Father that his poore doubtfull and weake people might understand this blessing to be granted as well as himselfe that they might come confidently to this Sacrament 4. That by vertue of this his prayer and blessing the Church might approach with confidence to the Throne of Grace to doe the like that is to blesse the Sacrament both Minister and people with hope to receive the like blessing upon their receiving Vse 1 Ere wee goe to the next branch this may affoord us speciall use let it be exhortation then to all poore humbled ones in the sight of unworthinesse to all fearefull distrustfull ones of themselves that mourne for their dead dull receivings and that the Sacrament comes and goes from time to time with small fruit Oh! Why is it thus with you Is the Lord here and you are not aware Doe yee fare as if the Lord bade yee come hither in your owne strength Hath he not bestowed blessings upon it and blessed it yea and in spite of all divels in hell coâ—ruption on earth formalitie of the wicked it shall be blessed Why then looke yee no more firmely to the effect of this prayer Let me adde one thing more This prayer of Christ was but the first of his requests in this behalfe Lo as he is our Advocate in heaven he plies this worke still and followes this first sute with his Father to the uttermost that he would apply the power of his death and bloud to his Word preached and Sacraments ministred in his Church so that no opportunitie is now wanting to second this blessing doe not feare least God should have forgot this old prayer for with him two thousand yeares is as one day â— Pet. 3 8. But say it were not so yet we have an Advocate daily to put him in minde of each occasion Ioh. 11 42. So that if the Lord Iesus be all-way heard when hee prayeth it s well for us though old suits might be forgotten which is impossible But alas alas The cold comfort we feele by the Sacrament is the fruit of our little denying our selves cleaving to the Prayer and the Promise This is my welbeloved c. If Iohoshaphat could so confidently goe to God 1. Chro. 20 9. so long after Salomons blessing the Temple pleading to be heard how much more thou in the prayer of the Lord Iesus Did not Rebecca and Iacob laugh and take courage thinke we when they heard Isaac tell Esau Gen. 27 33. That Iacob was already blessed and should be so Why dost thou not laugh then to heare a greater and surer blessing from Christ Why goest thou out of this Blessing and Promise into thine own warme Sun to compasse thy selfe with thy owne sparkles Esay 50 11. Thinkest thou it is with this great Master of Requests as at the Court that many requests may be made ere one granted No no The Lord heard his Sonne in his feares much more his desires bring thou faith and feare not to receive a Sacrament under such a blessing as the Prayer of Christ lies in pawne to procure Heb 5 7. Let thy heart be never so hard Lam. 3 17. empty barren and farre from prosperity if thou come in faith the blessing is thine It s noted by the Evangelist That when Christ pray'd Ioh. 12 28. Glorifie thy name c. answer was made I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe Our Saviour tels his disciples This was for their sakes If thou canst by the eare of faith heare this voyce it belongs to thee Vse 2 Secondly it should not onely be instruction to all Ministers to sanctifie the Sacrament to the Church and themselves But especially it should teach them to be humble in so doing and to come unto God in all abasement Gen. 18.27 even as dust and ashes when they come to aske the blessing of God upon this or other Ordinances at the hands of God If a man having many children especially his eldest Sonne and heire so obedient and loyall that he never askes any boone of his Father but thee comes in great honour and reverence to aske it Will not this teach all the rest except Impes and degenerate to be much more so Behold here thy elder Brother the Lord Iesus Lord of all yet subject and begging every thing he needs not for himselfe but for his Church and shall it not smite into thee one of the basest of all the family of God much more humblenesse in thy prayers Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach both Minister and people in their blessing of the Sacrament when they feele their owne wofull basenesse to be admitted to such a service as being privie to horrible prophaning of such Ordinances and guilt of other sinnes to behold themselves their Prayers and Preparations in the person and prayer of the Lord Iesus in which they may be accepted as if worthy When they have once praid for blessing Pray againe with Hezekiah The good Lord accept me Chro. 30 18 19. though no way prepared according to the preparing of the Santuary Isaac bids Iacob come neere my sonne that I may feele and know if thou be indeede my sonne Esau Gen 27 28. and so comming in his linnen and roughnesse hee tooke him
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
rather he is scant in good speech scant in preaching no more than needs must in hearing prayer meditation barren and poore so in the graces of the Spirit little love small humility compassion so in duties so in meanes Alas the roote is bare and therefore the tree is unfruitfull So also the deeper the soule is rooted in Christ Christ it this roote of fruitfulnesse Iohn 11 3. and 12 1.2 the larger roome he hath in the heart the more scope and entertainment he finds the greater graces he affords If we compare Mary and Martha's house with the houses which now and then Christ was bidden too no doubt but wee shall finde that his fruits of preaching love converse miracles and good doing were more fall in the former than the latter Why There was no stop he might be sure to be welcome at all times therefore hee shewed himselfe more there than elsewhere Christ then the more he is rooted in the soule the fuller hee is of influence and so growes more fruitfull For what is fruitfullnesse Surely when a Christian being ashamed to consider what a barren heart hee hath had under full meanes and how little and narrow the good is which he hath done for God to himselfe and others and beholding the cause thereof his want of true stocke of knowledge and faith mourneth for this his misery and seeking for an heart fuller of Christ and his nourishment doth from his treasure extend himselfe plentifully to the exercise of such graces meanes and duties as may be usefull to himselfe and in the communion of Saints If a poore shopkeeper almost banquerupt be set up and holpen up againe with new stocke what will hee doe Ply the matter runne to London furnish himselfe with the best of wares and choise of them bring them home fill his shop in every corner and satisfie the turne of every buyer Oh! what a change is there So it is with a Christian recovering out of a fruitlesse course by the Lord Iesus his raizing and setting him up againe stores himselfe with plentie of graces sets them on worke and fills each part of his life with duty yea sets himselfe against his former unprofitablenesse Adding to his knowledge faith to his faith love meekenesse patience experience hope that so he may not be unfruitfull in the Lord Iesus 2 Pet. 1 1 5 6. If he have risen up well apaid in his morning awaking he rests not there as before but fetches from his treasure a cheerefull heart to his calling from thence proceeds to family duties and government from thence to doe good and take good in company thence to be well occupied alone thence ready to visite the sicke to admonish to comfort to advise others and when all is done 1 Cor. 15 ult to nourish in himselfe the life of faith one while humblenesse another while forbearance long suffering in prouocations thanks for blessings patience if crossed sometime in one sometimes in another duty yet neither hurt by one from another nor glutted by succession of service but fruitful unwearied in all with one eye to his ground another to his end Even as a man of an active spirit if well apaid in diet and refreshed in body sticks not from morning to night to be doing loathes to be idle and thinkes himselfe to have lost that day wherein hee hath not beene full of emploiment Now so is it here the Lord Iesus his nourishment so enables the soules of his that they seeke occasions to expresse goodnesse as eagerly as a barren heart shunnes them that which strikes the one dumbe and as dead as a stone yea is as bane to him that quickens and joyes the other because the fulnesse of grace makes the worke most sweet and welcome Now wherin is the Lord Iesus so full a nourishment as in his Supper in which he brings forth all his store and Magazine to fill the soule that is empty with good things and so to send it away from his Table furnish'd as the Apostle saith as a vessell of honour and prepared for every good worke so that none comes amisse 2 Tim. 2.21 Thus I have given to the Reader an Answer to this question what the Lord Iesus our nourishment is both in his parts and degrees one of the maine things which I would wish him to marke in the whole Treatise for the true conceiving of the vertue of the Supper Now I come to the use which is as weightie Vse 1 And first thisDoctrine is one of the fearefullest terrours that can fall upon the profane sort of men that live within the bosome of the Church visible All Atheists Neuters meere Civillians Ignorant Profane Libertines and Hypocrites Is the Lord Iesus the Sacramentall nourishment and influence of his Church Oh wofull then your condition who cut off your selves frem all communion and fellowship with him I say not in some but in all grace of his or part in his Ordinances Alas the day is to come that ever yee saw neede of him to subsist in him at all Your bondage enmitie and hell seeme liberty amity heaven to you The divell hath bored your eares for vassals to himselfe as notorious wretches who are willing slaves when ye may be free Who then wonders if the Supper of Christ and that offer of welfare which he makes therein to his be as a fulsome thing unto you Alas as long as your drinke lusts play company sleepe and belly-cheere be granted you who wonders if ye despise with Esau this birthright If with Swine ye tread these Pearles and this Manna in the dirt Alas Matth. 7 6. it availes not you to have such a previledge as Christ to feede your soules if the whilest ye want your carnall appetite satisfied If this foode were but as a messe of Pottage Heb. 12.16 as the wearing of your lockes ye would have had him ere now But oh saplesse barren and unsavory wretches to whom these dainties as are a dry chip Who come and goe to the Sacraments as to dumbe Pageants more fit for a masse of trickes and apish ceremonies than the Solemne feast of Christ Sacramentall Woe be unto you oh ye Dogges and Swine your morrall sinnes are fearefull your swearing your lying cosenage drunkennesse But your chiefe misery is that you are carnall wretches sould under your lusts destitute of all union or communion with God your hearts are not where your bodies are when you come to Christ and the Supper But as the fooles heart is on his left hand Eccles 10.2 so are yours with your lusts which are your appointed meate drinke and pastime unto you Acts 8.21 Therefore you have no fellowship in this businesse your Sacraments are the wofullest markes of wrath which ye can carrie about you Law fashion custome feare formalitie are your grounds of receiving Christ ye come not for and your hearts tell ye he belongs to no such Therefore ye are as yet in the gall of
bitternesse Verse 23. save onely that lust hath chained up your senses and hearts that ye feele nothing amisse and ye doe but abide under this chaine Iohn 3 ult till the day of wrath and vengeance Oh that ere that wofull houre sweepe you to hell the Lord would awake you either by his Word or Workes to see in what a wofull condition ye stand Seeing the Church doth not excommunicate you oh that you would cut off your selves as Alians from this Communion Oh that your flesh might be destroyed and your jollity subdued that if possible your soules might escape in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 Vse 2 Secondly let this be reproofe to such as goe for religious and perhaps may be so for wee cannot tell Reproofe but leave it to God and themselves to try to whom after all this long while of Sacraments the doctrine and mysterie of the Supper is both unknowne and untasted What juster complaint can wee take up among many than this that Christ the nourishment of his people is so little knowne Looke to it if the Gospell and the pearle hidden in it be yet hidden from you 2 Cor. 4 4. the God of the world hath blinded you with the ease and forme of an emptie profession that the glory of Christ should be still eclipsed from you Beware least there be not in you still a common heart a of the world which causes these spirituall things to be so harsh and unsavory With examination The first and that in five But to such as desire to be affected with their ignorance in this kind I say but this Examine and trie your selves about this weightie matter I meane the knowledge and use of Christ in the Supper and let this make amends for your ordinary egresse and regresse to this Ordinance without searching your selves I know right well Sacraments were never so common so monethly so ordinary and here and there Sermons or some kinde of preparative are made before them but who is he almost that knowes what Christ offers to be unto his truly bred ones the youth of his wombe in his Supper To whom are those flouds of Hony and Butter knowne Iob 20.17 which are in Christ for the soule that is starven and needs him Oh if Christ in the promises of nourishment were your delight your neede would make you seeke out and search after the seale annexed to the Promise that by it your bare faith naked and barren soules of the power of Christ to purge and sanctifie you might be doubly refreshed Tell me in particular Did it ever enter into you that the Lord Iesus serves to feede as well as to breede all his To nourish his in those graces of the Spirit which Baptisme hath begot in thee Doe ye know the way unto him by the Supper as to the Church by the path for making your Iustification Adoption Reconciliation more evident to your soules Doe ye lot upon it that there if any where even at the feast of Gods mountaines the broken peace of your consciences the joy of your soules the confidence contentation and liberty thereof to goe in and out with God is to be revived Why make ye then no more use hereof Why doe Sacraments then as clouds passe over your heads leaving so few of these drops upon them Oh! if you knew the gift of God truly that here is the fountaine for you to drinke at Ioh. 4.10 to quicken and enlarge the graces of the Spirit faith love courage thankes uprightnesse mercy patience and fitnesse for the Crosse all which you so infinitely want how could it be but that honest and good hearts would presse in for a childs portion as oft as God offers it Who shall beate ye off from this house of Gods provision if ye were privy to those bare walles at home from whence yee come If it could but sinke into you indeede that there is no want no disease no sinne temptation let enemy Crosse but the Lord Iesus hath there a supply for Physicke ease strength redresse Oh! a man might as soone rate a Begger from some great house of almes as discourage you from the Supper If there the Lord Iesus emptie his treasures of wisedone and direction for the order of your tongues marriages families companies buyings and sellings and so to make your whole round of conversation sweet reformed Oh! how is it possible that yee who complaine so much of your wants in all these should not come to Christ here as those sterven Leapers fell upon the full tents of the Aramites here catching up meat for hunger 2 King 7.8 drinke for thirst apparrell for nakednesse gold and pearles against povertie both for the present and for time to come But alas yee know it not Secondly trial in foure particulars Againe if ye shall say yee hope yee have got these in the Sacrament I answer I know some doe but seeing I speake to the body of Christians who doe not it cannot hurt any to try that also I may truly say All such as find Christ such nourishment to them may be knowne by their fruits Oh! they are healthy and prospering they discredit not Gods diet are not meager evill favoured surfited with ill humors pride ease the world revenge hypocrisie This Physicke and Diet of Christ broken and crucified hath given corruption her deadly bane more or lesse in point of reigning and deluding and defiling them they loathe to decline from Gods truth and the power of it the wayes of starters and revolters and time-servers are as vile to them as drunkennesse or uncleannesse They hold their own towars God in some poore sort and this pulse of God as it s counted although indeede restorative flesh and bloud of Christ is made flesh of their flesh and runs in their veines and ministers vigour spirit and life unto them to keepe them in Christs body in the midst of all the pollutions and declensions and coolings and cursed examples of this world Secondly this Supper of the Lord Iesus battens and makes them thrive in grace makes their grace more more savory better qualified enlarged in measure more humble meeke patient and heavenly than when they first beleeved This grace of the Sacrament heales them of an hide-bound heart dead and stale weary and ready to stand still in grace Every Sacrament addes a little of Iesus Christ his tallnesse thicknesse depth and makes them increase in favour with God in credit with his Church to reach further than formerly they did and to be enlarged in holy abilities for God and his Service loathing to stand still as much as to bee quite dead Thirdly they shall find it by their setlednes of spirit and holy purpose of heart to keepe the commandements Psal 119.57 and to cleave to the Lord as Barnabas saith Act. 13.27 Act. 13.27 They shall wax more rooted grounded both in truths especially the maine and in the
is the highest perswasion and Sacramentall sealing the highest sealing We doe not limit God to his Sacraments but ordinarily we say he limits himselfe in this kinde Lastly I adde the most apt way to get the perswasion of the Spirit in an higher measure is to hold close to the lower measure As in the promise the best way to get the perswasion of the Spirit of promise is to cleave to the bare naked word and truth of the Promiser for himselfe So the next way to compasse the best measure of sealing perswasion in the Sacraments is to come unto them with faith in the perswasion of a promise for marke the Spirit in multiplying perswasion doth never lose the former measures but holds them still as grounds unmoveable He that can now swimme without bladders yet retaines the skill he got first by them and he that makes true Latin of his experience and art yet forgets not his Rule by which he first attained it still the power of the bladders abides in the man who swimmes alone and still the power of the Rule is in him who of himselfe doth suddenly speake true Latine Even so the promise still abides in the seale of the Sacrament and the perswasion of the sealing Spirit although it be above a promise yet it is not without it but holds the relation close Even as the seale and delivery and seasin of a purchase is above a Covenant yet never without it but alway relating to it and adding a superiour strength which it had not before of perswasion and assurance Vse Terror in two Branche◠Now I finish with the Vses First if the Sacrament of the Supper hath this end to seale the assured growth of the soule in grace let it be terrour for two sorts 1. Papists who pervert the end of the Sacrament to base hellish ends of their owne of which before Secondly profane ones who come in their sinnes who turne the Table of God into the table of divels yea turne the seale of the grace of Christ into a Seale of Gods Curse into gall poyson and the water of triall of the Adulteresse The Sacrament is not given thee to beget thy soule to God but to nourish it being begotten When then thou commest to the Supper bearing the Lord in hand that thou art the Lords Lo thou callest for vengeance if thou be an unregenerate one still Thou saist in effect Lord let this Bread and Wine be my bane if I belong not to thy Covenant As shee that durst drinke the water of jealozie knowing her selfe defiled implied her craving the rotting of her wombe So I say to all such If they come not hither for the right end of God they cannot chuse but come for the wrong either for the better or for the worse A seale it must needes be no man can hinder it yea to a covenant if not to the Lords then to such a covenant as they belong too that is a league with hell Esay 28. a league with their lusts adultery pride c. As if the Lord should say Bee thou yet more filthy still by rebuke of my Sacrament more proud more profane Adde drunkennesse to thirst Fulfill thy measure It s not my Sacrament which causes thee to bee so but thy uncleane dungill which dare offer it selfe to the pure beames thereof As Ieremie Lam. 3. Lam. 3.65 So doth this ordinance cry in Gods eares Lord seale them to an hard heart which is thy curse to an hard hart which cannot repent mourne beleeve because they have abused all thy calles in the word all thy patience and meanes and dare come hither in their sin send them hence with thy blacke marke upon them for the scaring of others Nay the Spirit of this seale cryes after yee ere yee bee gone out of the presence of God saying how durst thou sit here to catch the food of my People with a dogs impudencie with that heart which thou bringest with thee frō the alehouse or thy harlot or oathes Goe thy wayes never fruit grow more upon thee No raine no dew fall upon thy hard heart That which was a snare to Iudas Iohn 13 26 even the Table and soppe of Christ be a snare to thee to fall and rise no more If thou wouldst avoyd this let this Doctrine of the seale pull thee to the knowledge of the Covenant Vse 2 Secondly let it be an use of mourning to us that we have so few to whom the end of this Sacrament pertaines Sure if it be the Sacrament of any it s theirs whose hearts want sealing of faith in the Promise question the perseverance of their faith their comfort hope peace Doubt that these decay so fast as they shall hardly recover them and feare that Gods measures of health growth setlednesse and fruitfulnesse is too good for them But alas where are these now a-dayes Hath not the streame of this age carried them into another extreame rather of formall presumption and securitie What shall then this Sacrament doe if there be so few whom it concernes Shall it returne in vaine to him that sent it No it belongs to those few for all are not alike whom the Lord loveth and will seale to the day of the full assurance and redemption The Spirit of sealing shall not be quite streightned for all the sinne of others Mica 2 7. Vse 3 Therefore thirdly let it be admonition to all such that they slight not this end of the Sacrament Admonition upon two grounds so that it should not effect that end which it serves for To which purpose remember these two items First that this holy seale annexed to the legacies of Christs last Will and Testament doth beare date from the first Institution and was purposely then ordained by Christ because he knew the next day following it was to be in his full vertue immediatly upon the Testators death as wee reade Heb. 9 16. Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 8.56 If then those rejoyced in this sealing day a farre off ere it come and saw it as Abraham and others by faith then what excuse shalt thou pretend who seest not this power and end of the Sacrament being after the death of the Lord Iesus and being offered under the Signes of his death thou mighst not doubt of the effect of it Secondly the Supper hath the preeminence in this kinde Grounds not onely above other Ordinances of growth but even the Word it selfe wherein although there be a power also of Sealing yet not under such Evidences of the Lord Iesus crucified nor under so great an authoritie and commission to Seale Vse 4 Lastly therefore let the Lords end in the Sacrament be thine even every poore soules portion which groanes in spirit for further perswasion of her growth and increase in pardon holinesse and glory Put not off any measures or the Seales thereof which the Lord offers thee Let there be no effect of any Ordinance which thou shouldst count strange
absence Did the absence of that thou wouldst have make thee so restlesse after further measure that yet thou didst quietly submit to be the whilest as God would have thee To be very glad and boast of thy nothing that the glory of grace and the name God might bee magnified That God might have his ends in meere grace to such a base emptie one than thou thy owne ends in being filled to the brimme This is a speciall good signe Fiftly didst thou continue striving thus till the Lord drowned thy selfe and thy Distempers both on right hand and left in the truth of the promise And dost thou labour thus to hold it according to it as the truth is in Iesus Without hookes or crookes resisting the dayly recourse of slavishnesse ease selfelove puâ—ling up worldlinesse Eph. 4.22 or any lust which might defile the sweetnesse of Christ and waken thy faith in him Are these markes in thee true and soundly wrought Then are they good though weake Thirdly art thou called Try it by the perfecting and fulfilling grace of God Canst thou then say That the worke of saith is finisht in thee with Power and perswasion Canst thou say if thou have beene deceived in beleeving God hath deceived thee If thou perish by beleeving thou art content Canst thou buy and sell upon Gods Word And doth the Spirit of the Promise deliver thee into it Dost thou finde that sealing of heart thereby which fills thee with peace and joy through beleeving Then is thy sparke growne to a flame and the Lord hath brought forth thy judgement to victory Lesse measure than this may yet be a true signe but this is a fuller signe Secondly is the love of God in thy soule as coales in thy bosome 2 Cor. 5 14. Doth it constraine and hemme in thy heart to love him againe To thinke no duties too hard no measure too much Doth it worke life in graces in Meanes using and workes of piety and charity to God and man Or is it a love comming from a dead faith Iâ—â—â— 2 20. which will suffer thee to bee proud and selfe-loving unmercifull carelesse barren in fruits worldly coveteous Thy faith is vaine and thy love rotten But canst thou say The love of God is a fire in thy bones to purge thy drosse to kindle thy heart to all love thankes uprightnesse humblenesse innocencie and fruitfulnesse It s a good signe Thirdly hath God declared his righteousnesse unto thee from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 both of kind and measure Trie it then For the former thus God hath given all his a double Portion standing in a coppy hold and a free hold the one by grace imputed which the soule takes up by the Court Roll of the Promise holding upon another The other by a grace inherent which it takes by the livery and seasin of the sanctifying Spirit Try then Canst thou say thy faith hath both a hand to take the one and the other To take both righteousnesse from faith of justification to faith of sanctification Darest thou not sever those things which God hath joyned It s a good signe of a faith pretious for kinde if by the same faith thou canst receive both kinds of righteousnesse though by a severall conveiance Fourthly try the measures of it If God Righteousnesse be from faith lo faith it proceedes from one step and degree to another gettes to it selfe more Promises more evidences yea stronger and greater Canst thou say it is so with thee dost thou grow from faith of salvation to faith of government Is thy cheefe religion thy living by faith Is thy faith thy bottome for law obedience and not thy Morality the bottome of thy faith Is Christ reveald to thee from faith in his Priesthood to faith in his Prophecy and Kingdome to guide thee and rule thee Doth the peace of thy King so awe thee that rather than thou woldst forgoe it thou wouldst for go all And doth the Law of the same Spirit of Christ which hath freed thee from hell act all thy whole man the powers and members of it so that in some measure not thou livest but the LORD Iesus in thee to doe all thy workes for thee It s a sweet signe Fiftly Try thy selfe in the Bent and streame of thy Spirit Though thy errors and defects are many yet if still thy spirit bee upright thy Course taking it generally is sound thy frailties are covered the Lord lookes not upon thee and thy sinnes but upon his grace in thee Feare not it s a good signe And thus might I be large But I content my selfe with a draught in steed of many Now because this first tryall of calling Triall 3. Fruites of calling and of a good estate toward God is more large and full than some weake ones can reach At least they may be dismaid by the weightinesse thereof Besides these I will yet adde a second sort of markes that is some severall fruits of grace as the soule may discover them more easily in it selfe to flow evidently from faith of Gods elect of this sort are these following in which I observe no method but name them as they offer themselves let every man take notice of himselfe by his owne earmarke Mark 1 First if wee abuze no truth of God to wantonnesse and security it s a signe wee bee those children for whom Gods Bread is prepared For example these are holy Truths of God and blessed encouragments The Righteous fall 7 times a day The Lord sees no iniquity in Iacob Pro. 24.16 Numb Whom God pardons one sinne to hee will pardon all No beleever can fall totally from God GOD loves his when hee afflicts them for their sinne In many things wee sin all No man heere can bee perfect but our perfection is the sight of Imperfection GOD compts our endeauours and wills for performances Faith is not the excellencie of apprehending and feeling the good of the object but our cleaving to a word All things even sinne turnes to the good of Gods elect None come to Christ save such as are drawne by God Our comfort stands not in our repenting but beleeving especially and the like Now the triall is If these bee snares to us causing vs to fall to sloth and soosnesse it s a signe we are dogs but if they worke kindly to provoke us to jealozy and more awe it s a signe of children For example the sins of Gods people God turnes to their good Rom. 8.28 and hee loves them when yet hee afflicts them for sin Oh then how much more gracious will hee bee to such as walk with him Those that truely beleeve are elected Oh! how then wil my soule strive for Faith that I may proove my election Not be desperate because if I be elect I shal beleeve In a word when such Truthes are used for encouragment to the tender not occasions to presume it s a good signe Mark 2 Secondly if wee find the
these is wrought in thee as yet no condition of them no knowledge no feare of the worst no degree of desire endeavour If Gods deare ones who have tasted his grace yet finde themselves so unfit to receive when they have fasted prayed worshipped and walked with God all the weeke long where shalt thou appeare who never wert so in covenant at all Renounce all thy false errors and counterfeit signes colour not with God who will not be mocked pretend not thy good meanings civility keeping of Church paying of debt being in charity giving of almes shedding of teares these amount not to the markes of a calling but say rather Oh Lord by all signes I see I want the faith of the covenant of God and have run into a premunire with justice all my life long and each Sacrament hath seal'd up my judgement God hath long suffered me I dare heape up wrath no longer I will a while cut off my selfe from the communion that the whilst I may get the faith of the covenant Do so and prosper Num. 12.14 Remember Miriam and how she was served when she abused Moses and would have yet abode in the Congregation the Lord forbad her saying If her father had spit in her face should shee not separate her selfe seaven dayes So doe thou and make use of thy separation to humble thy soule And yet doe not abuse the Lords cutting thee off for a time to lowre and quarrell with him saying This tryall hath hurt mee I had beene quiet and well if I had beene let alone and gone to the Sacrament but this searching hath snared me and now I am further off No this is nothing but Sathans delusion who would for ever pull thee from the Sacrament whereas the Lord would hold thee off onely for a time and shut thee up as a Leper for seven dayes â—eriâ— 1â— till the Lord Iesus the high Priest have beheld thee and clensed thee by beleeving This sicknesse is not to death but life endure affliction in thy spirit a while pray God to blesse this triall unto thee Repent with Miriam and thou shalt returne with Miriam and blesse God with Onesimus that thou departedst for a time that thou mightst returne for ever So much for the first sort Vse 2 Secondly this is exhortation to Gods owne people that even they also looke to this worke of trying their estate Exhortation to Gods people Perhaps such will say they have tryed it often and hold it by faith daily and therefore its needelesse so to doe But I answer yet honour this ordinance and renue your comfort by reviving the memory and presence of it The oftner you doe it the easier is the worke and the gaine Yee will object Christ Iesus is the same Heb. 13.8 yesterday to day and for ever True but your unbeleefe is great your inconstancy admits infinite feares wastings doubts and distempers Revive therefore the sence of former mercy and apply it each Sacrament a new Bee not weary of getting daily more sweetnesse in the promise and proove your calling and election more sure to your selves as it is sure in God â— Pet. 1 10. Pray for more insight savour and tast of this worke and injoy the comfort thereof at the Sacrament The lesse rust yee have gathered the lesse filing of your soule may serve Take either the three points of calling before said which are the surest or sometime revive the other markes and fruits of conversion Doe not divide them but try thy selfe by them all together if thou can if not then chuse out some few concluding markes and apply them to thy selfe if it be hard seeke to God to teach thee to search them in thy selfe mourne for any decay of them and humble thy heart for it and give not the Lord over till both thou know that thou hadst them and in measure they appeare to thy selfe presently Recover thy losse Heb. 12.7 quicken that hath wanzed strengthen the feeble knees or hands and so doing blesse God that by the occasion of the Sacrament thou hast seene those graces to abide in thee which thou thoughst thou wantedst For the Lords wayes tend not to destroy but to edify and not to turne thee off from the Sacrament with feare but to send thee thither with stronger consolation and hope So that thou shalt have small cause to repent thee for obeying God For loe in this thy strength thou maist goe to the feast of the hills Esay 25. to the Lords fat things and fined wines the which if the Master of the feast bid thee to neyther have any other nor thy selfe authority to forbid thee Object But heere some will object Put case many a poore soule do stagger and alledge if these be markes of a receiver I am none for I cannot proove my calling by any of these markes But rather call into question both my calling and the fruits both faith and holinesse for alas I feele not my selfe to live by the one and I sinne often against both the law and grace I am held under with lusts and corruptions I answer Answ For grosser breaches of duty the Lord taskes thee to serious humbling and repenting but not giving over thy confidence As for ignorance or infirmities unavoydable they shall not hurt thee If thou can say I have beleeved formerly I tell thee the seede of God in thee is immortall As appeares by thy longing after the Sacrament If then thou suspect the worst by thy selfe for thy omissions declining to ease to world to other evills if thou desire to know the worst by thy selfe to vomit up thy morsells and to recover thy hold upon the promise if the fruite of the Sacrament be so precious to thee that so thou mightst finde thy selfe an invited guest thou wouldst not bee kept from the Table of the Lord for the world then I say There is fire under the ashes rake them off that it may appeare and burne out Claspe about these markes though but but in poore measure and when measure failes cleave to thy uprightnesse and let not Sathan or selfe bereave thy heart of courage and hope to get by the Sacrament but know these must not beate thee from it Objection 2 Yea will some say But when all is sayed that can bee If I want faith it selfe the cheef grace that serves to cover all my unworthinesse I cannot come Now I feare I have it not For why faith overpowres and prevailes in a true beleever above doubting and carries the soule above all feares to the assurance and feeling of mercie and fills the heart with comfort and joy these I want therefore I have no faith Answ I answer Try thy selfe by that I have spoken about faith before and let that stay thy spirit Farr bee it from us to affirme fayth so to consist in the full sayles of perswasion and in the flaming out of comforts that where this measure is lacking the soule is to
supply his wants till his trade grow better and his custome increase Yet for all this we count not such an one a begger But say thus Alasse poore man he had never any great matter to begin with but ye see he lives well and brings up his charge and keepes out of debt and although he hath wants now and then yet hee hath not spent upon the stocke nor trades with other mens monies Therefore its good to helpe such an one in his wants to keepe him from want Thus is it with a poore Christian hee is not in want yet hee hath wants but his stocke abiding Branch 2 Againe I say bee comforted in this that thou art sensible of thy wants which thou couldst not bee except thou hadst a stocke Onely they who have somewhat can thrive because they want somewhat to eike out their stocke with and seeke more Yee shall never heare a begger going from doore to doore to complaine that hee wants a featherbed or a bedsted or a stocke of money or an handsome house or good cloathes or cleane linnen Alasse his beggers coat and cleane straw in a Barne content him his being in want keepes him from the wants of a man that hath somewhat to take to So heere A poore Christian stocked with somewhat is ever wanting somewhat it s in eye sore to him to see others have and himselfe want here he mournes and complaines Patience good Lord is wanting to my poore soule I cannot bee humble and deny my selfe as others doe nor pray nor be thankfull Oh! beware least your wants and complaints blinde yee from seeing your stocke and being thankfull If yee had no stocke wee should never heare of the wants which now yee mourne under Branch 3 Againe bee comforted in another respect God will supply all thy wants if thou want not a stocke Hee that hath shall have more given him till he have abundance But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that hee had The Lord is a bountifull Father not like to the fathers of our flesh If a child bee alway complayning to his father what answer shall he have but a checke Thou art alwayes complayning of wants I put all into the bottomelesse purse But the Lord is a father of all abundance and will give more than wee can aske or thinke He upbraideth no man and yet gives plentifully Open thy empty hand and the Lord shall fill it and especially at the Sacrament Come in the true sence and Triall of thy wants in Christ and faith for supply and thou needst not doubt of supply Onely bee content with thy portion The Lord hath not superfluous grace but hee hath convenient Although thou have not the richest apparrell costly plate to set forth thy Table nor fare deliciously every day which were to surfet thee and make thee forget thy selfe yet if thou have honest sufficiency to keepe out of debt pay every man his owne and livest competently of thy Trade it s a great portion He is a rich Christian who sits close and comely to the Lord though hee be not superfluous A comely Christian hath cause to bee thankefull Vse 4 The last use of the point is that which cheefely toucheth the scope of the triall and that is exhortation to all that come to receive ExhortatioÌ„ that first they try their wants Quest Quest How shall that be Answ Answ By some directions helping thereto either remote or neerer The remote is to beware of such lets as hinder it They are these 1. When our eyes are more bent to spye out wants in others then our own and lay a more heavie loade upon them then our selves 1. Beware of letts Strange it is how apprehensive every one is of anothers blemishes aske them what they thinke of such a man presently his blot or defect offers it selfe but his good qualities are concealed Why is this save that our sight stands rather in looking forward then reflecting backe upon our owne inward infirmities Nay although wee come but once in their company if there be any weakenes in them as of rash zeale or unseasonable speach passion vanity lightnesse c. Oh we shall not neede to be taught what their diseases are whereas perhaps our owne are farre greater though deeper and more subtilly covered than theirs who because they see not their errors betray themselves ere they are aware Oh! we doe but guesse at others mens but our owne we know and what helpes we have had to releeve them though to small purpose He who dwells at home shall have small list or leasure to looke after others Let. 2 Another let is false conceit that our wants so they breake out no further shall not prejudice or hurt us All say men have wants some or other and the Lord will passe by them and not looke streightly what is amisse But let us remember That many a man who hath a prety stocke yet bearing himselfe upon it hath run himselfe so farre into debt that stocke and all have beene faint to pay them Let no man slight his owne wants A little errour not mended in time hath brought sad consequences after it Let us therefore redresse the smallest betime and then the greater shall be prevented But to come nearer the point in hand Sacramentall tryall of wants stands in these three branches Wherein tryall of wants stands First in a close and impartiall overlooking our selves in our whole course not onely when others watch us narrowly 1. In inquiry but when wee are by our selves But more especially to marke the inward passages of our spirits before God And not onely to do this in a gâ—od moode but to carry a wary eye constantly over our wayes Alas perhaps many a man beeing at a Sermon or under a sudden Crosse or comming into some rare company or ordinance heares and sees that which for the time smites him and makes him lift up his hands and say I see I am not as I should bee God helpe but full of wants too light earthly formall c. But when once they are come into their old Elements alas they are as Saints Iames his foole who turning his backe forgets of what shape hee was or what spots hee had Therefore it s a needefull charge to heede every part of our life to see where our wants lye most Iudg. 16.16 and as shee sought where his cheefe strength lay so wee where our cheefe weakenesse lies Sometimes also to prevent selfelove to get some trustie friend who can tell us where hee thinkes the fence is lowest inuring our selves to bee most patient and thankefull when our cheefe follies are told us But our nature is rather to feede upon our praises What poore man is so madde as to deny a rich friend to see his bare walles or tell him of his empty purse if hee know him presently ready to supplie him Therefore let us search our selves in every corner in our worshipping of
that which he hath built and undoe his owne worke Psal 119.94 As David saith I am thine Lord save me I meane not that beleeving one promise should save us a labour in beleeving the rest But become a good pledge of performing the rest 2 Cor. 1.20 As all the promises of God in Christ are yea and Amen so all speciall ones are yea and Amen in the generall He that hath given his Sonne Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him give us all things Vse of the second ground The use of which briefely is to instruct and convince us of that horrible treason to Gods Alsufficient promise which every one is guilty of who will not cleave to God in his first and maine promise of mercy and redemption Alas what man is there who oft descries not to find God good to him in the Sacrament there to fill him with good things seale vp his pardon purge out his corruption and the like But because hee seekes not to know God in his Covenant how should his Seale doe him good What is a Seale save a relation to a former bargaine If thou never strakest hand with God for his Christ thy righteousnesse how camest thou in for his wisedome sanctification and redemption They belong not unto thee either thou must have all Christ to set thee out of feare or thou hast never a whit of his benefits And to apply this to the present point how shouldst thou come to God by speciall faith in the Sacrament when thou wantest him in the chiefe faith of the first promise Oh! then cuttest off thy selfe thou knowest not from what liberties and mercies when as thou art carelesse to be made sure of the maine Thou shouldst dispute thus The time will come when I shall crouch to God for strength to beare the Crosse to be afflicted in all my afflictions to die willingly c. But then why doe not I the whilest make sure in the maine with the Lord that he might finish his owne worke and save me because I am his Doubtlesse if I dally with this or goe upon false grounds deceiving my selfe the Lord will be guiltlesse in not regarding mee because the time was when hee cried out to my soule Beleeve robbe mee not of my glory distrust mee not in my offer But because thou wert deafe to my cry Prov. 1.24 so its just that I stoppe mine eares at thine goe therefore and seeke releefe of thy idols of ease selfe-love and the world which thou preferredst before mee It is with thee as it was with Israel Iudges Chapter 1. verse 21. Iudg. 1.21 The Lord had given them one promise for all to drive out the Cannanites now because they beleeved not the maine therefore here one Cananitish city there another prevailed and became goades and prickes to them And so hence it is that neither promise of Sacrament or of other Ordinances doe prevaile to purge out their lusts but they remaine as thornes unto them because they never tooke paines to joyne issue with God in the truth of his Covenant to pardon them and make them his beloved Thus much for the second ground teaching that the triall of ones speciall faith rests in the triall of the maine The third ground issues from this second Ground 3. viz. That the triall of our first beleeving may and must make the other easie and familiar It s our great sinne if it bee otherwise For why The Lord gives us assurance of the one in the other yea teaches us to argue from one to another without wavering so far as our weakenesse will permit Excellent is that of Paul Rom. 5.10 Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled by his death how much more being friends shall wee be saved by his life Marke his manner of speech How much more If God made that easie to us which seem'd impossible how much more easie is that which is under a direct promise if God had cast us quite off being enemies we had the mends In out owne hands and could not complaine But having his word to make good our owne desires wee have the Lord tied to us and at a kinde of advantage be it spoken with reverence so that wee cannot be defeated Great is the oddes betweene being an enemy formerly and being now reconciled He that will release a stranger from prison and pay an hundred pound for him will in reason lend a friend twentie shillings Such an argument is this heere Vse of the third ground The use of the point is first to condemne the practise of all such as having found the Lord above their expectation in the promise of reconciliation 1. Conviction yet dare not trust him for some shreds in comparison of blessings of lesser nature as to overcome their passions revenge worldlinesse c. Oh! Thou art like Ahaz and his subjects Esay 7.12 who would not tempt God in asking a signe when as yet they beleeved not without it The Prophet tels them Verse 13. Is it not enough that yee weary men but ye must weary my God also Thou tyrest the Lord when he seeth that none of his wayes will prevaile against thy infidelity But still thou art ever out and in with him as Ioabs sword that could not hold in his scabbard and putst him to crie out Oh! Ephraim Hos 6.4 oh Iudah What shall I doe or how shall I intreate thee Is the worke of faith as farre off now as when thou first beleevedst Oh! weake if not froward wretch how long shall I suffer thee As they in the wildernesse whom no miracles no providence could perswade but were as farre to seeke at the end of fortie yeares as the first day Oh! the Lord loves when his Schollers are apt to learne especially this lesson of faith by many warnings and when our experience teacheth us to buy and sell upon his word 1 King 20.23 But to seeme to trust God with the foiling the enemies of the hils and yet to distrust him with those in the vallies to pretend that they doubt him not for heaven but distrust him for earthly blessings surely it either justly calls thy first beleeving into suspicion or else argues a carelesse heart not able to improve thy Talent of reconciliation to warrant thy faith for a poore supply of this life Vse 2 Secondly it should very much presse upon those in speciall who are to receive the Supper in which the Lord offers the encrease of first graces received in Baptisme to trie their Sacramentall faith with all readinesse of minde Is it easier to doe by many degrees than to beleeve the promise of mercy at first And doth the Lord with farre greater ease as I may say beteame to the soule growing in faith than breeding of it Why then doe they who beleeve come to this triall with so much adoe and bury the Talent of God unthankefully in the earth As those
all good signes of faith revived for the Supper Steppe 5 Fiftly try thy selfe by the testimony of a good conscience That will appeare by this It dares not equivocate and dally with God by serving him very studiously in one part of thy christian course but forsaking him in many but say thou with Paul Act. 23.1 I have exercized my selfe in all good conscience continually Try thy selfe then by this rule Triall by it thus Canst thou say as oft as thou art going to the Sacrament Oh Lord I make a shew of very solemne preparing my selfe and trying my faith when I goe to thy table But if it were onely my practise now at this time and at no other I should goe and come from thee with a sad heart No Lord I blesse thy name Gal. 2.20 I doe live by faith dayly I can say with Paul The life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God I appeale to thee who knowest that if I goe to heare the word I mixe it with faith if I pray I looke to my Advocate if I have a Crosse I live in faith in Christ for strength Heb. 4 2. selfedeniall and patience to support me if I prosper I beleeve all is pure to the pure and given me in mercy and in this faith thus trained and set on worke I humbly come to the Sacrament looking that as in other parts of life and of worship the Lord hath beene with me so he will not leave mee to my selfe in this 1 Sam. 7 12. Tell me canst thou say thus in truth be it never so poorely It is a sweete signe of a revived faith Steppe 6 Sixtly try thy selfe by thy Sacramentall experience The Sacrament being one meane of a Christians food and growth it becomes every one having communicated not by and by to vomit up his morsells but to digest the bread of life till hee finde it his owne blood of his veines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone By this meanes every ordinance dwelling in the soule will adde nourishment to it and better it dayly which could not be if it bee forgoten as fast as it is enjoyed Triall by it Let thy tryall from hence be this Dost thou dayly quicken up thy selfe at each Sacrament in the memory and experience of former fruit received especially when thou hast found it sweetest unto thee at any season when thou hast felt thy selfe most emptied in thee faith most cleere and sensible thy soule freest from earth and sensuality and so of the rest hast thou kept this experience by thee as a childe holds a sweete thing in the palate as loth to forgoe it Dost thou by this tryall goe to the Sacrament afterward with more hope and expectation of the like Or if thou have found the contrary that thou hast had but a dead Sacrament of it what dost thou Poast it over and forget it hoping it will be better or dost thou record it often and use it as a spurre of greater care and serious dealing with God next time being afrayd to tempt him and yet loath to forsake him although hee should hold thee off still 2 Cor. 12 8. If thou canst thus revive thy faith by thy experience it is a good signe Steppe 7 Seventhly Gods people so oft as they draw neere to him in duties dare not rush upon him but first humble themselves in dust and ashes as most base wormes and corruption Genes 18.27 Then they pray for assistance in the ordinance meditate and conferre about the right doing Tryall and the fruit of it Try thy selfe then by this When thou goest to the Supper dost thou swell in the conceit of thy former strong faith Dost thou rush upon God without prayer or meditation Or rather dost thou jogg◠the arme of the Spirit as the clapper shakes the corne into the milstone that it may let fall the benefits of Christ out of the Sacrament into thy soule That thou maist come to receive with better savour and strength than thine owne Dost thou begge with the Apostles Lord revive my faith Luke 17.5 Lord make make it a sweet exceeding day Lord let not the meeting of profane blind receivers defile me Let the fellowship of thine Angels and my brethren refresh mee give me that I come for Lord and deceive me not Darest thou not through ease and sloath neglect the sanctifying of one ordinance by another Dost thou engrave the promise thus in thy heart and blow up the poore sparkle within thee It is a good signe Steppe 8 Lastly try they selfe thus Dost thou hold and close with this faith of thine thus revived till thou appeare before the Lord in the ordinance Sufferest thou not Sathan to come betweene thee and home the cup and the lip to rob thee of thy wedding garment but dost thou claspe it unto thee that it may not fall off till it have possessed thee with the gaine thou camest for Dost thou lay in too day now for the bread of the day And each Sacrament doest thou say Heb. 13.8 Christ Iesus yesterday to day and the same for ever It s a signe of faith quickned in thee So come and prosper So much for the latter tryall I conclude the Chapter with some use Conclusion And because the whole is one use of tryall which is the scope the shorter use shall serve I will not trouble the Reader with former uses as to mourne for the woefull faith of ordinary receivers or reproofe of Gods owne for counting this tryall tedious which God hath made a sweet yoake to his I will partly warne partly exhort partly comfort the good receavers and so end Vse 1 First then I warne them that they slight not this duty Admonitiō rest not in former faith thinking the Lord tyed to their girdles Tempt him not to alter his course by your sloth but hold on still this tryall of faith Remember it s the cheefe Sacramentall grace of all the rest All other without this are fruitlesse or counterfeit This must give both being and lustre to all Bring this and feare not The Divell will fight against this as the King of all If he can wrest this away he cares for no more because upon this hinge the doore turnes I meane the joy of well or sorrow of ill receiving hangs upon it Vse 2 Secondly be exhorted to bring this faith Dare not venture without it Exhortatiō Faith in the Supper answers the act of sprinkling the posts of the Israelites doores when they first ate the Passeover Exod. 12.21.22 Branch 1 Tell me Durst any Iew not sprinkle his owne doore with blood Durst he not as well omit the Sacrament Did hee not feare the destroying Angell in case of neglecting it Was not the promise of passing them over when all Egypts first borne were slaine in the doing of it Therefore as thou wouldest shunne danger of greater nature looke to
of this tryall both in Scripture and reasons For the former whereof First the Analogy of the old Passeover will proove it wherein sundry charges were given which typifie repentance and that in each part of it As wee know the sorrow and yrking of heart and mourning bitterly for sinne committed was urged under the ceremony of sowre hearbes Exod. 12.8 not onely to shew what it cost the Lord Iesus ere he could satisfy But to shew what they are who come to this Sacrament even such as peirced him by their sinnes Zach. 12.10 and therefore ought to come in bitternesse to the signes of his body and blood and eate this sweete meate with sowre sawce So also the Lord required a separation from the filthinesse of the heathen when they came to eate the Pascall Lambe Ezra 6.21 Ezra 6.21 yea from all legall pollution Numb 9.6 Num. 9.6 which as it concerned the Iewes alway in any offering or worship so especially at the Passeover And the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 5.7 urgeth one other solemne ceremony of casting out leaven He that kept in his house any leaven at that time more or lesse was to be cut off Now least wee should thinke this to have lost his force under the Gospel he saith Purge out therefore all sowre leaven meaning their Communion with that incestuous man which sowred their holy assemblyes that yee may be a cleane lumpe even as yee are unleavened And why For Christ is our Passeover sacrificed for us therefore let us eate him with sincerity and repentance And the weaning and abstinence of the poore Lambe from the damme foure dayes before Exod. 12. â— typified no lesse than separation of such as worship God thus from the love of their sweet lusts and liberties that they might bee free for the Lord And when the Apostle urges the Corinthians to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 what entends hee save that having defiled themselves by their love feasts they would search and cast out that sinne ere they came to the Sacrament Secondly from Reasons Now for Reasons First every ordinance requires repentance least the ordinance be defiled 1 Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things not onely meates are pure But to the impure all things both blessings crosses and ordinances are defiled The sinne of man can put no defilement into the things themselves but it makes them so to the sinners that use them It is a rule concerning both Minister people Esay 52.11 Psal 26 6. Prov. 28 9. 1 Tim. 2 8. Be ye holy that beare the vessells of the Lord. And I will compasse the Altar with washen hands And the prayers of them that turne their eares from the Word are abominable S. Paul requires us to lift up pure hands 1 Pet. 2 1. without wrath and doubting And S. Peter bids them that would heare to grow thereby to clense all superfluities away Epist 1. Cap. 2.1.2 Reason 2 Secondly no man can comfort his owne heart that hee hath saving faith except he have repentance Act. 3.26 Act. 15.15 But true repentance argues faith because it onely purifies the heart True faith workes by love 1 Tim. 1 5. and the end of the commandement is love from whence from a pure heart and whence is that from faith unfaigned Levit. 10 3. See Gal. 5.6 Act 24.16 2 Cor. 5.17 Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord will be honoured in all that draw neare to him None can honour the Lord in their worship save the holy and repentant Those that presume otherwise the Lord will be honoured in their destruction Reason 4 Lastly holinesse affords sweete confidence to the soule that it shall be welcome to God None shall ever see his glory without it Heb. 12 14. 1 Pet. 1 16. therefore none should behold him in his beauty of holinesse or in his ordinances without it Bee yee holy because I am holy These few may serve Tryalls of repentance But I hasten to the triall of it And first very breefely of the substance of it wrought in the soule 1 By the substance Tit. 3.5 This may bee tryed by the roote of it No repentance can subsist without an inward principle That is the spirit of renovation wrought by the word and Baptisme putting into the soule a seede of God and the image of God as farre as in these suburbes of heaven I meane in the militant Church may be obteyned Now for the opening of this to the Reader let him in a few points conceave and try himselfe about it First in the mother and nurse of it In sundry particulers 1. The mother of it That is faith shedding the love of God Rom. 5.5 into the soule being of it selfe destitute of all such list ability life or savour The Lord in reconciliation by faith becomes our sanctification God having freed us from our old yoake will put upon us a new most willingly which eases our heavy hearts and pacifies the conscience sets the minde in frame and shewes us Christ in his true and lively colours not a Christ of loosenesse but as the truth is in Iesus Ephe. 3 18. 2 Cor. 5.9 That having the roote of his love set in our hearts we may conteine his sweetnesse and it may let us on worke yea constreine us to doe the like to him Oh! How should this try us What is our repentance Is it a cutting off some shreds of evill or a pang of goâ—d devotion now and then in tempest thunder and lightning in our passion of feare or when God pleases us Or is it an inward workeman at the roote of our hearts and doth it engraft and inoculate us into his stocke Pro. 6 27. Doth it as a corner stone hold in and encompasse us that wee can more forbid fire in our bosome to burne us than the love of God to compell us to love him and turne our heart to him It is a good signe Secondly try it in tne materiall of repentance 2. By the matter Act. 26.18 It s a conversion or turning home to God from our Idols a setting of our face backward from evill and our backes forward to goodnesse and that in a contrariety As if a foole going on pilgrimage to Rome and her Idols should there be smitten and turned home with Naaman to the true worship of the living God This tryall will search also for the repentance of most is no such turne Men have rectified thoughts sometime of a good course and their sinnes yrke them and tyre them and cause them to ease themseâ—ves by complaints and turne aside from them in their accusing moode But it is with them as it is with Sea-men who can hold their course as well when they coast about as when the winde is on their backes So doe these their lusts keepe still in their spirit though they keepe them out of sight as David did Absolon 2 Sam. 14.24 forbidding him his presence
that can finde them or admonish such as are decayed or scare such from the Sscrament as never had them But I hasten to that which more nearely concernes Sacramentall repentance which is the practise of repentance 2. By the practise of it In two thing 1. Ordinary course Concerning which I will devide my selfe into these two maine heads First The practise of it in an usuall course of Christianity Secondly in our revolts And my method shall bee this First to lay downe the will of God about them both and in what particulars they stand Secondly in the use of the doctrine to presse the tryall of them at the Sacrament with a revived affection For the former then the usuall practise of repentance may bee thus divided eyther to the first understanding part secondly the willing or affecting part thirdly the acting part in the life The Iudiciall part stands in the inquiry and search of those speciall errors abuses and corruptions of heart tongue or life which have passed us from Sacrament to Sacrament or before Eyther in the understanding Lam. 3.40 beginning as hee Genesis 44. Verse 12. at the eldest and ending at the yongest Both spirituall as hardnesse deadnesse and defilednesse of heart of the tongue rash idle uncharitable false vaine offensive or superfluous words morrall of the heart and life hollownesse earthlinesse unprofitablenesse selfe-love pride rancor and bitternesse of stomacke passions of rage As search base feares hopes joyes sorrowes unrighteous unmercifull censorious deedes and passages or the like These although like Saul and Gehazi's booty they lye hidden must be watched as they utter themselves and breake out notice being taken and a Register of them kept by us that they may ever be before us when wee come to the Lord. And if the conscience play booty in concealing or excusing them the soule must goe to the candle of the Lord which searches the bowels of man and begge light to discerne Prov. 20.27 and strength to convince it selfe of them and the curse due to them till the soule bee even caused to stoppe her owne mouth and give up her weapons of defence standing as mute and guilty before God of them Concerning which worke of search because I spake of it in generall in the first Chapter of this Treatise I remit the Reader to that place Heere onely this It were good for us to make use both of our best friends and worst enemies if we would know our selves and not wholly be our owne judges Helpes to search Our friends perhaps see us better than we our selves spy out our secret haunts loose liberties declining in our zeale and falling to our pleasures loving them and such base companions as become us not for our pleasures sake more than Gods secret company or his servants So also our enemies sometimes might tell us our secret corruptions As hee once who fought with his enemy searcht out that impostume which his friends could not Yea Gods crosses as great enemies as wee thinke them if wee would hearken to their voyce would tell our hearts presently what the sinne is which God aymes at perhaps unfruitfull deadnesse under blessed meanes of grace dallying with the ordinances neglect of our family earthlinesse and walking loosely with God And although wee should not neede to seeke out to spy thefaults of others for lacke of our owne yet it were a good way to search our owne in the glasse of the sinnes of these times the desperate formalnesse of men and abhorring of any more religion than will runne in the streame of our ease and wills Idolatry contempt of the best examples To end if some of us would but aske our consciences for what sinnes wee are faint on the sudden to forsake and turne backe upon the Sacrament for feare of shame when yet perhaps we came into Church with purpose to receive it were not amisse And so much for this judiciall part Our Soule part The next is the soule part or the affecting And heere in the first place is required a broken mourning heart for sinne being thus searched out 1. Brokennes and that with uprightnesse and tendernesse as Zachary describeth it Zach. 12 10.11 They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourne as one mourneth for his sonne and heire yea they shall be in bitternes note the phrase that is godly sorrow shall soke and sape them they shall be in the power of it so that it shall over-rule them they shall not easily shake it off yea it shall be exceeding sorrow as that of Hadrimmon for the sadde losse of Iosia and further it shall be fervent and sincere both signified by the secrecy of it husband apart wife apart and family apart as we say He mournes truly that mournes without witnesse Such a sorrow such teares hearty and unfaigned not in a mood comming from a full heart impotent and powring it selfe out before God plentifully because it hath greeved the Spirit of so good a God so patient and longsuffering I say such a one is the true badge of repentance which issues from faith Wherein eyther teares are abundant as at Bochim or Mizpeh when the people drew buckets before the Lord Iudge 2.4 or else in the want thereof the heart sheds teares of blood 1 Sam. 7 6. and the soule sighes under a burden which shee cannot well utter This sorrow usually beares the name of repentance as being a maine companion inseparable from it and that true eating of sowre hearbes required of him that ate the Passeover which hearbes grow no where save in the garden of grace Onely the love of that God whom the soule hath dishonored even in the middest of mercy and when she peirced the Lord of life then was that Lord willingly peirced to death by her that shee might live Act. 2.37 I say this love onely can melt a heart of stone and breake it in peeces so that it cannot but repent whereas before by the hardnesse of heart Rom. 2.4 despising the patience of God it could not repent True search of heart will worke true brokennesse and cause the belly to tremble Habac. 3.16 and rottennesse to enter into the bones that it may finde peace in the day of trouble Yea as the Lord turned the captivity of Iob Iob 42.10 when he prayed for his friends So in this through mourning of heart tne Lord turnes the captivity of the soule and converts it to himselfe No terrours of conscience can soften an hard heart but rather they will harden it and bind it up to greater hardnesse As we see an hammer may breake a bell to gobbets fit to be melted but the fire onely can melt them that so they may be moulded a new So the love of God can onely effect this mourning after God and broken heart a most welcome sacrifice to God till which the soule cannot beteame the Lord herselfe to be offered up unto him Rom.
the woefull course which hee hath runne Deut. 29.19 Rom 2 3 4. adding drunkennesse to thirst and heaping up wrath against the day of wrath that hee is as one who hath run out above his ability to pay and therefore his booke of accounts is yrkesome to cast over it is death to him to thinke of it Thus it was with Cain each hundred of yeeres that hee lived the debt of his murther was so encreased by other sinnes and the penalties thereof that at last it became inextricable But repentance in the true children of God causes the view of sinne and the chaine thereof to bee presented with some hope of forgivenesse because although perhaps the conscience is amazed yet it s not privie to that trechery which the wicked were carried by in sinning Psal 51 4. Mark 14 72. And therefore their sinne is sayd to bee ever before them they are sayd to come to themselves Peter is sayd to weigh his sinne ere hee went out which argues that the weight of it oppressed him not Thi reviving of the mind from the horrour and oppression of it is a great mercy in the midst of such misery Iona was infolded as in a labyrinth of Sea Ionah 2 6. Whale and conscience yet in this gulfe hee was not swallowed up but conceaved in his mind a possiblenesse for God to bring order out of his confuzion So that the first occasions of revolt the circumstances attending the degrees following and the danger incurred rather serve to magnifie mercy in keeping the soule from utter Apostacy from the living God than to beate off the soule from hope The 4. Branch The fourth and one of the many is the recovering of a sensible and broken heart after long hardnesse by the deceitfulnesse and sweete baites of sinne Heb. 3 12. A most sweete fruit of the spirit of election For it was not possible for the hard heart of Saul or Iudas to relent upon the checke of conscience there was no droppe of the seede of repentance in them It would seeme impossible that Peter and David after so long a lying in so hideous sinnes Mark 14 72. 1 Sam. 12 3 4. should at the first conviction of Nathan relent and breaking through all the barres of his sinne say I have sinned It was not in the words speaking 1 Sam. 15 24. Mat. 27 3 4 for Saul and Iudas spake the same but in the broken heart which uttered them But the cause was That grace and mercy which lay at the roote Oh! that they should after such mercy once felt and vowes so oft renued so basely handle the Lord and hazard as much as in them lay their title to heaven and sell their birthright And yet should the Lord renue a second charter or rather the first a second time Oh! it pierces them to the quicke This chases away the cloudes of dedolence and impenitency and cleeres the coast againe The fifth is The 5. Branch That yet they doe not so easily shake off their feares the Lord so orders it that either by his word or workes they feele his wrath for their revolt so seazing upon their conscience that it doth worke out and purge their corruption through mercy so that they vomit up their sweete morsells And as one under the Phisition his hand lying in an hot bath sweates out the venome of his disease so is it with a penitent soule Gpd mixes gall and wormewood for them to drinke Hee causes them to possesse the sinnes of their youth with sorrow though long since committed Lam. 3 19. Psal 6 5. hee payes them for old and new at once makes their bed a bath of teares till hee have caused all that sinne which they dranke in with such greedinesse to returne backe with as much loathsomnes Then being under this racke hee makes them feele in their owne spirits how their sinne lyes upon his shoulders and by their owne pinching hee makes them confesse Now I see what my pride ill company stollen liberties come to and must cost ere I be rid of them As I like such sawce so let me returne to the meate againe I thought I had but dallied I cast arrowes and darts into the flesh of the Lord Iesus in sport But now they gugg mee Now I see ihe Lord will not beare all I must beare somewhat and if I provoke him it must bee to the confusion of my face As I troubled and greeved the Spirit of God so the Lord troubles mine this day Iosh 7 25 The shame the ill report the sorrow and sting outward and inward which I sustaine sinne is no trifle The 6. Branch Sixtly the Lord now in season proceeds to offer himselfe in a promise to this revolting penitent And that in two kinds First That their revolt hath not extinguisht mercy Esay 57.17 18. Ier. 3 1 2. See Esay 57 17. I will heale their covetuousnesse Ier. 3 1 2. If a mans wife play the harlot wilt thou returne to her Wilt thou not write her a Bill of divorcement Yet returne to me and I will receive thee after all thy whoredomes And againe I will heale all their backeslidings c. So Ier. 3.12 Rev. 2 5. 3.19 Revelations chap. 3 verse 19. Bee zealous and amend Yea the spirit of grace in that fulnesse of Satisfaction by Christ doth fixe and settle such promises upon the soule so that it heares them not as the sound of many waters but dwells upon and digests them as concerning her So that they leave not a wanzing conceit as in presumptuous hypocrites who sinne that grace may abound But they so fasten upon the promise as a reall comfort to cure them of their falling sicknesse Rom 6 1. Secondly the Lord reveales the promise to them as the due order of their recovery For whereas the ungodly doe returne to their trade See Iona 3 21. â—1 upon the suppozall that their doggish vomit shall serve the turne Lo the Lord alway comes betweene the revolting and repenting of his owne with a savory application of the promise Teaching them that if there were no more but their mourning to make up their repentance Alas It would vanish and come to nought Therefore hee will have them lay hold upon the promise of free grace which may quiet and clense their conscience Psal 51.10.12 and restore them to that former influence which they had from grace And although their pipes are still set in the welhead yet because they are stopped the Lord by faith cleeres the passage of grace for them that they may partake that strength and encouragement from their head which may cause their repentance to bee sound and put new hope of holding out into them Lastly by this meanes They keepe themselves well while they are so The 7. branch and dare not by that experience they have gotten of smarty sinne adventure upon it any more They abhorre to tempt
repentance and according to thine hard heart which cannot repent heape up wrath against the day of it Thou promisest repentance hereafter and lo Rom. 2.4 God is hardening thee for time past How shall the clay that lies in the Sunne be softer Oh breake off thy dallyings Those many peales which both Word and Sacrament have rung in thine eares have made them deafe and shalt thou repent with a deafe eare who couldst not with an open If God will give each penitent soule forgivenesse will he therefore give each sinnefull dallier repentance How wilt thou answer him for thy not renewing thy Covenant with him at each Sacrament Whereas thou rather hast renued and sealed up to thy soule thy covenant with thy lusts and made each new Sacrament as a brazen bolt to locke thee out of the roome of repentance Deut. 29 18.19 and to make thee worse adding drunkennesse to thirst Come not at the Sacrament while thy false heart is in thee eate not thine owne bane and condemnation excommunicate thy selfe if the Church doe not or the Minister cannot till thou repent and the Lord blesse this counsell to thee Vse 2 Reproofe Secondly here is sharpe reproofe to Gods owne people for living in any such base distemper as might blemish their repentance and make their Sacrament uncomfortable I know the world is ready to cast false aspersions upon the best But as for such their innocencie is their brestplate and they may take such accusations Iob 31.36 and weare them openly without feare as Iob speaks No I ohly speak of such as truly and deservedly are cast upon professors of pietie either sound or thinking themselves so as this who are so zealous as they in the first Table in hearing Sermons three or foure on a Sabbath and receive Sacraments duly and often but where be their fruits Where is their repenting or their good workes How many leave their places where the Gospell is to be supported and the poore releeved and lie in private houses in the citie pranking up themselves in fashions raking up portions for their children taking their ease and jollitie neglecting calling and charity and living upon their Revenewes without either good doing or giving example making it their life to hearken after newes or to improove their wits and braines in all abilities and under color of much hearing and Religion in publique open the mouthes of Papists against Protestants as Solifidians and fruitlesse in good workes So others have God much in their mouth but breake their promises as fast as they make them they will bite and pinch in their dealings are hard and sore in their buyings and bargaines Others not to be trusted but time-servers and affecting the company of the sensuall and carnall more than the godly very intemperate in their pleasures loving them more than God and their wills better than heaven passionate and soone stirred to rage but hardly appeased if displeased fierce living in the married estate very offensively bringing up their children dissolutely and the like Oh! consider in the feare of God what dishonour you doe to the Sacrament and what bad preparation you make for comfort there If any of you be such for want of soundnesse looke to your selves and set Saint Iames his Trumpet to your eares oh vaine man Iam. 2.2.20 knowest thou not that faith without works and repentance is dead drie and saplesse Seest thou not how thou passest thy time away in an emptie proud and idle Religion as unsavory to God and men as pleasing to thy selfe But if there be soundnesse in thee seeme not worse than thou art honour thy faith with fruits and lay up such a Treasure for thy selfe against thy receiving as may meete thee there with joy and give thee more sweet peace than all thy ease fashions and seeking thy will can give thee Remoove that Butt which enemies to profession shout at zealous but covetous religious but proud hatefull c. And give Religion the entire honor of thy heart as well as thy shewes and then shall one Sacrament be more truly sweet to thee than many and Religion shall truly honour thee as well as thou hast honored it Vse 3 Thirdly Instruction it should instruct us what necessitie of mourning there is for the wofull impenitencie and profanenesse of many and hypocrisie of others who make the Sacraments their ordinary diet And yet who shall gainesay them How had we neede to pray for the ancient discipline of the Church for the purging of such And the whiles to turn our feast into a fast of sorrow for the boldnesse of such spots and the offence caused by such to them that desire the purenesse of the Ordinannances When Xerxes beheld hundred thousands of souldiers on an heape he wept to thinke in how short a time so many men should be swept from the earth How should then a Christian heart which hath prevented that danger to it selfe lay to his soule the sad spectacle of so many thousands as either for lacke of meanes or else under the contempt of meanes daily rush themselves into hell and eate and drinke their owne judgement for want of repentance Vse 4 Exhortation Fourthly let it be exhortation to such as would receive worthily to bring repentance with them to the Supper Let even the approach of the Sacrament smite your tender hearts to thinke how poorely ye have profited in repentance since your last receiving Yea what a cursory ceremony their vile hearts would make of the Sacrament if the Lord did not ring this Alarum bell in their eares 1 Sam. 12 19. Even as they 1 Sam. 12.19 mourned in the time of thunder and lightning for all their lewdnesse but especially their asking of a King So at the season of the Supper should each Christian revive his repentance and mourne as for all so especially the sinne of bad receiving As Pharao's Butler could say Gen. 41.9 This day my sinne comes to my rememhrance So should every good man say sadly upon the day of the Sacrament Oh Lord how poorely prepared went I to it When God revived me a little soone forgat I it Even as the foole that hath seene his face in a glasse Alas the old savor hath returned instantly I see Gods Sacrament seasons mee not with feare any long time together an hundred toyes have worne off the edge of it from me and I am over head and eares if not in lusts yet in calling businesse liberties vanities retaining no thought of my Covenant there made Oh! revive your repentance yet more lively and cordialy than before There is a way of getting and gaining more by the Sacrament than ye are aware If ye would deny your selves mourne for your slightnesse and bring faith to seale up better care and covenant with God there is no time past but the Sacrament should arme ye stronglier than ever against Satan and your lusts frame and mould you more to obedience with
none can live by us unfit for a Church or a Commonwealth yet the Lord onely knowes what secret rootes and rindes there abide still Oh! we should not top out the cheefe of the sheafe onely but thresh cleane and fanne our selves throughly of this scurfe Having escaped a gulfe wee should be afraid of a shallow Oh how should wee breake our hearts to thinke what pettishnesse and waspishnesse we walke with in our familie among wife children and servants What pride vaineglory unkindnesse unforbearance doe wee utter therein What crossenesse and heartburning among neighbours if it be but for their fences and cattell What buying and selling of each other for trifles Oh Lord if others of thy people did not more good than I in releeving poore Christians and upholding good causes all must needes goe to ruine I feele what a weake proppe I am I live as if at my death I should dye undesired A clod of the earth and bundle of selfe-love borne for my owne use Wit I have enough to bite in all fruits of love but none to utter them with bounty and beteaming And some of us are so grosse as to thinke that good workes are but boastings of our goodnesse as for us we will renounce them and be saved by faith God keepe mee from thy salvation Learne poore wretch That faith alone justifieth but is not alone in her fruits Others of us if wee be of any use at all by our love yet are puffed up in conceit of our worth and service and how much other hang upon us and how little we upon them whereas we should serve them in love and feele no vertue to have come from us How many of us are farre from ripping up the seames of our soules from distasting of such as cannot brooke us How soone are wee weary and by one act of love thinke our selves exempted from many how many partiall have wee how rare and odd ones are they whom we can affect and humor Oh cast up these morsells deare friends and let all our receivings be with the unleavened bread of sincerity Vse 3 Thirdly let it be exhortation and examination both to get and receive this grace at the Sacrament First get it Exhortation and examination goe over those six branches before and by Prayer importune the Lord to blesse the meditation of them for the breeding of love unfeigned in thee Thinke not the Sacrament to be a breeder of it That onely by faith is there improoved and nourished And secondly revive it at thy comming to the Supper as thou wouldst come from it with cheerefulnesse Some few rules I have heere set downe for thy tryall herein Tryall 1 First If thy right hand flatter thee not and know not what thy left hand doth Matth. 6.3 that thou hadst rather do many kind offices of love though none should know of it than neglect one of them when thou seest God calls thee to it Tryall 2 Secondly If thou canst truly say Thy soule hath not what it would neyther doth any blood runne aright in thy veines so long as thou knowest the Church or any cheefe members of it to lye under distresse although thy selfe dost swimme in prosperity Thinke of Nehemiah and Vriah Nehem. 2.3 Tryall 3 Thirdly If thy heart will not suffer thee to rest content with thy plodding about thy affaires and businesse except thou can in the midst and sweetest thereof breake off and say Now doe I neglect the service of my time and so returne unto it As Ioseph full of affections to Beniamin sought occasion and cryed Gen. 45.1 Have every man from me and so fell upon his necke Tryall 4 Fourthly If the love of God shed into thy heart bee so sweete and make thee so well apayd in thy selfe that thou feelest a pretty ease in dispensing with the base affronts and wonges of ill affected ones or persons who discourage thee That by this peace passing understanding Phil. 4 7. thy heart is so loathed that thy froward sullen qualities and those darts of hatefull thoughts are even quenched in this blood of thy satisfier Also when thou findest thy enemies so displeased that thou canst not reach or win them by all thy love yet even then thou art so farre from wearinesse in weldoing that thou desirest to hooke them in by thy prayers begging their conversion rather for their owne good than to be quit of their injuries Tryall 5 5. If in the desire of the subversion of the implacable and impenitent enemies of the Church thou dare not forestall the Lord or teach him when to send fire to consume but submit thy judgement and will to the secrets of Gods judgement who onely knowes the measure of their malice and the incorrigiblenesse of their hearts Tryall 6 6. If we dare not rest in a propensenesse of our constitution to be curteous loving and usefull which may come from nature and selfe-love or onely loath currishnesse harshnesse out of a morrall distast and cannot rest till we can proove that our love is not from the will of man or from flesh but from God Tryall 7 7. If when wee feele our base hearts streightned in the Communion of Saints then we can even be revenged of our selves for it and can with defiance cast off our owne ends and shreds rather which keepe our hearts in bondage than shrinke in any loving affection or service to which God calls us Tryall 8 8. That our loves channell runne as freely and beteamingly to the Ministers of God or others Gal. 4.14 when they are disabled by age or other infirmities from their former abilities and employments as when they improved themselves to the uttermost and wee rejoyced in their light Tryall 9 Act. 20.35 9. That wee count it a farre greater mercy that wee give than if wee receive Being a kin to that excellent Church of Macedonia whose grace was this 2 Cor. 8.1 to esteeme the Lord farre kinder in lending them an heart to give to Ierusalem than Ierusalem it selfe had cause to bee thankefull for her releefe Tryall 10 10. That in the presence of God we can finde that the very approach of the Supper summons our hearts to cast off all such opposition to love as hath crope into our bosomes blessing God that it is a correction day to us finding in our selves upon and after the Sacrament our love and communion to be as a spring-tide in us Tryall 11 11. If the Lord hath given us an heart to beare downe all discouragements of love from without and all carnall objections from within which might weaken it As that wee doe but flesh our enemies against us and make them more bold to insult over us by our lenitie and forbearance than if wee did deale with them as they have done with us That they are of a dogged base nature and will not bee wonne with any love that no flesh and bloud could containe it selfe in so personall so bitter
out in his colors that the dead spirit of man might behold and esteeme him as an object well deserving her best affections Hence it is that in the Song of Salomon so many allusions taken from carnall objects of desire Much described in Scripture Cant. 6.5 are used to provoke the soule to the like spiritualnesse of desire As when he is brought in like an amorous bridegroome of choise personage beautie and proportion and that from head to foot as if some curious Absolon were to be seene in whom from top to toe there was no blemish His head lockes eyes lips body and all his liniments are painted out to us that it may appeare he is the chiefe of ten thousand The like course takes our Saviour himselfe Math. 13. ver 44 45. in the Sermons and Parables which passed from him wherein his chiefe drift is to magnifie grace under the name of the kingdome of heaven meaning nothing else save the power and efficacie of the Gospell offring to the soule his satisfaction and sanctification for pardon and life eternall And sometimes he compares himself to a pearle of great price which he who found sold all to buy it Also to a Treasure hidden in a field which so affected him that saw it that he bought the field it selfe to purchase it Hence also it is that both in old and new Testament the Lord expresses the grace of Christ by the similitudes of all kinds of creatures which either by their preciousnesse or by their usefulnesse doe draw mens affections Rev. 3.18 Psal 45. Luke 15. Esay 55.12 Of the first ranke are gold silver precious stones wrought gold robes apparrell and white linnen treasure ointments of the latter sort are bread corne wine oyle milke hony waters c. Not as if these were as good as grace but that hereby the carnall soule of man of it selfe easily snared with the love of such things yea meaner might understand that look what excellency is in al these together for the content of our outward appetite that infinitly much more is in this for satisfying of the soule sith all these are used but as shadowes to discover this And to say the truth let us marke well Illustration of it and we shall perceive one principall scope of Paul that chiefe of Apostles in all his Epistles is this to set forth the priviledge of Beleevers to be such as doth not consist in some shreeds but in admirable glory He would have us to know Christianity is not making a shift to rub through or some covering of our infirmities supply of some wants or clensing out the staine of some odious sins But an estate of excellencie choise welfare and curious contentation to the soule such as Adam at his best never enjoyed Reade these Texts Col. 1.9 10 11.12 Col. 1.9 where he speakes of a beleever thus as That he may be filled with all spirituall understanding That he may walke worthy of the Lord unto all welpleasing That he may be fruitfull and encreasing in the knowledge of God That hee may be strengthened with all might unto all long-suffering and joyfulnes So Eph. 1.17.18 Ephe 1.17 he desires that They might know the hope of their calling the rich inheritance of the Saints and the glorious power of Christ mortifying them and quickning them by the power whereby he raised himself So Eph. 3.17 Ephe. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that being rooted in love ye may comprehend the bredth and depth c. and know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God See also Philip. 3.3.10 Phil. 3.10 I count all things but dung in respect of the excellencie of Christ The power of his resurrection the fellowship of his suffrings and conformity to his death Nay in one place he saith Col. 2.9 10. Col. 2.9 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. That in him we are compleate Saint â—eter also witnesseth that Christ is no bare gift but that The Divine power hath given us all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through him To what end do I heape up these Surely that the Lord Iesus his excellencie rests not in himselfe but is derived to all his members and that to the end that he may be all in all with them and winne the honour and love of their affections Sacramentall desire must have her object To come a little neerer then to our matter in hand it must be some eminent object in the Sacrament which must draw the soule to it in this Sacramentall desire It must be more than the eye can see for that 's no object of any affection at all scarce so much as a naturall appetite But what is that Surely that spiritually which the Elements resemble naturally I meane full and compleate nourishment If the soule can see this it will draw desire without question Now we know that Bread and Wine united containe in them perfect food and cheerishing to the whole man that is to the body and spirits of nature Even so Christ our nourishment in the Sacrament is comepleately so to the soule both for renewed peace and holinesse And to open this wee may see when the holy Ghost lights upon Christ Sacramentall he forgets his ordinary stile and rises into an unusuall one Pro. 7.1.2 for then it makes the Father an extraordinarie great housekeeper brings him in as a man that builds himselfe a sumptuous house upon seven hewne Pillers prepares his fatlings and dainties Esay 25. his wines and spices Nay then it tels us that in those dayes the Lord wil make a feast in the mountaines Luke 14. a feast of all choise delicate things fat meats and wines throughly stale and refined Nay then it brings him in as a King who is disposed to magnifie himselfe in the making a feast to his Subjects at the marriage of his Son So that looke what is in a feast either for quantitie fulnesse of dishes variety of choise dainties or for qualitie as rarenesse pretiousnesse exquisite dressing musique company safetie of things eaten without feare either that they make surfeit the guest or breed ill bloud All that is to be applied to the feast of the Lord Iesus our nourishment which God the Father makes to his Church at the Sacrament of the Supper And yet that is not all for whereas that may be easily thought to come frow the magnificence of the master of it but as for poore wretches and hunger sterven soules how should they come neere it The answer is That onely for such it is prepared even for beggers and such as are found among the hedges and by the high-way sides for lost and forlorne ones It is the office of Gods hand-maides and Ministers to invite to bring in yea by all arguments of perswasion to force even such not the fat lusty and fed ones to this feast of the King Now if
pretext least they should live longer and sin And he can suggest unto some fearefull ones That seeing they have done to the uttermost to prepare themselves it is no great matter for the act of receiving it seeing the endevour with God is as the deede it selfe And so it is I grant where more cannot bee atteyned but not where it may for hee saith Phil. 2.13 It is God by whom yee have both the will and also the power to doe Put the case an husbandman should plough and sow and fence and waite the whole yeare for his Crop and when it is ripe he should keepe his bed say I have prepared for harvest to the uttermost therefore now I wil let my wheate shale in the eare for lacke of reaping Would not all chronicle this man for a foole yet such folly there may bee in the professors of religion For why many who both in their owne judgement and other mens have approved thâ—mselves to be the Lords and abhorre to foster any sinne in them which might disable them from comfort yet pretending their unsufficiencie or from an unthankefull heart or melancholicke feares or sowrenesse and sullennesse suddenly kicke downe all their building and refuze to come to the Table of the Lord. But oh poore deluded creatures What is this save to confound Gods issues and ends What is it but in a sort to condemne the righteous and to justifie the wicked What is it but to crosse with God and to make that ordinance which serves for edifying not onely to serve to no such use but rather to a worse use than if no such ordinance at all had beene For why Doth it not as equally contradict the rule of Triall that a prepared soule should not come as that an unprepared one should come Let them know that they offend as much in not comming as if they having not tryed themselves durst come And the Sacrament especially serving for the supply of our wants these bereave themselves not onely of the end of tryall but of the end of the Supper it selfe I warne them therefore to be wise and advised Do not bestow much time in trimming and preparing to meet the bridegroome and when the marriage day and feast is come then looke sowrely and make question whether thou shouldst meete him or not This were to make a May game for the devill to escape the gulfe and make shipwracke in the haven Rather lay hold upon the Lord Iesus in the day and season of his grace and say Lord the meanes I have used preparing to the end let me not like a foole take my labour for my paines but attaine the end of my labour in comming to thy Sacrament that both my soule and body may honour thee together and both carrie away comfort of thy Promise remembring how fearefull a sinne it is to separate the things which thou hast put together Thus much for the first head Having thus brought on the Communicant from his Praeparation A Communicants Generall carriage to the Table of the Lord Now I come more neerely to direct him about his due carriage there And first for such generall carriage both of body and minde as concernes every ordinance I will bee short as hastening to the more pertinent carriage at the Table For the externall carriage first 1. Of body it must not bee unreverend gazing idle offensive light wandring wearisome nor yet Popish formall resting in some outward gesture without any reverence of spirit But sober composed attending the duty and beseeming it Vnto which singing of Psalmes of prayse may bee added so farre as may not confound the action Math. 26 30. And Almes also at the end of the Action in token of true Thankesgiving that seeing wee cannot reach the Lord Psal 16.2 our love may fall upon his poore Saints As touching the behaviour of our spirits they are to bee present with God 2. Next of the soule All the Liturgies of the old and new Church have that solemne clause in them Lift up your hearts We lift them up to the Lord And most excellently rather like a Preacher than a Prophet Iosia charges the people thus 2 King 23.21 2 King 23.21 Keepe the passeover to the Lord your God A strange phrase If he had sayd Pray to the Lord or give thanks to the Lord we should have conceived it but he saith keepe the Passeover to the Lord meaning rayse up holy heavenly hearts and affections toward the Lord who is present to see your dispositions and therafter to requite you This for the generall More in the particulars will be occasioned Particular carriage To the whole Sacrament But more specially the Lord requires of al his peculiar behaviour at his Sacram. The first of those duties that concerne them is commemoration 1. Commemoration or thankes giving for the Lord Iesus The Father presents him at the Supper in his fulnesse that we may make it as a Monument of his death and of all his benefits This is that hee saith Doe this in remembrance of me As we see in Colledges houses founded by the bounty of great men that they have sollemne dayes of commemoration to rehearse the names and bounties of their benefactors so the Churches day and season of thankes for Christ and his benefits Matter gotten is the Sacrament of his Supper Hence is it called the Eucharist or Thankesgiving Patternes of thankesgiving for Christ Now to this end it were not amisse for us to set before us those patterns of thâ—nkes which wee reade of in Scripture for the benefits of Christ If we reade the 63 of Esay Esay 63.1 the first sixe verses wee shall see how the Prophet breakes out into a gratulation for Christ Who saith he is hee that commeth up from Bozrae with red garments glorious in his apparrell mighty to save Wherefore art thou red and thine apparrell as hee that treadeth in the winefatt I have trodden the wine-presse alone c. I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord according to all the goodnesse c. So also that of Saint Iohn Revelation I verse 5. Revel 1.5 Who is the faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne bloud and hath made us Kings and Princes unto God and his Father To him be dominion and glory for ever See the like 1 Tim. 1 17. 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen So Paul 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 15.57 Oh hell where is thy victory oh grave where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Iesus See also Rom. 7 24. Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from this body of
The Iewes as histories relate in derision of the Supper and of the Lord Iesus were wont every Easter to steale a Christian child or stripling and to crucifie him upon a crosse all as much as in them lay to destroy the true doctrine and Memoriall of Christ Sacramentall Truth is odious to the factors of superstition and at this day what doe Papists reproach with so base termes as the Supper of Protestants calling the Table of the Lord by the name of an Oyster Board and the Sacrament by the name of the hereticke ordinary alleaging that their Altar and Transubstantiation are the only true means to honour Christs Sacrifice which they offer to God for the sinnes of quicke and dead but not receive from God as a pledge of forgivenesse and holinesse Now marke the Lord in all ages hath stil upheld the glorious beauty of his entire Sacrament against all such corruption and profanation How upheld And that especially by susteining his poore servants to shed their blood in the defence of this cause We know how many hundreds in King Henry the 5. 6. 7. and 8. dayes but more openly in Queene Maries suffered in our owne nation for the defence of this cause of God besides the thousands of Martyres slaine in other Countryes by the Inquisition and tyranny of Popish Bishops Neither are we to looke that in any age till the Kingdome of Christ come this holy ordinance shall ever want enemies who either openly or secretly in part or wholly will seeke either to undermine and obscure the Purity and honour or overthrow the substance of this Sacrament But all in vaine for this shall stand as a brasen Pillar in the midst of the floud and shall survive all corrupters and enemies and shall be perpetuated in her honour and integrity till the comming of the Lord Iesus to judgement when all heresie shall perish with the breath of his mouth and Sathan himselfe be driven from earth and confined for ever to hell But how shall this great worke be effected and continued in the Church so long and so dayly Illustration of the meanes of upholding it Surely by those his people who are members of the militant Church who like Champians of Christ shall stand out for this precious Iewell committed to their trust and safegard Both Ministers by their diligent teaching the doctrine of the Sacrament and vindicating thereof from the cavills and corruptions of Popery 1. Ministers teaching And the whole Church both Ministers and people by their receiving this Sacrament according to the pure institution of the Lord Iesus without leaven of mans mixture Both these I say are appointed to perpetuate the honour and dignity thereof in spite of all enemies Indeed I grant 2. People in confâ—ssing that perhaps each poore soule in receiving doe not punctually attend this but the Lord attends it in them and effects it by them while hee sustaines them by faith and good conscience to come and partake this ordinance incorruptly and sincerely We see then what a maine charge lies upon every sound Christian Though he be no Martyr yet he is a confessor to the truth of the Sacrament so soft as he receives it according to the ordinance He holdes out with an hand openly to all that can see the death of Christ till he come and by his cleaving close to the will of the ordeyner becomes a witnesse to Christ Sacramentall bearing downe as with a streame all popish superstitious Iewish wil worshipping enemies of this holy Sacrament Onely such as by faith cleave to the institution of Christ the doctrine of a Sacrament and Sacramentall relation the promise of the Lord Iesus to be present till the end of the world with all such I say onely those that abandoning a Sacrament of forme and deede done rest upon the power of a promise for making good the fruit of their receiving to their soules in the Spirituall nourishment of the Lord Iesus do beare witnesse to the Sacrament against all Vsurpers The great duty of a receiver urged who else by their trickes and devices would rob the Church of this Monument Therefore it concernes every true Christian not onely to take upon trust from others the doctrine of the Sacrament but to understand it themselves warily in their receiving that they cleave to the rule of Christ and stoppe their eares to all Popish chapmen in this kind who if they might be hearkned unto in their consecrated stones Adoration and other cursed ceremonies soone would the honour of the Sacrament lye in the dust The duty lyes not onely upon the Doctor of the chayre or the Preacher in the Pulpit but upon each member of the militant Church That he shew forth the death of the Lord till he come Keepe the trust which is repozed in thee poore as well as rich unlearned as well as skillfull base as well as honourable In this thou sharest with the best for kind though not degree that in thy receiving corruptly or purely the truth glory of the Sacrament is either preserved or betrayed to the enemies of the death of Christ If a man should betrust thee at his death with the dispensing of his wealth and menaging of his Orphans as truely as if hee were a live to behold tell me durst thou be false to a man And shalt thou dare to be false to God who hast betrusted thee with the Church treasure I meane the Preservation of his Sacrament in her purenesse Looke well to thy selfe therefore Thou art now a Guardian of Christs Orphan not a mans and he will not hold him guiltlesse who shall forfeit this trust And this be sayd of the second behaviour of each communicâ—nt in the act of receiving Duty to the Sacrament in her Acts and Passages The third followeth which I call holy accommodation of the sences and Spirit of a receiver to those Sacramentall Acts both of Ministers and people occasioned at and during the time of the Supper In the former treatise I have handled them at large with their use Heere I onely touch upon them breefely in point of Actuall behaviour The summe is that the Sacrament hath enough in it to busie and take up the whole man of him that receives it and it is no dead object but lively and fruitfull to exercise him who delights in it So that he shall not neede to borrow devotion from the marking how this man and that woman carries themselves or by reading of chapters and such like helpes But the Lord will have him bend his sences to marke what acts are there passiâ—g betweene God and his peoplc for he knoweth that the behaviours fetcht from the Sacrament are ever safest and best at the Sacrament And that by marking these acts the soule of a beleever will gather one wholesome oocasion or other to edifie it selfe The first As for example When hee beholds the Minister of God standing in Gods stead and separating the
nor heare any voyce from heaven wee behold the boldnesse and presumption of Hypocrites who after their receiving are as merry as the best and this troubles a poore soule when hee finds staggering in stead thereof But discourage not thy selfe better is some feare where there is a treasure to lose than all mirth when thy heart is emptie Onely let this bee thy practise Lot thou upon the truth of God to beare downe all thy doubts and distempers as fast as Distrust and Satan ply thee with them Faith lots upon the promise 2 Chro. 20.9 Examples of this act of faith Dispute for God as Iehosaphat did for victory Didst not thou say O Lord that when our enemies assaulted us on every side if wee looked toward thy Temple thou wouldst heare from heaven and deliver Marke very little appeared for him all rather was against him but hee shooke all off with this casting himselfe and lotting upon the word of promise Sayd I not to my Lord deceave mee not saith that Shunamite to Elisha 2 King 4.16.28 1 King 1.17 shee had lotted upon his word so that when the child was dead shee was cheerefull and went to the Prophet to pleade the promise When Adonija was got to be king poore Bathsheba and Nathan agree to goe to David and encounter him thus Did not my Lord the King say alway in our hearing Salomon shall reigne how then is it that Adonija reignes Can these stand together So shouldst thou say Lord is not thy flesh meate indeede and thy blood drinke indeede Saydst not thou that hee that eateth the one and drinketh the other hath eternall life in him Ioh. 6.52 Hast not thou promised that thy Sacrament shall chase away my feares my distrust my old lusts of covetousnesse and uncharitablenesse impatience and the like Whence is it then that still they dare assault mee The Lord tells thee this is to try whether thou wilt rest in the worke wrought or rely by faith upon the word that it may be a done deede as it was a spoken word Give not the Lord over then cast not away the confidence but lot upon the word and say I beleeve it must bee so Lord because thou hast sayd it and if any should come and tell me methinkes you are better since the last Sacrament I should not thinke it strange but answere you say the truth indeede I beleeve I am so for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it therefore if I should be but as I was before I should make the Lord a Lyer and doe unspeakeable wrong to him by my unbeleefe Thus much for the first duty The second duty follweth 2. Duty survey of our receiving in 3 Acts. 1. In case of disapointment That a Christian after his receiceiving must survey the worke and the fruite of it how hee hath gayned by his receiving or what he hath lost and accordingly apply himselfe And that in these three passages following First if he find himselfe joynted of that fruit which hee looked for that God hath not assisted him in his attempt if hee feele that still his heart is dead and darke and the spirit hardened from reeiving such grace as God offers then is he not to shake off all at 6 and 7 but to looke well about him He is to consider that such a watch word from God is not for nought the Lord is not wanting usually to his ordinance altogether If in steede of a melting and broken heart more cheerefull by the promise more penitent and more watchfull upon the Sacrament he feeles the contrary evils to appeare sullennes loosenes deadnes unmercifulnes then hath he need to consult and give sentence And whereas hypocrites and time-serves looke at nothing save how they may dispatch the worke and then make account that God is tyed to their girdles although still their corruption fester and ranker in them so much the more the people of God are impatient of such shuffling and confusion And they conclude there is a pad in the straw still What to doe in that ease there is some excommunicate thing hidden in their tent which they would not cast out And therefore howsoever conscience was content that they should take some paines to prepare themselves yet the cheefe worke was neglected and therefore either their person is stil unaccepted of God being in his uncleannesse or else some beloved lust lyeth glowing at the heart unseene or else unpurged out Thus was it with those Israelites Deut. 5 29. and Ioshua the last Deut. 5 29. Iosh ult Iudg. 20.22.23 and Iudges the 20. all who thought well of themselves vowed themselves to the Lord prepared themselves very strongly to fight in a good cause against villanous trespassers But God was not with them but slew 42000. of them even by those men of Gibea worse thâ—n themselves The reason was that although the cause was good yet they were unfit to handle it at that time their conscience being crazed with Idolls But when they saw the root of the malady they durst no longer kicke against the prickes but fell sadly to search out their sinne by fasting and prayer to breake their hearts before the Lord to weepe repent and renue covenant And upon this the Lord altered his course also and at the third on set gave them the victory Even so must it be with these They must not give the Lord over in this Sacramentall discovery they must blesse him unfeignedly that hath rather by frowning upon them and by turning a day of feasting into a day of sorrow shewed them their corrupt condition than to leave them still hardned in their sinne Oh! If thou belong to the Lord thou canst not endure so bitter a countenance of his to be cast upon thee but recover his favour by a thorough purging out that venom which defiled thee yea if ordinary meanes will not serve extraordinary shall of the practice whereof I have spoken in the chapter of repentance and the triall thereof The 2 Act in ease of want of feeling Secondly if thou finde it to be otherwise upon due survey of thy receiving to wit that thou hast beene faithfull to God and thine owne soule in the worke so that thy conscience doth not accuse thee nor the Lord frowne upon thee And yet for all that thou still wantest that feeling and savour of the Sacrament which thou desirest to walke with Then thou art to apply thy selfe otherwise What to doe in this That is thou art to conceive that as yet thou art not fitted to receive such measure of grace nor to use it well but rather wouldst bee puffed up with it and not be able to honour God with it The Lord therefore goes about to try thy desire how long it will last and how long it will thirst after the grace of the Sacrament and against the next time grow more earnest by this thy forbearing The Lord would empty thee more of thy selfe