the eyes the other comfort it so is it safest to deale with the linckes of the Golden chain which God hath let down unto us and not with those which God hath reserved to Himselfe To obserue by some reflexion of grace within our own souls whether Gods countenance shine upon us and not to pry into that light which no mortall eye can attaine unto lest searching into His Majestie we are consumed by His glory His will must content us which He hath revealed without any reason which He hath not revealed The brightnesse of His excellency cannot be gazed upon nor must the height of His power be disputed To keep Gods commandments is our duty to pry into His counsels is curiositie which will be surely punished Labour we to understand things that are safe and venture not in things that be too high So much the brightnesse of the Sun which will not be gazed upon teacheth us And so I have ended this large discourse touching the works of God with the consideration of that creature which is fullest in our eye I conclude this walk and the instructions there from as I began in Mr Dearings words which he still weighed at the Sanctuary there is not one too light We must consider the works of God and in them His greatnesse His power His goodnesse and thereby learn with all our hearts to serve Him to glorifie Him as our onely God But if we be unprofitable creatures in the world if we have eyes and see not and eares and heare not and the sight and use of so excellent works can stirre us up neither to love nor feare nor once to know so excellent a workman we are holden in the bondage of a spirituall Aegypt wander in strange and unknown wayes of a spirituall wildernesse where we have neither water of life nor any secret Manna to satiate and and fill our faint and hungry souls We walk in the world as subjects of the world and dwell on the earth as servants of the earth The oxe and the horse do as we do they eat and drink and see the Sun and use at their will the day and night and never consider Him who made all these things Let us not be like unto them but as we have hearts able to comprehend better things so let us use them that we may fill our wayes with perfect peace Let us wisely meditate in all the works of God for they are the wisdome of God in which we should know God and glorifie Him and give thanks unto Him So we reade when Eliphaz would perswade Iob the feare and reverence of Gods Majestie he biddeth him behold the starres how high they are The Prophet Isaiah when he will assure the Church of the mercy of God that He will according to His mighty power fulfill all His promises he saith thus who hath measured the waters in His fist and counted heaven with His span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in a weight and the hills in a ballance In meditation of these great works of God the Prophet would teach them to feare no man but put their onely trust and confidence in God So the prophet Ieremie setteth out the constant course of the day and night for us to consider and in it to know how unchangeable the love of God is to all His Saints So our Saviour Christ by the goodly colours of the flowers of the field He would have us learn what a fatherly providence God hath over His children to cover their nakednesse Who clotheth so gloriously the fading flower The Prophet David in many places and especially Psal 104 doth make a goodly rehearsall of the providence of God in ruling the whole world thereby exhorting us to obey God to hate iniquitie Thus should we by these exhortations and instructions teach all our senses our eyes to see and our eares to heare so that in the creatures of God we may see His glory love His goodnesse feare His Majestie expresse His Image in all our conversation So farre Mr Dearing Lectur 19. on Heb. 4. 34. c. where he informes us touching the Sabbath the works thereof and the perpetuitie of the same But I may more fitly shut up this in the words of S. Basil upon the same subject y Hom. 8. in Hex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 94. When I look back to behold the varietie of things I have spoken of then I think I have spoken a great deale and too much But then again when I consider the admirable wisdome of the Creator in them all I may very well begin my speech again for indeed I have said nothing nothing to the incomprehensible Power unsearchable wisdome exceeding riches of goodnesse which the Lord hath manifested in all His creatures and towards man the Lord of them all What remaineth then but as He is great and wonderfull in working so He is greatly to be praised as His power is wonderfull so should our feare be as His mercy exceedeth so should our thankfulnesse in our measure though indeed His mercies exceed all thanksgiving and praise So much when thou walkest by the way And now that the Sun is departed from us we have done with our walk The night succeeds and the instructions there from follow CHAP. VIII In this world the day and night have their course when they cease it will be alwayes day or alwayes night How that instructeth What darknesse teacheth How we are engaged to lie down with serious thoughts of God and His goodnesse 4. AT night c. I suppose now the Sun set upon us when the beasts go out to prey and man retires from his hard labour under the Sun It is a fit time for a man now to retire into himself also and to consider not so much his little world the severall parts powers and faculties of the same Though that is a point of great consideration and would fill another book but how he hath employed these in the day-time to the glory of the Giver and the good of them amongst whom he lives This is a strong argument to presse home this consideration even this That the longest day will have his night § 1. Let that man who hath spent the day in the may-game of the world and as the most do who make no account of time nor think themselves to be accountable for it let him ask himself what contentment he findes in the pleasures so eagerly pursued all the day before and what comfort they now give unto him now that the night is come and his doores shut upon him He must needs answer that they are gone and passed and most likely they have left but a sad relish behinde But yet if he be resolved when he is wakened to tread the same wayes again of sin and death he must needs consider withall if he have the consideration of a man that though now through Gods gracious dispensation towards
hands They will spill more then they eate how to teach Children to prize the good creatures pag. 59. 15. Children delight in the pain and vexation of those weake creatures that are in their power A great evill to be looked unto and prevented betimes considering our natures what they are page 61. 16. Nature fruitfull of evills more then can be pointed at or prevented but that is the true and genuine order of nature to prevent the evills thereof first pag. 62. 17. Teaching by examples the best way of teaching and the shortest they make the deepest impression pag. 64. CHAP. V. THe implanting of good the order therein The foure seasons in the day seasonable therefore 1. How uncomfortable darknesse is how comfortable the light A notable lesson there-from wherein our light and the true light differ to pag. 67. The Sun knoweth his appointed Time what that teacheth The Sun is glorious in his rising and refresheth how that instructeth pag. 68. Sin and sorrow will sowre the sweetest earthly Blessings where the root of our comfort pag. 69. The Sun a publique servant teacheth man so to be even to serve his brother in Love and to shew to him the kindnesse of the Lord what the Idol of the world what makes man an abomination from pag. 69. to pag. 71. The Morning the first fruits of the day our season what a Mercy to have it but a greater to take it what our first work and with whom what our engagements to set about it what may be instilled by continuall dropping from pag. 71. to pag. 77. CHAP. VI. VVE eat bread at Noon What that implieth how fraile our bodies what our use therefrom pag. 78. Our right to the Creatures how lost how regained pag. 79. In eating we must use abstinence Intemperance how provoking to God how hurtfull to man and unbeseeming the Lord of the Creatures to pag. 81. When the fittest season to teach and learn abstinence how necessary a grace specially in these times when so much wrath is threatned What use a Parent must make hereof to Children Their lesson before and at the table to pag. 85. When we have eaten we must remember to return Thanks The threefold voice of the Creatures what the Taxation or Impost set upon every Creature If we withhold that homage we forfeit the blessing The memorable words of Clemens Alexandrinus A strange punishment upon one who seldome or never returned thanks so concluded pag. 90. CHAP. VII THe Method in reading the Book of the Creatures Foure Objections with their Answers out of the Lord Verulam to pag. 93. How to reade the Book of the Creatures Extreames corrected and accorded Two primitive Trades An Apocrypha Scripture opened and made usefull to pag. 97 How to teach the Childe to spell the Book of Nature What is the compendious way of Teaching to pag. 100. Essayes or Lectures upon the creatures beginning at the Foot-stool Three enquiries touching the earth 1. What form or figure 2. Whence its dependance 3. What its magnitude Instructions therefrom very grave and usefull all from pag. 100 to pag. 107. A view of the Creatures In their variety delightfull and usefull Two Creatures onely instanced in From a little Creature a great instruction What a mercy to be at peace with the stones and creeping things From pag. 107. to pag. 114. The Waters their Surface barres or bound Their weight II. The Creatures therein the ship thereupon Great lessons from all from pag. 114. to pag. 122. repeated and mans ingratitude convinced 123. The Aire The wayes and operations thereof admirable III. Whence changed and altered for mans use sometimes for his punishment The windes Their circuit Their wombe to pag. 125. The winged Creatures Their provision and dependance greatly instructing man and reproving his distrust to pag. 126. The Clouds the ballancing of them The binding the waters within them The making a course for the Rain out of them All these three the works of Him that is wonderfull in working to pag. 127. Of Lightning But the Thunder of His power who can understand Job 26. 14. The Snow and the Haile and where their Treasure to pag. 128. The wonderfull height of the starrie Heaven Of the Firmament IIII. Psal 150. Why so called and why the Firmament of His power The eye a curious Fabrick of admirable quicknesse How excellent the eye of the soul when cleared with the True eye-salve The heavens outside sheweth what glory is within Chrysostomes use thereof and complaint thereupon to pag. 134. Of the Sunne Why I descend again to that Creature Three things in that great Light require our Mark. Grave and weighty lessons from all three Concluded in Mr Dearings and Basils words to pag. 144. CHAP. VIII THE Day and Night have their course here But after IIII. this life ended it will be alwayes Day or alwayes Night A great Instruction herefrom to pag. 147. Our senses are soon cloyed We are pleased with changes What Darknesse is The use thereof A little candle supplies the want of the Sun How that instructeth How we are engaged to lie down with thoughts of God to pag. 153. CHAP. IX A Great neglect in point of education Mr Calvines Mr Aschams Mr Perkins and Charrons complaint thereof The ground of that neglect to pag. 156. The Parent must fix upon two conclusions Of the School Whether the Childe be taught best abroad or at home 157. The choice of the Master Parents neglect therein The Masters charge 159. His work His worth if answerable to his charge to pag. 160. The Method or way the Master must take How preposterous ours Who have appeared in that way to pag. 164. The School must perform its work througly The childes seed-time must be improved to the utmost before he be promoted to an higher place The danger of sending Children abroad too soon When Parent and Master have promoted the Childe to the utmost then may the Parent dispose of the Childe for afterwards to pag. 165. CHAP. X. OF Callings Some more honourable as are the head or eye in the body But not of more honour then burden and service Elegantly pressed by a Spanish Divine and in Sarpedons words to Glaucus to pag. 169. The end and use of all Callings pag. 171. Touching the choice of Callings How to judge of their lawfulnesse To engage our faithfulnesse No excuse therefrom for the neglect of that one thing necessary Our abiding in our Callings and doing the works thereof How Nature teacheth therein The designing a Childe to a Calling Parents too early and preposterous therein 177. Parents may aime at the best and most honourable calling The Ministerie a ponderous work 178 But he must pitch upon the fittest In the choice thereof the Parent must follow Nature and look-up to God A CHILDES PATRIMONY Laid out upon the good Culture or tilling over his whole man CHAP. I. Wherein the Parents dutie doth consist and when it begins Of Infancy A Parents
but now while we are projecting and providing for this continuance then commonly comes some cloud and over-shadows this comfort and sometimes then when we are but speaking and thinking of it then the cloud comes and then follow feares In the story of Ionah it is read That the Lord God prepared a Gourd that it might be a shadow over Ionahs head and deliver him from his griefe So Chap. 4. Ionah was exceeding glad of the gourd Exceeding glad marke that I pray you and that which follows But God prepared a Worme the very next morning and it smote the gourd that it withered The Lord is graciously pleased to grant unto us some comforts here whereby to sweeten our sorrows and to refresh us in our weary pilgrimage But if we shall be exceeding glad of them being but of the same nature and constitution as was Ionahs gourd then look we to it for then commonly the Lord is preparing a worme which will quickly smite that gourd so that it shall wither and then which is next to be considered †2. We shall be troubled as much at the withering of our gourd as we were joyed before in the having of it which was Ionahs case exceeding glad of our gourds exceeding Quicquid mirabere pones invitus Hor. epist lib. 1. 10. sorrowfull and disconsolate at the smiting and withering of the gourds It ever follows by the rule of proportion b Ipse ut laetitiae ita maeroris immodicus egit Tacit. Of Nero burying his beloved daughter Augusta An. 15. Psal 30. 6 7. We are apt to thinke that our gourds do cast a greater shadow then indeed they do or can And answerable is our delight in them and our sorrow for them when they wither Therefore we should know what ever our mountaine or gourd is I meane our comfort in what kinde soever it is Gods favour His influence through it that gives strength unto it and us comfort in it And if He withdraw His favour and restraine His influence as doubtlesse He will if we are too confident of our setling and firme standing thereon as if we could never be mooved then trouble follows and the more our trouble will be the stronger our confidence was and our contentment in the same It is the greatnesse of our affections which causeth the sharpnesse of our afflictions They that love too much will alwaies grieve too much a The presence of a comfort is not more comfortable then will be the absence thereof grievous If we suffer the childe that is the creature we are now upon to shoot too farre into our hearts when the time of severing cometh we part with so much of our hearts by that rent Oh how good is it and how great a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz epist 125. point of wisedome to carry the creature as we do a loose garment apart and loose from the heart easily parted with That when God calls for it as He may with more libertie then we may fetch our childe from nurse yet we take libertie there we may willingly part with it saying here Lord thou gavest it to me Thou maist fetch it from me Blessed be thy name in taking as in giving The Heathen gives a Rule and it is of easie construction Love so as thou maist hate Ama tanquam osurus That is Love your friend so that if hatred should grow betwixt you yet no hurt can follow for you have not so unbrested and opened your self unto him that he can hurt you It is a good rule for a Parent Love thy childe so as one Amatanquam amissurus that is parting with it That is love thy childe so that if thou losest it yet thou doest not lose thy treasure nor thy heart Thou hast not so opened thy self towards it nor is it laid up so close Then thou canst be content with thy losse and submit to His mightie hand That tooke it from thee He was a wise Heathen and one instruction from him comes double to a Christian I kisse my childe to day and then I think it may M. Aur. Aul. Med. lib. 11. 21. 30. p. 148. be dead to morrow It is ominous some will say No that remembrance keeps it loose and apart from the heart and the surer in our possession whereas the common conceits and opinions that our comforts shall not be taken from us nor we moved are as one saith the common lamiae or bug-beares of the world the cause of our trouble and sorrow That we may not be carried by conceits and opinions our desire should be the same that Agurs was That God Prov. 30. Soules conflict pag. 48. would remove from us vanitie and lyes That is from a vain and false apprehension pitching upon things that are vaine and lying and promising that contentment to our selves from them which they cannot yeeld Confidence in vaine things makes a vaine heart and fills it with sorrow for vexation ever follows vanitie when vanitie is not apprehended to be where it is This the second consideration The third this †3. That childe whom we do inordinately set our hearts upon doth seldome or never answer our wished for expectations no not in any measure As the Parent hath widened and opened his heart towards it in a largenesse of expectation and hope so doth that childe commonly contract straiten and close up it self towards the Parent God doth often strike that childe of whom we fondly conceive the greatest hope with the greatest barrennesse Cain proves lighter then vanity and Abel a possession I have observed and much I have observed when the parent hath carelesly neglected one childe and like the ape hugged and fondly cockered another I have observed too that the hated childe proved fruitfull and the fondling barren and withall that childe which the parent did tender most regarded the parent least God ever shortens our account when we reckon without Him and as He commonly blasteth our bold and confident attempts so doth He wither extraordinary hopes in earthly things That we may open our mouthes wide towards Him that can fill them We may note the connexion we finde Gen. 29. 30 31. Iacob loved Rachel more then Leah When the Lord saw that He made Rachel barren The more love the more barrennesse To make differences betwixt childe and childe is not safe a Gen. 37. 3 4. Accedebat invidia quod mater promptior Neroni esset Tacit. An. 4. 13. It causeth great differences and to make fondlings of any is a dangerous presage That this fondling is the childe who will prove as a barren soile like a parched heath or a salt land I could wish that were the worst It is commonly much worse for which is the last consideration 4. It commonly falls out That the childe we so doted upon proves the heaviest crosse That 's the childe commonly which like a backe winde hastens the Parent to the pit making him speake in very bitternesse
hath given us our parts proportion and comelinesse in all nothing wanting what praise therefore we have the candle of the body whereby we escape the pit under us and the rock before us a great mercy ask him else who at noon-tide gropes his way as in the night We have tongues whereby we may make our thoughts known and eares we have whereby we understand what others say to us The nose beautifies the face we must not forget that for a great ornament it is as the want thereof defaceth and disfigureth nothing more the Virgins thought so who saith the i Barthol Anat. li 3. c. 10. p. 143. â— Anatomist and out of our Chronicles too cut off their noses that they might prevent both love and lust from their amorous but bloudy conquerours This organ we have a great comelinesse to the face and the stomacks taster it is of as great use also We have hands both the instrument k Putean Epi. 17 of instruments an excellent instrument We have feet two whereby we can walk and go and as occasions are run all these instruments we have and exceeding great mercies all these Ask him else who hath eyes but sees not a nosâ— but smels not a tongue but speaks not eares two but hears not no more then the deafe l In Scotland Heylyne Geogrâ— pa. 503. stone we read of or then if there were seven walls betwixt him and the speaker ask him and him who hath no hands or but one or if two yet no use of either ask him and him who hath no feet or but one or if two yet walks not ask him Ask we this man and that and the other and say we what we are assured these defective persons would all say Oh what mercies are these of what use and account how pretious should these be everie one in respect of both their use and esteeme How do these organs these instruments adorn beautifie honour the outward man how serviceable are they thereunto Oh how should we serve our Creator who hath made us so how should we not give all and every part to serve Him and to advance His glory And so much so little rather to the outward frame of body and to the great and many instructions there from The inward frame of spirit comes now in the second place to be treated of CHAP. II. Our inward frame of spirit how naturally depraved THou must now take a view of thy inward frame the frame of thy revolting heart revolting I say from Him who hath done all this for thee whereof thou hast heard who summes up all things in Himself being all-sufficient the fountain and Ocean of all our happinesse from Him are we parted and to â—isternes we are come to creature-comforts which emptie faster then they fill yet after them our hearts wander from creature to creature for so our comforts here lie scattered like the Bee from one flower to another seeking fulnesse but finding emptinesse for our owne findings are sinne and death Such a generation we are and so degenerated even from the day that we were born for Grace makes the difference and separates not the wombe polluted in our owne blood to the loathing of our persons and the magnifying of His grace who regarded so low an estate making it the object of His pitie So here in this Chapter I can make no division for though I am to speak of a Body which hath many members of a Root which puts forth many branches yet is it but a body of death a root of bitternesse And so spirituall it is in working so speedy and quicke and with such consent and agreement also that I can see no more reason to divide here then Abraham did to divide the Birds But them he divided b Gen. 15. 10. not It is sufficient to shew this body as in a glasse darkly how filthy and lothsome it is And for this purpose we will look on the 16. Chapter of Ezechiel which gives the clearest reflexion and as fully sheweth a man to himself as any glasse in the world But then the eye must have a property which the outward hath not to look inward and to see its self which imployeth it hath received an anoynting from above But whether we have it or have it not Ezek. 16. a fit glasse it is to see our selves in If we could lay our selves close up on it as the Prophet applyed himself to the child the proud heart would fall the haughtie looks would down And therefore That thou mayst take shame to thy self as thy just portion and the more advance God and the riches of His goodnesse m Here is ground of coÌ„fort and for firme resolution said Staupitius to Luther in that you stand for that Doctrin which gives All to God to Man nothing at all for this is according to the Truth of the Gospel And in sure confidence hereof I shall set my facelike a flint said Luther Com. â—â— Galâ—â— 1 12. ch 2. 6. according to the doctrin of the Gospel God is never exalted till man is laid low nor is Christ precious till we are vile Consider thy selfe well and begin there where thou tookest thy beginning There thou shalt finde the first Corner-stone in thy foundation was laid in bloody iniquities in which thou wast conceived The very materialls of soul and body whereof thou dost consist were temper'd with sinne like the stone in the wall and beame out of the timber so as they cryed out even the same moment thou wast born rase this building rase it even to the ground And the cry had been heard and thou hadst been sent before this time to thy own place but that mercy came betwixt even the cry of that bloud which speaks better things then the bloud of Abel And that cry was heard so thou wast graciously spared and behold what riches of grace here are shew'd unto thee for thou wast then as wholly naked and stript of all goodnesse as thy body was being newly born and as wholly invested with the worst filthinesse for it is expressed by such things which are not comely to name as thy body was with skin and thy bones with flesh So thou camest in n Tantillus pâ—â—r tantus peccâ—â—or a very little childe but a very great sinner not after the similitude of Adams transgression for sinne was actuall in him breaking a Commandement Originall in thee for thou brougâ—t'st it into the world with thee And a world of wickednesse it is defiling thy Body setting on fire not thine own only but the whole â—ourse of nature for thou hadst an hand to use Mr. Boltons words in that fire-work which blew up all mankinde he means in Adams transgression in whose loins thou wast as a branch in a common stock which brought forth such a bloudy sea of sinne and sorrow into the world I will hold thy thoughts at the wombe so may'st thou the better know thy selfe for
to those words we may properly allude i Psal 21. 5. His glory is great in thy salvation honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon Him Our thoughts are straitened now yet think we on the riches of His mercy Who when we were as out-casts to the loathing of our persons in the day that we were born when we lay polluted in our own bloud said unto us at such a time as that Ezek. 16. Live If we think k on this we think on a Love which passeth knowledge on a mercy whose height and depth and breadth cannot be measured but if we can spread it upon our sinne as the the Prophet himself upon the childe we shall finde it equall to all dimensions And this is the Love of Him who gave His Sonne and the obedience of that Sonne who gave Him-self for our ransome a price that cannot be valued for it went to the worth of souls And this He did being made as Luther said well the greatest sinner in the World suffering what was due to such a sinner eternall wrath not in respect of its duration for it was of a short continuance but yet eternall in respect of the excellent dignitie of the person suffering who was the eternall Sonne of God And this He suffer'd even such a weight of wrath that He might free us from the same I mean that wrath which is to come which hath in it the very life and spirits of wrath The present wrath though it lye heavy for sinne yet it is but for present but the wrath to-come seizeth upon the soul and lyeth upon it to all eternitie l Omnis peccator peccat in siâ—o aeterno And this is the life and spirit of this wrath the thought whereof swallows us up as a drop is swallowed in the wide Ocean This weight He suffered as the greatest sinner that He might save to the utmost those that come unto Him Mark it for the houre may come saith m Disc of Just pag. 519. Mr. Hooker when we shall think it a blessed thing to heare That if our sins were the sins of Popes and Cardinals ours are very great having had a clear sun-shine of grace so long yet not walked as children of the Light the bowels of the mercie of God are larger I must reade his following words too I do not propose unto you a Pope with the neck of an Emperour under his feet A Cardinall riding his horse to the bridle in the bloud of Saints but a Pope or Cardinall sorrowfull penitent disrobed stript not only of usurped power but also deliver'd and recalled from errour Antichrist converted and lying prostrate at the foot of Christ And shall I think that Christ will spurn at him No He suffered to the utmost that he might save to the utmost those that beleeve whom he maketh the righteousnesse of God re-inâ—tateth in the Paradise which they lost that there they may live ever with their Lord partaking with Him of an exceeding weight of glory And here for the time would fail me my understanding both I would fix thy thoughts even at this well of Salvation On this Rock I would settle thee but that my hands are too short but under the shadow of thy wings my heartie desire is that thou mayest trust and dwell for ever then happie art thou and for ever happie for this Rocke is Christ from Him issueth water of life healing sinne washing away guilt sweetning sorrow swallowing up such a Death before mentioned with all its issues Christ I say get Him thou hast all a Sea an Ocean of good things as Clemens cals Him cleave to Him He hath strength enough enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protrep p. 51. against all assaults from within from without He and His righteousnesse answers all makes us firme and stedfast like an everlasting foundation the gates of hell nor policie nor strength shall prevail All in Him all of Him all from Him And all this as it is fully discovered in his Word therefore let it be thy delight and thy counsellour and pray that His Spirit still would be thy Interpreter for without Him it is as a Book sealed so was it figured out and sealed unto us in Baptisme But before I come to that Sacrament we must look over what was said touching our inward frame of spirit Where we behold from what a dignitie we are falne into what a depth of miserie That the Scripture speaks not in vain The o Jâ—r 17. 9. heart is desperately wicked It is for hardnesse like the nether mil-stone the Rocke the Adamant It is in point of conversion or turning unto God as dead as a doore-naile as unchangeable as the spots of a Leopard It is in point of that poyson malignity and rage that is in it a Lyon a Dogge an Adder a Dragon an Aspe a Viper in point of uncleannesse like a Leper from head to the foot polluted All this and much more That we may remember and be confounded and never open our mouth any more b Ezek. 16. â— but in acknowledging our selves unclean vile lothsome and in magnifying the abundant treasures of grace and riches of mercies in and through Christ freely offered and secured unto us in Baptisme which now comes to be treated of c. CHAP. III. Baptisme the outward the inward the secret and mysterious working thereof BAptisme wherein sacramently is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretium Redemptionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavacrum bloud to justifie and water to sanctifie even all Christ in that signe of water to quicken to renew to sanctifie He bids us in this Sacrament wash and be clean as in the other eat and live There we put off the old man with his lusts and we put on the new man with his righteousnesse here we are made one with Christ as a branch with the vine as a member with the body we are Christs and Christ is ours we are as truly united unto Him as is my hand to my arme my arme to my shoulder both to my head as truly I say but more strongly and firmly for these may be parted though my outward sense gives me not a feeling of it but such a neere union there is and it is sealed unto us in Baptisme I meane not that as was said of circumcision outward in the flesh made with the Hand sprinkling the face which doth but tye us to the body in an outward profession as a graft to the stocke from whence it hath neither life nor nourishment it doth not put us into Christ nor will it in the day of visitation and separation difference us from the Heathen b Jer. 7. 19. but exposeth us rather to more wrath And this outward Baptisme which without an inward work cleanseth not is as much as the Baptist that is deputed by the Church can administer Iohn who was the greatest that was born of women c Matth. 11. 11. could reach his
of the Lord Iesus Christ under these signes to nourish and cheere me if I cannot Eagle-like flye up to heaven unto Him and on that carcasse fasten and fixe my faith thence to draw strength and refreshing The soul can presently be one with that it delights in be it profit be it pleasure and it should much convince and ashame us of our flatnesse herein a matter of such concernment And in case Tremenda mysteria we finde no such working then to withdraw our foot being now approaching towards those high and awfull mysteries For if our hearts can open towards the earth and unite with things there but are flat and heavy towards Heaven no working that way where the Treasure is the Lord of Glory then surely we are no fit guests for this table For certain it is That whensoever our soul shall feele its union with God in Christ all things below will seeme base unto it the soul cannot unite with them nor be servant unto them use them she may but she enjoyes God her union there parts unrivets and divorceth her from base unions and fellowships with things below And so much to the second Grace required in the Receiver 3. The third is Love Love to God who loved us first and gave His Sonne that we might not perish Love to to Christ who so dearely bought us a Love as strong as Death which stirres up all the powers of the Body and Soul to love Him again so as we can thinke nothing too much or too hard to do or suffer for Him who hath so abounded towards us The History of His passion is more largely set down then is the History of His Nativitie Resurrection or Ascension and for this reason it is That all the circumstances thereof are so largely set down That our hearts should be enlarged after Christ That we should have largenesse of affection to Him and these steeped as it were in His bloud and crucified to His crosse and buried in His grave And as Love to Him so love to our Brother for His sake * Amâ—cum in Christa inimicâ—â— proâ—ter Christum It cannot be doubted of in Him that tastes of this Love Feast he partakes of that there which is the cement that sodders and joynes us together e Sanguis Christi coagulum Christianorum as the graines in one Loafe or as the stones in an Arch one staying up another or to speake in the Scriptures expression as members of one Body nay which is yet neerer as members one of another we partake in one house at one table of one bread here is a neere Communion and that calls for as neere an union so the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. One God one Christ one Spirit one Baptisme one Supper one Faith And all this to make us one That we may keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace f Eph. 4 3. But above all The Sacrament of the Supper is ordained for Love But our love to our enemies our shewing the kindnesse of the Lord g 2 Sam. 9. 3. first part p. 71. that is returning good for evill This blessing them who curse us this is all the difficultie and the doubt And hard it is to corrupt nature I remember Salvian saith He that thinks he prayeth for his enemy may be much mistaken he speaks he doth not pray h Si pro adversario â—rare se câ—git lâ—quitur non prâ—catur lib. 2. pag. 70. And yet it is much to consider how farre a common and naturall light hath lead some here in this straight way of forgiving an enemy He was an implacable brother who said let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother The other brother answered And let not me live if I be not reconciled to my brother i Plut. dâ— Fratâ—rno amere And they were brothers too betwixt whom we read never any other contention was but who should dye for the other k Maâ— lib. 1. â—â— 37. So strong a naturall affection hath been and so able to endure wrongs and to right them with good which is our rule and contrary to former customes l Isid Pâ—lus lib. 3. epist 126. 1 Cor 4. 12. 13. â—â—ge Chrys ad Pop. Ant. 〈◊〉 Hom. 9. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pluâ— de Frat. Am. wins the Crown or garland Grace is stronger then Nature it rivets and joynes men together like twin members eyes hands and feet or like twigs on the same root or stalke which stick alwayes together But especially if we suppose two persons communicating together at the Table of the Lord we must needs grant that in this Communion they see that which will reconcile implacablenesse it self for there they see a free offer of grace and peace not onely to an enemie once but to exmitie it self an infinite debt cancell'd a transgressour from the wombe an infinite transgressour since yet accepted to mercy This will beget again a love to God and to the most implacable enemy for Gods sake thoughts of this will swallow up the greatest injuries If our thoughts be upon the Ten thousand talents we cannot possibly think of requiring the hundred pence this Chrysostome m Vol. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lege Chrysost in cap. 8. ad Rom. Hom. 14. p. 206 presseth very fully and usefully in his first sermon upon that parable or debtor We must remember alwayes that much love will follow as an effect from the cause where many sinnes are forgiven n Luke 7. 47. Matth. â—8 33 We cannot but think on the equitie of this speech and how inexcusable it must leave an implacable man I forgave thee all thy debt shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servants The summe is and our rule I must love my friend in Christ and my enemie for Christ Catechismes are large here and helps many and it is hard to meet with new meditations on so old a subject handled so fully and usefully by many but His good spirit leade thee by the hand who leades unto all truth It remains onely that I give some satisfaction to a question or two these they are But how if I finde not these graces Repentance faith charitie to be in me how then May I go to this Table or go I as a worthy Communicant A weighty Question this of high and universall concernment For he or she that eats and drinks unworthily are guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord o 1. Cor. 11. 27. The guilt of bloud lieth upon them Now the Lord ever puts a price upon bloud even upon the bloud of beasts upon the bloud of man much more upoÌ„ that bloud that was shed for man how great a price being the bloud of God and the price of souls So then we must be well advised what we do For if we spill mans bloud as God forbid we should for bloud cries yet if we