in the soule not because thy are substantially one but notionally Yet this notion is realnesse in her kinde Man and Wife are one flesh no more two but one how by vertue of divine institution this union is reall and true yet not meerely Physicall and naturall onenesse but in the kind of it a matrimoniall union The like may be sayd of all civill unions of the family which by vertue of the ordinance of God assisted by law and order become bodies united I doe not allude to these as if they did hold in all points but for two causes First to shew the power of divine ordinance to unite and make things one Secondly to shew that the disproportioÌ„ of the natures of things united eyther for kind or distance is no let to reallnesse of union in a word it s the ordinance of Christ which hath an indeleble and irreversible power of the conjoyning of the Lord Iesus to the Elements in a reall and sacramentall kinde so farre as serves the turne not to subject Christ to a base creature but to subject the creature in her property to be a close and neare uniter of the soule with Christ to whom else through the incapablenesse of flesh it could not so easily have beene knit and made one withall All vnions serve to make God and the soule one This point will the better appeare if we goe a little further and shew that even the greatest and deepest unions that are serve to make way for the union and communion of the soule with her first originall hereafter in glory and here in grace The very personal union of the Trinity how should it be better conceived than by the mystery of redemption wherein God could not possibly have satisfied God nor man bee brought and united to God except there had beene a personall union that is a samenes of deity in the differing of persons The like is true in the union of Christs Godhead with the nature and flesh of man why was it but to serve Gods holy purpose to reconcile and unite flesh to God by the person of Emanuel So also that spirituall union of the whole body and soule of a beleever with Christ why is it but to prepare it for eternall union with him The union or communion rather of the members of Christ into one body and being to what serves it but that the whole Church may be one with Christ and her head that by him shee might be one with God himselfe who shall be all in all in glory wholly possessing and possessed So also wonder not if this inferior union of Sacraments be so reall and close seeing its cleare the Lord in this condescending so low to the Capacity of man unites himselfe no otherwise to the Elements than that in and by them as channels of conveyance he might when and where he sees it good to use them derive himselfe into the poore beleeving soule in a fuller assurance of Communion with her So that our Saviour saith Mervaile not that I said unto you he that eates and drinkes my flesh and blood Ioh. 6 43. shall abide in me and live for ever To man such a union is impossible betweene a creature and the Creator betweene basenesse and glory But it is the Word and ordinance that causeth it and which hath setled this Sacramentall union indissolubly that our soules might fare much the better and the union of the soule with Christ himselfe might bee more familiarly conceived Rule 1 To adde somewhat for the better opening of this union let us first understand what it must be and then what it cannot be First of necessity it must be such an union as the nature of the things united will admit Then secondly such as the ends of a Sacrament will suffer For the former A further opening of this by two things The nature of the things united will not admit either a locall or a Physicall union They will and may admit a spirituall one First not a locall viz. That as the Bread and Wine are locally present so that the Body and Blood of the Lord Iesus be also locally present this I say the nature of the Lord Iesus his Body will not admit 1. What they admit not viz. a locall or naturall For although it be a glorified body yet it is a true naturall body and therefore limited and so cannot Consubstantiate with the Elements in all places where they at one and the same instant are present to the sence of the receiver Which confutes the Lutheran error of locall Presence as if of necessity there must be a corporall Presence or else those words This is my body cannot bee verified No wee deny it because it râ—sists the Nature of the things united and present Secondly neither will their nature admit a physicall Presence or union that is such an union as by which the proper formes and beings of the things united are lost and become under a new forme of mixture or composition For the Natures of Christ and the Bread are incompatible in point of mixture or compounding because the one is a spirituall the other a corporall thing which admit no such mixture as corporall things of like nature doe as wine and water So then if this union bee not mixt it is much lesse Transubstantiate for in that the one doth not mixe with but evacuate and disanull the other leaving nothing of substance behinde But the nature of these Elements admit a spirituall union 2. What they wil admit viz. spirituall union nothing hinders why the things which are furthest distant or remote in place may not yet bee present in truth and realnesse for the sound of a Canon-shot 40. miles off from my eare yet is present by the meane of the ayre bringing it home to mee and the body of the Sunne of light and warmth distant farre from mee yet by the ayre which carryeth the beames of it is present and made one with my bodily touch and feeling And againe nothing hinders why two things physically disjoyned may not yet spiritually be one and joyned together by vertue of the power of the ordainer In a word the Nature of the things united will admit a reall union although no corporall unnion eyther locall or mixt and much lesse transubstantiall therefore the things united in the Sacraments are onely spiritually and really united Rule 2 Secondly the union of a Sacrament must be such as the scope and end of a Sacrament will suffer and no other It s such an union as the end of a Sacrament will suffer But the end and purpose of a Sacrament cannot admit any other union betwixt the signes and things signified save spiritually reall For then must we destroy the scope of a Sacrament in a double respect 1. Of relation 1 Relation for except there bee maintained in the Sacrament distinctnesse of Termes and Relation of one to another so that a bodily thing may
than no where what better proofe of the Lord Iesus at his best than this that he is offered to thee in no lesse mysticall union for the end of a more mysticall one I meane as united to poore bread and wine that he might also unite himselfe in the whole grace of his Sacrifice to thy soule and body What better und easier conveiance couldst thou wish than this for so feeble and weake a spirit as thine is When once that people which followed Christ sitting upon an Asse Colt and riding as a King to Ierusalem cryed Hosanna and sayd Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Thinke we not that they saw Christ at the best Why did they else except they had beheld his spiritual Kingdome cut downe Palmes and strew them in the way stripping themselves of their garments to set him thereon Surely they were not so offended at the meanenesse of his palfrey and basenesse of the outside but they saw in this his riding a cleere representation of his glorious grace and the Maiesty of his person So shouldst thou in this union of Christ with base crummes of bread or drops of wine behold a more spirituall presence of Christ who careth not for such creatures but for thy soule and being farre from stumbling at the basenesse of the Asse or Elements raise up thy soule to a more heavenly sense of the Lord Iesus comming into thy heart and spirit bringing thee to God and uniting thee to the fountaine of thy blessednesse in a farre closer manner than ever Adam was And is not this union the Lord Iesus at his best yes verily From this Sacramentall union proceeds that exhibitive nature of Sacraments carrying the Lord Iesus into the soule of all the elect that communicate For to what end is union Sacramentall save that the Sacraments being thus possessed of the Lord Iesus mystically in them might exhibite to all and effectually carry into the bosomes of the elect the power of this Lord Iesus and convey as Vessells channelles and Pipes that grace which they containe I doe not meane that by vertue of the worke wrought or by the force of Divine institution there is any naturall holinesse put into them or magicall power of inchantment to take hold of the soule No in no wise for how many thousands are there both young and old who after the enjoying of the Sacraments doe put most woefull barres in their owne way that the power of Sacramentall union might never come at them So that when the Covenant comes to bee dispenced unto them they fare as persons utterly disabled to receive it Nay neither dare I thinke that by vertue hereof it s of absolute necessity that all Elect Infants must receive conversion of grace just in the act of their Baptizing for what were this but to ascribe more to the Seale than to the Covenant yea to invert their order and to ascribe greater power to an ordinance under which they walke 20 30 40. yeeres carelesly without discovery of any grace at all rather than to the lively power of the Covenant preached and working from that time forth an apparant change So that although in charity I am bound to thinke no other save that all such as receive Sacraments duely concurre with the grace of the Spirit for future improvement Yet to tye the Lords hands behind him and to make the Lord of Sacraments to become their underling as if hee had put himselfe out of Authority and office wholly to be subject to his Sacrament what indignity were it for the ordainer No not so But so farre so often and where it shall seeme good to himselfe to make use of his Sacrament for the good of his Elect for whose good they serve there doubtlesse these Ordinances doe both present and conferre the grace which is put into them Else to what end should they have it except they might convey it Now summe up all and answere Is not the exhibitive power of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus at his best Is not a reall tender better than a bare signe or a promise onely without performance He that promiseth an hundred pounds to lend or give to his poore friend and presently tenders the money that he might be before hand doth he not lend or give at the best Nay more than this not the Sacraments onely are thus exhibitive of Christ to the soule But by vertue of the union I have spoken of the Lord Iesus himselfe is there present where his institution is duely observed to be the Baptizer of his members and to be the steward and nourisher of his family that is to bestow himselfe upon the soule Touching Baptisme first true it is That our Lord Iesus himselfe never baptised any outwardly howbeit as then so much more now being ascended he it is who in the outward Baptisme of the Minister doth give gifts unto men and doth still baptise all his with the holy Ghost and fire A poore sinfull man doth what he can doe but further he cannot goe He dives the infant into holdes it in and receives it out againe from the water baptising it in the name of the sacred Trinity But this our great Baptist he is all in all for the doing of the worke It is he who casts in the salt of his divine healing power into corrupt and of themselves accursed creatures and Element and element he removes the curse death and barrennes of the waters utterly unable to engender he takes off their base uncomelinesse he darts and plants in them the efficacy of his owne death and resurrection both for merit of pardon and of holines he sanctifies clenses them that they may become hallowed and purging instruments And as a planter takes the sien of the Apple-tree and pitches it into a Crabtree stock so the Lord Iesus takes the pretious sien of his owne Righteousnesse the Power of his owne death and grave the strength of his resurrection and exalting and pitches both into water so that water becomes Christ-water Christs death and life so that the soule is washt with the one as the body with the other The soule by faith in the covenant feele her descent into the water to become a spirit of diving her into the laver and blood and grave of the Lord Iesus her being under the water to become the spirit brooding and fructifying the water to become a seede of life abiding in the wombe of the soule to regenerate it to the life of Christ Her arising up from the water to become a spirit of Resurrection as Peter excellently speakes 1 Epist cap. 3. verse 21. and a baptising of the soule with the activity and raising of her up with Christ from her death grave basenesse and misery unto immortality and glory Yea in all three the soule feeles the power of a new and omnipotent creation of her to God ingrafting her in God never to be pulled from him any more as at first And as the
thing to such an apt use is the very life bloud and marrow of a Sacrament There is no doubt but as the Scripture teacheth a Christian wise man will picke out holines out of each resemblance an housewife that is godly will not boult out her flower from the bran but her heart will carrie her to our Saviours words Satan hath desired to winnow you Luke 22 31. c. An Husbandman will not use his Fanne or Floore to dresse or cast his corne in but he will muse of that finall separation of the drosse from the Wheate But there is great odds betweene a voluntary act of our owne devotion and an obedience to a Sacramentall charge As the Text saith Luke 4. Luke 4.27 There were many Leapers in Elisha's time and many Widdowes but not many to whom hee was sent So the world yea the world is full of resemblances but not of such as Christ hath set his stampe upon to bee Sacramentall The setting of a young child before the Disciples and the washing of their feete with his owne hands were Christs acts still at this day apishly followed by the Pope but neither appointed to be Sacramentall but onely naturall resemblances to an holy heart which hath a gift to make use thereof of a spirituall grace of humility Appropriation then especially stands in â—â—is determining of the Elements to such an use by the word and ordinance Vse 1 Ere we proceede this first point may be of speciall use 1. To blesse the Lord as for the releefe of our stupor by outward Elements so especially for the aptnes thereof chusing such as without any more adoe might easily acquaint us with such holy things of which before And to teach us to beg of his Majesty heavenly hearts which might be capable of his meaning herein Vse 2 Secondly this must keepe us within holy bounds as concerning our devising and setting up to our selves resemblances of holy things as Crucifixes the Image of the blessed humility of Christ to behold and worship Who allowed us these The Sacraments serve as a Supersedeas from all such inventions All Popish trash of forged Sacraments heere falles to ground Vse 3 Lastly let us learne to familiarize with Gods Sacraments in the point of the institution of Resembling the Lord Iesus Let us not be dull and blockish in appropriating them to their use but learne still to climbe up by them to heaven If the minde be at Yorke instantly at the naming of the Citty when yet the body is an 100. miles distant and no sooner doth a woman heare her husbands name but shee is present with him though he be in a farre Countrey by the velocity speed of the Apprehension stirred up by such a relation Oh! how dull and slow of heart are they who in the midst not of artificiall humane or naturall but divine appropriations are so carnall and heavy that scarsely the Sacrament will ingender one lively representation of the Lord Iesus to nourish us cheere us But as we come so wee sit and so depart as Strangers and Idiots as if Christ and we were devided as farre as heaven and earth The causes of which are these 2 Causes of our dulnesse herein eyther that wee are not those new Creatures in whom God hath renewed the powers of understanding and affection and therefore want the discourse and the spirit of relation in a word want the operation of a new Creature which is faith stirring the soule to a lively meditation of Christ by the word the ordinance and promise of God and then what wonder if Sacraments which should bee the most active meanes become all a-mort dead and dumbe with us and wee being held and taken in all our lims at once like numbâ—â—alsie-ones can neyther stirre hand or foote towards Christ or else wee abuse the gift of faith and the power of the new creature by disabling our selves and disinuring our soules from this worke and disguising that image of God in us which serves to carry us to God by setting it upon trash world profit pleasure ease and sensuality till it seeme tedious unto us to set it upon holy thoughts in the Sacrament Caveat thereto To prevent this it were good counsell to trade our spirits to heavenly things even by earthly occasions as well without as within the Sacraments He shall not finde his spirits so flat loy and lazy in meeting with Sacramentall Christ who inures his dead heart daily to an holy nimblenesse in comparing earthly things with heavenly Hee that cannot see a Pismire but hee will thinke of providence Prov. 6.6 not a garish harlot dressing herselfe for an adulterous wretch but will taxe himselfe for his lesse loving Christ shee that cannot lay a leaven Matth. 13.33 but thinkes of the kingdome of Christ and in a word hath a gift to be heavenly and to turne ordinary properties of the creature or common occasions to holy meditation he shall not have his heart in another world when the Lord presents unto him the Lord Iesus by Sacramentall resemblances And thus much for the first The second part of the forme of Sacraments is union The second part of forme Vnion Which yet comes nearer than the former as more closely conveying exhibiting the Lord Iesus to the soule Yet wee must know the former makes way to this the aptnesse and speciall application of signes to this use helpes much the minde to conceive but this is the more immediate object of faith to fasten upon Christ that the Sacraments are no longer the bread of the Lord but bread the Lord wine the Lord and water the Lord. And this Sacramentall union is an act of Gods ordeining Spirit and Authority by vertue whereof the Lord Iesus in all his merits and efficacy is not onely resembled and presented by apt likenesse to the minde but really made one with the Elements that by them and with them he might be carried into the soule inseparably for assurance of union and Communion with God Hence it is that the Scripture speakes in such a phrase This is my body This is my blood of the New Testament Luk. 22 19. 1 Cor. 5 7. Ioh. 6 32. yea in the Old Testament Christ is our Passeover The Rocke was Christ I am that Manna which descended c. All which phrases denote a realnesse and union with the Elements true and unfaigned And indeede all divine unions are Reall All unions reall although they differ in their severall kinds yet by vertue of the ordinance and the power of him that hath so made them they are no shaddowes of empty things no dumbe Pageants as we may see in other unions Sorts of them There is an intellectuall union in nature betweene the mind and object in which respect we say the mind is all things meaning in and by this comprehension and union The object and the mind are one by vertue of this power of God
signifie and intimate a spirituall and a spirituall be represented by a carnall yet each distinct in their nature the Sacramentalnesse perishes simbolicalnesse and resemblance being wholly extinct by mixture and confusion of things united Then secondly of materialnesse 2. Materialnesse For if we admit such an union as is transubstantiate which indeed is no union of two in one but an excluding and swallowing up of one by another what shall remaine of the Element behind If they answer the accidents of them This being premised that its impossible accidents can subsist without their subject I answer meerenesse of accidents take away materialnesse or corporalnesse and therefore disanull as much the substance of a Sacrament as if wee should hould that the Elements could swallow up the things signified But secondly the end of a Sacrament will easily admit such an union of things as whereby the Lord Iesus and all his good things may bee conveyed to the soule really this being as much as a Sacrament serves for and concurring equally and fully with the scope and purpose of it whatsoever is more is superfluous And therefore resisting that end must needs be a false and erronious union not from God Vse 3 The use of this whole doctrine is manifold It is first instruction to teach us what must discerne and judge of this Sacramentall union what nature it is of Surely not Popery not flesh and blood for they being destitute of the Spirit of this union cannot comprehend it It s a Riddle which onely hee can conceive who plougheth with the Lords Heifer Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 2. which onely conceives it Carnall men cannot judge of spirituall things because spiritually discerned If wee would know eyther what this union is not to wit popish and carnall and locall or what it is to wit reall yet spirituall then judge what eyther the nature of the things united or the scope of a Sacrament will admit and there rest goe no further If then it seeme strange how a thing may be as truly reall spiritually as carnally seeke the Spirit of God who is the knitter of this knot and that will teach thee that the power of the word which appointed light to be and it was and the evening and the morning to be a day and it was and man to be and he was did also ordaine the Body and Blood of Christ to be really one with the Elements without locallnesse or mixture and therefore so they are Vse 2 Secondly looke what difference there is in the things united in the point of their Sacramentall union the same difference and distance must bee observed by the Communicants in point of partaking them To wit that still the severall nature of these things be preserved entire and yet by the one carnall thing the other which is spirituall be bettered and enlarged Touching the first the soule the spirit the faith of the receiver looke at the spirit of the Sacrament the Lord Iesus crucified The hand the eye the mouth of the receiver looke at the Elements onely Doe not thinke then that the carnall part can meddle with the spirituall nor the spirituall with the carnal as it is so but the outward man sees touches tasts and digests the outward the spirituall beholds tastes and enjoyes the spirituall each must keepe his owne bounds If I would discerne an outward thing in the Sacrament I must use my sence my touch my tast and if these convince it to bee carnall so it is Againe if I would discerne a spirituall thing there I must consult with my inward man and the inner sence of faith and thereby I must pronounce an inner thing to be present If I want eyes and sence I can perceive no outward thing If I want faith in my soule I can perceive no spirituall thing each thing or object must bee perceived by the proper instrument belonging to it To the end I may perceive there bee true Materialls in the Sacrament and not onely bare accidents without a substance the outward sense is triall sufficient sight touch and taste will not easily erre about their owne objects as our Saviour tells his Disciples Looke upon and handle me for a spirit hath no object of Touch Luke 24 39. flesh blood and bones as ye see me have Againe if the question be of a spirituall being or body and blood of Christ let sense and teeth goe there faith and the Spirit of Christ must convince it if that feele the beames warmth and see the light and tast the influence issuing therefrom then certainly they are there for the Spirit cannot bee deceived about her owne object Onely this I adde Neither of these can be severed from other for by the externall the Lord hath appointed to convey the spirituall and not without them and in that relation of each to other even the meanest ought to be honoured and the outward sense ought to bee so busied about the objects of sence as thereby to helpe succour and strengthen the weakenesse of faith in the object that is spirituall More of this in the Act of Receiving Vse 3 Thirdly therefore this Doctrine of Sacramentall Vnion confutes this Dotage of Popish Transubstantiation The Papists not content with the vnion we speake off cast oyle into the flame and maintaine a conversion and confusion of Christ and the Elements by a corporall presence and realnesse And as one once demanded by Boner whether Christ was not blood and bone in the Sacrament made him a merry answere let me so disgrace Popery that yet I may speake with reverence yes my Lord I thinke not so only but that there he is boots and spurs and all Meaning that such is Popish excesse and ridiculousnesse in this that it deserves to be esteemed in the Church as a laughing stocke And sure it is as themselves also say they receive not from God a Sacrament of Vnion but offer up to him a sacrifice of their owne for propitiation I say the Papists by this foppery under colour of magnifying the Sacrament doe quite destroy it Marke then what I sayd before Vnion still must be conceived according to her kind not corporall but mysticall and by ordinance As then its a truth except the Elements and the Lord Iesus were one no bad receiver could be guilty of eating his owne condemnation so yet if this vnion be conceived as transubstantiall it is impossible it should be Sacramentall For Sacramentall union still is symbolicall which its impossible to conceive in things changed into a naturall samenesse and substance As wee know in common speech we say No like thing is the same because a like thing is like to another Identity then in Christ and the Elements disanulls Sacramentall union and therefore the Sacrament it selfe This error of theirs as it came from the forge of carnall reason first and the savor of the kitchin How popish errour grew so it received varnish from the erronious conceiving of
Scriptures and Fathers expressing Sacramentall union As when our Saviour saith This is my body and Paul The bread we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ from which and like places they presently cry out Loe yee the bread is his body So when the Fathers especially those who were the greatest orators doe hyperbolize in the prayse of the Sacrament calling it the bread of life and an ineffable union and that after consecration the bread by the omnipotency of the Word is made flesh c. they abuse the scope of the Fathers which to themselves was good because although they meant no other but to magnifie Sacramentall union yet the excesse of their speech occasions the errour of corporall union to prevaile Let us loath their Idolatry and superstition Vse 4 Fourthly it should teach Gods people never to cease magnifying the love of God who hath refused no course neglected no meane which possibly might make for the communicating of himselfe to lost man both in union fellowship and seeing his word through our infidelity could not sufficiently satisfie your scrupulous and doubtfull mindes touching the realnesse of his faithfull meaning towards us hath not onely stooped to be in our flesh as a man but to tye himselfe to base creatures that so he might familiarize with our soules more nearely and make us one with himselfe so that the meate drink we receive is not made our substance of flesh more really than the Lord Iesus is made the substance of our spirituall nourishment Oh! I say how should his love shewed upon so hard conditions not onely ravish us but also prevaile with us for those ends which it serves for how should our soules study for union with him influence from him to become like him How should wee strive to attaine the perfection of that happinesse which Adam lost recover it in a farre fuller and nearer union with Christ and by him with the Lord Oh! this is the scope which all unions and especially this Sacramentall have to unrivet us from base unions and fellowships with things below that so we might settle our hearts upon him whom to know and beleeve to be our God reconciled is happinesse and to be united to his natures in one mysticall being of holinesse is above all earthly fading comforts Oh! hath the Lord joyned himselfe to the creatures that we not resting in them might by them be carryed to him in whom true rest and peace is to be had How should we despise to be one with money with pleasure with mans acceptance with other carnall objects and say since I came to see the excellent union of the soule with God in Christ I see nothing below but seemes base to me and such as I am loth to unite and give over my selfe to it to be servant to it to be possessed by it or to possesse it I will use all other things and enjoy the Lord. None of his good things can be made mine without union therefore as I seeke them and the increase of them in the Sacrament so I will especially seeke union and make much of the Sacrament for the purchasing of it Vse 5 Fiftly and especially how doth this point presse the necessity of faith upon us in the use of that Sacrament Onely faith is able to discerne the Lords body in this Sacramentall union and as by the former point to make us partakers of the divine nature so by this to strengthen the soule in the increase of communion by the Sacrament Let it be double exhortation then to all beleevers both to discerne to apply the Lord Iesus sacramentall 1. To discerne it For the first Turne wee all our cavilling and carnall reasoning which is endlesse for carnality comprehends not mysteries into a quietnesse and stillnesse of beleeving forsake the swift rolling torrent of never satisfied sence and embrace the softly and still streame of Siloam cut all knots in two by the ordinance thereby determine all endlesse reasonings of Popish curiosity spend that time in admiring this mystery and in longing to be partaker of that which is by it resembled I meane union of thy soule with Christ If this be so mystical how excellent is that to enjoy by faith Oh! Till union be made nothing is thine Behold not with a carnall eye say not with those Iewes Ioh. 8.22 how will he give us his flesh will he kill himselfe If reason may prevaile the Sacrament setting aside a little blinde devotion will discover no more Christ to the soule than bread and wine in a Cellar It s the power of God uniting Christ regeneration and nourishment to the soule not a few qualities of Christ but whole Christ to the whole man And the Sacraments obey him herein representing whatsoever he hath united to them No divell no instrument of his no Pope can sever these two each from other The Sacrament they may quite destroy but this union they cannot take from the Sacrament The spirit of the ordinance it is which makes it abide so irrepealable Do not then sever those things by unbeleefe which the Ordinance hath put so close together wander not descant not goe not into heaven nor downe to hell with a papist to consult and aske Rom. 10.15.16 How should this be But know the word is neare thee in thy eare yea hand eye taste the vertue of the ordinance makes whole Christ as neare the Elements as the quality of clensing feeding are neare them Destroy the one destroy the other If the one be naturall the other is spirituall and from an higher union if it be against sense to divide the one its sacriledge to sever the other True it is the things thus united are farre distant in place but yet the power of the eternall ordinance can easily unite them And shall not the gift of faith unite the soule to the Lord Iesus by these Elements as well as the ordinance for ever unites the Lord Iesus and the Elements Beware then least we sever what God hath united It is not the farrenesse off of a thing in place which can hinder union The Lord Iesus his body in the grave lost not union with the divinity by the distance of the soule in paradise because the relation was indissoluble the vertue of Christ crucified is united to the soule if it beleeve although his body keepe his place in heaven Faith in this kind is not unlike to the hand of the Marriner in sounding the depth of the sea His hand cannot touch or fadome it but by vertue of the line and plummet which he lets downe and holds in his hand he feeles the bottome and gages the depth be it never so remote So the hand of faith holding the cord and plummet of the word and promise feeles a bottome of Truth and unites it selfe to Christ For the second 2. To apply it from this discerning power goe to the applying get this
the Lord Iesus that so it might never faile nor wanze away any more Then surely it behooves that the Lord Iesus be as well the keeper of this life and the nourishment thereof as hee was the first the breeder thereof Answere 4 Fourthly the Father to this end must really convey into the person of Christ all such power and vertue as may enable him to be the life and nourishment of his members and therefore he must fill him with himselfe bodily and make him the treasury of all graces wisedome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption all good things necessary for the making of such as are not his to become his and such as are his to be more his or his in a more full and assured manner to prosper grow and thrive in him unto perfection Answere 5 Fiftly he must also qualifie the Lord Iesus with the gift of conveying this holy nature of his and this blessed nourishment of his unto his people and this he doth not onely by the union of flesh with God but especially by the death and satisfaction of Christ by which as by a wide dore he opened the treasure of life and nourishment which was in him and merited that the life of grace in forgivenesse and holinesse might be theirs and that himselfe in his flesh and blood broken and powred out might bee a most effectuall seede of life and foode of life to support them Answere 6 Sixtly to this end hee hath the authority to send forth the word of reconciliation and of nourishment unto his people and as by the power of vocation to call them from death to life that all who heare the voyce of God might live so also to create in their soules by that word of his Esay 57.17 the gift of faith to pull them to himselfe to unite them to himselfe and to convey his owne spirituall life by this union of faith unto them causing his blessed Spirit to concurre so with the word as to settle it upon them and having so done to give them this priviledge that they shall as truely bee maintained at his cost Iohn 17.11 be kept in his name be upheld in grace prosper in it be defended against all enemies within or without which might impeach this their welfare growth fruitfulnesse and perseverance as ever he bred life in them at the first Answere 7 Seventhly and lastly they receive by this priviledge as true right to claime plead for and expect the Lord Iesus to be their nourishment as the poore dumbe creature by the instinct of nature being brought forth runnes to the Damme for milke Or as the Infant comming forth of that wombe which gave it life cryes for the brest of the same mother and pleades to be nourished by her By these steps it may be conceived in generall how the Lord Iesus is made of the Father the true foode of his members The second question viz. How Christ is so in the Supper But as yet here is nothing of Christ our Sacramentall nourishmen Vnderstand therefore the Sacrament to stand in relation to the word of promise wherein Christ is made the poore soules owne to feede her As I noted in Baptisme so heere againe observe Christ in promise and Christ in the Supper differ not save in the manner and degree of exhibiting him out nourishment Looke then what the Spirit of the promise workes for the soule that it much more worketh by the Sacrament First persents the promises Take some instances First it presents the soule of every one truely bred with those choise promises of Christ her nourishment searching them out of each corner Tells her Esay 25. Esay 25.7 That the Lord makes her a feast upon the mountaines of fat things of wines refined and pure and the dishes of the feast are Christ in his graces plucking away the veile of darkenesse remooving death and feare bringing joy and peace Esay 55.1 Esay 55.2 he offers him in all kinds of things usefull and nourishing wine honey oyle bids her eate good things and delight her selfe in fatnesse In Pro. 7. Prov. 7.1 he invites her to his feast and provision of all choice dainties not for necessity onely but for fulnesse for delicacy for variety and delight for safety for durablenesse In Psal 23. Psal 23.3 hee leades her as a shepheard into his pastures streames folds guards her against dangers and death annoints her head with balme Cant. 4.13 and fills full her cup. In the Canticles he makes himselfe her husband to marry himselfe to her and bestow all at once upon her his garments smell of mirrhe Cinnamon and Cassia In Psal 84. Psal 84.11 he denies her nothing that is good for her either for light or defence in those Parables he makes her a feast Luk. 15.23 brings out the Calfe In Iohn 6. Iohn 6.55 tells her his flesh is not onely life but meate indeede and his blood drinke indeede And plainely saith They that live in him shall abide in him and out of their belly shall spring up waters of life they that eate him shall not dye but live for ever In Revel 3. Revel 3.18 he offers himselfe to her in all respects Attire for nakednesse Gold for poverty eye-salve for blindnesse himselfe a supply of all necessities How much more then doth hee leade her to this great Sacramentall promise mentioned in the Text This is my body given for you this is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood 2. Brings the fulnesse of Christ into the promise Againe the Spirit of the promise brings the Lord Iesus and all his fulnesse of nourishment into that promise the spirit of nature doth not so prepare the nourishment of the infant and seale it in the brest for more easie fastning than the Spirit doth settle all the fulnesse of Christ in a promise so that it offers it selfe to the hungry soule Besides 3. Puts the truth of the promiser into it it put the faithfulnesse of the promiser into the promise all the tendernesse and compassion of Christ to the wants of the Church and the truth of his meaning not to faile her in any good thing he can helpe her with Furthermore it strips her of all her owne strength 3. Strips the soule of her selfe tells her that although shee be borne of God yet except hee cleave to her as a feeder as a father a nurse a supply she cannot subsist shee will goe to worke else with her owne tooles and compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles Esa 50. ult and deceive her selfe with her owne trash shee cannot doe any duty get out of any temptation beare any trouble of her selfe without Christ shee can doe nothing Moreover hee sheweth her 4. Leads her to the sufficiency of Christ all her sufficiency is from Christ The worke and life of grace requires his daily hourely acting power in her to set it on
Sacrament and receive comfortably pag. 232 CHAP. XII The causes why the Sacraments are not received and enjoyed either by the common sort worthily or fruitfully by the better sort of communicants with the remedies pag. 239 The speciall Contents of each Sâ—ction let the Reader looke for in the marginall Notes of each Chapter To the Christian Reader GOod Reader I could not but advertise thee of some cautions in the method and manner of thy reading of these Treatises and here I would frame my speech to two sorts the one weaker and more ignorant the other such as would think themselves more judicious To the former I say this First that whereas weake ones lighting upon a booke of this nature cloven in two and divided are ready to enquire whether part is more necessary and as they fancy so to take what they list and leave what they please falling upon that part which they thinke neerliest joyned with practise passing by the other as lesse needfull Therefore I advise all such to use a better order in their reading and as Iosephs servants did in the search of the sackes to begin with the eldest and first and to end with the last to reade in order from the beginning of the foâ—mer Part to the end of the latter by which meanes it shall come to passe that understanding their grounds distinctly and wisely they shall proceede to practise with farre greater light and savour than otherwise they should do by their confused reading I observe also another folly in weake ones That when the occasion of the Sacrament is offered they commonly catch up some booke of that Argument and while the pang lasteth spend their devotion upon it till they be weary but no whit bend themselves to reade those things which chiefly concerne them and although they should light upon some such point yet the discourse being coherent and they very unsetled can scarse reade over halfe one point Therefore my counsell to such is To turne their sudden pangs into an ordinary habit that is to devote themselves to a diligent reading and coherent perusall of the things as they are handled without slightnesse and needlesse interruption whereby they shall both meete with such things as doe most concerne their estate and shall be able by taking note thereof to turne to them at their neede and not to be to seeke of them nor wander in their reading at uncertainties which will cause their reading to be sweete when they feele gaine to ensue thereby The latter caution to the more judicious is this That whereas some of them affecting to be thought so when they meete with a booke of this nature partly containing contemplation partly practise These I say are in another extreame and thinking the latter to be under their curious braines do quite passe it over and if they thinke to get some new point of deeper nature than ordinary or some distinction formerly unknowne to them out of the contemplative discourse that they will fasten upon and study hard labouring indeed rather to pride themselves with ostentation of some novelties or depths than to edifie themselves with any practicall and savory truthes as they are in Iesus To these I say this That although I have beene willing to handle the Theory of this point of a Sacrament both because its little looked after and also for satisfaction of sober desires of knowledge yet my cheefe scope was rather to draw men to love and embrace the Sacraments for their true gaine and spirituall commodity than to humour any frothy braine in meere discourse to puffe men up withall In a word if the well minded Reader shall purchase any thing towards more sound understanding by these my Collections I shall be glad but much more glad if I should finde that this knowledge of theirs did drop as dew and soake into their hearts and affections to season them with a pious and conscionable regard of the Sacraments a more due reverence in preparing themselves to the Table of the Lord and a more carefull survey of themselves after their Receiving that so their whole course might bee much better and their former errors rectified and reformed Now as touching the scope of this latter part understand that looke what in my former preface and Treatise I have endeavored for opening the Doctrine that I desire to do in this part for the stirring up of practise in men in due preparing themselves and meete receiving of the Supper And seeing it is so holy solemne and hazardous a worke it imports us to looke well to our selves in our partaking thereof Sacraments my brethren are no morrall acts such as the managing of our earthly affaires buyings sellings companies recreations and callings are which yet are holily to bee performed but holy things in their nature eminently spirituall and religious in themselves They containe Christ Iesus for the sealing up of birth and prosperity of the soule As the grace is exceeding spirituall which they exhibit to beleevers so is the curse as poenall which they threaten to the abusers In no one thing doe wee either more aboundantly advantage nor in any one more endamage our selves as wee goe to worke Spirituall ordinances are both spiritually violated and spiritually punished Hoping that this short item through mercy shall prevaile as much as a longer with the wise and craving grace from heaven upon us both I bid thee farewell A TREATISE OF THE TWO SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPELL BAPTISME AND THE SVPPER OF THE LORD The first part CHAP. I. Of the Generall Circumstances of Sacraments I Begin with these because the doctrine thereof may afford light to the ensuing Discourse And the Circumstances which I would touch upon are these six Circumstances 6. 1. The Name Sacrament 2. The Antiquitie 3. The Necessitie of their handling in the Ministry 4. The Number 5. The Publiquenesse 6. The Time thereof Circumst 1 Concerning the Name Name of a Sacrament it is of ancient use in both Heathen and Christian Authors The Heathens applyed it to signifie a sacred and holy service about theis Idoll worship and especially to an oath which they honoured as a sacred and divine band the Latine Fathers especially the eloquentest Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose c. use it in the same sence for an holy religious complement or performance in which sence although especially they aymed at our two Sacraments yet they also called any other as well by this name as if wee would call the mystery or doctrine of Christ a Sacrament or the Church liturgy a Sacrament or any other publique or private ordinance a Sermon a fast or the like This we see was a very large and generall expression The abuse of it which some moderne Divines following without due judgement used confound divine mysteries and Sacraments calling each signe or type a Sacrament and consequently grant that errour which the Fathers upon due deliberation would have disclaymed viz. that the old Church had more Sacraments than
grace of faith to unite Christ Sacramentall unto thy soule Say thus Are water bread wine inseparable from Christ why so Doth God care for oxen as Paul saith or careth he to be one with bread and wine 1 Cor. 9.9 Are these the subjects of his delight poore base corruptible Elements 1 Cor. 6.19 Heb. 12.23 No no those lively Temples of our soules and spirits of just beleeving ones are the places of his delight Oh! then say so Lord this union serves for a better that thou and my soule be one by the convey of the Sacrament that I might eate drinke Psal 24.7 enjoy thee Oh lift up thy head my dore be thou lifted up in me oh eternall gate of my soule that the King of glory may come in Let faith unbolt set you wide open that Christ may enter and take you up for his habitation be your head as the husband is the wives to procure her all good as a Prince in his governement as a Master in his family nay as the soule is in the body Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17.26 ult to act rule frame purge them to encrease the power of faith in adoption reconciliatiō to enlarge the graces of his spirit love meekenesse patience thankfulnesse to fill the conscience with joy hope peace to cause these to flow out of the belly of the soule as waters of life unto eternall life yea not onely better hearers worshippers of God but more wise to rule more faithfull to obey righteous in buying selling exemplary in our Christian practise harmles upright sober to purge us of our wrath uncharitablenes unmercifulnes unprofitablenes that the Lord Iesus Sacramētall in the spirit of him may become more lively powerfull and fruitfull in us Oh! pray and give the Lord no rest till he have bred faith in thee to these ends Vse 6 And to conclude if the poore creatures thus hold their union with Christ and thou by unbeleefe remainest destitute of him know these dumbe Elements shall one day rise up in judgment against thee condemne thee for they have kept their union which is but subordinate and serving to a better end But thou hast rejected thy union spirituall with Christ in the increase of his graces Oh wretch In naturall things and in vicious things thou art ripe and quicke enough to apprehend yea more than thou oughtest No sooner doth the name of that which thou takest pleasure in as the Taverne or Alehouse in which thou hast often disguised thy selfe come to mind no sooner the name of thy Farme which affords thee such a Rent Revenue offer it selfe to thee no sooner doth the name of the harlot whom thou hast consorted with the glasse in which thou canst reflect thy owne face upon thine eyes stand before thee but instantly thou feelest an union with those lusts which those names and notions present to thee thy spirit savors drunkennesse covetousnesse uncleanenesse and pride Onely the Sacraments are offred to thine eye by the Lord in which Christ is nominated nay actually exhibited and united and here the union is so strange a thing from thee that any other base object will sooner offer it selfe alone without any other occasion than the least apprehension of Sacramentall Christ come into thy thoughts or affections eyther to beleeve in love joy in or much lesse to be knit unto and made one with that all his excellency and grace might be thine that fatnesse and sweetnesse of his might be conveyed by faith into thy soule How shalt thou be able to answer this sensuality estrangement of spirit from the Lord Iesus Iustly may that curse light upon thee 1 Cor. 16.22 The 4. is the end twofold primary or secondary which Paul pronounceth upon al such as love not the Lord Iesus Thus much for the forme of a Sacrament be also spoken I proceede to the last generall in the definition which is the end of a Sacrament And that is double eyther concerning us from God or God from us Both as I noted are the scope of a Sacrament The reason whereof is because the Sacrament intends full as much and neither more not lesse than the covenant doth I meane the covenant of grace But the covenant of grace is reciprocall That God be our God Both essentiall Gen. 17.1 and wee be his people that God be our God al-sufficient and we walke uprightly before him I doe not meane by reciprocalnesse any equality in working as if our obeying or uprightnesse could worke God to be ours as his being ours workes us to be upright But that indifferently the one as well as the other part and condition is interchangably requisite on our parts as well as the Lords As then the seale of the covenant assures the one so must it the other it must secure the Lord of our upright walking as well as us of his beeing our God both must needs goe together Yet I meane not that the Sacraments doe equally seale up both for Gods sealing grace to us is strong our sealing backe to him of duty is weake the Sacrament is the Lords and therefore principally aymes at our good yet I say God lookes for it that the same messenger of his unchangable love to us revived at the Sacrament should carry backe to him our revived covenant of upright walking The Lord so comes to his oath and seale for our security that hee lookes we also come to the oath of Covenant with him hee will not be tyed and wee be loose First then of the former of these two ends Gods end concerning us What God covenanteth Touching which let us conceive what God covenanteth and so we shall see what the Sacraments doe assure Touching this point of the offer and Covenant of God I having elsewhere largely spoken Practic Catech. Part 2. Artic. 3. therefore I doe here referre my reader to that discourse to spare a labour Onely thus much in a word when Adam had lost his integrity by disanulling the covenant of creation the Lord had it in his bosome what he would doe with all his posterity if hee had quite destroyed them all it had beene but just In this demurre grace cast the skole and brought him out of his meere good pleasure to purpose to recover a Remnant out of their ruine And as hee meant this within himselfe so he thought it meete to expresse so much to us not by including some and excluding others but by a free unconditionall offer of grace in respect of any thing in man to covenant with him to be his God and to become propitious and favorable againe unto him as if hee never had beene offended This covenant he establishes with us in the Blood of his Sonnes satisfaction requiring of us to beleeve that thereby his Majesty is reconciled with us and that therefore we be reconciled to him This he urges us to beleeve nakedly upon his bare word and covenant and that we seeke no
thine heart may be pull'dup to Davids practise Psal 116.10 who finding himselfe in a sad time delivered from the anguish of his spirit resolved to pay his vowes for it in the mids of Gods House and said What shall I give to the Lord If he could take up the Cup of salvation and praise the Lord how much more shouldest thou take the Cup of salvation which the Lord purposely puts into thine hand Yea thou should say Psal 119 57. Oh Lord my portion I have determined to keepe thy Law Yea and I have sworne and by thy strength I will keepe my oath even to obey thy Commandements Surely if men can breake into so many vowes and promises by occasion of a sicknesse or streight that if God set them at large they will so and so requite him which yet proove broken vowes for the most part then what vowes should received sealed mercies produce from us except we be base hirelings and hypocrites where the Lord himselfe is before hand with us in the grace of the Sacrament yea while the smoke yet goeth up how should wee ascend in it as Manoas Angell to heaven Iudg. 13.20 Surely those Papists who abuse Gods Sacraments to cursed ends as to combine themselves in hellish plots and cruelties and to adjure each other to secrecie which is as farre from the end of a Sacrament as if one borrowing his neighbours horse to fetch his rent should abuse him to take a purse yet even their wickednesse shall not be much worse than theirs who vow better obedience and take the Sacrament upon it and shall yet forfeit so solemne a band and returne to their vomit But for this last branch and for this Chapter thus much CHAP. IIII. Of Sacramentall Acts and the use thereof and of the celebration and sollemnitie of the Sacraments Why Acts requisite HAving spoken enough of a Sacrament as touching the constitution thereof it remaines that wee finish the Description by adding somewhat touching the actuall celebration of Sacraments For it is impossible that the excellencie of their nature of which we have treated should reach to us without a communication and imparting them to us The Lord himselfe who ordained Sacraments is the holder out of them also to the soule Now seeing the Sacraments containe partly things spirituall partly carnall the former whereof are to be carried and conveyed by the mediation of the latter it followeth that the externall Elements must be conveyed by externall and sensible agents to sensible objects by sensible Rites and administrations The Lord himselfe the Agent is a Spirit and treateth not with us immediately either by word or presence Needs must he therefore set forth a deputed Instrument to be for him and that is his Minister Againe the soules of the faithfull are invisible therefore cannot immediately be touched therefore their bodily and personall presence is required that so the conveyer and they to whom the things are conveyed may meete and consent together And as formerly I said that the things offered by God to the Church are spirituall under outward Elements so the offering thereof to the Communicants is spirituall and by the Spirit of Christ yet this spirituall offering is made by outward Acts and Administrations which I call holy Rites appointed by God himselfe and passing betweene the Minister and people that so the gifts also offered may therein passe and be conveyed First then a little of the Persons and then of the Acts requisite to celebration of Sacraments that the Lord and the soule may meete each other The Persons are two we see the Minister and people 1. Persons which are two 1 Minister The Minister then is such a sacred person as is lawfully from God by men appointed as a Sequester betweene God and the Congregation serving to this end to be betweene God and the people for the conveying mutually of good things betweene each other and by name the good things of Christ Sacramentall In whom we must consider both his calling and person he sustaines Touching his calling he ought to be a man truely separated from men and this life to God and holy use In whom 1 Calling Heb. 5.4 hee must be called by God as was Aaron and lawfully warranted by men as the voices of God to the Congregation that he is meet for such use Hee must be of competent understanding Ephe. 3 2 4. and skill in all the Mysteries of Christ and godlinesse He must be of competent gifts to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. utter and expresse the same to the people For how shall hee exhibite those Seales as from God which he neither understands in the ground thereof to wit the Covenant of grace nor yet the Doctrine and Nature of the Seales hee offers How fearefull a derogation is it to the Sacrament in which all things should be Symbolicall when he that is in Gods stead to the people shall neither know the nature of the Covenant to be able to preach it nor of a Seale either to teach or deliver it What a confusion is it for the Minister so unqualified to occupie the roome of God himselfe As if the Lord sealed a Covenant to his people and a Seale which he knew not the meaning of The like I may say of the life of the Minister Seeing the Lord is holy 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 7 25. and offers holy things and such an high Priest it behooves us to have as is holy blamelesse and separate from sinners How necessary is it that the Minister be also in this symbolicall That by the grace of his person the Lord may seeme to draw his people to an holy carriage in the Sacrament saying Be yee holy who beare the vessels of the Lord. Esay 52 11. What a Trumpet of prophanenesse is it to the people and a meane to abhorre the Sacrifices of the Lord when even that sacred person which offers the holy things of God is himselfe profane Hag. 2 12. What an opinion might it breed in the ignorant seeing such a sight that God is like themselves in putting no difference betweene the holy and profane Psal 50 21. But if our duty and worke be done any way it skills not how as if all were alike in Gods account 2. Person The second thing in the Minister thus duly called is the Person he sustaines That is laid downe in the old and new Testament Exod. 29 9. Exod. 4 16. 2 Corâ— 5 20. clearely In the old when the Lord bounded Moses and Aarons office he saith that Aaron should be or serve for all uses betweene God and the people in point of worship and spirituall respects And Paul 2 Cor. 5.20 saith Wee are Embassadors for God as if by us God and Christ besought you c. Note then there is a double relation in the Minister as in all so especially in Sacramentals one wherby he conveyes to the people from God his gifts and
the purenesse of God whose deputie hee is Much lesse to adventure with a mouth defiled with oathes rayling contention ribaldry with hands defiled with uncleane covetous acts with a body members guilty of incontinent intemperate lusts of drunkennesse lasciviousnesse ill companionship or the like scandales to approach the prâ—â—ence of God and his people Let holy outward acts be celebrated with sutablenesse of outward members For certaine it is as the honour is great which the Lord puts upon his Ministers in this kinde to seale the grace of his Covenant by his Sacrament to the people so the sacriledge of unholy and audacious dealers with these Ordinances is doubly dangerous If the people in their unworthy receivings be damnable how much more the Minister who defiles not himselfe onely in corrupt receiving but the Lord himselfe as farre as hee can by profane administration The second person is the Congregation who also are bound to answerable acts in accepting and embracing the offer of God in the Minister Of which also in speciall wee shall treate in the two next Chapters there it shall be sufficient to signifie that as all acts Sacramentall are as essentiall to Sacraments as the materials themselves so the want of Sacramentall receiving disannuls the Sacrament as well as the want of offering So that the people also have their parts to act herein Theirs are these legacies to them they belong They are therefore with all holy preparation of themselves and theirs Exod. 12.4 by prayer to offer themselves to the Lord in the Congregation presenting themselves soules bodies with such comely chaste reverend and holy thoughts affections and behavior as may testifie them to be meete guests of such actions before in and after the actions demeaning themselves so as they may sanctifie the Lord thereby and not pollute his name who draweth so neere them in these mysteries yet this I adde as in the former that although such carriage is that which the Lord commands and will severely be râ—venged of the contrary yet if through the sinne of man and decay of Gods Order such shall be admitted as doe contradict this rule that we doe not thinke this eye-sore and defect to disanull the Sacrament But with mourning and heavie hearts both for the sinne and sacriledge of such receivers and givers of the Sacraments to looke up above both and with so much the more serious preparing and sanctifying of our selves to come to the Lord beleeving that the prophanesse of the vile shall not hinder the faith of the well prepared sithence we come into the presence of that God of piercing eyes who can pierce betweene the joints and marrow and both behold the humblenesse of beleeving soules Heb. 4 12. to reward them and discerne the impudencie of the contrary to accurse them and yet not thereby to prejudice the comfort and hope of them that are truly prepared and abhorre to come in their sinnes And of this Chapter also thus much which I have divided from thâ—â—ormer though concerning the same description because I saw that Chapter to grow somewhat larger than the rest CHAP. V. Of Baptisme the Description of it opened and the use thereof annexed HAving thus treated of a Sacrament in generall wee come to the particular Sacraments of the Gospell and first of Baptisme For although our chiefe scope be the Supper yet because the other is much unknowne and therefore neglected we will take it in our way to some consideration Three things on it First by shewing what â—ue performance is required to it Secondly what the grace of it is Thirdly what the use of the Doctrine and all these in one Description whose parts all be examined Baptisme then is the first Sacrament of the Gospell What it is consisting of Water which is Sacramentally Christ or wherein by water duely applied not only the presented partie is made a member of the visible Church but also sealed up to an Invisible union with Christ and thereby interessed in all those benefits of his which concerne the being of regeneration By calling it the first Sacrament I point at the precedencie and order of Baptisme The which al those names of Baptisme The first branch both in Scripture and elsewhere doe approove It s the seede of the Church as the other is of food It issued first out of the side of our Lord Iesus upon the Crosse It s the creating instrument of God to produce and forme the Lord Iesus to a new creature and to regeneration in the soule Tit. 3 5. It s called our Vnion with Christ our marriage Ring our militarie Presse-money our Matriculation Cognizance and Character of Christ our emplanting or engrafting into him and his Body Rom. 6 3. 1 Cor. 10.2 our Ship our Arke our red Sea our putting on of Christ For as all those goe before our Nourishment Communion Cohabitation Service fruit Manna or foode from Heaven so this Sacrament must goe before the other Breeding begetting and bringing out of the wombe doth not more naturally goe before the feeding of the Infant by the mothers breasts than this wombe of the youth of the Church Psal 100.3 goes before the breasts and milke thereof the Church being no drie Nurse but a Mother of her owne the sonnes and daughters of her owne wombe Vse 1 Which convinceth thousands of their preposterous sacriledge in that they prâ—sse in upon the Church for her pappes and nourishment when yet they are bastards and no youth of her body no sonnes of her love or desires And therefore she abhorres them and hath drie breasts for them whom she never bare The Lord Iesus abhorres to be food where he hath not beene seede flesh and bloud indeede to feede whom he was never seed to beget Let all who desire to taste of the sealing power of the second Sacrament to nourish them as Saints first proove the sealing power of the former Sacrament to beget and make you Saints Doe not impute such folly to the Lord Iesus as to give the milke of his breasts to still-borne ones or to set them into his stocke who are rotten and dead twigges 1 Pet. 3.21 as if the bare outward washing of the flesh were sufficient to regenerate and give title to nourishment This is to dissemble with God the Church and our soules and to turne both Sacraments to our perdition Beware al such mockers least the Lord be froward with them that fight against the God of Order least in stead of finding nourishment before breeding as they rob God of his Order so they meete with wrath and judgement before mercie and salvation yea least God accurse their single emptinesse of Christ with such a double barrennesse as will admit no conception or birth Vse 2 And Secondly it taxes the confused devotion of such as would not be baptized till death having yet enjoyed the Supper usually all their life As if the Lord were not able to grant and
his breadth height depth and length Christ for being and regeneration Perhaps for the simpler sort it might be enough to use the Apostles words of him are we who is made our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 or to adde thus much All Christ is given us 1 Cor. 1 30. either for our calling or for our imputation or for our sanctification Howbeit for my owne exercise in part and for the clearer view of Christ sacramentall in the water I would adde a little more desiring the weake reader to pardon my distinctions as more meete for such as better conceive or would at least the gift of Christ in his extent and fulnesse Distinction of it to be marked The grace then of Christ bestowed in baptisme is either first grace or consequent upon it The first grace I call either that which maketh us accepted or that which is freely given to in here and abide in us Concerning the former kind Grace accepting is eyther grace of meanes serving to atteine acceptance or the grace it selfe atteined The former of meanes in one word is the grace of vocation in al the passages thereof preventing assisting and perfitting this acceptation of the soule The grace it selfe of acceptance atteyned may be distinguisht into grace eyther of maine essence or of priviledge Grace of maine essence is double eyther justification of our persons from sinne of guilt and blemish or of curse wherein Gods acquitting us in judgement by remission and pardon properly consists or reconciliation by which being pardoned we returne to grace and favour againe as before our blood being restored and we beloved Then secondly grace of priviledge is double positive or privative Positive priviledg in a word is our adoption which besides favor restores us to the former conditioÌ„ yet much bettered of childreÌ„ sons daughters heires and so to the priviledges of a beleever according to the severall occasions of his life course Privative in a word stands in redeÌ„ption that is freedome froÌ„ all the evills dangers enemies crosses within without bodily ghostly which threaten annoyance to our happy estate in Christ Thus for the 1. sort The second are graces inherent in us in a word Sanctification of the whole man body soule and spirit standing both in Conscience and conversation And this is double eyther mortification and consumption of the old man Gal 5 24. renouncing him with his affection and lusts crucifying theÌ„ all with Christs or else quickning up of the soule in the bent frame intent and streame of it to the life of God and grace Thus of the first grace The consequent upon this is the proper issue fruit of each of these first graces which they leave behind them in the soule The proper issue of vocation is union and bringing to God by the instrument of faith The proper issue of justification is peace and quiet of conscience The fruit of reconciliation is holy Complacence and contentment or joy of the Spirit in God her Saviour as Mary speakes The fruit of adoption is Luk. 1 47. the honour liberty and excellency of beleevers with the Spirit of children confidence and calling God Abba resting upon him for all good things a true right to earth heaven and all therein All things being ours we being Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. â— 22.23 The fruit of redemption is assured â—ecurity of heart from evill conquest and triumph in Christ true deliverance of soule from Sathan to God and for God in all obedience The fruite of sanctification is the blessed guard and furniture of Graces resident both in the minde as light purenesse wisedome discerning in the will all habits and uprightnesse integrity cheerefulnesse faithfulnesse in the affections of love hope feare and zeale in the conscience sensiblenesse tendernesse quietnesse In the whole man serviceablenesse to God in the conversation and whole course of it This short draught I have the rather inserted in this due place to give light and order to such things as I have handled in the three Articles of my second part and the fourth fith sixth Articles of the third part of my practicall Catechisme that the Reader may see how all those good things issue from Christ distinctly I meane the use of meanes the strength against lets and the right to all priviledges both conditionall and actuall But especially to lay downe a view of Christ our union and communion Sacramentall But The expressions of the holy Ghost it shall not bee amisse to touch this point as the Holy Ghost in the word expresses it Sometimes therefore hee expresses it in generall termes and sometimes in particular Generally he calls it the holy Ghost and fire See Matth. 3.11 Matth. 3 11. Matth. 3 16. meaning the Spirit of Christ in the efficacy of his grace which should purge as fire Even as our Saviour Christ is said to have the Spirit descending at his baptisme and lighting upon him meaning that he thereby received the unction of the Spirit and the gift thereof even the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes So also it s called by the name of new birth Ioh. 3.5 Heb. 1 9. Ioh. 3. â— Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter c. So the washing of regeneration Tit. 3 5. renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so also it is sayd to save or deliver from wrath as the Arke from the flood 1 Pet. 3.21 In particular this regeneration is distinguished into the washing or purging of justification by the merit or the washing of sanctification by the efficacy of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1 7. See Acts 22.16 Ephe. 5.26 The former we have in 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Iesus purgeth us from all sinne The latter see Ephe. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word To present it without spot or wrinckle in his glorious presence Gal. 3 26. c. Both these are expressed Galathi 3.26 They who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ as their garment both of covering in the one and of warmth in the other all Christ in both But there are two phrases in the Scripture by which the holy Ghost delights to describe the grace of baptisme The one by remission of sins the other by dying unto sinne and rising up unto righteousnesse Of the first there is frequent mention Luk. 3.3 Iohn baptised to the remission of sinnes Luk. 3 3 Acts 22 16. Rom. 6 3 8. Act. 22.16 Wash away thy sinnes and be baptised Of the latter Paul speaketh much in Rom. 6. from the 3. verse to the 8. So many as are Baptized into Iesus Christ are baptised into his death Therefore we are buried by baptisme with him into his death that like as Christ was raysed up from death by the glory of the Father so might we walke in newnesse of life For if we
of thy selfe so be stript and empty of all good and grace in thy selfe feele in thy soule an utter absence of life of sence motion and power towards the inner man of grace Lie before the Lords Sacrament as a forlorne wretch Say thus If thy baptisme Lord be for my regeneration what am I without it A dead dogge a very lumpe and masse of sinne and curse utterly void of the least dramme of life savoring nothing but earth vanity lusts world pleasures a very slave to these and a very carcasse of all goodnesse and being of God Oh Lord strip me starke naked plucke off my mufflers shame me drive me out of my selfe as one poore miserable blind and naked This is the first worke of faith to put off the soules ragges and to void all conceit of life hope or grace in it selfe and to set it before the Lord as Adams red earth lay before him when he was to breathe the life of Creation into it Now the Lord is creating thee anew by his Sacrament Remember Creation is of nothing Baptisme never made new creature where it finds any thing of ones own Baptisme should then not create but rather draw somewhat out of our owne principles to make us somewhat to which we bring matter of our owne Oh! people come to the Sacrament full of their owne devotions and looke that God should make them new creatures of their owne stuffe this were to patch and soden our old not to create a new man in us Apply our selves to the Word Secondly being thus nothing in our selves apply wee our selves by the word to the worke of the Spirit of union Sacramentall bare poore empty water which hath in it selfe no Sacramentall substance yet by the vnion of the Spirit of Baptisme incloseth the Lord Iesus to regeneration in it If thou canst say water is not a more beggerly Element in the Sacrament without Christ than thy soule is emptie unsubsisting without regeneration Looke to the Lord by thy faith and pull hard at him for the Spirit of Baptisme to renew a life a spirit and being of pardon and holinesse in thee If while the word lasts and the Spirit of Baptisme endures even to the worlds end Christ and water shall never be sundred from the Sacrament Beleeve thou as firmely that Christ as water shall never be severed from thy poore soule that lies humbly before him destitute of all life in thy selfe and lost for ever except Christ be thy life and succour I say the Lord Iesus shall never be wanting to such a soule in the point of regeneration Plead then thy cause strongly with the Lord behold here is Christ in water What letteth why thou maist not be baptised Actâ— 8 16. as Philip said of the Eunuch Shall water ever lose her cleansing Were it not madnesse to thinke so And shall Iesus Christ then lose his power to cleanse the soule Hath hee not annexed his cleansing to waters cleansing Is it possible that all the divels in hell can dissolve the Sacramentall Vnion of Christ and water Oh Lord why is this Vnion and for what serves it Is it good for any thing save as it is Sacramentall Was it Christ before Is it Christ after No sure but during the Sacrament onely And why so Surely to teach me all this Vnion is for me Christ water serves for my soules washing He delights not to be one with a base Element for it selfe but that in and with a creature of a cleansing quality he might flow into my soule with his renewing Spirit Oh Lord I beleeve thy word Lord let thy Spirit convey thee with water into my soule Be it Oh Lord as thou hast said Separate not thy Spirit from thy Sacrament but give it the power of begetting mee to the life of faith and a new creature 3 Abhorre carnal reason Ioh. 3.9 Thirdly look off from all thy carnall reason and the sillinesse of the creature Say not with Nicodemus How shall this be Consult not with flesh and bloud cavill not 1 Ioh. 5 8. Mat. 3 ult aske no further signe thou hast three in heaven and three in earth bearing witnesse to Gods truth Water is one of these it is the instrument of the Spirit though it be on earth yet that is from heaven call not for a voyce from heaven the second time it s enough that in the Baptisme of Christ it as manifest Hold close to the Word and Promise Go teach and Baptize and lo Mat. 28 ult I am with you till the end Let all conceits of Reason vanish in the truth of God and when corruption hath done all it can yet roll thy selfe upon the promise and by the Perspective glasse thereof thou shalt see that grace in the Sacrament which else is invisible to flesh and covered under the ashes of unbeleefe Let all be quâ—sht with this My soule God hath said it I see nothing but water but there is Christ with water to regeneration Lastly cloze with the Spirit and meete it at the Sacrament 4 Close with the Spirit of the Sacrament If thou meete it not there it s because thou bringest not faith with thee for that is there for ever inseparably Grone in thy spirit unto the Spirit of Christ that thee may susteine thy bottomelesse heart in her desire after the grace of the Sacrament Say thus Oh blessed Spirit of Baptisme remember thou wert given by the Lord Iesus at his ascension for thy Church Ioh. 7.56.57 Now Christ is glorified Ioh 7 56 57 now let thy Spirit be given to bring the life of the Sacrament into mee Once when the world was a Chaos the Spirit of creation fostred and brooded the waters and brought forth order and matter for each part of the world Oh now come downe with thy fire and warme this water make it effectuall for the scattering of my darkenesse errour rebellion corruption Gen. 1 2. and the purging of old Adam the mortifying and consuming of my concupiscence and lusts And then travell againe with mee in this thy ordinance till Christ and the new creature be formed in mee Make mee thy off-spring Gal 4 19 and generation breede the thoughts affections and disposition of the new birth in me Oh make this fountaine â—nd laver blessed and fruitfull to be the seede of Christ in me Once thou didst so worke with Iordan that the washing of a Leper 1 King 5 12 caused his flesh to returne as the flesh of a child Take away my leprosie also Ioh. 5 3.4 and make me as a little child Once thy Angell so stirred the Poole that who so stept in next was healed of what disease soever he was sicke Oh stirre this poole also make it an healing water put into it the vertue of him that with a word spoken could cure all maladies Heale mine Lord by this poole if an Angell could heale a lame legge a blinde eye a deafe eare thy Spirit
this I taxe the Distrust of such as profit not by the connexion of this to the othet Who so then have truely tasted of the Grace of Baptisme and have lyen in the wombe thereof Let them come in and humbly yet confidently plead for the succor of this second For the Lord who hath no superfluous nourishment for Bastards yet wants no necessary releefe for sonnes and daughters The Lord is not as that worke-man who having built the bouse leaves it at Randon to whose will to mend it may droppe downe to the ground for him it s none of his But the Lords buildings are all his owne and hee compts it no lesse perteining to himselfe to keepe it in Reparations than first of free grace to make it an Habitation of his owne by his Spirit 1 Pet. 2 2 Yea the new borne Babe whimpering for the breast pleads not more effectually with the tender mothers heart to give it than that Soule which is really bredd the Lords hath liberty to cry Psal 119 97. Abba father susteine mee preserve mee I am thine Lord save me mainteine thy lot and portion in me as by al holy Ordinances of support so by this thy Sacrament as most peculiar to that end Lord of thee I am 1 Cor. 1.30 Blood Flesh Bone all I am I am from thee mainteine the Creation of thy hands by all meanes against all enemies in all spirituall welfare and prosperity meet for thy glory and the good of thine so farre as all thy Promises and Priviledges belonging to the members of thy Body can effect it Remember it will be as great a dishonor for thee to leave the workmanship of thy hands as if thou hadst begun to build and given over thy worke at the first Secondly I say it consists of Iesus-Bread and Wine 2 Branch The coÌ„pound Sacramentall union hath beene toucht already Heere I adde that the Lord Iesus who unites himselfe to his Word of Promise to his Beleeving ones bidding them Eate good things and dâ—light themselves in fatnesse Thereby Esay 55.2 putting into his Word the spirit of nourishment refreshing and support to the Soule doth also unite himselfe to Bread and Wine both Vnions are Spirituall both Verball and Sacramentall yet Sacramentall including the Verball is above it to convey Spirituall refreshing more fully more immediately more lively into the Soule than by the former alone As if hee should say Oh! poore Soule I am content to unite my power and fulnesse of strenght and comfort not onely to my Word and Promises but even to my Creatures also and yet thinke it no abasement neither for thy good I know thou hast as great need of a signe of my good will and love to uphold thee as ever thou hadst of my Creating power to forme mine Image at the first in thee If there were use of both Word and Water to become a seed of Regeneration to create thee there is as great use of the same word and Bread and Wine to cherish thee Ephe. 5 29. No man ever hated but preserved his owne flesh To shew then how deare thou art to me even as the wife to the husband loe nothing shall ever part thee and me which I can doe for thee I that was with the former to breed thee will bee with the latter to feed and nourish thee no necessary aid shall be wanting Psal 84 1â— for all ends meet as well to keepe thee fat and wel-liking in goodnes as to make thee good I who created thee of nothing Esay 57 1â— yea of worse then nothing to bee mine Image will not faile of good to make thee better therefore acknowledge my love and faithfulnes in both Vse The Vse may bee to convince all such as have a sinister and unequall conceit of the worth of Sacraments Against two sorts as if the necessity and Sacramentall union of one were not as essentiall and thankworthy as the other Papists first although they magnifie both Sacraments too farre yet debase the Sacrament of the new birth under the other which they call of the Altar Here they put all their confidence and lay all their treasure Christ shall not onely bee united Sacramentally to it but even Transubstantiated into it it s their Pandora to which they have brought all their base additions to adorne and set it foorth whereas the union with both these is one and the same for their severall use and if not equall then none at all Contrary to whom is another conceite of such as thinke there is lesse use of this union than the other seeing the Church may farre worse want the Sacrament of ingrafting than the other To which I answer that although in some respect it s not to bee denyed that the Sacrament of a Christian being hath in it selfe a preheminence above the other of well-being yet in the wisedome of the ordeyner and for the continualnesse of use which the Supper hath to repaire the daily wanzings and decayes of the soule it s most certaine there ought to be made no comparison betweene their necessiâ—y no unequalnesse to bee imagined But as the child being asked whether it love father or mother best is taught to say I love them both best I love neither better than other so ought a Christian to say of these Whereas the administration of God in the old Church is alledged That their circumcision was long without a Passeover I answer What God can doe by one when he denies another is not here debated but rather what esteeme he requires of both so long as both equally may be enjoyed Nay further we know God bare with his Church for the long intermission both of Circumcision and Passeover after the ordeyning of both how much more shall hee not tollerate onely but supply aboundantly the necessary want of the one if persecution compell it But otherwise in the liberty of both who should dare to dreame of an inequality The materials of it Now I come to the materialls and first of the Elements to wit bread and wine whereof because I have spoken somewhat before therefore here I will content my selfe onely to treate a little of these foure particulars Foure things First the sensiblenesse Secondly the aptnesse Thirdly the simplicity Fourthly the fulnesse of these two Elements The first sensiblenesse Touching the first seeing the Lord would have these Elements so plaine and sensible resemblers of heavenly nourishment how sensibly should our soules bee lifted up by them to the things resembled Vse It comes to my minde what Moyses Deut. 8.2.3 c. tells the Israelits that the Lord had so palpably discovered himselfe to them in the Wildernesse that for shame they could not but know beleeve and obey him The Lord saith he hath revealed himselfe to all your sences yee have heard his terrible voyce in the mount yee have seene the rocke gush forth water a Table spread in the Wildernesse all other
called had beene Sacrilegious Even so here in the Elements resembling his separation and death But for the act it selfe consider two things first Two things in it 1. What it was What was it Why was it For answer to the first The breaking of Christ was a taking of the loafe and a breaking thereof with his holy hands into gobbets and morsels meet for his disciples not minsing the bread and cutting it with a knife into small bits nor yet into overgreat pieces but I say into morsels competent I doe not quarrell with the custome of cutting with the knife for as I said before of sprinkling the water so I say of this I disanull not the Ordinance thereby yet still I say I would rather chuse to cleave to the institution in so plaine an act of our Saviour if it may conveniently be done than to balcke it And the rather because it may savor of some Popish nicenesse For as they weare white gloves when they meddle with the Elements and touch them not with their bare hands pretending more reverence to be in a beasts skin than a mans naked hand so some thinke it too homely perhaps to breake the bread with their hands in comparison of cutting it with a knife To such I say that they are too nice herein and the institution of Christ much more to be followed the Minister himselfe breaking it and no leaving it as sometimes is used to the Clarke or Sexton to be done 2. Why was it Secondly why was it I answer for sundry causes first to parallell the Sacrifice of the Passeover a type of Christs Supper which was to be slaine and the bloud of it sprinckled about secondly for a more meete apportioning of the bread of the Sacrament and the Wine to the easier use of the Receivers than in the whole loafe or flagon thirdly and more principally to represent the voluntary offering up himselfe the next day upon the Crosse for an oblation to God Else he would have chosen some other to breake and powre out but in doing it himselfe he typified his laying downe his life freely Ioh. 10 18. when as else none could have taken it from him for when his apprehendors were cast upon the earth then did he yeeld himselfe to their hands fourthly to signifie to the Church that although the Lord Iesus were in himselfe the fountaine of all life and nourishment to his Church yet his Church could no otherwise be capable of him to such ends than by vertue of his being broken upon the Crosse He was as a sealed fountaine before Zach. 13.1 but now set open for the Church This Reason I would have well noted No other way but to be broken could make him meate and drinke indeede The Butt of wine in the Celler hath wine of excellent quality in it selfe but except it be broached none can be the better for it Hence the Church in the Canticles cries out Cant. 1 3. Thou art as an oyntment powred out in the savor of thy oyntments we will follow thee Ioh. 12 2. As that box of oyntment Iohn 12.2 which was broken upon him and powred out upon him so that all the house smelt of it Hence the holy Ghost especially dwells upon his powring out of his soule unto death his being broken for our transgressions Esay 53 12. Rom. 3.25 and other the like phrases there Esa· 53. And Saint Paul dwels upon his bloud-shed Rom. 3.25 ane in twentie other places to shew that nothing but death could make us the better for him either in pardon or Sanctification No incarnation of his no Innocency Miracles no Compassion Teares Love Reproaches Preaching Prayers without his being broken could make him usefull to us Fifthly as he could doe us no good save this way so there is a further thing in it for Christ could not be broken for nourishment till hee was for expiation and attonement By being once broken by death he both paid the price of wrath and also became meete nourishment Christ being made ours to pardon is also made ours to feede and furnish our soules with all graces of his Spirit the Supper is so the Sacrament of our growth in the Lord Iesus as first hee is our growth in faith and Iustification and then of holinesse Objection But here is an objection How can Christ be broken for our nourishment whereas the Scripture tells us Iohn 19 36. Not a bone of him should be broken Answer Answer No necessitie lay upon Christ to be broken according to the uttermost measure of breaking Onely essentiall breaking and powring out of his soule by death lay upon him and this was necessary to make attonement for sinne else no union could have beene purchaced with God nor any fruit thereof in either restoring of life or continuing welfare unto it restored The Providence of God was such in the alleniating of the Crosse and breaking of Christ that hee was dispensed with as touching those excesses extremities indignities which else might have lighted upon him had not the excellency of his person and his sufficiencie to satisfie taken them off Therefore whereas the Law was that the bones of the crucified should be broken to hasten their lingring death the Lord Iesus his bones were not broken he being dead before and so it was with him in the continuance in the hellish measure of torment that hee was freed from them It was enough that hee was so broken that the bande of soule and body was dissolved and his soule was powred forth unto death Vse 1 The uses are weightie first of Confutation of Popery And that first in this that they make a meere apish Pageant and Poppet-play of this Sacrament yea rather an enterlude to please and delight the sences of the blindly devout than a resemblance of the crucified body of the Lord Iesus for the comfort of the Church But especially that they destroy the essence of this act of Breaking In steed whereof they come and bring an whole unbroken Element made of a fine delicate wafer round and whole And as for powring out the wine to the people they never powre out nor allow any at all unto them but keept it quite from them Thirdly they professe not to act the part of the Father reaching out the broken body of Christ to his people but their Priest sustaines rather the person of a false Church and an Idolater to offer up to God a Sacrifice of Christ for expiation destroying the power of Christ our onely Oblation offered by himselfe never more needing to be offered And whereas we presse this argument against them they flie to a shift which overthrowes their cause saying They offer an unbloudy sacrifice in their Masse not bloudy as that of the Crosse In all three respects being the most wofull enemies of the Sacrament Hovv Papists enemies to a broken Christ For first they act it as a thing of mirth not as a broken Christ
Act of taking note 1 Take that it stands in relation to a gift offered in the Sacrament And the gift is Christ and his benefits 2 Things in it Now to take them is to doe these two things First to concurre with the giver in the offer of this nourishment Secondly 1 Concurrence to apply and make it our gaine for the purpose which it serves for The former of these hath two branches according to the nature of the offer made in the Sacrament the former is concurrence of consent the latter of obedience in both stands faith That this may bee conceived marke that the Lord offers this gift either by promise or by charge The former is the ground of the latter and therefore the soule concurres with him in both duely consents to his promise without cavilling obeyes his charge without rebelling takes by both Partly in consent in 6 partice Touching the former first let it appeare how God offers and promises Christ Sacramentall and then it will easily appeare how freely faith consents The promise is conceived thus This is my body that is given for you This is the new Testament and the cup of it in my blood shed for you In this conceive these sixe especialls which in a short view to see will both revive and profit the Reader breefely 1. 1 The excellency of the offer The excellencie of the gift 2. The fulnesse 3. The aptnesse 4. The propriety 5. The graciousnesse 6 The manner of exhibiting and these will shew how faith consents First the Lord saith This is my body and blood that is my nourishment meate indeed drinke indeede not earthly fading mortall but heavenly eternall hee which eates it shall hunger no more he who drinketh it shall thirst no more it s the Lord Iesus from heaven heavenly What saith faith I consent Lord the reason is strong I take thee Secondly the fulnesse 2 The fulnesse of it This my food is no scant and halfe diet it s my flesh and my blood that is my selfe in my Satisfaction and Efficacie and my whole selfe no part excepted the whole Diamond unbroken and with my selfe all that I can afford all my graces to nourish the whole soule in each part for each defect for full encrease not a particular gift to the mind as knowledge or to the heart as patience but all Christ and all his grace for the perfecting of the whole man in his measure What saith faith She consents its royall Oh Lord I yeeld and take it 3. The Aptnesse of it Thirdly the aptnesse The Lord offers thee not meate and drinke which thou art uncapable of as if whole loaves or flagons should be offered thee too heavie and grosse for thy receiving But its apt prepared for thee meat layd unto thee in morsells in a cup a meet draught for thee a body given and broken A cup of the new Testament in my blood What saith faith I consent Lord I doe take it as prepared for mee Fourthly propriety 4. The propciety of it The Lord addeth It s given for you shed for you for you in person and for your wants and uses in especiall So broken and shed as if no other but you were regarded in it yea though given for the sinnes of the world yet specially for you and your nourishment What saith faith She consents Lord I leave not my portion for another to take I take my owne my selfe Fifthly graciousnesse Lord it s a Nourishment given 5. The graciousnesse of it Offered to you what is freer than gift It s not urged extorted by force on your part although if yee went from sea to sea to get it it were cheape on the price but freely and of mine owne accord given when it could not be expected with a most plaine beteaming heart meaning as I speake not to deceive nor defraud What doth faith Lord farre be it from me to warpe from thy meaning I enquire no further I consent and take it Lastly the manner of exhibiting it 6. The manner of exhibition I offer it thee under signes of bread and wine the staffe of life and cheere of the spirits It is no other nourishment than I offred thee in my Promise That offered me as thy pardon peace and strength so doth my Supper The manner of exhibiting is diverse but my offer is one and the nourishment is the same onely heere I offer it in a more familiar and apt manner to releeve thy infidelity let not that which I offer thee for the better in the more effectuall manner proove for the worser and be weaker in efficacy What saith faith She answers Thy way is best I consent I take it in the way thou offerest it Thus wee see how faith concurs with the promise and consents to it Vpon the Promise depends the charge For marke The 2. Act Obedience of faith the Lord addes Take it therefore eate and drinke it Why because it s so qualified for thee and so necessary that thou canst not take it but thou shalt prosper and be happy thou canst not refuse it but thou must needs pine and perish Therefore I who by promise have thus drawne thee doe also by my Authority Command thee I know many thinges as excellent and weighty as they are yet are not esteemed because they are unknowne Therefore I who know them better than thou doe require and charge thee upon thy Allegiance Take eate and drinke this my body and blood that thou mayest prosper and fare well What doth faith She obeyes the command and saith I doe so Lord I take them as thou commandest I concurre with thy command as with thy promise Thus wee see the first worke of faith to concurre with the offer of Christ her nourishment Thus much for that The use of it ere we come to the second is threefold first The Vses 1. of distinction or difference betweene a true Taker of the Sacrament and a false a beleeving one and an unbeleeving It s worth our noting because every foole will be prating and say he hath taken the Sacrament to day Oh its high holiday with him His garments are all white But oh foole what taking is thine Onely of the Elements onely the worke wrought If this will commend thee to God for a true taker it s well else all is lost But oh wretch Thou art a taker indeed but a Theefe thou takest that which is none of thine by sacriledge Thou takest not by concurrence with a promise Thou neither consentest to that nor obeyest the charge thou runnest not with God but out-runnest him preventest him and snatchest his nourishment from him as a dogge which hee hath given onely to children And this I will proove Thou hast neither a consenting eye of faith to see what the Lord gives thee nor yet a consenting heart to be affected with it nor yet a consenting hand to receive it more than sense convinceth thee
of thou takest not because thou consentest to no promise Thou hast a traytors heart within thee None of all these sixe cordes of this Sacramentall Promise will draw thee no though the cord were made of many more linkes thou wouldest still be the same an unwilling unbeleeving wretch and still warpe withdraw from God and dissent from his offer Thou hast no power to cleave to consent and obey I may say of thy unbeleefe as of Sauls hypocrisie 1 Sam. 15. 1 Sam. 15.30 Though Samuell did sundry wayes convince him and ferret him out of his hole yet so tainted an hypocrite hee was that he would not bee convinced He was at last as at first he sayd Honor me yet before the people and so went away an hypocrite Such is unbeleefe it s like the Ethiopians colour Ierem. 13. or the Leopards spots if these may bee changed then may unbeleefe not else Oh! the endlesse and bootlesse urging of promises upon unbeleefe behold her face in a glasse and abhorre her and say Into her counsell let not my soule come And as I say of her treachery so I say of her Rebellion Shee will be awed with no charge no more than won by a promise Alas she thinkes as Eve thought being deluded by Satan Gen. 3 5. That God forbad her the tree of good and evill for hatred and of evill will all that ever God had enricht her with could not sway her rebellious heart to conceive a good thought of him still he did it to crosse her So doth unbeleefe deale with Gods charges when he tells us Hee commands for our good and not his owne that it might goe well with us we answere No I cannot thinke so its harsh to my ease and sloth to yeeld True but if it were possible that thy rebells heart could stoope it would after seeme pleasant and thou wouldst not for the world but have obeyed This by the way may serve to point out the contrary natures of faith and unbeleefe Vse 4 Secondly its use of admonition to all that would take the Lord Iesus Sacramentall aright To resist carnall reason which resists faith and holds the soule under the Bondage of sense and flesh Many when they come to the Sacrament in the sight of the promise wonder that any man should take Christ and his Nourishment who yet when they bee baffled with carnall reason are so farre off the hookes that they wonder any should beleeve it Beware of this lewde counsellor if once he and thou have talked he will corrupt the simplicity of the promiser and the nakednesse of faith and fill thee with so many crotchets that as they in Iohn thou wilt cry out How can this thing be Can hee give us of his flesh Iohn 6 3â— What a riddle is this This is an hard saying who can beleeve it Surely no man that hath not chased away carnall reason and closed with the promise I doe not bid thee put off sound reason for then I might bid thee with a Papist beleeve that bread is turned flesh and wine blood I bid thee not bee mad but not distrustfull Be not faithlesse ascribe not more to the Pilot than Paul as that carnall centurion did because hee saw no other than likelinesse of shipwracke An Angell of God saith Paul stood by me too night and secured me Act. 27 1â— I beleeve God therefore I see as little hope as any of you nay lesse but yet the promise of God and his charge that I feare not prevailes more with me than all outward reason Oh! do so in the Sacrament in the Supper as I urged before in Baptisme Looke at the word and charge Except baptized of water and spirit yee are damned cannot enter hee that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved Looke at this and say not shall a man enter the second time into his mothers wombe and bee borne againe But honour the promise as Noa Iohn 3 4. when hee was in the Arke was saved by faith and the waters which swallowed up the world bare up the Arke and saved him Heb. 11 7. 1 Pet. 3 20. God had sayd it and he beleeved So Christ hath sayd it This is my body This is my body Why saith carnall reason I see no more here than at home what consequence is this heere is bread and wine therefore Christ nourishment I eate and drinke and take the onâ— therefore I may take the other What sense is here None at all It must bee faith and Religion not sence must rule here not as Popery saith against common sence and true reason to produce a thing impossible but to confute unbeleefe against false and carnall reason Oh! either cut the Throate of it or it will cut thine Lift up the Arke of thy faith above the rockes and cragges of reason or else it will Split Begge the spirit of the promise and of the command to set thee upon the rocke that is above reason Christ and the Sacrament or else reason will destroy both 2 King 6 18. There are more with thee as Elisha told his man than against thee if the promise and command of Christ be for thee It s an evidence from God and subsists in his faithfulnesse power and mercy grounded upon the death of the Lord Iesus 2 Cor. 6 1. Receive not this grace in vaine as if thy eares were stopped eyes blinded hands held and cheyned by thy fleshly sence Rather let this promise of Christ loosen this chaine Salomon saith A gift in the hand prospers whither so ever it goe Oh! here is a gift in the hand Take and eate This is my body given for you and now given to you let this prosper against all the mutters of carnall Reason and say Oh! be there never such unlikelihood as Caleb said of the Anakims yet they shall be but meate for us Num. 14 7 8. If the Lord love us he will give it us So say thou If God have spoken standby sense and be still I know thou wilt be ready to put thy selfe forth in and against each promise but I will have no eare to heare thee if God speake The charge of God hath power to enable thee as well to command thee it gives what it commands as when the Lord Iesus bade the Palfie man rise he put life and motion into his limbes and joynts and left not the worke to the criple So I say resist sence and corruption by a promise and a charge of Christ and it shall stoope unto them The Lord hath put an infinite power into one against the other Vse 3 And thirdly bee exhorted to cleave nakedly to the word of the promiser consent and obey Esay 1. The words are both used to signifie faith Esay 1 19. for a matter not unlike and saith he yee shall eate the good things of the land So say I heere come with an open hand and a simple heart and a naked faith and thou
shalt eate this meat and drinke this drinke indeede never to decay True apprehension of the Promise first will cause it Say then thus Lord thou saydst seeke my face in the supper thou saydst come take eate What meanest thou but this that I should concurre with thee and bee of like mind consenting to thee that thou dealest plainely and speakest as thou meanest without hooke or crooke Oh Lord what should let me I am convinced that if thou hadst not meant well thy selfe and Christ might have spared infinite labour Therefore I consent Thou sayst take as freely as I offer be to mee as I am to thee play not the traytor 2 Cor. 6 11 12. Be enlarged to mee for I am enlarged Oh Lord so I am I beleeve I dare not distrust and descant and play the slave with thee but see cause why thy word should bee esteemed as pure true faithfull as thy selfe is I am the cause of my owne sorrow could I be to thee as thou to my soule my people as thy people my thoughts affections as thine Oh how happy I will strive for it So for obedience say as Peter Luke 5 5. At thy command I will let downe I will take thy Sacrament Alas what villany were it to thinke thou shouldst seeke thy good in it and not mine should not I creepe and crouch for it rather than urge thee to command mee Nay should not I feare that if I disobey thee in thy charge thou wilt threaten mee with condemnation for not discerning thy meaning Oh! I obey with all gladnesse Give power to doe as thou bidst and I will doe what thou wilt And to end this point deny thy selfe and come in the sence of thy utter perishing to the Lord for this grace of the Supper Come to the Lord with that speech which the Israelites were bid to come to the feast of the Lord Deut. 26. verse 5. A perishing Syrian was my Father So come with a soule in love with his dainties and like to sterve for want of them The drowning man hath the most Taking hand of all the most catching fastening hand of all 2 or 3 of his fingers will take more hold than an whole hand of one that is well enough bee it never such a paulsey-hand trembling and shaking yet if a taking hand it is the hand which Christ calls to his body and blood The latter work of faith 2 Branch Application of faith is the application of the grace offered unto thy soule for the gaine thereof When thou hast beleeved the promise once doe as hee who hath bought and payde for his bargaine incorporate thy selfe into the benefit of it and apply it to thy selfe Take the Lord Iesus thy nourishment so as he may in truth really nourish and doe thee good in all thy whole soule in all the powers of it in thy whole body and all the members and in all thy whole course of each part and service thereof See it bee well with thee in all that thou prosper in all and blesse God for faith when thou feelest her carrying from this body and blood of Christ Layd out by a similitude in 4. Branches into every faculty and member of thee Faith in relation to Christ in the supper may bee compared to the Nourishing soule and her naturall faculties in man and that in foure particulars 1 Faith Sacramentall resembles the stomacke in the body The stomack we know so takes the nourishment 1. By the stomacke as that it unites it to it selfe and alters it in the property that it may become her owne and beginne to loose it owne forme that it may put on a new Till the stomacke have thus held closed and digested the meate lo it may bee voyded up againe This is the first worke Faith takes the Lord Iesus and closes with him puts him into the stomacke of the soule digests him there unites him to it selfe suffers him not to depart away from her as he came but holds him makes him hers and alters him in some degree for her owne Nourishment When the hand takes Bread flesh drinke to put it in the mouth lo its true meate in it selfe but not the bodies as yet but if the stomacke have once layd it in close lo it ceases to be bread and flesh and beginnes to bee the stomackes and to undergoe a due change that it may afterwards bee the bodies food The Ivy doth not so close with the tree or the Misle to the Appletree for her owne end altering the juyce for her owne use as faith Sacramentall alters Christs body blood makes it another turnes it into matter prepared for her selfe Faith truely saith by vertue of the ordinance and Spirit of the same loe This body is mine my meate I lay claime to it this blood is mine All the grace of the Sacrament is mine I clare not leave it behind mee for it s given for mee as meate for the body And as the stomacke closes with meat as her owne so doth faith with the Lord Iesus for why By as due right this nourishment is hers Secondly faith is like the naturall Appetite in the body 2 By Naturall Appetire wee know such is the Nature of that facultie in the healthy and stirring that there is alway a passage from the stomack to the veynes and so the appetite is cleare the stomacke kept cleane and fit for continuall Attraction of new nourishment So is faith in the soule it holds the soule in such perpetuall holy motion and passage of old nourishment that it is alway healthy and empty and open to receive in new Perpetuall expence of nourishment prepares her appetite to new refreshing The soule that is desirous of meat by starts and fitts is clogged and makes not away with the former but when the use of nature hath conveyed one meale away and spent the strength of one lo the veines grow very attractive and pinch the stomacke to covet more and to bee in perpetuall appetite Faith is the stirring work-man or hous-wife in the soule never surfited with humors or clogged so with distempers but that shee retaines some sweete appetite after new refreshing Otherwise Christ yesterday to day and for ever would grow fulsome and wearisome with her but by this meanes the appetite is in continuall health and temper ever sending forth supply for new dueties occasions of the heat and life and therfore ever capable of new nourishment with delight Hence it is that though the meat bee not much which shee takes yet she thrives merveilously and a little in an haile stomack goes a great way how much more then when hunger makes her feed fully Thirdly faith is like the great carrying veine in the body 3 By the carrying veyne from the liver the fountaine of blood and nourishment and to the smal veins in the extremities of the members For as the one derives the blood into each part by a proprietie of nature
to thee or walke in the want of with any peace Who knowes what encreases God hath provided for thee But howsoever that be dismay not thy self as if it were the portion of such or such none of thine If God will deny thee it it is to humble thee he can bring thee to heaven through a lesse open doore but let not thy sloth and base heart as Ahaz deprive thee either of the bounty of his promise or signe least others enjoy it and thou be stript even of that thou seemst to have Goe rather and summe up those sweet promises of God for thy growth Behold them Iohn 10.9 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 15 4. He that commeth in by me shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture Ioh 15 4. Those that abide in me shall bring forth fruit in me My Father will purge them that they bring forth more fruit Such as are planted in the house of my God shall bring forth fruit in the Courts shall in their age bring it forth and be fat and well liking Reade also those texts before Ephe. 3.16.17 and 4.15.16 Col. 1.11 and such like to set thy teeth an edge Spread these promises before the Lord begge his Spirit to seale them Vrge 1 Ioh. 3.24 and 4.13 upon the Lord And as a poore woman would cry to the Lord Keeper for his Seale so thou to this great Keeper of the Seale to bring it out to thee Doe not give him the lie make him not a lier in his chiefe worke wherein his honour most standeth and in due time he will heare him The end of the First Part. An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the first Part. A ANtiquity of Sacraments Page 3 Agreement of new Sacraments in two things Page 22 23 Author of Sacraments is God reasons of it Page 29 Appropriation of Elements one part of their forme Page 38 What it is ibid Application of Elements by divine ordinance what Page 39 Assurance of Sacraments relateth to the Covenant Page 54 What they do assure Page 55 Acts Sacramentall in celebration why necessary Page 64 Admission of the Infant into visible communion is the generall use of baptisme Page 82 Aptnesse of the Elements in the supper to resemble Page 109 Acts of administring the Supper must follow the institution Page 112 113 Christ is the nourishment of his in point of their Affliction Page 107 Acts of the beleeving Communicant in the Supper two Page 173 B. Baptisme what Page 70 Order of Baptisme Page 71 Matter of Baptisme water Page 72 It is united Sacramentally with Christ ibid. Not to be despised ibid. Persons requisite to Baptisme are foure Page 73 Grace of Baptisme is partly generall and partly speciall Page 81 Baptisme a great stay to fearefull minds Page 83 Against prophaners of Baptisme ibid. Baptisme requires many things to make it our owne in the power of it 87. partly for grounds 88. partly for application Page 89 End of Baptisme what Page 92 How attained Page 93. ib. Ignorance of Baptisme and her use great cause of mourning Page 94 Want of true knowing Baptisme hinders assurance Page 95 Vse of Baptisme how to be tried Page 98. ib. Grace of Baptisme unlimited not restrained to the act of it See preface Bounty of God in cloathing the Elements with honour for us Page 116 Blessing of Supper Elements the second act of the Minister In how many things it stands Page 119 Breaking of Sacrament a third act of the Minister what and whereto Page 129 Broken Christ must provoke compassion and how Page 134 Broken Christ cannot be applied but by faith Page 135. ib. Broken Christ is nourishing Christ Page 136 Christ is not availing to us except Broken Page 130 How Brokennesse comprehends Christ both in merit and power Page 131 Papists love an whole Christ in both Elements unbroken overthrowing him Page 132 C. CIrcumstances of Sacraments six Page 1 Congregation requisite for Sacramentall persons 69. their duty ibid. Duty of Congregation in the act of Baptisme Page 75 Carnall reason abhorred in use of Baptisme Page 90 Closing with the Spirit necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 91 Popish Consecration confuted by the blessing of Christ Page 123 A true Communicant concurres with Christ in taking the Supper Page 173 Carnall reason to be abhorred in the taking of the Supper Page 177 Maintaining of our Communion with God in Christ is one part of our enjoying him in the Supper 191. and how we may do it Page 192 Communicating the good things of the Supper to our fellow members is a part of our enjoying and eating Christ in the Supper Page 193 Communion with God how it may bee nourished the directions for it foure exercise of Graces walking with God service of our time and knocking off from hence Page 192 193. D. DIfference of old and new Sacraments in three things Page 14 Difference of the two Sacraments of the Gospel in what Page 23 In five things ibid. Dulnesse of most in conceiving the Sacraments whence Page 41 Discerning of the Sealing power of the Sacrament necessary Page 59 Dipping in Baptisme most agreeing to the institution Page 77 Distribution of Supper Elements the last act of the Minister 137. the ground of it Page 138. ib. Drinking Christ in Supper vid. Eating Delighting in God and Christ one part of our enjoying him Page 190 Christs Dainties disgrace the Delicates of all worldings Page 199 E. EXcellency of Sacraments See the whole preface and pag. 27 Dumbe Elements how they shall condemne unbeleevers Page 52 End of Sacraments what Page 53 And how manifold ibid. 55 Ends of Sacraments must bee observed and not separated Page 62 Basenesse of Elements must not blemish the Sacraments See preface Exhibiting power of Sacraments whence it is See pref Eating and drinking Christ the second act of the people in the Supper Page 185 What Eating and drinking of Christ imports viz. injoying him and how Page 186 187 188. Grounds of Enjoying Christ foure viz. his Safety Purenesse Completnesse and Durablenesse Page 187. 188. Enjoying of Christ in foure things Page 190 End of the Supper is the sealing of Christ her Nourishment to the Soule Page 194 F. FOrme and essence of a Sacrament wherein it stands Page 37 Faith mainly required to discover Sacramentall union 50. and to apply it Page 51 Forme of Baptisme viz. Grace of Baptisme Faith required for the getting of the grace of Baptisme Page 89 Fulnesse of the Elements of the Supper Page 112 Fruit of Sacramsnts a great cause of our thankes even for others Page 128 Fulnesse of sayles of Faith a marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Fruitfulnesse in grace the fourth step of soule prosperity by the food of the Supper 160. and how Page 161 Recovering out of a Fruitlesse course is one worke of Sacramentall fruitfulnesse Page 163 Faith obeying the offer of Christ in the Supper takes him Page 175 Application of the Supper resembled by foure
thing viz. 1. How the soule hath carried it selfe in respect of former Sacraments received how it hath lived and thriven in grace by them 2 How it hath fayled therein and broken the covenant there renued in speciall 3. What repentance it feeles for that speciall sin what faith it hath in the promise of the Sacrament what fitnesse to joyne with the Church in communion of the body by love What desire after former fruit and growth by experience thereof 4. This triall at the Sacrament is a speciall Reviving stirring up and quickning of all these graces for the use of the Sacrament that thereby through mercy the soule may goe and receive with the lesse feare and more faith to speed of her desire The summe and scope of all is thus much Vse 1 1. To teach Gods people how to make use of all the former Trialls for the helping them forward to this Vse 2 Then secondly to shew how a Christian should accommodate himself to every duty wifely orderly without error and confusion which is no small grace Vse 3 3. To confute the blindnesse of such as see no distinct grace contein'd in this triall for the Sacrament and therefore thinke that if they can be devout catch up a booke and reade put on a demure habit and violently keepe off themselves from usuall riots and profanenesse of life or simper with a few good words that they carry good hearts to God meaning no man any hurt they thinke this to be that which will passe for their tryall at the Sacrament To whom I say Prov. 19 2. Without knowledge the heart is naught If they who have practized the 4. Tryalls abovesayd yet must not confound them with this but revive this triall at and for the Sacrament what shall be sayd to such blind and ignorant tryers as these without rule or reason Lastly it should informe every good communicant in the nature of this true tryall not to desist and give it over by wearinesse sloth or difficulty till in some measure he finde how he is qualified for the Sacrament seeing till then hee doth but mistake the whole scope of the Ordinance and mocke his owne soule The fourth branch of the description is Generall The issue of it The issue of this triall viz. That accordingly a man may either proceed to the Sacrament or desist for the present And this the nature it selfe of triall requires and otherwise it were needelesse to try except it were for the issue Which is plaine by the end which the Lord hath in trialls of another kind Why is the Lord sayd to try his people with false teachers and lying Prophets Deut. 13 3. Is it not no know whether wee will cleave to the truth or beleeve lyes Is it not that the faith of the elect might bee discerned from the rottennesse of hypocrites Why doth the Lord try us with streights and crosses Doth hee not intend to try whether wee will bee content with our portion or murmure and use indirect shifts So the Lord tryed Gedeons souldies who were meet for warre Iudges 7.5 who not Men also in their trialls as at Assyses what intend they save either to acquite or condemne My scope is to shew that Sacramentall triall hath also her issue either to encourage a man to receive with comfort or to desist for the time till beter provided with caution and warinesse The Vse 1 Which point is of great use 1. To instruct all Christian examinants in their triall to bee carefull of themselves and not to suffer themselves to bee deceived by error or selfe-love For why Instruction The issue is great either the comfort of well receiving and danger of loosing a great blessing if we come not Or else the perill of incurring of a great mischiefe and judgement if they presume to come We say the end of a thing is last in execution but first in intention If this were so in the purpose of such as try themselves how wisely jealously and religiously would they goe to worke If they knew and considered that the scope of triall is either to come or to forbeare and that our desisting it selfe if it bee ordinary is a mocking of God what colour soever we pretend how close and wise would it make them in going betweene both extremities either of rushing to the Sacrament without triall or desisting upon unsufficient triall How would it cause them both to tremble at contempt and refuzall and yet also at neglect of due triall ere they come Which is indeed to make a vertue of a necessity The Vse 2 Secondly this condemnes the formall and fulsome practise of common Protestants Reproofe who if they pull'd out of the vile profanenesse of such as abhorre all triall doe presently thinke that God is so beholding to them for their trying themselves that let their tryall bee what it will hee owes them welcome to the Sacrament for it Alas poore wretch Triall is appointed for an issue not for a fashion and formality to stoppe the mouth of God and conscience That triall which hath no issue can have no due substance of matter or manner in it but rather is a confuzed doing of somewhat without rule with opinion of something in the deed it selfe to commend a man to God No. As well the tryer of himselfe may see cause of not comming as the not trier ought not to come Triall hath still a respect to the issue and must be used to avoyd sin and punishment not to encrease both The Vse 3 Lastly let it be Admonit admonition to others who upon triall doe finde themselves unfit for the Sacrament Of which sort there may be two Braunch 1 Some such as although Gods people yet having fallen into some such sinne as hath deepely defiled and hardened them cannot find either their faith so lively or their repentance so sensible as that they dare to come In such a case I say if upon advise with wiser than themselves they find it so to require their duty is to consider that the Sacrament may prove so far from helping thē that it might rather encrease their guilt by boldnesse Therfore it shal be their wisedome to consider That the Lord hath other Ordinances to use than the Sacrament As that serves to nourish the faithfull so there bee others that serve to humble and cast downe the loose and presumptuous Let them therefore inquire after them as Counsell of the Minister of God able to helpe them Penitentiall Search and Triall of themselves about the occasion of their fall Fasting and Prayer with conference if they feele Sathan hath deeply bewitcht them and hardned them These Ordinances are appointed to cast out sinne if it be yet unseene and unrepented of Mark 9.29 and to expell such Devills as neither the Sacrament nor any other Ordinance can especially the publique Ministery being the setter of them on worke and the first convincer of the conscience It s a
richest are so covetous nor fine cloathes because under them is hidden many a rotten body So neyther let men mislike knowledg for the sins of them that have it No it s their hypocrisy their profanenes which defiles their knowledge It is just with God to suffer ungodly men to defile each other and them that know to lay offences in the way of the ignorant 2 Tim. 3.13 that both the offending and offended might fall and perish because neyther love the truth True it is That knowledge is not sufficient a man with it may perish but to be sure he must perish without it So much for these cavills And also of the first branch The second followeth What knowledge there is requisite 2. Generall Question what knowledge I answer First the more knowledge a man brings if conscience be thereafter the better too exact knowledge cannot be had And heere I will crave leave of my Reader to digresse a step or two mourne to consider that which according to that little experience I have had in my Ministery of late yeares I cannot but say O that I were a lyer in this A digression and caveat to ungrounded Christians viz. That hundreds of poore people in our countrey there are of whom I am perswaded they are the Lords and shall be saved who yet by all the cost and meanes which the Lord hath for 20. or 30. yeares beene at with them never came to see such sweet light order and direction by the Catechisme that they can give an account of their faith and sound knowledge therein They rest in heere a snatch and there a catch at a good point in their good affections innocent lives and blamelesse carriages But as for discerning of things peisons doctrines that differ holding that which they have spent many a weary step to come by grounding themselves upon the word for their estate and actions and seeing how they have their warrants not from a Preacher whom they love and like but from the strength of truth which cannot lye growing up in knowledge that so their hearts might waxe better and themselves more setled in Christianity Oh these things are as the sound of many waters unto them farre above them Shall I prayse you in this I speake to you of my owne flocke No I prayse you not Especially where there is a manifest defect of that which might bee As for invincible weakenesse and want of reach I am so farre from dismaying such that I doubt not to say The Lord will cloath their uncomely parts with the more honour and supply some want of judgement with much integrity and uprightnesse of heart Alas poore soules 1 Cor. 12.23 if yee wanted this too what should become of yee And because I know not whether I shall ever speake to you any more let my words sinke into you Enjoy your portion in truth and singlenesse of heart as a jewell exceeding all the skill and cunning of hypocrites Vex not your selves too much for the want of that whereby God doth so humble you for who knowes what yee would proove if your knowledge did equall some other graces and affections in yee Exhortation to others But to others this I adde Seeke as much light to guide you in this deceitfull world as possibly yee can Let not all doctrines be alike with yee Prize all but above all those which teach yee your selves and Christ and the well ordering of your conversations Psal 50. ult be wise as Serpents as well as doves in innocency let not the cunning jugling of Sathan and diceplay of men Ephe. 4.14 Eph. 4 14. so gull yee as to picke out heere one truth there another while he hath left you barren so that all is one with you whether yee live under an idle empty fruitlesse ministery or a grounded and fruitfull And the like caution I might give yee in other respects But I forbeare onely let that hope and opinion which God and his people have conceived of you bee upheld in you with honour least the Lord doe crosse you both with a staggering life and a doubtfull death because of your dallyance And so I returne againe to the point and answer Answere that it is one thing to speake of that measure of light which would doe best another of that which is simply requisite Not exquisite but competent knowledg required When I teach that knowledge is necessary I speake not as if every one who fails short of exact and cleare and full knowledge were to bee rejected God forbid for the grounds may be soundly held by many who yet faile in these As for example if I should question with many a Christian in what nature Christ subsists or how a person and a nature differ or how Christs humanity is not a person but a nature perhaps I should gravell them whereas yet they beleeve firmely the Lord Iesus to be flesh and truely God and both made one Christ for the working out their salvation The like may bee sayd of other points which to the skilfull are taken for granted yet to them are not so cleare As how Christ should satisfie and yet not tast of hellish torments in what speciall office the act of satisfying standeth To what part of the Catechisme each article of truth as the Sacrament belongs So I am perswaded many a poore soule conceives not of each mystery in the Sacramentall union although he beleeve Christ to be there present in his word and Spirit to a faithfull soule Therefore of such knowledge this I say The more the better but many who want it may yet be good receivers I know I cast bread to dogges in thus saying but weake ones must not want their due let none abuse that to slightnesse and ease which onely aymes at releefe of the weake But the question is what knowledge is needefull What this competency is Answer 1 I answer the Sacrament being one linke of the whole cheine of godlinesse must necessarily presuppose a competent knowledge both of it selfe and also of those doctrines which it depends upon For example the Supper is one of the Sacraments of the Gospell Necessary therefore it is that a man at least know what the other â—â—crament of Baptisme is upon which it dependeth Answer 2 Secondly both the Sacraments are part of those divine meanes ordayned by God to build up the soule in the power and practise of grace Needefull therefore it is that a Communicant know what the new creature meanes what sanctification is what lets it hath from sinne Sathan and world what priviledges a beleever hath annexed by God to encourage him and what those meanes are which God hath afforded the soule to susteine it from decaying in the spirituall condition Answer 3 Thirdly the new creature and sanctification being impossible to be conceived of aright without the grace and gift of faith and the Spirit of the promise necessary it is for the soule to
know what a promise is what saying faith in a promise is what the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is which is the worker of this faith Answer 4 Fourthly the promise depending upon the Merit and Satisfaction made to justice without which God should be a lyar in promising to be reconciled to the soule most necessary it is and that above all other things that a man know who it is who hath satisfied the justice of God the angry judge what the Lord Iesus is both in his obedience and death how by vertue of both the Father having accepted a ransome from his Sonne offereth most freely and faithfully the fruit of it to a sinfull wretch Answer 5 Fifthly this reconciliation presupposing an estate of enmity and wrath necessary it is that the soule know by what meane wrath is discovered to belong by nature to every soule And that is the Law of God Also by what meanes the Law brings the soule to stand seaz'd before God as guilty of this wrath and that so as it may bee plunged into utter woe by it in respect of any ability of it selfe to wade out Answer 6 Sixtly because wrath in God and enimity in us presupposing in us some cause by which we contracted it which is sinne needefull it is that the soule know what it is and how it came upon us by whose sinne and what viz. The Rebellion of Adam and how that becomes setled upon us how unavoidable it is and what a staine and guilt it hath brought upon all flesh none excepted Answer 7 Lastly least it should be thought that God made man thus corrupt to damne him its necessary to know man was not made thus sinfull and cursed at the first but created in integrities of nature in all the parts and in the Image of purenesse and holinesse even his who made him and so should hee and wee have continued to this day had not wee wilfully forsaken and defaced it by revolt from God Conclusion of the answer By this draught of the truth of God its apparent upon what principles the Sacrament and the knowledg of it depends viz. immediatly upon the knowledge of the meanes of salvation next upon the knowing of the state of regeneration next upon the knowing of the worke of faith and a promise next upon a satisfaction and the Lord Iesus the worker of it next upon the worke of the Law convincing of the curse next upon the knowledge of sinne next upon the knowledge of creation I goe backward that the simplest may understand the coherence so that by this cheine of doctrine the last linkes whereof that is creation and the fall are the first in order and so downeward every one may see that a meere receiver is not onely to know the nature and use of the Supper But of sinne of the Law of pardon Christ and the new creature without which a Sacrament severally considered is a meare shred an Idoll an object of blinde devotion To apply what I have sayd both negatively and affirmatively Application of it This I sayd That although in all these seaven som-what there is which every receiver comprehends not fully yet the substance of truth in generall is to bee knowne by him except he will come to he knowes not what nor why For example Perhaps some poore soule distinguishes not the meanes of Salvation one from another Publicke private ordinary extraordinary in the name and nature of each one yet its necessary that he know the Supper to bee a meane of Gods ordeining for his growing in grace So againe perhaps every one cannot distinguish betweene the habite of a New creature and the operations of holinesse issuing thence yet its necessary that hee know all Gods people must be holy Say againe All cannot tell how many kinds of faith there are By what steps faith is wrought What is conteined in a promise What Christ hath in speciall obey'd in or suffered what the severall workes of the Law are how many kindes of sinne there bee and by what meanes Adams is derived to us yet necessary it is that he be convinced of all these in their natures generally and finde them wought in himselfe particularly And surely if none may receive at all save he who is in the state of grace needes it must follow that the lesser must bee where the greater must be I meane that knowledge there must bee of all these where faith must be to give a man his speciall portion in them Howbeit because now wee are about the triall of knowledge apart from the other and doubtlesse many both ministers and people teach and heare this point of knowledge as a thing sufficient to enable a Receiver though I abhorre their opinion as shall appeare in the sequele yet I would by this I have sayd stoppe the mouth of any such as dreame of a knowledge which is not competent to salvation Sure it is a knowledge incompetent for salvation cannot bee competent for the Supper A demand Some might here perhaps aske how they might bee directed to know these points soundly to wit of the Supper and Sacraments and all Those doctrines which they depend upon Answere I answere that belongs not to this chapter but the Reader shall finde them all handled in my Practicall Catechisme at large and briefly toucht in the second Chapter of this second Treatise And the doctrine of the Sacraments especially the Supper is handled at large in the former Treatise the three last Chapters to which I send the Reader with this caution That I handle these things at large here and there not to the end that my booke should never come into their hands save when they come to the Sacrament for to what purpose were that but that they duly exercise themselves in reading of the whole That noting those especiall things whiâ—h they most neede in the matter of knowledge and tryall they may be able to turne to them and make use of them familiarly when they come to the Supper I should now come to the third branch how a man may try himselfe about this knowledge But I consider that this will better come in in the use of exhortation I will referre it therefore to that place and being the breefer in other uses insist somewhat more fully in that Vses 1 First then let this doctrine teach us to abhorre the wofull superstition of Popish Sacraments and the wofull ignorance of Popish Receivers Exhortation with confutation who not onely in practise but even in doctrine maintaine ignorance to be the mother of devotion and so hatch in their bosomes all ignorant ones as principall members of their cursed Synagogue And to say truth their sacrifice of the Masse being it selfe a masse of confusion having no colour of bottome out of the word who but the blind are meete for it Who but the deceived as willing to be led by blind guides as they are to leade them would endure a Sacrament in an
habite of that we know but set it on worke to the end it serveth These and such like Trialls may serve for this use which if we shall sanctifie to our selves by prayer they may stand us in some steed for the triall of our knowledge Vses 5 To conclude because I doubt not but the weake and tender christian wil be ready to snare himselfe with these rules Comfort and rather hold off himselfe by them than encourage himselfe to the Sacrament 2 Caveats Therefore these two things let me adde 1. Be not dismayed in thy selfe by thy small measure of knowledge so long as there is soundnesse of minde in thee which may bee aswell in a little as much The Lord will require of thee according to that thou hast and no more Bee faithfull in a little and thou shalt bee ruler over much Excellent is that of our Saviour Iohn 7.17 If any man doe the will of the Father he shall know of the doctrine more and more and if a man keepe my word I will come unto him and acquaint with him Looke to thy obeying heart and that hath a promise of knowing yea and that experimentally which is better than all rules or conjectures Againe if thy knowledge be sound though weake yet let this bee no let of receiving the Supper for that serves for the weake both in knowledge and in all other gifts Christ Iesus is given of the Father to be unto thee wisedome aswell as righteousnesse come to his feast and it is a good time to aske it for him hath the Father sealed in the Sacrament to be thy Prophet Iohn 6.27 and he will give thee of his fulnesse even knowledge for knowledge yea Iames 1.4 richly and without upbraiding And for this grace of Sacramentall knowledge thus much CHAP. V. Of Sacramentall faith and the triall of it I Take it for granted that the wise Reader will remember that which was before said Entrance that faith is not required as all other graces are that is onely for the better receiving of the Sacrament But that it is above all other the most essentiall grace and the immediate instrument of receiving that which the Sacrament exhibits By how much the more diligence ought to be used by a Christian Communicant that this grace be tried to be soundly wrought in him and revived at the Sacrament This caution being premised I come to the matter it selfe For the better conceiving whereof what this triall of faith in the Sacrament imports I thinke it meete by some steps to ground this point in the Readers minde Grounds of this point named and to lay downe these three things 1. That the Lord offers the good things which he bestowes upon his faithfull ones onely by and in the way of a promise which faith laying hold upon in speciall takes the name from that promise as Sacramentall faith is so called from a promise of a Sacrament Secondly that each particular promise depends upon a former maine promise that is the promises of Sanctification upon the promise of Iustification and the promises of more grace and growth upon the first promise of reconciliation and spirituall or lively being in grace so that he who would trie the latter viz. a promise to grow by a Sacrament must first trie his interest and part in the maine promise Thirdly that who so hath by sound evidence prooved his right to the first may and ought with hte more ease proove his right to the latter faith in the latter depending upon experience of the former The 1. ground Heb. 4.13 Step. 1 Touching the first of these three viz. That God offers and conveighes all his goodnesse by a promise alone externally conceive it by these few steps First it being God our Father alsufficient with whom the soule is to trade for his graces as Saint Iame saith Iam. 1.17 Every good gift and giving commeth from the Father who of his owne good will begat us we must know God is infinite immortall and incomprehensible Needes then must it be that this infinite good convey himselfe to a finite subject by such a meane and way as the poore weake carnall creature can reach it For else what proportion is there betweene one and the other How shall flesh comprehend a Spirit No more than a little childs short arme can reach a thing farre beyond it Therefore the Lord conveyes himselfe to the poore soule by an ordinance which is such a thing as consists of a spirituall and yet unexternall or sensible nature An Ordinance is the subject to which God communicateth himselfe and his goodnesse with a power of his Spirit to carry them to the soule as by preaching of the Word to the eare through the sound of a mortall voyce By prayer consisting outwardly of sentences order By the Sacrament also standing of outward weake Elements The Lord carries to the soule by these most inward and spirituall things Step. 2 Secondly though an Ordinance have Gods good things contained in it yet still there is a great gulfe set between us our spirit and minde and betweene the good of these Ordinances for we are blinde and they are mysticall and heavenly Wee may sit and heare and receive the Word or the Sacrament and yet we may be held off as it were at staves end from the good and life of an Ordinance There must be a second meane to bring us and them together This meane must be the flesh of the Lord Iesus in an Ordinance All Gods good things being first given to Christ our Head and Mediatour that so by his flesh they might be conveied to us familiarly needes it must be that except Christ be in an Ordinance as our Prophet Priest and King that so by him they might be united to us first sensibly after savingly it can not be that any Ordinance can doe us good wee shall still bee strangers to it though our bodies and sences be never so neere it For example Prayer is an Ordinance by which God imparts himselfe deepely to the soule yet except the soule cast anchor upward by faith upon the flesh of our Advocate giving strength and life to it Prayer is but a morall devotion and a meere shaddow in respect of uniting those good things to the soule Likewise the Word of God preached if it want the flesh of Christ our Prophet and Head it will carrie nothing save by a bare sound into our eares The words he speakes are life and spirit and must be carried by the spirit of our flesh into us Ioh. 6 63. or else not at all And note this The more of Christs flesh an Ordinance containes the more it imparts Gods good things to the soule And so the Sacrament of the Supper consisting of the very materials of Christ flesh and bloud must needs be very powerfull meanes of grace to the soule and must needes carrie the good things of Christ born in point of satisfaction
and of sanctification pardon and holinesse into the soule in a more peculiar manner as being the instruments of both Step. 3 Thirdly as Christ in an ordinance is the way of Gods conveying himself So Christ is conveied in an ordinance by a promise or els not at all Take away Christ and an ordinance is nothing and even so take away a promise and Christ in an ordinance is of no effect to thee The ordinance is excellent because Christ is there Howbeit thou art never the better for it because thou wantst a promise by which Christ conveies it to thee So many ordinances as God grants thee so many promises he makes to thee of blessing one ordinance is not the better for the promise of another Prayer cannot looke at the promise of hearing nor hearing of a Sacrament because each of these are severall meanes of conveying Gods good things unto thee But each ordinance must have a speciall promise Christ in it comes in and by the way and channel of a promise The cause is plain because no ordinances can be savory except mixed with faith and faith there cannot be where there is no promise for it to worke upon The conclusion then of this first ground Conclus of 1. ground is this If God will give his graces to the soule it must be by the meane of an Ordinance of Christ in an Ordinance and of a promise A promise is the immediate way by which Christ in an Ordidinance is made ours As the promise is so faith beares her name faith in a promise of the Sacrament is Sacrmentall faith and he that would try whether hee gets by the Sacrament must trie his Sacramentall faith This for the first ground Vse of this ground Ere I proceede let this point teach us to mourne for the common sort of Christians and Reveivers of the Sacrament of whom I may say as those in the Acts Act. 2. said to Paul of the Spirit They never heard whether there were a Spirit or no. So these worshippers of God and hangers upon Christ and his Ordinances yet cannot tell us whether there be any promise or no any faith in a promise or no. They will keep their Church and come to the Ordinances pray and receive but the way of faith in the promise they have not knowne To whom I say save for fashion sake What differs a Popish corrupted ordinance from a pure Ordinance of God I say in respect of good to thee yea what dâ—ffers thy absence from thy presence in this regard Oh tremble at this all ye that professe God and yet know not a promise nay I say professe to beleeve and yet know not a promise Was it ever heard that faith could subsist without a promise Oh therefore I say to all such judge what case yee are in ye are without God in the world and are still barren of all his good things either of Reconciliation or of Regeneration your Baptisme hearing and receiving are emptie and never doe him good For you never got any thing by a Promise A promise never wrought upon you any life of God or growth in that life ye never saw neede of Gods good things never emptied your selves of your selves by selfe-deniall If yee had these would have presently brought yee to a promise to bee sustained by as the Woman of Samaria drew her neighbours to Christ I conclude therefore the faith which such pretend is an Idoll a faith hanging upon the bare story of a God a Creator a Christ a Redeemer not in God and such a faith is a meere hangby and formall notion of a thing a farre off it s a faith of the Church a faith of contemplation a faith not of adherence to a promise but of meere hearesay of things which thou never either feltest any neede of or soughtst any part in And therefore whosoever thou art whose faith is no other know that thou livest a most wofull life without any of Gods gracious influence and when thou diest except thou be changed thou shalt die without comfort or hope Therefore to this thy hearesay of God and his good things adde faith in a promise and thou shalt enjoy God in an Ordinance and by name in the Sacrament savingly really and comfortably Oh! let all thy wearisome and mispent former time sting thee for thy unprofitablenesse and now in time looke about thee I come to the second ground The second ground of this point Every particular promise of good things from God is planted in a generall and maine promise So that he who would try him selfe whether this or that good thing be his or no as the gift of patience right use of the crosse growing by the Sacrament c. must first trie whether he be in the Covenant or no which is the wel head of the rest For this one Covenant to be our God reconciled includes yea gives a being to all other promises that God in this or in that will be our All-sufficiency True it is each poore soule sees not this The reason is because they judge of the chiefe promise according to the limit of their present feeling that is because in the agony of their loden spirits they feele most need of Christ to ease their conscience of guilt and to settle peace therefore they see it not to reach further than their present neede Whereas Christ being such a gift as either is wholy denied or wholly given cannot bee divided 1 Cor. 1 13 but is by the soule if she knew it and were not too narrow to contemne it received as he is given all at once Onely the soule retailes him in particular as shee meetes with her needes of him and then by recoursing to the maine promise finds her right to all the rest As the smaller boates tied to the great ship follow their motion so is it heere At leasure the soule comes to see her penny worths which at the first appeared not even as a purchase of worth doth not all at once appeare to the buyers sence but at leasure as the coÌ„modities of it come to hand Now when the soule comes to behold them then she sees all couched in a generall gift of Christ made to be her peace and pardon Secondly the reason of this is because God is the God of order He first sets the soule out of the danger of Adams forfeiture of grace because the soule is not else capable of any good thing Now in taking away this guilt he assumes the soule againe into union and fellowship with him in all the good things which she enjoyed before When the gulfe is taken away which separated the soule then the way lieth open to the soule to recover all her priviledges in time past Thirdly this is true in respect of congruitie of providence For having once granted a being to the creature of spirituall life he doth therein binde himselfe to a supporting of that life else hee should plucke downe
when yet his heart was with him But these lusts will come againe as Absolon and that with more violence and sway afterward because the heart is not turned from them and set in a contrariety Hatred is not become love nor love hatred outside is not inside and inside outside Still old love abides and the falling out of old friendly lusts prooves a renewing of love A bad signe 3. By the forme Thirdly try it by the inward forme and nature of renovation which is the worke of the Spirit infusing the habit of Gods holinesse into the soule and letting in the efficacy of his power into the same to forme it to a new creature in righteousnesse and according to the Image of the Creator Ephe. 4.22 It s the second breathing of the Lord the breath of life not to be a living soule 1 Cor. 15.45 but a quickned spirit Try thy selfe hereby if repentance bee in thee then the Lord Christ is in thee and stampes thee for his owne sets his superscription upon thee as upon his coine Ier. 31.33 causes thee to be like himselfe and endues thee with his owne savour and qualities purgeth thy old caske and sweetens thee with new liquor Now purenesse innocency faithfulnesse thankefulnesse sobernesse and contempt of the world with deniall of thy selfe are powred into thee If then thou finde no presence or operation of new savour instinct appetite and affections to be wrought but old Adam still as he was wont as sensuall carnall proud selfeloving thou hast no repentance 4. By the parts Fourthly try it by the parts of renewing quickning and killing By quickning 1. Quickning I meane that power of Christ his righteousnesse and resurrection not onely in a dead habit but in a revived power Rom. 6 8 9 10. Rom 8.11 whereby thy dead spirit to the matters of God is stirred and changed to a lively life of grace We doe not say that a man is alive to his trade and businesse when he lies on his deathbed though he live yet hee is not lively unwearyed active and cheerefull to it Againe by killing 2. Killing Rom. 6.6 7. Rom. 8.10 I meane that other part of the Spirit of Christs crosse and grave which destroyes that old life and vigor of sinne that rankenesse jollity and crowne of pride which was in corruption For though sinne be call'd but a privation yet by the law it conceaves a kind of being and becomes living turbulent rebellious and venemous in the soule till the power of the Law of Christ doe suppresse this strong man and spoile him and tumbles him into the grave of Christ that he may lye and putrify there This is an excellent tryall when a man can say I was once dead to goodnes without the Gospel but now I am lively to it Rom. 7 9. I was alive to sin and where I would be but now dead to it as a woman to a dead husband as Abigail to dead Nabal A living death and a dying life is in my soule and a stirring spirit in both 1 Sam. 2â— enâ— My owne dead and living spirit is gone and Christs both dead living spirit is come in place and in both my heart is stirring and on wing neither flat in mortifying evill nor unoccupied in good but to both set at liberty I say this is good Fiftly try it by the extent both in parts and degrees 5. By the Extent If it be sound renewing it will be both universall and encreasing In the first respect it is like Leaven which being hid in three peckes of meale leavens all and sowers all Mat. 13 33. So doth this Leaven of renewing it seasons and sweetens all the parts the understanding judgement and memory The will and choice thereof the passions the spirit and conscience the appetite of nature the sences and the members Though it be weake in all yet it is entire and through all body soule and spirit And it is encreasing in all for life is growing as life is decaying Try thy selfe by this also For it is with most of us as with one that is in debt who perhaps would sell off some peeces of his land lying out of the way and lesse looked at But as for his faire lands of inheritance which lye close and about his Mannor he will not deface them nor sell them for any price So it is with most men Their renewing stands in some outsides they can tip their tongues or colour their braines and commande their sences but when Gods Image must bee in the inner man also they will none of that Rom. 12 2. Their spirit must still run it owne streame to dye for it And so for their growth many have some violent offers of goodnesse as mercy zeale and religion but alas All they doe addes no one cubite to their former stature they keepe not the good they had much lesse put it to advantage 2 Iohn 8. growing to to more sweetnesse and ease by experience or cleaving to God with fuller purpose of heart Act. 11.23 when they see the most to warpe This is a bad but the contrary a good marke 6. By the combate 1 Cor. 13. end Sixtly by the combate of the Spirit within it selfe For because we live heere to be conformed to our head Christ therefore we cannot be wholly spirituall and mortified but we abide in part renewed in part old not because Christ cannot make us better but because wee are not capable of perfection till we live by sence Therefore Grace will worke a perpetuall sence of strife in our soules against the law of sinne in our members Not onely a desire to be with our head in fulnesse of glory Psal 137.2 Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 But the whiles to grone and sigh under our burden till every drop of blood thereof be spent especially to warre against our strong personall beloved lusts which fight in us till we recover strength and get victory till the house of Saul be downe and the house of David be up We shall feele this combat in us Gen. 25.22 as Rebecca felt in her wombe by her twins Till the Lord answer us The elder shall serve the yonger Try then thy selfe heerein if this strife be held up in thee by the spirit not in thy judgement onely against thy ill will and lusts But in the very same part of thee in which corruption fights judgement against judgement will against will affections against affections conscience against conscience grace against sinne it is a good signe But if sinne rule and there be not scepter against scepter if there be much foyling many falls few or no resistances but rather willing slavery and bondage both by sinne and to it it is a poore signe And this is all I will say of a mans trying the roote of renovation in himselfe Perhaps the view of these may doe some good to comfort an heart
I meane though extent may differ and over-comming evill with good for the roote of it is an higher thing than selfe-love and drownes all distastes in him that forgat all our injuries and died for us 2 From inconstancie Secondly from all inconstancy Every foole loves in his moode while the pang lasteth But as the torrent is soone up and soone downe so it is with many lovers they are either as high as the skies or as low as hell either men are the best with them or worst living Whence is this from their fickle heart which wants a bottome Love causes the soule to be firme constant equall and if occasions be offered of any breach Gal 4.18 3 Folly yet soders it up betimes that they grow not deepe and incurable So thirdly from all so injudiciousnesse and error Love is wise imparting it self as it sees the Object require it is not alike to all There is a false and counterfeit love in some men who out of either a weakenesse or formality of curtesie will impart themselves to such as they meete with very gently and a man would thinke this came from a deepe habite of love But if ye observe them it commeth from a slightnesse and emptinesse for they will impart themselves to all alike The best Divine in a countrey and the veriest Ruffian shall share equally in their affections no difference They will be liberall to good causes but so they will to bad and base ends also What a fulsome love is this What amiablenesse discerne these in the object of their love who can love the hatefull and to be abhorred as well as the best 4 From weaknesse Fourthly from all weakenesse and suspiciousnesse There is in some tempers a marvellous jealousnesse which makes us so conceited that the least toy or wry countenance puts them into a new frame when as yet the occasion conceived is meere nothing in all the world Melancholy may afford some seede to this ill humour but pride is the fomenter of it and selfe-love the nurse It is enough that these men thinke themselves slighted or wronged it skills not whether they be or no conceit affords realnesse sufficient But this love is too rough hewne to couch close in the building of communion 1 Cor. 3 16. Candor and ingenuousnesse of spirit loth to think ill of that which is so more than needs must but abhorring it 5 From streightnesse when no cause is and rather striving to interpret all at the best is a more meete stone to lie in this frame Fiftly all streightnesse and as I may call it hide-boundnesse of spirit many Christians are of so dry a temper so narrow-brested that their love lyes onely in a course of slight trifles they thinke it a superfluity to love in any other measure than that they may feele no vertue to goe out from them to others They cannot beteame any the enlargement of their bowels they thinke it waste to breake a boxe of oyntment upon thee feete of the Saints Iohn 12 3. But if any shredds will serve such shreddes as they can part with and feele no losse yee shall have from them This causeth them to bee uncomely members in the Communion of Saints and their love to bee odious and unsavory for love is as her object requires where an ounce is needed a dramme shall not serve the turne within her power a pound is as ready as a shilling or a shilling as a peny O yee Corinthians saith Paul I am enlarged unto you because I love you I can beteame you any thing even my owne soule so 1 Cor. 13 4. 6. From selfe love is bountifull and not shrunke up as a bottle in the smoake Sixthly all selfe and selfelove the very bane of communion When men will alway see some such addition to the grace of a man that although hee seeme to love for grace yet except there bee some other by and squint ayme of sweetenesse and curtesie of Pleasure gaine reputation or that which some way satisfies it selfe alas their love is cold and falles off Such shall bee markes in their eye as will prayse their gifts or lend them as their needes are or doe them good offices so as they may serve their turnes But for others they are not very forward to seeke them Whereas true love is selfe-denying and cleane handed Psal 16 2. Sets heart where God sets his and although as the case may stand offices of love are due and owed yet for those respects a good man abhorres to love and loves for that excellency of grace which hee beholds That sparkle of divine nature which shee can discerne to shine out of a soule in any kinde as Humility uprightnesse faith mercy innocency or the like are the Loadestone which knits them and drawes them together Seventhly pride and vaineglory 7. From pride For many there are who thinke themselves so compleate as if the body held not them Rom. 11 18. but they it They are too proud to have entercourse with others of all rankes They must be very choise and peculiar Divines of great fame and worth whom their love must honour But if of a meaner sort they have no edge to them Their love is as proud as his in Saint Iames who sayd to the gold ring and Pearles sit thou heere as deserving my love But to the meaner man sit thou at my foote-stoole Iam. 2 1 3. Oh! Saith the Apostle is not this to have the love of our Lord Iesus in the acceptance of persons 1 Tim. 1 4. Others out of singularity affect new opinions by themselves weary of the old grounds of truth as too meane for their curious and fine wits and thus bring in scisme and faction in steed of peace and consent in the Church Others are sicke of a Praesident and stiffe selfewillednesse Rom. 12 16. so that looke whatsoever they have once vented and broached bee it never so unsound Iohn 19 22. Gal. 5 ult yet they will stand out in it and what they have written they have written whatsoever confusion they cause thereby So also others are so vaineglorious that either they must sway and rule the rost in what companyes so ever they become if they bee not attended onely their gifts and parts admired and all cry Grace grace to their opinions though they disdaine the gifts of others better than themselves all is marred 1 Cor. 13. Whereas love is humble Rom. 12 10 and 16. thinkes better of others than it selfe in giving honour goes before others and is equally minded to those of lower degree moderate in her tenets willing to submit to any that shew better reason 8. From censoriousnesse Eightly censoriousnes For then if they see any goe in any other way than themselves they never enquire into their reasons much lesse forbeare and sympathise them in their supposed weakenesse but condemne them presently unheard and unknowne
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
by law seeke defence of both then that still the heart looke at her owne honest cleering rather than at any personall revenge not interpreting things lefthandedly an heathenish quality but as fairely as possibly they may bee construed So also forbearing the seelinesse weakenesse and lesser measures of other mens graces their techines errours and follies Waiting to see the end of a thing not so rejudging persons Eccles 7.10 Ephe. 4.32 intents events rashly Forgiving such as have offended us whether in their heate or coole bloud especially if we finde them ready to seeke it by making amends abhorring implacablenesse yea and this often not to seaven times but seaventy times seaven Matth. 18.22 Matth. 6. Matth. 18.35 even as wee our selves would bee heard in the like from God So also moderating of justice in case of strife vantage of Law Extreame right may proove extreame wrong When a poore man then is fallen into our hand we may not deale in the hardest manner cause all creditors to come about his eares and to undoe him or take for pledges his Bible his garment bed milstones bread c. Add to these others of like nature â— Position Secondly love extends her selfe to all such Acts of communion as she is occasioned unto and that first both in maintaining of those inward graces of the spirit which should put forth the soule unto them Col. 3.12 as tendernes painefulnes Col. 3.12 long-suffering amiablenes mildnes curtesie thankfulnesse kindnesse in mutuall offices plainnesse largenesse humblenes whatsoever of such quality 2. As also practise and exercise of loving actions 1. Either to all as to hold peace with them so as is possible with good conscience and to helpe pitty and releeve their bodies or soules though they deserve the contrary for there is an holy overflow of love in the godly even extended to such as are without that their hearts may be broken Ephe. 6.10 of this sort are these Vsefulnesse in common life for a righteous man and a good man should goe together readinesse to assist Iob 5.7 advise and protect the shiftlesse and wronged against their encroachers Iob 31.16 as Iob was the poore mans sanctuary especially of Orfans and widdowes whose low hedge is soone trod downe And that by free counsell riding writing in their defence if need bee So neighborly offices 2. Or else and that especially to that houshould of faith our fellow brethren and those either neere hand or remote For the love of the faithfull bends it selfe to God himselfe But as David speakes Psal 16 2. because it extends not to him therefore it returnes upon those whom hee hath made his Attornies to receive it First for Particulars we must know nothing can act beyond it owne spheare and so the love of the Saints shines most beautifully within her owne praecinct I meane to them whom she is neerest unto in place and also in compasse 1. To the person of Gods Minister his name estate To the Minister and welfare to maintaine countenance and assist to their uttermost especially in streights sicknesse and other necessities and to expresse our selves towards him See Heb. 13 1 as under the greatest prosperitie 2. To the persons of such faithfull ones as offer themselves unto us by occasion of travell or businesse 2. 2 People Heb. 13 2. Rom. 12 13. Iudges 19.15 that we be harberours unto them and make much of such esteeming their fellowship farre above our welcome But it is now growne to this that as that Levite at Gibea so a goodman if he lye not at an Alehouse may lye in the streetes An ill signe 3. 3 To Christian neere dwellers To those Christians among our selves who are decayed not by their sinne but the hand of God as fire sicknesse or the like losses best knowne to such as are neerest and therefore more concerning such than strangers who may easily bee deluded And this to be done in season before the breach be too farre gone at which time a shilling may doe as much good as ten after 4. 4 To the bodies of Saints Iohn 12 8. To the bodies in generall of all poore Saints whom wee must alwayes have among us in steede of Christ himselfe to discover what spirit of love is in us Towards whom we must shew love frankely and freely beteamingly and cheerefully Rom. 12 8. in all simplicity with bowels that is abundance of compassion to sixe and seaven dispersing not grudgingly upbraidingly Rom. 12 13. or niggardly To these true poore not onely rates for collection are due as to all by the Law but severall and privie mercie Now heere as the bodily distresse lyes in speciall so doth mercy draw lines from the Center of Gods Commandement Heb. 13 16. Eccles 11 1. To doe good and to distribute and forget not Cast thy bread upon their waters c. to each necessity one love extending it selfe to many operations according to judgement If she beholds the tattered or naked shee earnes to cloathe them if the hungry to feede them if penylesse Mat. 25 33 34. to money them if sicke to visit them if imprisoned to comfort and releeve them or howsoever their sorrowes are in their credite state posterity or the like 5 To the soules to succour and stand by them So againe and most of all to the soules of the faithfull to extend our charity according to their needes Not each one tending himselfe and looking to his owne private welfare of soule but to see that the commonwealth of Soules prosper And heere love is full of eyes towards the weake in knowledge Act. 18 26. Gal. 2 â—â— to enlighten them as Aquila did Apollos Toward the offensive to resist and reproove them sharpely as Paul did Peter Tit. 11 13. towards the fallen either by weakenesse to restore them and joynt them Gal. 6 1. or by revolt to gaster and recover them Iude 23. 1 Thes 5.14 to comfort the sad to warne the unruly and to exhort and quicken the weake and staggering Generally by good example to walke so unblameably toward all 1 Pet. 2.12 that the bad may be daunted and the good hartened built up and furthered in their most holy course â— Generall Secondly as a fountaine narrow at the spring diffuseth it selfe in her passages Diffusion of love So love she alway begins at home yet enlargeth her selfe to them that are a farre off even the whole Church in the corner in the country in the kingdome in which she liveth yea further even to other lands and the Churches thereof 2 Thes 3. 3 Iohn 2. One spirit possesseth the whole body for each members good and each member for the good of the whole and that both for outward and spirituall good For outward that all promises of prosperity belong to the Church So if it seeme good to providence shee may enjoy them Thus David Psal 144.12
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
Oh! thou shalt have thy belly full of it one day with aking and sorrow when conscience shall present thee with thy sinne and shew thee how many Sacraments and the fruit of them this gulfe of the world hath devoured without recovery And what a narrow entrance into heaven it hath caused to thee who if thou hadst beene enlarged to Gods opportunities as they to thee mightst have found a large doore opened unto thee Then shalt thou bee weary of those cauils which thy covetous heart hath cast upon the Sacrament as these Where finde ye that so much cost is required to the Sacrament that men must lay aside their businesse and looke after that Nay where findest thou that the matters of so divine a Nature must stoope to thy base trash And so ingrosse thy hurt that when holy things are in hard thy soule is no where lesse than where thy body is So that that hadst as good doe never a whit as never the better The Remedy is Resigne up thy selfe and ends to God make him the Moderator Remedy and hee will not defraude thee of thy worldly due if thou wilt be ruled But if thy selfe be judge the Lord must needes prove the loozer More causes added To these I might adde more As that men make a dead worke of the Sacrament they live not by faith in it they walke not humbly and tenderly but suffer smaller evils to lurke in them and defile them till they feele conscience crazed they make not up their breaches by speedy repenting but soder and crust them over they ply not Sacraments with other private and personall helpes meete to preserve the grace thereof but in the midst of their slightnesse vanities and pleasures which they mixe with holy things they looke to fare as well as those that watch closely to those succors wherein as they are foulely deceived so let them know that the Lord is righteous and will not conceale the labour of love in his better servants to equall the slight and carelesse with them in blessing Remedy For remedy whereof let them looke backe to the Chapter of Repentance Conclusion of the whole And thus at last I have also finished these few advices added to the Doctrine of preparation Conclusion of the whole Craving therefore of him who is Alpha and Omega and hath now brought us to an end of our purpose that be would set home this doctrine of the Sacrament to the hearts of the Readers I finish the whole Booke FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the chiefe points handled in the second Part. A. ASsisting grace of God one marke of our effectuall calling Page 38 And how ibid. The Act of faith one speciall triall of our faith 96 and wherein it stands ib. The stirring of the Affections up by the good things of Christ Sacramentall a speciall meane of reviving faith Page 101 Application of the promise of the Sacrament ib. Act of love is negative or positive 179. 180. In what particulars both consist Abandoners of Sacraments terrified Page 213 Admiration of God Christ and the Spirit necessary to raysing the heart in the Sacrament Page 218 Severall Acts and Passages of the Sacraments require due carriage called Accommodation of the soule Page 222 In six particulars Page 223 Affections cannot be sacred except they have a due object Page 193 Trusting to former Affections an ill quality in Receivers an enemy to desire Page 202 B. BRokennesse of heart and mourning is one signe of hearty repenting Page 116 God recovers the soules of his being fallen to new Brokennesse and mourning Page 126 Behaviour of a Communicant at the Sacrament must be holy Page 209 Behaviour there must be sutable in body and soule Page 215 Behaviour of Communicants must be due both in respect of the whole Sacramont and the particular passages thereof Page 216 Better sort very unfruitfull in Receiving with the causes Page 242 C. COnfusednesse and indiscretion in the worship of God sinfull Page 3 Cavilling about Gods Commands under colours an ill marke Page 19 God may justly punish those who obey his Commands in an andue manner aswell as the disobeyers ib. Markes of effectuall Calling necessary for our tryall of estate Page 37 The fruits of Calliog a speciall marke of our estate in grace and what they are Page 41 42 33 Curiosity in prying into other mens wants makes men blind in seeing their owne Page 54 Excesse of Care and sorrow overloding Gods people for their wants sinfull Page 55 Carelesnesse of our wants comes from grosse sin and is dangerous ib. Each ordinance includes Christ in it as their sappe Page 82 Cleaving to the promise against bondage and Carnall reason a marke of faith renewed Page 103 Testimony of good Conscience at the Sacrament a signe of faith renewed ib. The Christian Combate one sound marke of repentance Page 114 Confession a great tryall of hearty repentance Page 117 Carnall and hypocriticall receivers of the Sacrament are in a dangerous case Page 130 Crossing of our selfes in our sweet lusts a triall of repentance Page 137 Censoriousnesse purged from love by faith Page 148 Comming to Sacrament necessary and commanded proofes reasons of it Page 209 210 211 Commemoration of Christs benefits necessary behaviour in receiving Page 216 Due Carriage of a Receiver after the Sacrament necessary Page 224 Contentation and well apaiednesse in God ought to be practised by such as have beene satisfied at the Sacrament Page 229 Care a speciall grace to bee practised after our Receiving Page 230 A pure Conscience daily preserved so a sweete meane to make preparation to Sacraments sweet Page 235 Conceit of a civill condition without being in Covenant a meane of bad Receiving with the Remedy Page 241 Sundry Causes together of the ill Receiving of the better sort with their Remedies Page 244 D. NOt to discerne the body of Christ in the Sacrament dangerous Page 60 Dalliers with God in point of future repentance dangerous Page 131 Little hope of Delayed repentance to prove sound Page 132 Dissimulation purged from love by faith Page 147 Diffusivenesse of love Page 182 Dissemblers of love at the Sacrament are bad Receivers Page 186 Desire of the Sacrament a necessary grace for a Receiver Page 193. 197. 198 Object of Desire is Christ Sacramâ—ntall described Page 194 How Desire of the Sacrament may bee attained Page 198 Such as come without Desire to the Sacrament terrified Page 199 Want of renewing of Desire a great sin in Gods people at the Sacra Page 220 Ab helpes and motives to be used to stirre up Desire Sacramentall Page 204 The triall of true Desire Page 205 E. TRiall of our Estate in grace the first Object of Sacramentall triall What it is and the branches thereof 32. Objection answered ib. How farre a Christian may be doubtfull and solicitous about his Estate Page 43 Our Estate in grace is to be tried by our calling and how 35. In three things ib.