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
have beene planted together with him into the likenesse of his death we shall also be to the likenesse of his resurrection And note this further that as the holy Ghost expresses the meriting causes diversly now by one then by another part of his mediation so sometime he applyes that his merit to one frâ—it sometime to another yet so that by one merit we understand all and by one effect of it all the rest Take a Text 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto baptisme now saveth us not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience in the resurrection of Iesus Christ Marke the resurrection of Christ being the compleatnesse of his satisfaction and the declaring of it is made here the meriting cause of the grace of Baptisme But by it all the satisfaction is meant And the effect of this Baptisme is called The answer of a good conscience which is the peace and security of it properly issuing from pardon of sinne and guilt yet in and by this all are meant both justification and sanctification The selfe same phrase is used Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10 22. Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodyes washed with pure water that is with peace For this blood Hebrewes 12. cryeth better things than that of Abel The phrase of sprinkling compares Baptisme to the Israelites sprinkling their doore posts with the blood of the Lambe If they had not done it Exod. 12 22. they had beene in danger of slaying by the Angel But having done it Heb. 10.24 their heart was at quiet and peace through the promise So baptisme is a better sprinkling of a better blood upon a better object to a farre better peace even peace of conscience as being passed from death to life By all these places not unmeet to be conferred together we see that whole Christ crucified Christ in water Christ in our Regeneration Christ in our union and by it all his benefits are the extent of the grace of baptisme And that the Minister standing in Gods stead applying water to the Baptised doth by it apply the power of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit accompanying the same to create a new birth of Grace and life in the soule The which worke of the Spirit I shall more revive in the first use of this point Vse 1 This use is exhortation to all that bring or behold children brought and offred to the Lord in his Sacrament of Baptisme to lay in by faith for the Spirit of Christ in the water whereby the Lord would vouchsafe to thy child and renew to thy selfe if ever truly converted the Lord Iesus for regeneration and the new creature To this end doe two things First 2. Things 1. Behold the truth of the word Behold the truth of this offer of the Lord Iesus in the water by the helpe of the word and not so onely but what the word of Regeneration can worke of it selfe in the soule and therefore much more can further it by the Sacrament Secondly by and through this Word apply the merit and power of the Sacrament to thy soule in particular For the former know although a Sacrament be above a word yet it is so by a word and with it and not else Behold not a Sacrament without a word for then thou seest a meare empty vanishing Element Behold it in word and thou sest no lesse than Christ in the water true regeneration offred thee Take all those Texts I cited before looke up to God by prayer to see the truth of them Ephe. 4 22. as they are in Iesus to rivet every of them in speciall into thy spirit that so thou maist feele a bottome to thy faith out of a word Labour to see what makes this word so powerfull even the truth of a promiser the merit of a satisfyer who died shed his blood was buried and rose againe by the power of God that he might fill a promise with efficacy and perswade thy heart that seeing all that he suffered was for thee to make himselfe thine in remission of sinnes and renewing of the holy Ghost therefore the promise that offers this to thee in the Sacrament is sound and effectuall Reade and ponder that place I named Ephe. 5.26 Ephe. 5.26 Washing of water by the word And so be resolved if the word of a true God tell thee That he will wash thy soule by Christ in the Sacrament it shall be so it cannot be otherwise and if he have said Christ in the water water is spirituall birth regeneration renewing purging burying in the grave with Christ rising up with Christ then so it is This word will give a bottome to thy feete to stand upon while thou reachest out with thine hand to take Christ so that thou shalt not stagger Consider that the same word which hath held Christ and water in so strong an union can also hold thee upon sure ground Alas mens going to worke without a word marres the power of Baptisme and causeth the soule to be present with any object more than with Christ in the water It goes with the Spirit Further bee assured this word of Christ in his promise of the Sacrament never goes alone The truth of it alway is annexed to the Spirit of Christ in the water All the word is full of this tells us the Spirit is that which assists the Sacrament The Spirit quickneth 1 Ioh. 5.6 water profits nothing alone It is the Spirit which must joyne with the word with water and unto Christ to both in the soule or else the things of the Sacrament are as farre off as heaven and earth But the Spirit of Christ crucified water and blood meeting with the Sacrament fetches out all the power of Christ into the soule and makes the promise of blessing effectuall Hence it is that nothing is so common in Scripture as the Spirits concurring with Baptisme Matthew 3. Matth. 3.11 Hee shall baptise with the holy Ghost and fire Tit. 3.5 Water of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit 3 5. As it attended Christs baptisme so it must ours if it bee efficacious else not These two things being forelaid bring forth thy faith in the word Spirit of the Sacrament both for thy child and thy self These two things brin faith for begetting or reviving of Christ to regeneration And as the hand puts on the apparell upon the body yea as thou beholdest the Minister to dip thy child in water so concurre with him by faith and behold God the Father putting the Lord Iesus upon thy soule and the soule of thy childe for pardon peace joy confidence security grace and holinesse and fasten upon the Word and draw thereby the Spirit of Baptisme to helpe and satisfie thy soule with Christ in all these As thou wouldest put on a garment upon thy naked body How this 1 By the stripping
can heale worse diseases the disease of my nature the distempers of pride envie worldlinesse selfelove impatience 2 King 2 14. infidelitie and what not As Elisha having the cloake of his Master with the promise of his Spirit smote the waters and caused them to goe this way and that till he went o-over dry so doe thou cry Where is the Lord God of Baptisme The Lord Iesus in the water the Spirit of regeneration Oh! let the Arke carrie mee safe and free from the gulfe of wrath and destruction 2 Kin. 2 21. First O holy Lord let thy Spirit cast his salt into these waters which my sinne hath made barren and accursed even as all other creatures and sanctifie them by union and put a blessing upon them implanting the root of the Lord Iesus into my soule by dipping me into them that so as verily as I behold my childs face and my owne flesh cleansed from spots by outward water so surely we may find our soules and spots thereof to be washed by the bloud of Christ this true laver of the new Birth unto remission of sinnes and eternall life Thus much of this point I now come to the third and last The 3. general The end of it The third generall in the Description is the end whereto Baptisme serveth And that is the sealing up of all the grace mentioned before to be the soules owne in assured perswasion and possession I say not that this is the end which all baptized ones attaine unto nay not all who yet by the word and faith doe attaine some comfortable fruit of Baptisme But this I say is the end which God intends in the Sacrament To seale up the soule to an assured feeling and reall partaking of those holy things of Christ which are here offered I meane not that this sealing of Baptisme is inherent in it To seale our regeneration so as if the Spirit of regeneration were but an attendant to Baptisme no in no wise but this where the Lord meanes to bestow upon a beleeving soule which though it relies upon his Word and Promise yet finds many doubts and feares this grace of knowing it selfe to beleeve to be regenerated to be elect to be heire to heaven which reflexion is the worke of the holy Ghost there the Lord useth the Sacrament of Baptisme to be the instrument of this assurance and to make up the evidence of the word full and effectuall For even as the seale annexed to an evidence makes it past question as I said before so doth this Seale added to the word perfect the evidence of it and therefore we may truly say carries in it the last best and uttermost evidence which the Lord hath to bestow upon the soule to put her out of question To repeat things spoken already is not my purpose By looking at the Covenant onely apply the generall to particular The seale of Baptisme lookes at the extent of the Covenant Thou knowest what it is to have the Lord to be thy God in Christ I spake even now at large of the grace of Baptisme The selfe same is the extent of the Covenant it reacheth not one inch shorter than that I spake there Now marke as large as that is so large is this Seale of Baptisme and the Lord keeper of the great Seale is the Spirit of Christ he it is who brings it forth to the soule that needs it and hungers after it by the taste of the graciousnesse and sweetnesse of God in the Covenant And he aâ—kes the soule and saith Poore soule have not I oft convinced thee by my promise of my faithfull meaning Have I not said I will never faile or deceive thee Yes Lord but I am sold under carnall sence and infidelity Well but what saist thou if I bring forth the markes the wounds the water and bloud of the Lord Iesus side sprinkle them upon thee when Tamar knew not how to convince Iuda lo she sends him the cloke staffe Gen. 38 25. and signet asking him Whose they were and when he saw them he was convinced This course was better than words it had a reall relation in it So here the Spirit brings out the very instuments of assurance and laies water upon thy flesh to secure thee Christ in his life and death is thine and shall not this be a reall relation above the naked word unto thee Yes surely if together with the outward presenting of the things he also clap the Seale upon thy soule and leave a print upon thy soft heart which may assure thee he hath been there to fetch out thy slavish feare and infidelitie Ephe. 1 13. Reade Ephe. 1 13. where this Spirit is called the sealer of the Promise it s called the earnest of our Inheritance and purchased possession Reade also Ephes 4.30 where it is called the Sealer of our redemption Ephe. 4.30 By which phrases all the whole grace of Christ is meant viz. That the Spirit in Baptisme seales our Vocation our Iustification Adoption Sanctification and the rest one as well as the other Vse 1 Now for use Branch 1 If this be true what cause of mourning is there for us in these times that the grace and sealing power of the Spirit in Baptisme is so unknowne to the body of Congregations in this Church How few behold Baptisme with such an eye Oh! how do the most turne it into a ceremony Some of the richer sort making it a ceremony of Pompe and sensualitie the poorer of common passage and forme which when it s over the Pageant is done The better sort acknowledge but an initiating ordinance serving to make men visible Christians But as for grace especially this exceeding grace of the sealing Spirit of Adoption and assurance what one of an hundred sees it Oh lamentable We reade that when certaine disciples of Iohns baptisme at Ephesus Act. 19 2. were asked by Paul If they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved They answered They knew not so much as whether there was an holy Ghost or no. So may I say of our people Alas they are so farre from the Seale of Baptisme that they know not whether there be any such thing or not They know not that God hath any Ordinance of so high nature or no as this to convey assurance into a man of his regeneration And how can such chuse but live a sad drooping course Branch 2 Nay to this I may adde that it is the case of thousands of Christians whom we should highly offend if we questioned them who scarse see neede of such a sealing Ordinance They praise God they have beleeved their salvation and since that they have been rid of all feares and doubts and walke on and on without ayle or annoiance Indeede they found some adoe with themselves ere they could attaine faith But when they once got it they got all at once and since feele small doubts or oppositions to
s the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. ult which must doe it 1 Pet 1 22 as Iam. 1.16 Of his free will hee begat us by the Word of truth Iam 1 16 Trie thy selfe then by the usuall acts of the word of Regeneration and so thou maist gather that this Spirit belongs to thee This is no place for mee to digresse I will cull out onely two or three things which may serve for this use Deceive not thy selfe and God will not deceive the Didst thou ever then feele in thy selfe that this immortall seed cast into thy eare did so descend into thy heart as to worke any immortall hope in thee 2 Tim. 1 11. The Gospell reveales immortality and glory to the soule Did it ever bring to light any such thing to thee Did it ever conceive in thee a sensible distaste of all hopes below and raise thy affections above Did it ever cause the things of the earth long life health successe welth money pleasure to be despised in comparison of the hope which is set before thee Camest thou ever from the word another man in thy aime appetite savor and love than thou wentst Did thy heart ever burne within thee there And when thou camest with earthly base thoughts did the Lord so dash them by heavenly doctrine and the hope of Christ that thou returnedst to thy house with a distaste of thy selfe for them Wert thou ever so touched and taken with the promise of the word that thou wert loath to forgo it for any delight In particular try thy self thus Instances of the words working 1. Hath the word of the Law cast a destroying seede of death into thee taken a way that life of old Adam jollity in sin Hath it defaced thy old Image discovered thee to thy selfe to be an Alien from the Life of God and common-wealth of Israel the son of an Hittite and Amorite as odious as one of thirtie old would be to thee who never was baptized Secondly hath the Gospell cast a better seed of hope in Christ by the Covenant of reconciliation into thee In thy hearing of this glad tidings hath the Lord bored an eare in thee by which this seede might conceive and kindle in thy heart Hath it wrought the preparation of heart in thee by brokennesse tendernesse humilitie unweariednesse of paines selfe de-deniall c. Hath it setled and digested in thee as a thing of such beauty as in comparison of which all the glory of the earth is drosse Hath it abode in thee and brought an undecaying sweetnesse into thee Hast thou felt in thy wombe the paines of true life and the new birth viz. How corruption of nature selfe and infidelity have rebelled against the work both of the Law and Gospell Gen. 25 22. Hast thou with Rebecca in this combat gone to God with thy complaint of the infinite lets that have held thee from beleâ—ving And hath the Lord by his Promise and perswasions fastened thy anchor of soule upon his bottome of free grace and truth renouncing thy owne hopes feares performances So that now thou hast him close bound to thee in his word from ever forsaking thee Then I say to thee thou art he whom the word hath breed Christ in and formed life in thee by faith What wanteth then Oh! thy heart is fickle and too weake to buy and sell upon the bare word without wavering yea thou hast much adoe to get victory over thy uncertain heart Well no wonder Thou seest nothing and to resist sence is a great worke yet be faithfull with God and give not over his promise and by due cleaving to the bare truth of the Lord begge further light and rest not in thy measure much lesse yeeld to any love of sinne to darken and defile thee And so doing I assure thee that to thee and to none but such the seale of baptisme belongs thou shalt find the Lord will by his Spirit convince thee deeplier the Spirit of Baptisme shall bring forth Gods pledges shew thee them Ioh. 16 9.10 convey into thy faint heart strength confidence and courage of faith and set thee above thy distempers as if they had never annoied thee If I say hee have purposed such a decree of grace unto thee he will effect it in time else know that howsoever yet thy service is blessed and thy faith hath brâ—â—d the life of regeneration in thee Branch 1 Forthly let this be exhortation to urge us to apply our selves to Baptisme for the sealing work of the Spirit therin To young Novices And first I direct my speech to yong novices under the means Slight not off the first incklings of this sealing Spirit The 1. layes heates of the holy Ghost and fire doe usually breake forth in youth Consider it s not a dayes worke nor a thing easie to settle the Spirit of sealing upon thy soule there be many steps to it Oh! looke to it yee young beginners One cause why old Christians walke so heavily is because they never heeded or hatched the first motions of the Spirit in their beginnings If then the Spirit of God doe call and stirre in thee by early affections love zeale enquiry answer Speake Lord for thy servant heares put him not off by ease or bondage 1 Sam. 3 9. If such a thought come as this What a dramme of Grace and Life of Christ is worth or what vow thou madest in Baptisme and how retchlesse thou hast beene to keepe it dally not with such items shake not off either pangs of terrour by lusts of youth or pangs of hope and love with ease and sloth for so the Spirit of sealing is fore-stalled and the faire forwardnesse thereto will hardly be recovered Put in thy foote presently upon the Angells stirring the poole Ioh. 5 4. if thou have an heart none shall prevent thee heere as there If these seeds were not choked and these buds cropt they would proove the assuring sealing Spirit of grace in due time Through contempt of it the Lord leaves youth to that hideousnesse and ripenesse in sinne yea a spirit of desperate debauchednesse in drinking oathes Rev. 22.11 and villany as would not bee beleeved of such youth Branch 2 Secondly I speake to all other apply your selves to the Sacrament of Baptisme for this last evidence and seale of the Spirit To elder oneâ— to let yee know that yee are the Lords Lin not till the Lord hath seal'd yee for his owne set his marke upon you not to be blotted out Looke up at each Sacrament each Baptizing ye see to the Lord that which in the former point I speake as hee hath applied the grace of Baptisme by the promise unto you so now hee would apply is Seale of assurance unto you by his Baptisme Let not such a mercie be there to be had and you not aware of it Thinke it not too good to receive if God will grant it What is
for the present enlarges it selfe further and gives the soule a taste of that eternall joy which it shall possesse hereafter when it shall put off this corruption and earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands Secondly the Spirit of sealing hath fulnesse of faith in it It s therefore compared to full sayles of wind Heb. 10 22 which carrie the ship an end Is it so with thee Art thou free in good measure from a life of sence from judging things of God by the outsides Canst thou rest in this that although thou neither hearest voyce from heaven nor seeest shape yet there is a Sun within the clouds There is a God and all the fidelity truth and love is still in the promises which ever was without shaddow of turning Art thou by this faith carried above those feares doubts distempers Rom. 5 2 3 4. which when the coast was mistie thou wert annoyed with Walkest thou now with cleerer comfort joy and perswasion of Gods love providence promises Is thy heart as the Arke above the rockes Gen. 7.10 Is it farre otherwise with thee in the frequencie the dismalnesse of thy unbeleefe than formerly Are thy buffetings temptations lusts well blowne over Then hold and nourish this fruit in thee knowing it is no common thing But Oh Lord where is the man to whom I speake this Thirdly nourish thy liberty Was it wont to be an usuall thing to thee to be clogged with the weight of sinne Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 vexed with the fiery darts of Satan and his noysome buffetings tossed with strong lusts Was the worke of God irkesome painefull to thee hardly drawn to it soone unsetled How is it now 2 Cor. 3.17 The Spirit of sealing is a free Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is a Spirit where he is there is libertie Dost thou now walke in and out with the Lord as a sonne in the house Luke 1 6. well provided for Rid off thy old chaines enlarged to runne the Commandements of God with chearefulnesse Hast thou freedome from thy old feare Psal 119.32 Hath the Lord both overthrowne the court of sinne and bad conscience and all the officers of it Canst thou meete the Bayliffe securely Canst thou as a free man Gal. 5.1 looke upon Satan hell death without horror Nourish it and be thankefull for it Fourthly Hast thou the boldnesse of the Spirit of adoption Canst thou come to the Lord in prayer with holy confidence Is thy slavish heart gone Rom. 8 15. Verse 26. Zach. 12.10 Darest thou call God Father by good proofe and triall Doth the Spirit of God teach thee to pray Doth it purge out thine owne spirit of selfe of gifts of forme and teach thee to pray wisely with feeling and groaning under thy corruptions seeking more mortification of heart and spirit Art thou so fervent and frequent as one that knowes his welcome Canst thou lay in daily for thy selfe and others Blesse God for thy portion and prise it So fifthly Hast thou the spirit of holines purenes If thou be sealed by the assuring Spirit thou are sealed by the holy Spirit of God How doth it appeare Is there love of purenes and holines a loathing of all falsehood and profanes in thee Hast thou gotten a pure title unto Deut. 33.16 Tit. 1.15 and use of all ordinances blessings and administrations of God towards thee Art thou able to say To the pure all things are pure Dost thou grow more fruitful and plentifull in holines all holy means meditation fasting conference holy duties compassiâ—n mercy love pietie sobernes holy graces 2 Pet. 1.5 8. 2 Pet. 3 ult 1 Cor. 15 ult as faith hope patience Dost thou adde grace to grace so as thou maist not be unprofitable but grow be rooted and setled still then I say nourish these I assure thee this world is not for such matters blesse him that hath called thee out of it in the strength of this seale of Baptisme walke on as Elia did to the mount of God 1 King 19 8. Ephes 4 30. Grieve not this sweet Spirit by any lusts or roote of bitternesse keepe the world under the girdle of this Spirit provoke him not to forsake thee but having felt his sweetnesse let him not depart from thee till hee have conducted thee into the land of righteousnes And know if this Spirit be given thee thou keepest a costly thing which not all they have who yet beleeve in this measure deceave not thy selfe about it and if thou have it nourish it carefully For as the traveller who hath nothing to lose is carelesse of theeves so know thou that hast such a charge hadst need be jealous least Satan the world and thy evill selfe rob thee of thy treasure Ephe. 6.18 And this be said of this 3. generall also of the end of Baptisme and so of the whole doctrine and use of Baptisme the more largely because I shall touch it no more as I purpose to doe the other Oh! how is it to be lamented that the knowledge and use of it is no more understood by our Ministers and people CHAP. VI Of the Supper of the Lord. The description and parts of it And first of the Sacramentall Acts of it I Come now to the Doctrine and discourse of the Supper of the Lord wherein as I foresee that those things which do peculiarly concerne the handling of it will take up much more roome than the former of Baptisme as being the Sacrament of growen ones and therefore having in it more life for present administration and use than the other of Infants So also I see much labour is spared me in this latter because of those generals which unavoydably have been handled in the former I say so far as those things do agree to the Supper subjects only being changed So far then as ought hath beene toucht before of the Order the Constitution the Acts Grace or Sealing of Baptisme which may sute and agree with this of the Supper let none looke for the Repetition of it onely in such grounds I will content my selfe to point to the speciall application in few words and dwell the longer upon things peculiarly proper to the Supper And those are these three The Acts to be performed The distinct grace offred in it The speciall end of it which stands in the sealing power and the object wherabout it s occupied Description of it The Supper of the Lord then to describe it first is the second Sacrament of the Gospell consisting of Iesus Christ exhibited in the Bread and Wine wherein by certeine Acts duly perfourmed about the Elements whole Christ-body and Blood is conveyed to the Soule for the sealing up of her Growth and encrease in the Grace of the Covenant 1 Branch of the order Vse First I point in a word at the order In the first Sacrament I noted the impudency of such as will invert Gods order Now in
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
from the Crowne would bee so idle as repaire to the King for they are excluded If the Parliament grant the King a subsidie from his subjects no man that knowes himselfe to bee no subsidie man would prepare any such money for the King for the businesse concernes him not So is it here The Lord calls his free-denizons by spirituall baptisme to renue the Assurance of their pardon peace and adoption at his supper and promiseth there to all such a further increase in the graces of his covenant should then any be so madde as claime a part in this Sacrament who never have beene or baptized called and partakers of the Spirit of grace at all Now then how shall that be discerned True it is those that are free borne and true members know it or may doe as Paul quickely could tell Lysias he was a Romane But who shall stoppe the mouthes of Aliants and strangers such as are of Ashdod and Cham when they come to plead themselves Israelites I meane when hypocrites come to the Sacrament pleading themselves to be Gods people doubtles there must bee some Rules of Triall which will not deceive they must be urged to proove their Genealogie or else bee convinced to bee counterfeits Answer 2 But be it granted that this triall of estate concernes also such as are Gods people yet it followeth not that they cannot use it but they must by and by bee anxious and perplexed about their condition No farre be it from any to thinke so The Lord affords all his To stand fast in their liberties and to be above the bondage not onely of Popish or Iewish ceremonies Gal. 5 1. but of unbeleefe especially and to walke according to that they have received For peace shall bee to all that walke according to rule even the Israel of God Yea as its ridiculous for any such to seeke new grounds to build upon so is it sinnefull to stagger about the old because the covenant of God is with us as the Covenant of Noe as the Covenant of the Sunne and Moone Esay 54 8. yea everlasting after these shall have an end Farre other use are Gods people to make of this tryall at the Sacrament First many know not all such grounds as their faith rests upon although they beleeve unfeignedly ignorance may hinder them Againe although they have had them in a readinesse yet by Satans deluding them with other diversions to worldly objects or by forgetfulnesse or being dazeled by some secret love of evill or by the errour of others these things may be growne strange to them darke and to seeke Besides although it be not so yet may it bee a sweete exercise for a beleever to bee well skill'd in his best Evidences and it may joy him to have the things revived in his spirit which hee hath knowne before and especially at the Sacrament when they may most encourage him Men doe looke upon their evidences of lands for more ends than feare of their Titles And yet I will not deny but that as the case may stand the triall of a mans estate at than Sacrament may and ought to bee anxious and sollicitous yea and that so that for the time he were better desist than proceed viz. when having snared himselfe with some lust which hee cannot easily bee rid of hee questions his estate thereupon and till God have eased the hardnesse and despaire of his spirit through unbeleefe perhaps hee can neither perceive nor yet rellish his evidences as hee hath done This may be one case in which this tryall may bee used with some doubting and distemper Howbeit neither is this so ordinary but to be sure not the onely case Therefore this objection is of no force To proceede then 2 Sorts of tryall of estate 1 Our first calling This tryall of our estate I would call to these two heads as breefly as I can First to a mans first calling home to God Secondly to some essentiall markes either accompanying or following the same Concerning the former of these it shall not be amisse to give the reader a short generall view of calling before I mention any triall in speciall belonging thereto In a mans calling therefore In calling 3. things 1 from what consider first from what secondly unto what thirdly to what end God calls First the Lord calles a soule from an estate of woe and misery through sinne and curse common to it with all the posterity of Adam wherein shee lay plundged deadly from a covenant I say with sinne death and hell wherein shee was wrapped This hee doth by the Ministery of the Law which Eph. 5 â— crying a dismall and lowd alarme in the eares of a drowsie and sleepie sinner awakens him from the dead Being rouzed out of this sleepe it beholdes a deepe gulfe set betweene the Lord and it selfe so that it cannot come at him By this meanes the soule is broken off from all her rotten proppes either naturall through secure ignorance or Religious through conceit of knowledge or the old covenant of workes and performances And whether Publicane or Pharisee before this Law putting no difference condemnes and kills a sinner in point of all his former life and jollitie in sinne holding him under the Arrest of Iustice in an estate of bondage till it be brought to utter despaire in him selfe more or lesse of any redresse Secondly the Lord calles the soule to an estate in grace through the Lord Iesus 2. To what And this hee doth by a most sweete voyce of the Gospell spoken in the eares of it while it lyeth in this Pit of selfe despaire The which doth let in by degrees a Spirit and Covenant of grace into it first in susteyning it from extremities by an hope of possible Deliverance Secondly by presenting the soule with an encreasing light and sight of the All-sufficient price of grace and reconciliation in Christ the satisfyer of wrath and procurer of peace Thirdly by declaring himselfe fully appeased by this satisfaction so that former anger is turned into welpleasednesse Fourthly by expressing his placable and pittifull heart to a sinner in an offer of a covenant with him adding moreover that hee would have him to be reconciled and receive his promise as freely as hee makes it Lastly by enlarging his promise in the apprehension of the sinner both in respect of the infinite many good things contained in the same as also the most free full gracious faithfull heart of the promiser loving strong and sure which cannot lye I say by all these presentments of grace in a most apt sweete and powerfull manner hee workes in the soule such preparations of meditation desire esteeme inquisition restlesnesse of heart and unweariednesse of meanes using That at last this seede breakes out into fruit so that the soule weighing all duly in the ballance to wit the worth of grace offered the mercy of the offerer beyond exception and her unavoidable condemnation in refuzing it
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
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
graces and Ordinances Another whereby he returnes from the people of God praises duties and acknowledgements Vse 1 The use whereof to the Minister is that he tremble to take upon him such a Person and service except well and truely warranted thereto by calling from God and the Church as one well qualified Mat. 6.23 If the eye be darke which should be the light of the body how great is that darkenesse If to dishonor the Profession of God be so horrible 1 Sam. 2 12. what is it as Hophni and Phinees did to make loathsome the very sacrifices themselves by a notorious debauchednesse of manners and life Will not God loathe such agents for him whose pure Angels are uncleane in his sight Iob 4 18. Oh! ye profane Idols Epicures malicious and hereticall avant from the presence of this holy God of Sacraments pollute not for so ye do as far as in you lieth the Sacramentalnesse and symbolicalnesse of the things of God by your unsutablenesse If Heathen Poets cry out against ye and bid ye get ye a farre off what shall the Lord doe who will be sanctified in all that come neere him Levit. 10 3. Remember Nadab and Abihu But a Question Question is what shall we doe in case of such an unavoyable Minister Is not the Sacrament a nullity so administred and is it not a thing unlawfull so to communicate I answer Answer That it were a thing much to be desired for our greater joy and comfort that hee who deales betwixt God and them in this kinde were a man without blemish and offence meet and apt Howbeit if all courses being used its unavoydable but we must fall upon others I affirme though the Ordinance be hereby much eclipsed in her beauty which the grace of the receiver ought to supply yet it is not thereby disanulled The pollutions of Ministry and Baptisme disanull not the Sacrament The grace of our Lord Iesus not being pinned to the sleeve of an unworthy man no more than a Sacraments consecration rests upon the present intention of the Priest whose mind may then intend some other thing but the grace and truth of the ordayner Objection If any object the Ministers person is as essentiall to the Sacrament as either the signes or the words of institution now if they be wanting the Sacrament is destroied I answer Answer The instance holds not For in these as there is more immediatenesse of being matter and forme being more essentiall than the instrument So also the error is generally curable it being as easie to appoint true Elements as well as counterfeit and to utter the true words of institution as well as false But not so in the Minister It being simply a thing impossible So to order it in any Church that all Ministers should be teaching and inoffensive And be it admitted that such error growes by the wilfull sinne of such as might avoid it yet its unreasonable the body of the Church suffering rather such an error with griefe than causing it by their act to cast such an aspersion vpon the Sacrament for the sinne of such men as it s not in our power to reforme In such a case wee are bound to behold such a Minister as in the place of him whom the Church if shee might intendes to be qualified and to looke up above him to God to preserve the honour and fruit of the Sacrament pure and inviolable If further it be objected How can that which is uncleane affoord cleanenesse to others I answer It s too great an ascribing to any Minister to set him in Gods roome or in Christs to conveigh cleannesse to the soule it s the Lord not a man who walkes in the midds of his people to cleanse them and our Saviour prayes Ier. 31 33. Iohn 17 17. Sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is truth He saith not Sanctifie them in the Minister Rather I would allude thus as a woodden pipe may affoord most pure water running through it so also the Lord can and may affoord to his people the purenesse of Christ and good of the Sacrament through a woodden as a golden pipe If lastly it be demanded But what if he cannot teach the Doctrine of the Covenant Is it not then unlawfull for us to receive the Seales from him I answer It is not lawfull for him to offer them But it s not our duty to reject the Sacrament for his cause Rather seeke instruction where it is to be had and then come and receive communicate not with his sinne nor be led by the blind least both fall into the ditch The acts of the Minister Now touching the Ministers acts in celebration consider that in them the Lord offers his Chrrist with all his good things to his Church The Lord Iesus baptised with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3 11. then when Iohn baptized with water Mat. 3.11 And this he doth while the Minister cleaves to the words of institution as God hath prescribed For when the Minister corrupts the forme the Sacrament is corrupted if he deface the words of instruction by any other of his owne the Sacrament begins to be his not the Lords Addition to the words of institution defiles but detraction from the words of instution destroyes the Sacrament Vse Teaching the Minister to beware of any boldnesse in this kinde least with the Papists hee spoile the Ordinance of a Sacrament And as concerning the acts themselves know this that by them the Lord conveyes to his people Iesus Christ They are and all his benefits It s he who by those acts doth impart the grace of the Sacrament as the Ministers imparts the Elements And those acts are 1. To teach the people the true nature and use of the Sacraments 2. To separate the Elements from common use to divine 3. To qualifie them by his sprinkling of the one and breaking and powring out the other which is the accommodation of them 4. To sanctifie them by the Word and prayer to become the channels and exhibiters of that which they resemble 5. To apply them duly to the parties who are the due objects thereof and that in speciall 6. To pray for blessings upon the administration of them 7. To be the mouth of the people to God as he hath beene the deputed instrument of God to convey to the people his grace even so to returne the peoples unfeined thankes to him againe for his faithfulnesse Now touching particulars the next two Chapters will better declare them in each Sacrament Here I onely speake generally of Sacramentall Agents Vse The use is That the Minister loooke carefully to himself not onely to the purenesse of his spirit but even of his outward man also Not to intermeddle with such sacred things with prophane mouth hands members not to approach to the Lord with light vaine irreverend behaviour but solemne and holy such as well becomes the holinesse of the things conveyed and
continue unto them the fruit of Baptisme but at the houre of death or that the soule could in faith use the Sacrament of feeding which had refused the first Sacrament of begetting or as if God needed such our wisdome to preserve grace and intercept sin 1 Cor. 1.25 Let us beware of such wilworship The foolishnes of God is stronger and wiser than our best strength and wisedome The Second branch Secondly I adde consisting of water which is Sacramentally Christ Touching Sacramentall union I treate nothing Onely note that although the Grace of Christ must neither be equalled nor tied to a dumb creature yet he hath freely yeelded to unite himself with his creature so oft as he pleaseth to use it for the good of his owne and for his glory and that to this end that wee might learne to adore him in all such Ordinances by which he drawes neere to us for our comfort and to set a mark of honor and esteeme even upon those meane things which his wisdome hath devised for the releefe of our dulnesse deadnesse of heart and infidelity Vse 3 To teach us where he hath cast honour upon uncomely parts yea united himself for the gracing of a meet helpe to further us to himselfe there to account reverendly of his Ordinances and not commonly Act. 10.15 That which God hath not thought common beware we of thinking so Hath he taken water and joyned it with a kinde of equall necessitie with himselfe in this kind of conveyance Hath he said He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved and Except a man be borne againe of water Marke 16 16. Ioh. 3.5 c. And shall not we fasten both our eyes upon Christ and water Christ Sacramentall in and by water Better with it for our ease and helpe than without it Shall not he who despiseth water appointed to such an inseparable holy end despise the ordayner of water Shall wee take his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 by slighting that by which he makes himselfe and the power of his Word and Spirit manifest to beget the soule to him and bee holden guiltlesse When Christ hath put both in one Matth. 19.6 shall wee dare to say the one is strong the other is base Shall wee slight it slacken our haste to it our holy preparing of our selves to it our abiding at it our offering up prayer for blessing it our making it the joynt object of our humiliation faith reverence and thankes Farre bee it from us so to abhorre that Popish hyperbolicall esteeme of it and the merrit of the worke wrought of it that wee run into another riot to disesteeme it Doubtlesse he that cares not for Christ in the word Christ in the promise Christ in the Minister Christ in the water Christ in the bread and wine Christ Sacramentall cares as little for Christ God Christ flesh Christ Emanuell By these he comes neare us And he that despiseth you despiseth me Matâ—h 10 40. and him that sent me Beware we of such contempt even in the secretest of our thoughts and affections and let Christ in the water be honoured as Christ for that sweet union and fruit which hee brings to a poore soule thereby 2 Kings 5.14 Ioh. 5.2 1. Generall in the descript Persons If Iordan be precious when God will use it for the Angels healing by it much more this The next point concernes the due acts and performances of meete persons in the applying of water The persons are the parents the Congregation the Minister and the infant The acts are the mutual carriages of these toward each other Sacramentally Touching the which in breefe thus being loath to digresse much from the streame of the point Duty 1 The parents are to have competent knowledge the more 1. Parents duty Psal 51 4 Luk. 9.2 the better if sanctified both of the woefull pollution of nature which by themselves their child hath contracted to blesse the Lord for mercifull dispensing with it in the penalties deserved to be inflicted even outwardly upon it for the deformity of sinne in the markes thereof maymed blind halt lame monstrous yet in this not satisfied they ought to behold the inseparable inward defilednesse of the infants nature and spirit the more the Lord hath done his part the more tenderly to commiserate the wretchednesse of the inner man of it deprived of the image of God by originall sinne to mourne and sigh for it to God by deepe groanes and confession to pray and bee instant with God for the pardon of it the purging and the sanctifying of it Duty 2 To blesse God who hath ordeyned such a remedy as the Sacrament Rom. 6.3 not to abolish but to kill the poyson of sin to remember that the child of it selfe hath neither sence or favour in Baptisme Ephe. 2 11 12. no nor right thereto of it selfe it being the priveledge of the Church further than in and by themselves and their right to the covenant 1 Cor. 7 17. it partakes an holinesse Duty 3 Therefore they ought seriously to revive their faith in this covenant to offer their infant to God by vertue of that promise made to the righteous and their seede that God will be their God to many generations Duty 4 Gen. 17 7. Exod. 20 6. In this strength they are to plead their owne right for their child to beseech the Lord not onely to vouchsafe it his outward livery and cognizance of a visible member but further to extend the efficacy of Christ crucified Christ as presented in the water to the inward ingrafting it into his invisible Church when and how he shall please if it dye soone by baptizing it with the spirit of Election and Adoption Sanctification and renewing of the holy Ghost ere it depart If it live continuing upon it the power of baptisme by attending upon the ordinance of the word upon the offer of the covenant of grace that by it in due time it may be admitted to the condition of faith and faith it selfe by the calling of the Gospell and so receive the seale of it in due time with assurance and comfort Duty 5 In the confidence whereof they are not to distemper themselves about the estate of it whether it dye or live but cheefely apply themselves to use the meanes for the atteyning hereof Duty 6 And so with reverence they are in due season early and betimes setting aside all by-matters to addresse the infant to the publique assembly to the Minister by name desiring him as deputed by the Church to conferre the Sacrament to it Duty 7 Also giving it such a name as may savour neyther of curiosity nor vanity nor superstition nor profanenesse but rather edification and holinesse savouring of the graces offred by the Sacrament Duty 8 And so joyning with the people in humble supplication confession and thankes to devote it solemnely to God and his service carefully watching over it for
the water And the essence of Baptisme in the very symbolicalnesse of it urgeth no lesse For what resemblance of ingrafting putting on of Christ is there in sprinkling what typicalnesse is there of our descending into and ascending out of the water both which are expresly spoken of Christ in his baptisme of Iordan What resemblance of our buriall or resurrection with Christ is there in it So that I doubt not but contrary to our Churches intention this errour having once crept in is maintained still by the carnall ease and tendernesse of such as looking more at themselves than at God stretch the liberty of the Church in this case deeper and further than eyther the Church her selfe would or the solemnenesse of this Sacrament may well and safely admit I doe not speake this as a thing meete to disturbe a Churches peace but as desiring such as it concernes in their places to looke to their liberty and duty in this behalfe The fourth person the infant The fourth and cheefe person yea equall object of Baptisme is the party baptised For not onely the Church may and doth baptise her infants but also adultos growne ones also if any such being bred Pagans and brought within the pale of the Church shall testifie their competent understanding of the new covenant and professe their desire to bee seazed with Baptisme for the strengthning of their soule in the faith thereof professe it I say not basely and slightly but with earnestnesse and entirenesse cutting off their haire and nailes and abhorring their Paganisme A short touch of the baptisme of infants But the truth is the exercise of the Churches baptisme is upon infants Here the Anabaptists rise up pleading the corruption of such baptisme and urging the first baptisme of catechised ones and confessors of sinne and cravers of the seale upon the worke of the Ministry foregoing in knowledge and faith which can be incident onely to Adulti or growne ones They alledge that we seale to a blank to no covenant and therefore it s a nullity Sundry learned men have undertaken to stop their scismaticall mouths to answer their peevish Arguments my scope tends another way in this Treaty so farre as my digression may be veniall I say this for the setling of such as are not willfull that I take the baptisme of infants to be one of the most reverend generall and uncontroled traditions which the Church hath and which I would no lesse doubt of than the Creede to bee Apostolicall And although I confesse my selfe yet unconvinced by demonstration of Scripture for it yet Reasons for it first Sithence Circumcision was applyed to the infant the eighth day in the Old Testament Secondly there is no word in the New Testament to infringe the liberty of the Church in it nor speciall reason why wee should bereave her of it Thirdly sundry Scriptures afford some friendly proofes by consequence of it Fourthly the holinesse of the child externall and visible is from their parents who are or ought to be catechised confessors penitent and Protestants in truth which privelidge onely open revolt disables them from therefore I say The seede being holy and belonging to the Covenant the Lord graciously admits them also to the seale of it in Baptisme 1 Cor. 7 14 Quest Howbeit here a further quaere arises And How it is capable 1 Pet. 3 21. because the Sacrament of Baptisme is here handled by us not as halfe a Sacrament onely including a washing of the flesh but an entire Sacrament holding out and giving an invisible grace by outward meanes By what authority shall we say an infant may be presented to that whereof it is not capable To that I answer Answere First it s not meete that Baptisme being the Sacrament of new birth which can be but once should destroy her owne Analogy by frequent administring therefore if but once the most comprehensive way is to doe it in the infancy when the outward admission of a member is allowed to it Secondly although the child be not capable of the grace of the Sacrament by that way whereby the growne are by hearing conceiving and beleeving yet this followes not that infants are not capable of Sacramentall grace in and by another way Pittifull are the shifts of them that have no other way to stop an Anabaptists mouth save by an errour that an infant may have faith It s easy to distinguish betweene the gift conveyed and the manner of conveying it For if the former be the latter in such case will poore needlesse But if the infant be truly susceptive of the substance of Christ none can deny it the Sacrament Now to understand this marke that infants borne of beleeving parents are of the number of those that shall be saved though dying in their infancy none of our reformed Churches will deny It is enough therefore that such before death doe partake the benefit of Election in Christ together with the benefits of Christ in regeneration adoption redemption and glory Now that the Spirit can apply these unto such infants is not doubted of though the manner thereof to us bee as hidden and mysticall thing yet so it is the Spirit of Christ can as really unite the soule of an infant to God imprint upon it the true title of a sonne and daughter by adoption and the image of God by sanctification without faith as with it Now if the thing of baptisme be thus given it why not baptisme Nay I adde further I see no cause to deny that even in and at and by the act of baptisme as the necessity of the weake infant may admit the Spirit may imprint these upon the soule of the infant Vse Let the use of the point bee to all such as are growne to yeares of discretion to looke backe to their Baptisme Let such blesse the Lord for his bounteous prevention of them with the Sacrament even before they had any strength to conceive it Why should the Lord so doe except to heape hot coales upon thy head oh poore wretch and to teach thee to conclude Esay 65.1 Iam. 4 8. Psal 119.10 that he who was found of thee when thou soughtest him not will much more draw neare to thee when thou art fayne upon him and seekest him with thy whole heart What a mercy is it to know the Lord to be a provoker of the soule to imbrace that covenant the seale whereof hee is content to bestow before hand for the hope of time to come Who should so play the Traytor in coole blood having found the Lord so faithfull in his love and to cavill thus I was baptized and made my covenant when I knew nothing nay I did make none my selfe but others for me Let them looke to their stipulation and promise I made none Can any Trecherous wretch so requite the Lord Rather if any sparke of love be in thee wilt thou not breake thy heart by this early mercy before
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
it within or without No do What was all grace laid in one houre in your bosome Have ye no steppings in of Sathan flesh infidelity revolt had world to unsettle ye I will not judge you but judge your selves and enquire whether that sudden peace of yours be not rather such a one as savors of presumption or of a desire to be troubled no longer about the matter than solid and profound Feare the worst the best will save it selfe Tremble to thinke God should have an Ordinance in store which you stand in no neede of If it be so then such as neede it shall have it but you may misse it well enough Branch 3 To these I may adde another though better object of mourning whose hearts are afflicted enough for lacke of assurance but what with their selfe-loving rest in their complements and not going to the golden Scepter with Ester and what with their deapth of melancholy Ester 4.16 and 5 2. hardnesse to be perswaded as also their deepe bondage by unbeleefe they will not heare of such a possibilitie of sealing assurance but either thinke it a fable or farre from their reach and therefore set downe their staffe that if unbeleefe and staggering can doe it all their dayes must be miserable The Lord hath removed them farre from prosperitie and put out their light Oh Lam. 3.13 Deut. 32.6 unthankfull ones Doe ye thus requite the Lord for his Sacrament Is this your meditation application of the sealing power of it Is it too good for ye with Ahaz to receive a signe from God! Doe ye not neede it or Esay 7.12.13 are ye so saped in bondage and anguish that ye heed it not Why then yeeld ye purposely to it Why strive ye not to lay in for any grace which God hath for ye What service shall God have from ye without it If ye slight this comfort must ye not needs slight obedience If God should streighten ye in seeking it and hold ye off yet is there any such employment so precious as this Oh! poore soules if lamenting would doe you good what neede have ye of it Oh! consider and come out of your dungeon Tell me when our Adversaries the Papists laugh and scorne the Doctrine of assurance say its impossible doe you favour them Sure I am in your conscience and conversation ye are of another stampe and do ye not tremble that you should dwell next doore to such and fall into the same streame of their error 2 Pet. 3. ult Vse 2 Secondly let all humble ones that would follow the Lord in his Ordinance if by any meanes they might comprehend that for which they are comprehended of Christ admire and adore this bounty of God in his Sacrament Phil. 3 11 who so long since thy Baptisme when thou thoughtst no other but thou hadst beene forgotten yet hath remembred or offers to remember thee with the fruit of thy Baptisme who could have dreamt it Once Ioh. 13 7.8 9. when Peter heard Christ offer to wash him he told him he should never doe so meane an office to him But when our Saviour replied What I now doe thou knowest not but hereafter thou shalt know then hee changed his minde When the Lord gave thee Baptisme in thine infancie which was a pledge of further favor he shewed thee mercy But lo he had a deeper reach and in due time thou shouldst know it and now he offers it thee No Sacrament passeth thee but if thy heart and mind be matches he revives the print of thy Baptisme unto thee Oh! Why is not thy heart broken at it Lord I have lived loosely and basely this twenty thirty fortie yeares since thy baptizing me Shewing that I was not much the better for it And now shouldest thou at last send a showre to fetch up the seed of regeneration Iud. 14 14. from under this drie clod Out of the eater bring sweetnesse and create thy selfe in a wombe so old barren and past all hope of new birth Gen. 18.12 Sarah laughed the text saith when she heard of such newes But truly Lord my heart hath cause to rend in pieces to see such mercy Oh Lord I see with thee a thousand yeares are as one day 2 Pet. 3 8. Rom. 4 17. Thou callest things that are as if they were not Thirtie yeares of ignorance saped in the world carnall civill saples under the doâ—trine of thy Grace and Covenant it may be also a swearing drunken uncleane wretch to be sure a son of old Adam still an hypocrite and unbeleever Oh! shouldst thou now ere I die prevent hell for me and cause that word of Regeneration which never afforded any favor to me now to shew me that thy Sacrament fortie yeares since cast upon me hath not lost her strength and efficacy Oh Lord methinks now I see plainely why thou wert aforehand with me Even that I might be ashamed I should be so behind with thee That being on the surer hand I might ply thy Covenant the more earnestly Oh Lord if thou hadst not prevented me wth the grace of the Spirit I had slept in death and in thy livery lived and died a Traitor But now since thy Covenant hath entred into mee behold I see well thy Sacrament hath added some strength unto my unbeleeving heart and laying all thy dealing together I perceive thou meanest to heape hot coales of fire upon me that I might at leasure ere I goe to the pit and be no more seene know and feele that blessed use of Baptisme which I never saw Oh Lord I know there is a sealing power in it It s an annex to thy Covenant No sooner did that allure me to beleeve but thy Spirit joyned it selfe to me to second it to strengthen my fainting heart and then I saw If thou hadst meant to destroy me thou wouldst never have spent one cord upon me Iud. 13 23. But seeing thou meanest to save me all shall do me good promise Seale and so I have found it Lord and blesse thee in the view of such experience How many hundreds of my age education and fashion have quite given thee over in the covenant they made in Baptisme But now I doe adore and wonder at this unspeakable love of thine towards me Oh let it never be forgotten Vse 3 Thirdly let it teach thee to examine thy selfe about the truth of the sealing grace of the Spirit in thy Baptisme If the Seale be as large as the Patent to all uses and ends of it the way to trie thy selfe herein will bee this to examine thy self about the work of the word of Regeneration in thee If that have brought thee neere to thy birth lo here is the Spirit for thee to give strength for bringing thee forth to the light For Baptisme truly understood seales up all which the word hath bred in thee Deceive not thy selfe in thinking that the water alone will beget the to God No it
freer than gift to an unworthy one Lord I have long sate waiting for it both by promise and Sacrament At length when I little thinke let thy Chariots come to my doore as Iosephs to Iacob Gen. 45 28. Luke 2 29. that I may say It s enough Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace I would not be to seeke of this againe for the world Say as Peter Wash not feete but all parts throughly drench mee in this laver Ioh. 13 9. urge the Lord Oh! though I am the unworthiest of thousands to enjoy it yet it is as easie for thee to set thy Seale upon mee as for mee to print soft wax to put on Iesus Christ upon mee Rom. 13 ult as for mee to put on my cloathes Let not my soule be sad and doubtfull all my dayes for that which its so easie for thee to give Let mee have that Seale Lord and it shal be above all securities of land and lease clothe me with this Robe and all other shreeds shall be base unto me Remember how long I have waitd for thy salvation Lord Gen. 49 18. as one that longeth for newes from a farre country Oh! they shall be welcome And for my part I confesse except thou helpe in the worke and apply thy Seale all my hearings all thy Ordinances Word Sacrament Promises shaâ—l leave me as they found me not one of the benefits of Christ can relish my heart nor goe into my spirit except thou draw it in to me Oh! how wofull shall it be Ioh. 6.44 to see all my labour as water spilt upon the ground Branch 3 Thirdly I adde this one item and caveat to all relapsed ones who are sunke from their first comfort hope in the promise To relapsed ones Give not the Lord over for all that Be not sullen and discontent with him nor thy selfe Mourne and spare not that thou shouldst no more watch to such a trust as the Lord hath put into thee That either thou shouldest be weary of clinging to the promise That Christ should not be to thee yesterday Heb. 13.8 too day and the same for ever That either by feare of holding out or presumption of thy owne or ease or worldlinesse or especially that body of death thou shouldst give way to new contents the divels painted bables and the fashion of this base declining formall hollow world But be not hereby discouraged and desperate with thy selfe Shall a man fall and not arise Looke backe to this Arke and ship of Baptisme Ier. 8 4. whence thou art fallen No new baptisme shall neede the old if ever thou wert baptised truly shall serve lay then hold of that and be comforted I knew an holy woman who never found her selfe ecclipsed and damped in her comfort but shee found comfort by her Baptisme but she was in indeede a very sweete patterne of humilitie and of acquaintance with God in all his Ordinances If thou consider well Baptisme is thy second boorde after shipwracke doe but lay hold upon one broken peice of this ship and say Lord I have beene thine save mee Psal 119 94. I have felt thee sweet in the Promise and Seale though now it be otherwise through a dead heart doe but crawle in the waters and touch a brim of this ship and lo the Pilot will receive thee in againe not to make a trade and falling sicknesse of often revolting but to make thee more wary and fearefull never to provoke the Lord in like matter through his grace sustaining thee Vse 5 Lastly if God have revived thy spirit by this Seale of Baptisme walke before him in the strength of it Seale backe to him the fruit of it in a most faithfull close and wary course Consider the sealing Spirit hath many blessed properties learne hold nourish them in thy heart and course Give testimony to God and his cause honour and Religion seale him this fruit of thy service who hath not neglected thee in such a favour Disdaine not any weaker ones who have not attained thy strength cannot saile upon the maine but are faine with their poore weake faith to goe by the shore pitty and helpe such with the Spirit of compassion for his sake who sealed thee when he ought thee no such mercy Apply thy selfe to the marks of this seale looke upon each letter of this stampe and let it teach thee thy duty The fruits of the sealing of Baptisme The sealing Spirit is a spirit of singular peace of conscience and joy in the lively hope of salvation liberty with God fulnesse of faith and perswasion confidence in prayer purenesse of heart and life and so of the rest Dost thou walke thus Approove thy selfe in some truth herein Touching the first 1 Pet. 3 21. S. Peter tels thee baptisme is the answer of a good that is an excusing conscience What is that If it be demanded whether it be broken humbled beleeving pardoned It answers yea Lord thou knowest it Hast thou peace therby Dost thou walke with it daily Rom. 5.1 and nourish it If so this peace will be as Armour to thee Ephes 6.15 Paul Eph. 6.15 calles it the shooes of peace for as by them our tender feete walke safely upon the flints and rockes and gravell which else would cut and wound us so by peace we have safety in troubles count them all joy Iam. 1.2 and are not unsetled by them in our course If so then also this peace will rule our hearts and minds Wee will be kept in awe by it that rather than we would lose and forfeit that Phil. 4 7. we would lose any jewell so deare it is and so hard to recover Oh! if so then wee shall not be moved in all the tumults of this hurrying world the malice of Tyrants the declining of Hypocrites the great jollitie of Timeservers the scuffling for honours and great things but this peace shall calme us Againe if this peace of heart by justification be in us it will present us with an holy complacence in our estate a sweet content in God above any other object as one that hath found a Pearle hath a fuller contentment than in the corne cattell and trifles formerly possessed this comprehends all and drownes them And the heart of such a man is at ease he carrieth more about him than they who have large possessions So there is not onely a quietnesse from former warre but an excellent reflexion of welfare such as was in Adam ere he sinned and in this better that he desires not to change it for any other And lastly to this present sweetnesse and joy there is also afforded to such a soule an undecaying taste of the glory to come a lively hope and waiting for it as one who hath an earnest in hand of a full summe waiteth for that summe to be wholly paid at the day appointed So is it here The peace which worketh sweetnesse of spirit
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
that is That the graces of a Christians condition encrease not a man cannot be sayd to increase in Iustification Adoption c. Answer Answer Graces indeede of imputation doe not admit increase but yet are not excluded from being the object of the Sacrament and that in two respects First themselves for though their essence encrease not yet the soule may and must increase in the knowledge and assurance of them Secondly the fruits of them as the peace the cheerefulnesse joy the contentation the confidence the liberty the welfare of the heart may either be greater or smaller and therefore they concerne the grace of the Supper Againe doth Baptisme seale up inherent sanctification to be the soules owne Then doth the Supper nourish the soule in that First in the mortifying and quickning power of it for the Lord Iesus broken and powred out affordeth the soule daily strength to breake the chaines the power of ruling and defiling lusts ignorance errour security infidelity profanesse selfe-love unrighteousnesse intemperancie Also it brings in the power of the resurrection to rectifie and informe the whole man to better him in the grace of regeneration sinceritie integritie constancy courage c. Yea more it betters the Spirit and frame of the inner man with fuller bent of resolution and streame of heart and affections to be for God and to goe in the streame of obedience to him Secondly it quickens and nourisheth the soule in the speciall graces of sanctification wisdome watchfulnesse humilitie love feare faith patience mercy and all holy affections and gifts serving to holinesse Againe doth Baptisme conferre the grace of a well ordered conversation Then doth the Supper nourish that grace take some instances One especiall grace of inward conversation is the life of faith in all estates in all duties meanes and graces The Supper then strengthens this life of faith in all these enabling the soule to be more sober in prosperitie more humble under the Crosse more fruitfull in well doing more diligent and conscionable in all ordinances more effectuall and plentifull in graces Another instance may be of outward conversation standing in marriage liberties calling company solitarinesse the tongue the governement of the family The Supper then serves to better all these to correct the errors wants infirmitie of these and to ease the complaint of the soule for her unaptnesse to these her sloth awcknesse wearinesse earthlinesse hollownesse barrennesse unprofitablenesse unskilfulnesse to serve God aright in all these Againe doth Baptisme settle the conformity of the Lord Iesus his sufferings upon us Then doth the Supper confirme the soule therein to thinke afflictions daily more welcome to count them no strange thing to wait for them to be humbled and broken and powred out by them made by them more sober selfe-denying more patient to beare and more wise to profit by purging out the causes more growing in graces living by faith in streights for an holy use and good issue out of them And in a word the Sacrament is Christ our Influence and Nourishment in all respects wherein the soule is capable of any want or complaint serving to this purpose that wee may be quickned up in our affections and in steed of a decaying uncheerefull course which Satan and corruption beset us with wee may walke in and out with God with peace and comfort and it may goe well with us in all that wee put our hanâ—â— unto Deut. 5.29 both without and within in life and death It is a strengthner of us to duty a supply of needs protection against evils provision of good things It s enough that the Supper is as large as any wants can be No man knoweth where another mans shoe pincheth but his owne but wheresoever the pinch is Christ in the Supper is ease All the difficulty is in the wise application there is none in the point This for the extent or object of Christ our nourishment Quest 2 The degrees Which are foure The second Question will yet come closer to the point viz. What this influence of Christ is in what kinde or degrees it consists The answer is That it stands in foure severall parts and tends to as many ends Prosperity of soule being the adaequate end of the Supper looke wherein true prospering consists therein stands this influence So that by this latter the former will discover it selfe Christ our nourishment by Christ our influence which is the efficacy of it in the soule The severals are health growth stablenesse and fruitfulnesse in grace The Lord Iesus Sacramentall being all these in all such as are truly begotten of him in one measure or other 1 Health of soule 3 Iohn 2. Touching the first Health of the soule is one step of spirituall prosperity Saint Iohn Epist. 3.2 prayes for Gajus an holy yet sickly man That hee might be well or in health as his soule prospered Pro. 3.8 What it is viz. Sustaining the soule in her welfare intimating that one and the first step of prospering is healthinesse Salomon speaking of the feare of God saith It shall he health to the navill and marrow to the bones noting that the soule which truly prospers by Christ is is healthy even as a body is Note then even as when wee see corne hops or the like hold their vigour and colour wee say they will thrive and as the body when it holds it owne and keepes good colour and countenance the bones running full of marrow and the bloud and spirits running well and aright in the veines and vessels then it s called hayle and sound so it is with the soule of a Christian His nourishment is then well aseene on him when he holds that which hee hath received once from Christ when he beares his yeares well when the constitution and frame of his spirit abides sound humble beleeving upright thankfull wise wary holy righteous Wee call health the due consistence of the constitution and humours without either excesse or defect when the body keepes temper and vigor without any clogge or oppression of ill humors or surfeit befalling her So is it here when the soule is preserved from the annoyance and distemper of the wonted bad qualities pride ease infidelity unthankfulnesse envie world selfe-love unsavorines when kept from loosenesse and security and hanging her grace upon the hedge and running out of course to all occasions companies baites profits pleasures vanities whereby the life of grace should be choked and oppressed then she beares marke of some health and prospering then shee seemes to hold her owne in the life of faith and the order of good conversation Now to this first end the Lord Iesus our nourishment serves Christ our nourishment can doe it Sacramentally Psal 119 57. especially in the Sacrament and to this end all true Receivers frequent it viz. That they may fare well and prosper in soule The Lord Iesus is able to doe this and more for them David hath a sweet
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
encrease in every true Receiver especially being assisted with other helpes inward and outward the mercies and blessings of God which as Talents are put to advantage for Gods glory The third degree Stablenesse in grace The third is stablenesse in grace Wee see that mens bodies in time by continuance of health and groth come to a pitch to a measure of groth This is a third prospering It is not with the soule as with the body which ceaseth to grow when it is at her pitch or declines rather when it is growne to her full point What it is But herein a pitch of bodily groth resembles spirituall that as the man growne to his full period enjoyes as it were himselfe and all his former yeares which he hath lived becomes now of a growing a growne man is come now to his best to his full strength ability and sufficiencie for service so is it with a Christian He growes in Christ to the measure and fulnesse of him Ephe. 4.13 Eph. 4.13 So that whereas before in his beginnings and proceedings hee found much ignorance in minde much error in judgement much infirmity in spirit much to seeke of direction and wisdome in his course Also much unsetled wearisome off and on up and downe in holy practise many combats and conflicts with his bubbling rebellious inconstant treacherous withdrawing spirit lo now it s otherwise now he is growne to some stay setling ripenesse and experience in Gods matters Heb. 5. Heb. 5. ult more exercised in his spirituall senses to put a difference betweene good and evill persons and things not so blinde as formerly but light in the Lord judicious observative sober in affections staide in minde and resolution Ephe. 5 16. 1 Iohn 2.13 Act. 11.27 1 Cor. 7.35 Ephes 4.12 having his heart at better bay and more awe for teachable subjection to God more firme in purpose of heart to cleave to God without disstraction 1 Cor. 7.35 not easily carried away by each Doctrine and dice-play of men not mistaking truths not slighting them not partially affecting them but moulded in them fashioned by them and keeping his fashion as a man would doe of his apparell against each noveltie So also constant setled rooted and stable 1 Cor. 15. last reade it not ungrounded in the foundation not to seeke when Satan buffets but knowing his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 2.11 and also strong to resist couragious in the use of the Armour and so persevering in his course This is that which Paul Ephe. 3. cals Christ dwelling in the soule by faith as the Inhabitant who keepes in his owne Christ Sacramentall doth this Epes 3.17 is not as a Stranger or a Sojorner who comes and goes but a Ledger one that holds his abode and delights in his dwelling Oh! this is a great degree of Christs infusion and influence into the soule when he pitches there settles and dwels there for what else is the stablenesse of the soule in grace save Christs dwelling in it by his grace and is no flittet thence And this third degrâ—e of nourishment the Lord workes in all his who have attained the former two They come to be as the Scholler riveted into his Rules or the tradesman in the myrie of his occupation not to seeke of it It is the promise of Christ to all his that they shall grow up thus in the body not by any vertue of their owne but by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus their nourishment And to this end especially they cleave to this Sacrament and improve the promise of it This is my body This is my bloud even to settle the soule by the frequent receiving of it upon the Lord Iesus for stablenesse strength courage that they may enjoy the Lord Iesus in all the Sacraments they have received and retaine the power of all the Ordinances they have used all the graces they have growne in all the duties they have done afflictions they have endured examples they have seene workes and governement of God which they have marked I say that from all these the Lord would bring such an holy experience of heart resolution of purpose setling of spirit upon the Lord his threats commands and promises as not doubting but they are firme and sure Matth. 7 ult and therefore a rocke and foundation sufficient to rely upon in all windes stormes and weathers whatsoever This I say is that third degree of Christ our nourishment which each communicant lookes for at the Supper The fourth degree Fruitfulnesse in grace 1 Cor. 15. ult What it is The fourth and last is fruitfulnesse in grace See 1 Cor. 15 ult where the Apostle joynes these two last branches Be yee unmooveable and setled alway abounding in the worke of the Lord. Wee see it in plants and men The plants must be well spread and rooted in the earth before they can grow fruitfull at least in plenty A little roote will not nourish large branches and boughes Sometime the root is so bare and fleet that it will scarce furnish the tree with leaves but a large deepe root hath many strings and little suckers which worke for the tree and feede her with nourishment so that the roote abiding deepe aod fast in the earth the fruit is plentifull Wee know nature is never more fruitfull in the active principle of generation than when the strength of the body is well confirmed So then this is the last step of spirituall prosperitie when this fourth is added to the three former to wit fruitfulnesse in a good course And it is the perfection of that influence and communion which we here enjoy in the Lord Iesus our nourishment That meate indeede and drinke indeede is this abundance and fruitfulnesse When out of the abundance of the heart the tongue is fruitfull in uttering the hands in working the feete in walking the members in service the whole tree in bringing forth fruits of righteousnesse Esay 61 3. calles such accepted and beloved of the Lord as we esteeme exceedingly of bearing trees especially if yearely and plentifully It is from the roote of the Lord Iesus that the soule doth grow thus fruitfull The indwelling of Christ is the abundance of influence the lesse of Christ the soule hath the lesse sap and fruit the nearer the communion the greater the influence The greater the treasure is from which a man draweth the richer the supply We say It s sweet to take from a great heape An heape wil serve for all uses a poore unstockt man is easily perceived in his wares the small store and choise therof hee that hath little mony to lay out is bare in his household attire family diet scarse hath for necessitie but nothing for delight and plenty So is it with a man that is no prosperer in grace hath only froÌ„ hand to mouth he cannot verifie our Saviour his specch That out of the abundance of the heart he bringeth good things abundantly but
bitternesse Verse 23. save onely that lust hath chained up your senses and hearts that ye feele nothing amisse and ye doe but abide under this chaine Iohn 3 ult till the day of wrath and vengeance Oh that ere that wofull houre sweepe you to hell the Lord would awake you either by his Word or Workes to see in what a wofull condition ye stand Seeing the Church doth not excommunicate you oh that you would cut off your selves as Alians from this Communion Oh that your flesh might be destroyed and your jollity subdued that if possible your soules might escape in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 Vse 2 Secondly let this be reproofe to such as goe for religious and perhaps may be so for wee cannot tell Reproofe but leave it to God and themselves to try to whom after all this long while of Sacraments the doctrine and mysterie of the Supper is both unknowne and untasted What juster complaint can wee take up among many than this that Christ the nourishment of his people is so little knowne Looke to it if the Gospell and the pearle hidden in it be yet hidden from you 2 Cor. 4 4. the God of the world hath blinded you with the ease and forme of an emptie profession that the glory of Christ should be still eclipsed from you Beware least there be not in you still a common heart a of the world which causes these spirituall things to be so harsh and unsavory With examination The first and that in five But to such as desire to be affected with their ignorance in this kind I say but this Examine and trie your selves about this weightie matter I meane the knowledge and use of Christ in the Supper and let this make amends for your ordinary egresse and regresse to this Ordinance without searching your selves I know right well Sacraments were never so common so monethly so ordinary and here and there Sermons or some kinde of preparative are made before them but who is he almost that knowes what Christ offers to be unto his truly bred ones the youth of his wombe in his Supper To whom are those flouds of Hony and Butter knowne Iob 20.17 which are in Christ for the soule that is starven and needs him Oh if Christ in the promises of nourishment were your delight your neede would make you seeke out and search after the seale annexed to the Promise that by it your bare faith naked and barren soules of the power of Christ to purge and sanctifie you might be doubly refreshed Tell me in particular Did it ever enter into you that the Lord Iesus serves to feede as well as to breede all his To nourish his in those graces of the Spirit which Baptisme hath begot in thee Doe ye know the way unto him by the Supper as to the Church by the path for making your Iustification Adoption Reconciliation more evident to your soules Doe ye lot upon it that there if any where even at the feast of Gods mountaines the broken peace of your consciences the joy of your soules the confidence contentation and liberty thereof to goe in and out with God is to be revived Why make ye then no more use hereof Why doe Sacraments then as clouds passe over your heads leaving so few of these drops upon them Oh! if you knew the gift of God truly that here is the fountaine for you to drinke at Ioh. 4.10 to quicken and enlarge the graces of the Spirit faith love courage thankes uprightnesse mercy patience and fitnesse for the Crosse all which you so infinitely want how could it be but that honest and good hearts would presse in for a childs portion as oft as God offers it Who shall beate ye off from this house of Gods provision if ye were privy to those bare walles at home from whence yee come If it could but sinke into you indeede that there is no want no disease no sinne temptation let enemy Crosse but the Lord Iesus hath there a supply for Physicke ease strength redresse Oh! a man might as soone rate a Begger from some great house of almes as discourage you from the Supper If there the Lord Iesus emptie his treasures of wisedone and direction for the order of your tongues marriages families companies buyings and sellings and so to make your whole round of conversation sweet reformed Oh! how is it possible that yee who complaine so much of your wants in all these should not come to Christ here as those sterven Leapers fell upon the full tents of the Aramites here catching up meat for hunger 2 King 7.8 drinke for thirst apparrell for nakednesse gold and pearles against povertie both for the present and for time to come But alas yee know it not Secondly trial in foure particulars Againe if ye shall say yee hope yee have got these in the Sacrament I answer I know some doe but seeing I speake to the body of Christians who doe not it cannot hurt any to try that also I may truly say All such as find Christ such nourishment to them may be knowne by their fruits Oh! they are healthy and prospering they discredit not Gods diet are not meager evill favoured surfited with ill humors pride ease the world revenge hypocrisie This Physicke and Diet of Christ broken and crucified hath given corruption her deadly bane more or lesse in point of reigning and deluding and defiling them they loathe to decline from Gods truth and the power of it the wayes of starters and revolters and time-servers are as vile to them as drunkennesse or uncleannesse They hold their own towars God in some poore sort and this pulse of God as it s counted although indeede restorative flesh and bloud of Christ is made flesh of their flesh and runs in their veines and ministers vigour spirit and life unto them to keepe them in Christs body in the midst of all the pollutions and declensions and coolings and cursed examples of this world Secondly this Supper of the Lord Iesus battens and makes them thrive in grace makes their grace more more savory better qualified enlarged in measure more humble meeke patient and heavenly than when they first beleeved This grace of the Sacrament heales them of an hide-bound heart dead and stale weary and ready to stand still in grace Every Sacrament addes a little of Iesus Christ his tallnesse thicknesse depth and makes them increase in favour with God in credit with his Church to reach further than formerly they did and to be enlarged in holy abilities for God and his Service loathing to stand still as much as to bee quite dead Thirdly they shall find it by their setlednes of spirit and holy purpose of heart to keepe the commandements Psal 119.57 and to cleave to the Lord as Barnabas saith Act. 13.27 Act. 13.27 They shall wax more rooted grounded both in truths especially the maine and in the
power of them and that not in doing onely but in suffering also Christ will be a Bulwarke unto them to fence them with courage and armour against assaults enemies Satan and the errors of the wicked that they may not be pulled from their stedfastnesse Lastly 2 Pet. 3. ult the Lord Iesus will nourish them so fully and so roote them in himselfe and set their pipes so in his well-spring so dwell in them that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of waters able to water all their practise Ioh. 7.38 and to make each part of their life fruitfull I say hee shall heale their barrennesse extend their grace so that it shall suffice them for many uses of lif as formerly for few Conclusion of the use Briefely then trie your selves by these markes Sure it is they catch many in their snare convincing them either to be none of the Lords or else to dishonour his Diet and to call the Lord a hard Master who reapes where he sowes not and keepes a bare house Mat. 25.25 whereas the very hired servants of his house fare better than the jolliest and bravest that live out of it Oh! if ye be these children that have their daily portion from Christs trencher as Ierem. 52.54 it is said of poore Iehojakin that prisoner happie is it for you these trials shall not hurt you Ier. 32 54. but if ye be not such certes to try may doe you good and prevent that danger which all bad Receivers are liable unto Which grace the Lord grant you Vse 3 And nextly as in due place whom should I turne my speech unto save unto these Iehojakins of the Lord be not offended at the name seeing its probable God at last shewed him mercy for his obedience I meane such as by this daily portion of his Christ farewell and prosper in goodnesse In two Branches These I must diversely speake to first the stronger sort then the weaker 1. The strong To the 1. in a word this I say That if the Lord in mercy have granted you this portion and these blessed fruits of prosperitie whereby ye are eased and cured of that Epidemiall disease of the age a declining hide-bound unsetled and barren course with God I say unto you blesse God in secret who hath given you morsells and draughts which the world knowes not count your portion to be fallen into a good ground Psal 16.6 and desire not to change it for the huskes of Swine no nor the feasts of Princes To you I shall say more after in the point of enjoying Christ 2 The weake But unto you weake ones let me speake otherwise and take your sad words out of your mouths you cannot deny but the Lord hath both bred you and fed you by his Sonne and by his Sacrament yours they are and as Christ is Gods so you are Christs but yet that nourishment of Christ which I have here described in the parts and degrees of it which dogges do catch at bouldly perhaps you dare not apply to your selves you are affraid that this my discourse will condemne you Dub. for you are farre from the tyth thereof you say farre from improoving the Sacrament to all those ends or in such degrees as the last use presseth your faith notwithstanding all your Sacraments is weake your comfort peace freedome of heart small your grace little stirred up in you to your feelings your inner bent of spirit still faint and your streame weake your conversation full of disorder and the staves of your wheele which should support the race of it pittifully broken your errors many in ruling your tongues families liberties and selves aright and you say if this be the fruit of the Sacrament to make Christians prospering in health growth staiednesse and fruitfulnesse oh what shall then become of you Sol. I answer Hold the Evidences of your Baptisme and regeneration proove your calling to be sound and keepe that you have gotten mourne that you have not improved Christ in his foode and welfare since you knew your selves to bee the Lords perhaps there hath beene a fault this way that you have rested too much in that and too little stirred up the grace of Baptisme by the Supper Let that humble you and covenant for heereafter to make better use of the promises and Sacrament of nourishment than you have done and then for your comfort this I say The Lord hath taken away your sinne you shall not dye the Supper is the nourishment of the weake as well as of the strong All measures are not alike By those which I have heere noted I doe not desire to snare any but to shew Gods bounty and what Christs fulnesse can beteame not what each receiver carries away Therefore bee not discouraged God is like a tender mother who hath both strong children and weake shee hath meate for them all But if any one be poorer and weaker than another that shall have the deintiest not that it may ever looke to lye upon her hand But that being cherisht by her cordialls it may grow stronger and be free from such maladies Therefore in Gods feare if there be truth and a mourning heart for faylings and hunger after the best measures of grace which Christ hath for thee let not this view of doctrine dismay thee Encourage thy selfe to wayte for pardon of old defects and the Lord shall by that I have sayd rouze up thy spirit to an earnest coveting and a true enjoying of such welfare in Christ as thy heart longeth after Desist not thy diligent receivings and holy humble preparing of thy selfe for if thou leave Christ as Peter sayd when those carnall followers departed whither shalt thou go He onely hath both words and foode of eternall life But heere some may step in and say yea wee should have hope of this if onely we had some defects and decayes in grace and goodnesse But its worse with us for we have harboured our corrupt qualities of sloath ease deadnesse yea perhaps a proud uncleane covetous heart yea rebellious against many knowne truths of God sinned against his mercy by much presumption against his threats by security against his charges by contempt and disobedience our hearts accuse us of coldnesse selfe-love unthankfulnesse forgetting of Gods administrations wearinesse of the yoake of a strict walking with God and counted it precisenesse taken the uttermost of our liberties counting them our enemies who have reprooved us And now loe the Lord arraigning us at the Barre of justice we are confounded in our selves and almost driven to despaire when our consciences doe rise up against us and the Lord seemes to leave us to our selves wee seeme to be in hell Is there any hope for such as wee I answer first I wish such to try their Baptisme and the truth of their first calling to be sound of which after in the triall of our estate and if they can proove that they
which I gave a touch before in the point of fruitfulnesse Secondly walking with God daily as being under his eye awfully purely Gen. 5.22 and soberly approving our selves to him in the way of our life making his Word our delight in both the promises commands and threats of it and so holding the Lord in our sight as loth to forgoe him Thirdly Ascending in our thoughts from our owne welfare in private and forcing our awcke hearts to the service of our time as David Act. 13.36 Acts 13 36. as well as looking that it goe well with our selves of which selfe-love our spirit is full stuffed except this grace scoure it out Remember we that the gaine wee get by Christ in his Assemblies should presse upon us the bewailing of the losse thereof Zeph 3.18 Zeph. 3.18 the beseeching God to establish the Lord Iesus and to set up his King upon his Zion in the power of his Ordinances to demolish the Throane of Satan and Antichrist that the Scepter of Christ may prevaile every where against Popery Atheisme Ignorance Blinde devotion profanenesse and forme of godlinesse Lastly in an heavenly heart as Phil. 3 18. Phil. 3.18 knocking us off from below moderating our liberties for us enlarging us to desire his glorious presence to have communion with him as he is concluding that if these treaties with him at distance as in the Supper be so sweete then much more to eate and drinke it in his kingdome Luke 22 16. Luke 22.16 Oh! if our treasure be there let our hearts be so also and send we them before us in token wee looke to remove thither as our abiding place Phil. 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil 2 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus doing wee shall use the Supper for the end which it was given for to supply the absence of the Lord Iesus from us Luke 22 35 16 17. Luke 22.16 till wee may enjoy it Thirdly let that good we have got out of the Sacrament The third imparting our selves to others so plentifully abide in us that wee impart it to others The nature of these graces is such not to feede on them alone When those Leapers 1 King 7 12. 1 King 7 12. had filled themselves in the Aramites tents with store of all things their hearts smote them for staying there so long and they resolved to hasten and tell the King and people of it that were sterven in the citie So shouldst thou The Sacrament is called a communion in this respect as well as the former Poore birds if they light upon scattered corne call their fellowes to the heape When Sampson had found honey Iude 14 9. though hee kept the riddle yet he imparted his honey to his Father and Mother The benefits of Christ are not of a secret and private but diffusive nature Let us bee ashamed to consider that other things in the world are so perfected by communion that neither Trades Artes Customes and fashions nor any other thing have cause to complaine but the matters of Christ are now at the barest and lowest Why save that those that should excell in them conceale their skill and experience The Communion day should be our exceeding day and as in feasts so in this we should send or carrie portions and acquaint others wisely and seasonably with our lot and receive from them like intelligence And thus much for the second generall head viz. The grace of the Supper I conclude with the last And that is the particular end of the Sacrament viz. The sealing unto a beleeving soule The third generall The end of it an assurance of that grace which it exhibiteth I have spoke before of this sealing power I will adde but a little for the applying of the genâ—rall to this particular Desiring the wise Reader to looke backe and make use of what I have spoken of this sealing worke in generall and to apply it here in speciall to the sealing of the growth as already I have spoken in Baptisme of the sealing of our Birth or Regeneration A needfull digression to shew the order of the Spirits working And that my Reader may retaine the ordinary view of the two sealing workes this briefely let mee say first that the Spirit of Grace is given by God to attend each Ordinance both the Word of Promise and the Seale of Promise and that to this end to worke perswasion in the soule and to cause it to beleeve the things that are given her of God Then secondly note The object of this perswasion by the Promise is double and therefore the object of perswasion by the Seale is double First perswasion of the soule that shee is truly the Lords truly called regenerated and borne of God That is to say reconciled to him and renewed in him Secondly perswasion that shee growes in the grace of the new birth and shall grow as a lively member of her head till she receive the fulnesse of that part That God is the Author of both perswasions appeares by the two maine heads of unbeleefe which formerly I noted to reside in the soule First that shee dare not beleeve at all that the promise of mercy reacheth to her Secondly that she dare not beleeve that she shall ever reach to any further degree of sanctification than she presently feeles Both these the Lord in his double perswasion confutes The third thing is the Spirit therefore applies it selfe to both these yet not alway in one and the same measure of perswading but according to the neede or proportion of each part By the Promise of the Word sometimes it workes more sometimes lesse perswasion as seemes best to himselfe and so by the Seale of the Sacrament hee doth likewise worke weaker or stronger assurance For though there be a perswading power in an high degree in both yet the Spirit is no servant to his Ordinances but his Ordinances to him they shall perswade more or lesse according as that power of Christ which the Spirit dispenceth is more or lesse conveied into the soule by his perswasion He is never separated from promise or Seale according to the measure of his working by both But that is as he listeth for he bloweth where and how farre hee pleaseth Fourthly note the chiefe and maine perswasion of the Spirit in the Word is the Spirit of the sealing Promise and the chiefe work of the Spirit of perswasion in the Sacrament is the Spirit of the sealing Sacrament And therefore as the Seale with the Promise is above a promise alone So the Spirit of the Seale with the Sacrament is above the Sacrament alone and consequently the sealing power of the Sacrament is above the Sealing power of a Promise the Sacrament being ordinarily the instrument of working the soule to the highest assurance which it can enjoy in this world whether of the truth of her regeneration which Baptisme or the growth therein which the Supper sealeth and perswadeth Sealing
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
naturall acts of applying G. SAcraments are Glasses to resemble Christ in Page 56 Growne ones must looke backe to their Baptisme Page 80. 100 Grace of Baptisme what 83. the handling of it Page 84. 85 The Grace of the Supper is whole Christ for spirituall nourishment of them that live in him Page 146 Spirituall growth is a second degree of soule prosperity or nourishment by the Supper 156. how Christ doth this Page 157 H. HOlinesse and hope of glory fruits of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirituall Health of the soule the first part of prospering by the Supper 115. what it is ib. I. INfants the object of Baptisme 78. yet not onely they ib. Baptisme of Infants proved 78. ib. and reasons for it 79. against Anabaptists Infants how capable of the grace of Baptisme 79 ibid. not by faith ibid. Idolatry prevented by the ordaining of Sacraments Page 33 Imparting our selves vid. Communicating L. LIberty from the Spirit of bondage one fruit of the sealing Spirit Page 103 M. MAtter of Sacraments must be sensible and corporall and why Page 32 Sacraments serve to be Memorials Page 56 Matter of Sacraments adulterated by Papists or disanulled Page 33 34 Minister a necessary person for Sacraments 65. His calling and person must be sutable Page 65 66. Ministeriall acts about Sacraments many Page 68 Ministers duty in Baptisme manifold and what Page 76 Matter of the Supper Bread and Wine 10. It is sensible ib. Ministers must bee reverend and holy in Taking Blessing Breaking Dividing the Sacrament vid. Breaking c. The Minister honourable for his undâ—r stewardship dealing out the portion to Gods family Page 143. N. NEcessity of teaching the doctrine of Sacraments threefold Page 5 Number of Sacra small Page 6 New Sacraments clearer fewer and effectualler than old from p. 13. to 19. Young Novices must make use of their Baptisme Page 99 Christs Body and Blood for Nourishment of a Beleever is the grace of the Sacrament 146. and how in six particulars Page 147 Christ in the Supper becomes Nourishment in all respects as Baptismâ— becomes seed Page 152 153 Christ our nourishment stands in foure parts of spirituall prosperity Page 154 Christ the Nourishment of the Beleevers a feareful Terror to al unbeleevers Page 163 Triall of the soule about Christ her Nourishment in five things Page 165 167 O. OLd Sacraments were curses to many through error See prefa Old Sacraments darke wherein and why Page 15. 16 Old Sacraments more in way of resemblances and why Page 17 Old Sacraments weaker than new and wherein Page 18 19 P. PVblikenesse of Sacraments Page 7 Popish colours for abasing the Sacraments of the old Testament 11 12. their colours answered Page 13 Papists see not the distinct use of our two Sacraments but confound them Page 26 Propriety of Elements twofold Page 38 Papists ill judges of Sacramentall union and why Page 46 47 Sacraments are pledges and seales of Gods truth and covenant The point opened 57. 58. Also of our fidelity to him Page 61. ibid. Popery abuses the Sacrament to prophane ends Page 63 Persons occupied about Sacramental acts who Page 65 Person of a scandalous Minister weakens but disanuls not the Sacrament Page 67 Parents duty in Baptisme what Page 74 Popish darknesse in the signes of the Supper and in the doctrine of it Page 110 Popish bravery of Sacraments confuted Page 111 Perpetuity of the Supper Page 118 Prayer the first part of consecration of Supper elements 119. and why 120. ib. what it containes ibid. Personalnesse and Peculiarnesse two causes of distribution of Supper Page 137 Popish denying the cup wicked Page 140 Peace and joy confidence one marke of the sealing Spirit Page 103 Spirit of Prayer another marke ibid. People must cling to the Supper for their owne portion Page 144 R. RElapsers or revolters must make use of their former Baptism Page 101 Receiving of the Supper vid. Taking S. NAme of Sacrament how used Page 1 Season of Sacraments Page 8 Sacraments to be applied according to our necessities Page 26 Substance of a Sacrament what The description of it Page 28 Simplicity and meannesse of Sacraments for two causes 35. first for generality then for safety ibid. it should excite in us spiritualnes Page 36. ib. and 37 Gods security by Sacraments is best of all Page 60 Sealing power of Sacraments vid. Pledges The Spirit of Christ is the inward Baptist what it doth See preface Selfe-deniall or stripping of our selves requisite for applying Baptisme Page 89 Spirit of Christ the true steward to feed the hungry soule See preface Markes of the sealing Spirit of Baptisme Page 102 103 104. What the Supper of the Lord is Page 105 Order of the Supper Page 106. ib. The Sensiblenesse of bread and wine in the Supper vid. Matter of Supper Simplicity of the Supper-elements Page 11 Teaching spirituallnesse ead Separation of the Elements the first part of Taking 114. Setling the Elements to their use the second part of Taking ead Christ our Steward to be magnified in the Supper for his provision Page 141 The Supper is to the promise as the assumption to the proposition Page 142 Christ in the Supper exhibited as nourishment more fully than in the promise onely that in 6. respects Page 149 Stablenesse and setlednesse in grace is a third degree of soule prosperity by the Supper and how Page 258 159 A view of that order which the Spirit useth in Sacramentall sealing of the soule in foure branches Page 194 195 Sealing power of the Sacraments a terror to unbeleevers Page 197 Sealing power of the supper to be mainly sought by the good Receavers Page 198 T. TRansubstantiation confuted Page 48 How it grew Page 49 and Page 108 Taking of the Bread and Wine the first act of the Minister Page 114. 117 Thanksgiving a second part of Christs consecrating supper elements Page 125 Why Page 125. ib. 126 127 Taking the supper aright an act of the Receiver concurring with the offer of the supper in all the properties of it Page 173 174 All lets of Taking Christ by faith in the supper to be abhorred Page 184 V. VNion a maine part of Sacramentall being 42. the sorts of union Page 43 Vnion Sacramentall is not corporall but reall 45 46. and mysticall ibid Vnion Sacramentall inferres no confusion of the signes with the grace Page 47 Vnion is appointed for familiarising Christ with us Page 49 The wofulnesse of Vnbeleefe in not taking Christ in the supper Page 176 W. APplying our selves to the word necessary for the grace of Baptisme Page 90 Wisedome of God in uniting all Christ in each Sacrament Page 133 Weaknesse of our nature the occasion of ordaining Sacraments Page 33 Weake ones must not deny Christ in his supper to be their nourishment Page 168 Little sence of weakenesse in Receivers hinders the worke of the sealing spirit Page 198 FINIS THE SECOND PART OF THE TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS Wherein the Doctrine of our
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