all these words They having first by a Solemn Vow bound themselves to God and to Obedience to him Moses by Gods command uses the External Sign of Sprinkling Blood to show that God lookt on his Promises as binding upon him Now under the New Testament there are two Foederal Transactions between God and us Instituted as Ordinances in the Christian Church to which we commonly give the Name of Sacraments in both which we may observe the same Procedure Both are on Gods part seals of the Blessings of the Covenant of Grace and on Man's part Engagements to all the Duties of that Covenant As Gods part lies in Promises and their Ratifications and Assuring Pledges so doth Man's in Vows and their Confirming Rites God engages to be our God and to carry it to us like a God We Vow to be his People and to carry it to him like his People God engages to make good his Promises not only in the general but to those Persons in Particular who seriously enter into Covenant with him Man is thereby bound and engag'd to all Prescribed Duty not only in general and in common with others but Particularly and by Name 2. The Christian Vow in both the Sacraments of the New Testament hath a particular Relation to God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost according to their distinct Agency in the great Work of our Redemption and Salvation Each Person in the Sacred Trinity hath an hand in Saving Man The work of each is distinct and therefore the Duty to each is distinct and consequently the Christian Vow must besides what is owing to the Great God in common contain an Engagement to the special Duties owing to each Person TO the Father we find in Scripture the Honour is peculiarly Ascrib'd of being the Contriver of the Method of our Salvation 'T was He whose Love to us was such as to move him to send his Son to Redeem us and his Spirit to Sanctify us 'T was He that sent his Son in our Nature to Dye a Sacrifice and make Expiation for Sin and 't is He that sends his Spirit to apply and convey the Benefits Merited by the Oblation of that Sacrifice 'T was the Father that Invested Christ the Mediator with his Authority and Power 'T is on the Father as maintaining the Rights of the whole Deity Man's Apostacy is Represented as peculiarly Reflecting And 't is He who thro' his Son offers to be Reconcil'd to a Rebellious World He is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in and thro' him Ready to be our Father 'T is back again to him that Christ Dy'd to bring us He is therefore to be regarded as our Ultimate End ACCORDINGLY that part of the Christian Vow which relates to God the Father is this Admiring his Matehless Wisdom and Adoring his Unfathomable Love to give up our selves to him anew with hearty Sorrow that ever we should have Revolted from him To take him for our Father thro' Christ engaging to carry it like Children to him with a Child-like Love to him Reverential Fear and Worship of him Delight Trust and Confidence in him Hearty Dâ—…dence on him and Obedience to â—…im to make his Glory our utmost Aim and expect our Final Happiness in him alone AS for the Son He is represented as the Worker out of our Redemption 'T was he who Purchas'd our Pardon and paid the price of our Peace He is the Fathers Prime Messenger to this Lower World the Great Prophet of the Church sent on purpose to Reveal Gods Mind and Will to Men and instruct them in the way to Heaven He was constituted the Great High Priest to make Atonement Satisfie Offended Justice and Salve the Injur'd Rights of the Divine Government to Expiate Sin by Offering an Acceptable Sacrifice and to Interceed with the Blood of it within the Veil in the Holy of Holies in the Heavenly Tabernacle Him hath God set as his King on Zion and to him is every knee to Bow and him are all to Honour even as they do the Father For he hath put all Power in Heaven and Earth into his Hands 'T is on his Shoulders the Divine Government lies and to him it belongs to give Laws to his Church He was a walking Mirrour of Divinity in this Lower World being Emanuel God with us a compleat Pattern of the Perfection of Holyness He is the Captain of our Salvation the Skilful Physician of Souls the Light of the World the way to the Father and the Lord of Life And he will come again at last to raise us from Death and Judge the World and Justifie his Saints and bring them to Eternal Glory and cast the Wicked into utter Misery AND accordingly that part of the Christians Sacramental Vows that relates to God the Son is this Admiring his Amazing Condescention and Matchless Love in taking our Nature upon him with its many Infirmities and therein doing undergoing and Suffering so much for our sakes to Consecrate our selves to him firmly Resolving with Divine Assistance that we will not live unto our selves but to him who Dy'd for us and Rose again 'T is an hearty taking him for our Saviour closing in with all the parts of his Saving Office An engagement readily to hearken to his Voice by whom God who in times past spake to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us To Credit all his Reports and Trust in all his Promises to depend solely on his Atonement for Pardon and Divine Acceptance Justification and Life to use him upon all occasions as our Advocate who sits in our Nature at the Right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on high It is a swearing Fealty to him as our Soveraign engaging to yield Submission to his Authority and Governing Power to stand in awe of all his Threatnings and sincerely obey all his Commands To Immitate his Example and endeavour to copy out in ours the Excellencies and Perfections of his Temper and of his Life To follow him as our Captain whither soever he shall lead us To Fight under his Banner against all his Enemies and to bear all his Discipline To use him as our Physician Trusting in his Skill following all his Prescriptions and chearfully taking all his Saving Medicines how bitter and distastful soever to Flesh and Blood To wait in expectation of his return in Glory and live in the comfortable hope of his coming to Judgment and owning us before his Father and all his Holy Angels and taking us to himself to be for ever with him beholding his Glory AS for the Holy Ghost his work is to supply our Saviours Place here on Earth to be the Guide and the Inmate the Helper and Asistant the Comforter and Support of all the Faithful To apply all the Benefits that our Lord hath Purchas'd 'T was he that Inspir'd all the Penmen of Holy Writ and 't was under his peculiar conduct that they committed the Sacred Records to
Writing for the use of the Church in all Ages 'T was he that gave such convincing Evidence of the Truth of Christianity at first by Innumerable Open and Uncontroulable Miracles in order to the first Introducing it into the World and the confirming the Faith of it in all after times and 't is he that hath been giving his Testimony to the Truth thereof in all succeeding Ages even down to this very day in producing the Saving Effects thereof on Mens Hearts notwithstanding so much such united and such vigorous Opposition 'T is his office to Illuminate convince of Sin Righteousness and Judgement to Quicken Strengthen Comfort Succour Guard and Enliven and Seal unto the day of Redemption He is the Author of all saving Light and Grace and the first spring of every good Work the Beginner Maintainer and Encreaser of the Spiritual Life and Issuer of it in that that will be Eternal AND accordingly that part of a Christians Sacramental Vows that relates to God the Holy Ghost is a serious engagement to use him as our Saviours Deputy in all the parts of his Office to take the Holy Scriptures as of his Inspiration as the rule of our Faith and Life and to adhere to that Religion the Truth whereof he hath so many ways attested Earnestly to implore his help and assistance and carefully to use it when given to keep our Minds open to his Light to yield to his Convictions and comply with his Motions to hearken to his Voice and follow his Conduct to wait humbly for him in all ways of Divine Appointment to depend upon his Aids to receive his Comforts and by Strength derived from him to be continually walking in the way of Holiness towards Everlasting Happiness Thus are each of the Persons in the Trinity distinctly concern'd in our Sacramental Vows 3. OUR Sacramental Vows summarily comprehend the whole of our Religion A great Noise and Stir there hath been in the World about Fundamentals fierce and earnest have been the Disputes among the Learned about the number and nature of them and various have been the ways pitcht on to determine what points are absolutely Necessary and what not But when all 's done the Christian Covenant which in Baptism is Initiated and afterwards at the Lords Table renew'd confirm'd and ratifi'd would if rightly consider'd give us the clearest Notions of the great Essentials of our Holy Religion All the great Principles of our Faith are comprehended under the distinct Agency of God the Father Son and Spirit in bringing about our Salvation and Happiness to which our Sacramental Vows have a direct Reference as appears from the former head And as for the Practical part of our Religion no Essential of that can be wanting in them since they take in the whole compass of our Duty The whole Moral Law which always was is and will be the Rule of Duty is reducible to two Heads The Love of God and our Neighbour As for the Love of God that is to be exprest by a serious Acknowledgement of him and renouncing all that would rival it with him an hearty zeal for his Worship and his Name and a punctual Sanctifying of that Portion of time he hath consecrated for himself And if we heartily Love our Neighbours we shall be ready to do to them as we would have them in like Circumstances do to us to give all the respect to any that is due to their place and to be tender of the Life Chastity Goods and Name of all we have to do with and never envy their Prosperity To all which our Sacramental Vows are Solemn Engagements And so are they also to all those Duties which our Blessed Saviour hath in the Gospel peculiarly enforct as Self-denial Mortification the taking up of our Cross giving and forgiving Charity Relieving the Poor Succouring the Distressed and helping the Necessitous forgiving Injuries without Retalliating or giving way to Revenge Unity and Peace and the like Would we therefore have a compleat and full a distinct and clear and comprehensive Idea of our whole Religion would we take it in at one view that we may the better discern its Excellency Order and Beauty and be the more Enamoured with it let us turn our eyes to the Christian Covenant to our Sacramental Vows and there we may have it 4. THE Obligation and Binding Force of Sacramental Vows is Perpetual and can never cease The Acts themselves may be quickly perform'd and soon over But their Obligation will last as long as our lives Some sorts of Vows may cease to be binding when the reason of them ceases or a greater Duty would be hinder'd or a greater danger Incurr'd or the like But none of these things can happen as to those our Vows that are attended with Sacramental Solemnities Perseverance and Constancy in our Duty to the last is one part of the matter of those Vows For we do therein engage not only that we 'll be Faithful and Dutiful and Obedient in the general but that we 'll persist and hold on in our Duty whatsoever it costs us and whatever troubles or difficulties we meet withal That by the strength of God we won't flinch nor give way that if we fail we 'll be Sorry and Repent and Divine Grace assisting us to our work again and so doing hold out to the last till in fighting the good fight of Faith we have finisht our course and so come to lay hold on Eternal Life CHAP. IV. Of the BAPTISMAL VOW The Sum of it in Form as made by Persons Baptiz'd when ADULT BAPTISM was Instituted by our Blessed Lord as a Sacred Rite whereby Persons were to be first Initiated into the Christian Covenant And be it sooner or later Administred it carries in it an Obligation to all the duties of that Covenant on which its Blessings are suspended In Baptism there is always either exprest or imply'd a Vow of hearty complyance with all the demands of our Holy Religion without which suppos'd the pouring on of Water in the name of the Father Son and Spirit by the Minister as Gods Representative would be utterly Unavailable either to seal or convey those Inestimable Gospel Blessings of Pardon and Peace Adoption and a Right to Life But this Vow must be differently consider'd by all that would avoid Confusion according to the Different state of the Subjects of Baptism which are either Persons Adult that are come to years of Understanding and so are capable of transacting Personally for themselves or the Children of Christian Parents in their Infant State The case of the former is the subject of this and that of the latter of the following Chapter ADULT Persons before they are Baptiz'd ought seriously to consider what Christianity will oblige them to and to reckon their costs before hand that they may come under so Solemn an Engagement as Baptism carries in it understandingly deliberately and with full consent of Heart that there may be no danger of after
drawing back THE Vow which they in their Baptism actually and voluntarily make and come under is of this Tenour and may be drawn up in Form thus I Believe in an Eternal Infinitely Glorious God who made Heaven and Earth and in Iesus Christ his only Son who Redeem'd Mankind from Misery and Wrath And in the Ever Blessed Spirit the Fountain of all Grace and Peace TO this God the Father Son and Spirit I willingly freely and chearfully consecrate my self For I am sensible God is my Owner and Proprietor to him therefore I make an Absolute Resignation of my self and all that is or ever shall be mine as his own engaging to use my self and all that I have as his and contentedly to rest in all his Disposals And it being my Rectitude and Happinefs to Obey and Please Him I 'll labour to bring both my Soul and Body into the most Absolute Subjection to him and to make it my Delight and Business sincerely and exactly to Obey Him I 'll Love Him with my whole Heart and Soul and Mind and Might and quiet my self in his Love and Faithfulness whatever shall befall me in the World I 'll lead a Life of Thankfulness to him for his Innumerable Benefits and endeavour to Glorify him with the estimation of my Mind the Praises of my Mouth and the Holiness of my Life and Conversation WITH Humble Thankfulness I Adore my Dearest Saviour for his Redeeming Love and on his Merits I 'll bottom all my hopes of Pardon Justification and Eternal Life I am heartily griev'd for all my Sins and sensible they would undo me without his help and interposition to him therefore I flye as my City of Refuge Him I resolve constantly to use as the means of my Souls access to God acceptance with him and help and comfort from him and I 'll entertain no thoughts of coming to the Father but by him And he being the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church I 'll humbly wait as a Scholar in his School to learn of him by his Spirit Word and Ministers the further knowledge of God and of the things that tend to my Salvation and this with an honest willing and teacheable Mind in Faith Dilligence Obedience Patience and Peace I now swear â—…ealty to him as my Lord and King and Vow sincere Obedience to all his Holy Laws and Commandments I 'll Imitate him as my Pattern and write after the Copy that he hath set me both as to my Temper and my Life I 'll use him as the Great Physician of Souls and take all his saving Medicines how unpleasing and distastful soever I 'll follow him as the Captain of my Salvation whithersoever he shall lead me and spend my days in a Vigilant Resolute and Constant War against the Flesh the World and the Devil FOR I renounce the Flesh that is Naturally pleas'd with Sin and impatient of Necessary Confinements I renounce Self as my end I also renounce the World which is so apt to administer Food and Fuel to my Lusts I renounce all that in it wherewith the Carnal part is gratifi'd as Matters of Pleasure Profit or Honour not regarding them as means to my Happiness I renounce the Devil and all subjection to him 't is Christ the Lord of Life to whom I 'll look 't is his Subject I resolve to be I 'll Humbly Earnestly Daily Implore the help and assistance of the Blessed Spirit of Grace that he may reside in me and be the Life of my Soul and by the help of God I wont Resist or Quench him but thankfully Obey him The Scriptures by him Inspir'd I take for the Rule of my Faith and Life and engage to keep close to And Christianity to the Truth whereof he so many ways hath set his Seal is the Religion I 'll profess thereto I 'll adhere and therein alone expect Salvation On the assistance of this Blessed Spirit alone shall be all my dependence in the Christian Life and his Conduct I 'll follow thro' all Difficulties and Temptations in the way of Holiness towards Everlasting Happiness FOR it shall be my constant endeavour to adorn the Doctrine of God my Saviour in all things by living Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World I 'll do my Gracious God all the service and others all the good I can in works of Piety Justice and Charity with Prudence Fidelity Industry Zeal and Delight like one that knows 't is God that intrusts me with all my Talents of the Improvement whereof I must give a strict Account I 'll be careful to render unto all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear and Honour to whom Honour and to owe no Man any thing but Love And that is a Debt which I 'll be continually paying by all suitable expressions of Affection and Tenderness to all I have to do with especially those to whom Nature or Providence hath peculiarly link'd me I 'll Love all that have the same Nature with my self but more especially who are Children with me of the same Heavenly Father Members of the same Body and Heirs of the same Inheritance And in general I 'll make this my Rule to do to others as I would my self be done unto I 'll carefully put a way from me all Wrath Anger and Clamour and beware of all Violent Passion I 'll keep at the greatest distance from any sort of Lewdness or Wantonness I 'll hate and abhor all Lying and Slandering Backbiting and Detracting and by the Grace of God never suffer my self to envy my Neighbours Prosperity or Rejoyce in his Adversity But I will be Pittiful and Courteous Tender-hearted and Compassionate I 'll Relieve the Necessitous Feed the Hungry Cloath the Naked Entertain Strangers and visit the Sick and the Imprison'd as I have ability and oportunity which are things my Blessed Lord hath testifi'd are very acceptable and pleasing to him I 'll faithfully endeavour to fill up all my places and Relations with suitable prescribed Duty and to employ all my Trusts for God I 'll be orderly in in his Church and therein submit to all his Discipline and endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace I 'll maintain no Grudges against any but when injur'd will be ready to forgive as God I hope for Christs sake will forgive me I 'll take up my Cross whenever call'd to it and rather forsake all things than desert my God and Saviour And since my Weakness is such as that let me do my best I shall often stumble and fall whenever I do so I 'll renew my Repentance and Divine Grace enabling me return again to my Obedience AND since it hath pleas'd my Dearest Saviour to Institute a standing Memorial in his Church of his Death and Passion to be Solemnized by all who pretend to be his Followers I do therefore Solemnly Vow and Promise with an Humble Penitent and Believing Heart
's now consider the concern of Children in this Transaction of their Parents on their behalf of which you may take an Account in the following Particulars 1. THEY are hereby bound to lead a life of Holy Devotedness to God the Father Son and Spirit To this they henceforth stand bound not only by that DivineLaw that requires it of them but also by their Parents Engagement and Stipulation which in matters of plain Duty to be sure is binding whatever it may be in things that are indifferent We find Samuel under the Law thought himself oblig'd by his Mothers Vow and therefore gives himself freely to serve the Lord in his Tabernacle according to the dedication she had made of him Yea Iepthath's Daughter complies with her Fathers Vow tho' as most think it was to be offer'd up in Sacrifice My Father saith she if thou hast open'd thy mouth to the Lord do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy Mouth How much more then must those Children who were in Infancy enter'd into the Christian Covenant by their Parents be oblig'd to stand to it when it engages them to nothing but what was of it self antecedently their Duty It 's a part of the Honour Nature hath made due to Parents from their Children that they own themselves bound by their engagements for them and interest in this case falls in with Duty the advantages of a compliance with their Parental Dedication being very great and the mischiefs of a Refusal evident and notorious Withal they are bound to conform to the Rules of that Family in which they were born and to the Master whereof their Parents brought them to pay so early an Homage And to continue in the service of that Lord whose Badge they so soon receiv'd till they can find a better and if they stay till then without all question they 'll never quit him The Obligation Infants by vertue of their Baptism come under to an Holy Devotedness is of a mixt Nature 'T is partly Natural and partly Positive 'T is Natural so far as it is an effect of the Parental power duly exercis'd 'T is Positive so far as there is any force in the Rites then us'd which are of Divine Institution and the case was in this respect the same as to Circumcision of old St. Paul observes That every man that is Circumcis'd is a debtor to do the whole Law Circumcision oblig'd all that receiv'd it to a subjection to the whole Mosaick Law and that altho' t' was administred to all of Jewish Extraction in their Infancy and on their Parents Account and at their desire they were bound by it without staying for their consent So also are all Baptiz'd Persons tho' Infants bound to asubjection to the whole Gospel And the denial hereof by any so Baptiz'd is a spitting in their Parents face nay a pouring contempt on God's Sacred Institutions 2. THEY are bound to own their Baptismal Obligation as soon as capable If they are bound to stand to it there 's certainly all the reason in the World they should own they do so They are bound to own it in Duty to their Parents who by giving them up to God more effectully consulted their Happiness and Welfare than they could have done any other way They are bound also to do it in Gratitude to God for so Inestimable a Priviledge as is so early an admission into his Family and coming under his Covenant It 's necessary they should do it in order to the securing the entail of Covenant Blessings to which their own personal taking upon them that Vow which they first came under in Baptism is necessary For they are no longer to be consider'd as part of their Parents than till they arrive at a Capacity of acting for themselves at which time God expects both that they should own their Baptismal Dedication to have been a signal Mercy declare their readiness to stand to the Vow they were then enter'd under and personally make it for themselves and in their own Names as ever they expect to reap the Blessed Benefits that depend thereon And tho' this Vow was really binding when it was meerly Parental yet is it more firmly binding when it thus becomes Personal And those must look upon the power of Parents over Children to be very small that question whether they may rightfully exert their Authority in bringing their Children under a Bond to do that when they come to Age which is their unquestionable Duty then to do whether there be such a Prior Engagement or not But however we may hence observe another notion of the Baptismal Vow that is proper enough viz. That it is that Vow which we by vertue of Infant Baptism are oblig'd to make explicitly when we come to Age in which case the Form drawn up in the foregoing Chapter is as suitable as 't is with reference to those who are not Baptiz'd till they are Adult 3. THOSE who stand not to their Infant Baptismal Obligation when they grow up are liable to be treated as obstinate contemners of the Divine Favour as Sacrilegious Alienators of what was peculiarly devoted and as perjur'd Violators of Gods Covenant Their case is not the same with that of the rest of the World who remain Undedicated and Unconsecrated to God But as their Advantages would be great if they were Faithful so will their Miseries be great if they are false to the Vow they came under in their Baptism That very Bond that should have kept them close to God will consign them over to the more aggravated Woes when put in suit against them For tho' Parents were the main Agents yet are they mainly concern'd and bound and on them therefore will the Penalty annex'd take place 4. THE Minister that Baptiz'd them their Parents that Devoted them and as many as were Spectators of their Infant Consecration are so many Witnesses for God against them if in their after Life they break Gods bands in sunder and cast away his cords from them They are Witnesses I say for God against them and as such will be ready to appear at the last day Ministers will then be ready to say Lord here are such and such that we Baptiz'd in thy Name and introduc'd into the visible Church in the method which thou Institutedst and thine Apostles practis'd But before we did so we thought we bound them fast unto thee we exacted of their Parents on their behalf a Renunciation of the Flesh the World and the Devil and a free consent to all thy claims and demands that they were engag'd to this we are Witnesses If they have broken therefore the Vow they then came under and persisted so doing we can testify they are perfidious Traytors and Faithless Rebels and deserve the Severest Treatment Pious Parents will also be ready to say Behold O Lord we gave these Children of ours to thee from whom we receiv'd them in thy Service we Listed them and under
Sun that such Persons are unfit for such an Ordinance as the Lords Supper for they are incapable of reaching the ends of its Institution Since therefore none but Baptiz'd Persons may approach the Lords Table but all Baptiz'd Persons may not the Question is Where the discrimina tion of some from others of them proper to this case lies And what it is that is necessary as a pre-requisite Qualification I answer the difference lies here That some stand to their Baptismal Engagement and others don 't and the qualification pre-requir'd is an owning of it For if Persons don't own the Vow they once came under 't is to no purpose to think of Repeating it again NOW the owning of this Vow is pre-requir'd to Persons Right Receiving of the Lords Supper in a double respect either with Reference to God or the Church 1. WITH Reference to God and so the Hearty owning the Obligation of this Vow is necessary without which we cannot approve our selves to him or so transact with him as to reap those Benefits which he designs for us by that Ordinance whereto we are suppos'd to pretend Our Hearts must be really Consecrated and our Lives Devoted to him according to the tenour of our Engagement in Baptism before we can justly pretend anew to strike Covenant with him who searcheth Hearts and trieth Reins as we are to do at his Table 2. OUR owning our Baptismal Vow is also requisite with reference to the Church to our admission to the Lords Table We must make a Credible Profession of adhering to it of which kind is every such Profession as is not contradicted by an Unsuitable Life and Conversation This Credible Profession of an Adherance to the Baptismal Vow is necessary that it may appear there is a difference between those that are admitted to Church Communion and those that are debarr'd it and for the same reason it would be well if it were Publick It would be very becoming and Advantageous did Persons every where before they first Communicated freely profess their Sincerity and Constancy in their Baptismal Covenant or Vow and openly declare themselves in the face of a Christian Congregation Enemies to the Devil the World and the Flesh And this is the most considerable part of that which hath been wont to be call'd Confirmation A thing much practic'd and insisted on in the Primitive Church tho' of later times much neglected and by some quite laid aside as useless the more 's the pity IT much Rejoyces me therefore and I cann't forbear mentioning it on this Occasion to know and hear of several even of the Dissenting Congregations in the Nation wherein this Practice is still kept up Among whom 't is usual for the Pastors after their private Transactions with those who are to be Admitted to the Lords Table either on some day in the preceeding Week or just before the Administration of the Holy Communion Publickly to demand of them whether they don't stand to their Baptismal Vow and take it on themselves Whether they don't cordially give up themselves to God the Father Son and Spirit according to the tenour of it And whether they don't engage to walk agreeably to all the Laws of the Gospel Or to that purpose Which is really a thing of great weight and moment and I could wish 't were more universally minded This as I was saying is the most considerable part of that which the Antients us'd to call Confirmation And such a Declaration as this made by Persons in the face of a Christian Congregation is really an Act of Confirmation for they do thereby further ratify and establish the Contract which is between God and them and by confessing it to be valid and good and openly owning that the Vow of God is upon them bind themselves still faster to him whose they were before Some may perhaps think this to be more ado then needs by reason the very coming to the Lords Table with antecedent Preparation and siting down there among the Faithful who are bound to God by Covenant is a Tacit or Virtual owning of the Baptismal Vow And at most they may apprehend that the doing this in private before the Pastor of the Church might be sufficient To whom I can without any difficulty grant that what I aim at is indeed virtually imply'd in such a case and that the private performance of it may suffice to render Persons worthy Communicants But yet it follows not but that the Publick Transacting of this matter may be much more Eligible Many Instances may be produc'd where very near as much depends on the manner of doing a thing as on the thing it self and this I take to be one For I pray observe Persons upon their first coming to the Lords Table pass out of the state of Infant into that of Adult Members of the Church The faster therefore they are bound to GOD the more likely will they be to credit Religion of which the generality of the World are apt to pass a Judgement from the Demeanor and Conversations of such Persons Now the more publickly such a Profession is made the more likely it is to influence them since they will have so many as Witnesses against them ready to admonish them upon occasion of their open Engagement which cann't but strike an awe And but that it would be too great a Digression I could make it appear that the Scripture favours such a publick Recognition of the Baptismal Vow and it is agreeable to the Practice of the Church in several Successive Ages True it is in process of time the Romanists in a shameful manner abus'd it but that 's no just Reason for our slighting or rejecting it who may have it pure and free from their Abuses However this I think is plain and clear That a Recognition of the Baptismal Vow is necessary to Persons Regular Admission to the Lords Table I add further 5. THAT the more Solemn this Recognition of the Baptismal Vow is 't is so much the better where I mean not Ceremonicus by Solemn as if this matter would be ever the better the more Ceremonious it was No that is far from my Intention The Papists indeed have made it a Sacrament and turn'd it all into Ceremony for they use Oil in the Administring it and Balsam and sign with the Sign of the Cross c. But of these things we can safely say They were not from the beginning for the time when they first began to be us'd in the Church can be mark'd out But my meaning in the word Solemn is this that the more Seriously and Gravely it is manag'd on the part of the Persons coming to Confirmation and the more Authoritatively on the part of the Minister as Christ's Officer the more likely is it to Answer its End The Establish'd Church of England hath taken care enough in this latter point as to the Authoritativeness of this Transaction but 't is the Desire and Wish of all sober
Faults For we have all some secret Faults that we overlook Therefore I say be humbled for all past Breaches known and unknown Throw your selves at God's Feet and own your Forfeitures of his Favour and Desert of his Displeasure Abase your selves out of a fense of your Vileness that while you were engag'd and pretended to live to God and your Redeemer you should have liv'd so much to your selves so much to this present World and so much according to the Dictates of your Lusts And be peculiarly humbled for any particular Failures that may have had peculiarly aggravating Circumstances attending them Think not of being Accepted upon the Making of New Vows while you are Chargeable with manifest Breaches of your Old Ones that are Unrepented of This Humiliation and Self-Abasement with Sorrow and Shame for past Breaches is necessary by way of Preparation in order to our Acceptable Consecrating our selves to God afresh Direct III. Take heed of the Extreams of Levity and over-great Scrupulosity when you come to Renew your Vows at the Lords Table Take heed of Levity as if it were a common ordinary and customary thing you were setting your selves about when you went to give up your selves to God anew this were the way to pull down a Curse upon your Heads instead of a Blessing Beware therefore of rushing upon such sacred Work with a common and unhallowed Heart with an Heart full of the World with a Heart prevailingly addicted to any Lust. And on the other hand also Beware of too great Scrupulosity in running matters too high as if unindulg'd Infirmities and the want of Assurance were Bars to Acceptance or as if Perfection was necessary to the obtaining the Blessings of a Devoted State This were to pull thy self backward instead of advancing forward in the Divine Life Levity in this case is the effect either of habitual Profaneness than which nothing is more dreadful or of great Negligence in Preparatory Work or of gross Ignorance of the Nature Design Import and Solemnity of Repeated as well as Initial Self-Dedication Over-great Scrupulosity in this case is sometimes the effect of a very timerous Natural Temper heightened by a Bodily Indisposition which makes Persons the Objects of Compassion At other times it arises from a Mistake about the Method of God's Dealing with us under the New-Covenant-Dispensation from a Misunderstanding of the Terms of the Gospel and too hard sowr and severe thoughts of the blessed God unwarily imbib'd which Errors of theirs if they value their own Peace or Welfare are carefully to be corrected Tho' the former is generally the much more dangerous Extream of the two yet is the latter very troublesome by reason that it will fill the Soul with such Fears as will exceedingly damp and discompose it and unfit it for such Work as is the free solemn chearful Consecrating and Devoting it self to God Both therefore are as much as in us lies to be watch'd against Direct IV. WHENEVER we go to Renew our Vows to God we should carefully mind with whom we are to Transact who we are that Transact with Him and for what purposes we do so 1. WE should remember with Whom we Transact and to Whom our Vow is to be Renew'd and that is to God the Father Son and Spirit God the Father from whom we have Apostatiz'd who yet is the Fountain of Blessedness in whom only we can be Happy God the Son who is the only way to the Father our Mediator Priest Patron Advocate and Helper The Holy Spirit who must be the Actual Conveyor and Introducer of all that Light and Life and Love that shall capacitate us to enjoy the Father through the Son either in this or a better Life 'T is with the great God we in this Affair have to do 't is to Him whose Majesty Glory Power Greatness and Goodness are Inconceivable and Inexplicable that we are every time we come to the Communion anew to give up our selves 'T is with all that are called God we in this Affair are to Transact This one thought well imprest upon us would suffice to command the utmost Awe Reverence Seriousness and Devotion whenever we set our selves to this matter 2. WE should also remember who we are that are to Renew Vows to be the Lords Particularly we should remember that we are Creatures laden with Guilt which we can never expiare and owing an Obedience that we can never fully pay 1. We should well remember that we are Creatures laden with guilt which we can never expiate and therefore for whom God out of meer pity hath provided a Sacrifice which at his Table he sets before us over the Memorials whereof whenever we come to receive them we are to devote our selves afresh to the Lord. We should therefore every time as guilty condemned Criminals promise Obedience for the future with the deepest sense of our unworthiness of that Mercy that must be our only Plea for our Selves through the Merits of Another 2. We should also remember that we are Creatures that owe an Obedience that we can never fully pay That tho' we vow and vow never so often we cann't pay the least part of what we vow unless as acted and influenc'd by him to whom our Vows are made And that when we have done our best towards the paying our Vows and answering our innumerable Obligations there will be much wanting And when we have done all we can we are but unprofitable Servants God is not in reallity a whit the better for all the Service we can do him The thought of this well impress'd will keep us from pretending to any thing in our own strength it will lead us to a constant dependance on Superiour Aids it will prompt us whenever we renew our Vows to fly to the Holy Spirit for Assistance and Help to answer and keep them and 't will prevent our Boasting if any time by his Influence we have been kept in any measure sincere and faithful Both these Considerations taken from our selves will tend to make us deeply humble out of a sense of our Vileness Weakness and Helplesness whenever we go to give up our selves to God afresh 3. WE should also remember for what Ends and Purposes we are every time we come to the Lords Table anew to vow to be the Lords and they in short are these two the more firmly to secure to our selves his Favour and the more effectually to bind and quicken our selves to our Duty These are the Ends we ought to have in our Eye in this matter and the serious Consideration of them will help to make us in earnest at the time of Renewing our Vows and cause us often to think of them afterwards Direct V. OF the whole Sacramental Solemnity select that as the properest Instant for thee to give thy self up to Christ when thou art receiving him and all his Benefits into thy hands as I may say and into thy heart It may without all question be done
his Death and wistfully viewing him from first to last as an exact Mirror of Divinity peculiarly fixing on his Death when his Body was broken and his Blood pour'd forth being pierc'd with grief at the remembrance of those Sins which help'd to pierce his sacred Body and full of Astonishment that it should be apt to have such light thoughts of that which was so full of Malignity that it needed his precious Blood to make Atonement It views the appointed Emblems but it looks beyond them and with sorrow considers the share it had in that doleful Tragedy which is thereby pointted at It concernedly reflects on the need it stands in of a share in the Benefit of that Sacrifice which they represent it rejoyces in its own Capacity of being interested in it it takes the sacred Emblems when offer'd with a mixture of Joy and Sorrow Fear and Love and embraces a crucified Saviour in the Arms of Faith yielding up the Heart to him as a part of the Victory and Conquest of his Love resigning up it self and its all entirely to his Disposal Management and Government not as a free Gift but as his just Right which to with-hold from him would be the highest Sacriledge and as an Offering infinitely beneath the desert of his Matchless Obligations It contentedly quits all other things whatever as but Dung and Dross without a Christ being perfectly asham'd to think that any Creature should be his Rival It declares it self satisfy'd with him as a Portion by reason that in him and with him it will have all that is needful and cares not what it wants nor how it fares nor what it parts with so it may but share in his Merits and his Spirit his Grace and his Glory It not only throws it self into its Saviour's Arms for an instant but with a design to abide there detesting whatever tends to with-draw it from him with whom it is so enamour'd It renounces Sin Satan and the World as his known Enemies fetching strength from his Cross to resist and oppose them It disclaims Self as an Usurping Tyrant renouncing it so far as 't is opposite and firmly resolving to subject it so far as 't is capable to his Scepter and Government In humble Dependance on his promised Aids it takes a New Oath of Fealty to him it engages to a thorow Discipleship solemnly swearing over his sacred Emblems heartily to be subject to him to study to resemble him to carry it as one of his Followers to stick to his Interest to fight against his Enemies to follow his Conduct to submit to his Discipline to be content with his Allotments and patiently to wait for his Rewards It embraces that Covenant which his Death so firmly ratify'd stands amaz'd at the inestimable Blessings made over in it and firmly engages strenuously to apply it self to answer the Demands of it And out of a sense of its own weakness which time past hath but too much discover'd it sends up the most Pathetical Supplications to its once crucify'd but now glorify'd Redeemer for fixing stablishing confirming preserving persevering Grace and constant Supplies of it that so the sense of such Obligations as he hath laid upon it and such Bonds as it is voluntarily enter'd into to him may by nothing ever be defac'd or worn out In hope whereof it triumphs and rejoyces magnifying adoring blessing and praising all the three Persons in the sacred Trinity the Father the Son and the holy Spirit on the Account of their distinct Concern and Agency in the Redeeming and Saving of lost Sinners 3. LET 's view the same Soul immediately after the Renewal of such Sacramental Vows and we shall find its first Work to be the Recollecting what past in the foregoing Transaction How did I burn and glow says such a Soul when I found my self under the Direct Beams of my Saviour's Love at his Table And what shall I do to retain my Warreth Or How little was I affected suitably to such a Solemnity And what can fire my frozen Heart Such a Soul cann't rest in the Work done or think all 's at an end when the solemnity's over It cann't forbear either commending or chiding it self according as the posture and carriage hath been it cann't forbear endeavouring to drive things home Follow it close and you 'll find it upon the first convenient Opportunity running all over again in its thoughts and endeavouring to rivet good Impressions and fix pious Resolutions and establish and confirm holy Purposes and back Renew'd Vows with strong enforcing Considerations and doing what it can to engage it self to answer it's Engagements and Obligations to its God and Saviour Shall I go and undo what I have been doing by a lazy Indifferency a negligent and careless course of Life Shall I forget whose I am and who I am to serve and what are my Engagements and to whom and how I am bound Will not my Guilt be much encreas'd my dear Saviour more offended the blessed Spirit more griev'd and my Heart more deaden'd than ever if I return again to Folly Was not what I did in Renewing my Vows the Effect of Consideration Is not every thing that I have vow'd antecedently my Duty Hath not every part of my Duty Benefit attending it Is not He with whom I have been Transacting able to assist me And hath he not given me his Promise in his Word and seal'd it at his Table He will never change or draw back Why then should I No I have vow'd and I 'll stand to it Christ is mine and I 'll be his Him I 'll love Him I 'll serve and follow He shall have my Heart and my Life And alas That little All I am able to give him is not the thousandth part of what I owe Him These and such as these are the Retir'd Thoughts and Reasonings of a sincere Soul presently after Renewing Sacramental Vows 4. THE former Exercise is no sooner over but if you 'll persist in your suit you 'll find the same Soul wrestling with God in Prayer and sending its most earnest Petitions and Supplications upwards for Grace and Strength to pay the Vows Renew'd I have vow'd indeed O Lord says such a Soul to God that I 'll be thine I have anew Consecrated my self to my Blessed Redeemer and I desire not to draw back But I have of my self no strength to perform all my sufficiency is of thee Lord keep a sense of my Renew'd Engagements ever fresh and warm upon my heart Thou know ' st my Weakness and my Treachery I beseech thee to aid me constantly by thy powerful Spirit that how numerous soever my Infirmities and Imperfections be I may in no case wickedly depart from thee O that I who have been viewing a crucify'd Iesus and engag'd to be his constant follower might be crucify'd unto the World and have that crucify'd unto me O that I who have been commemorating my de Lords Dying for Sin may by vertue
before hinted That in all Transactions by way of Covenant as there are two parties at least suppos'd to be concern'd so is there something suppos'd to be agreed to by each of these Parties In all Covenants between God and Man God engages to something on one side and Man on the other and a Faithful bent of Heart on Mans part is pre-requir'd to Gods actual fulfilling his Engagements Gods part in all such Covenants lies in Promises and Mans in Vows which have the place of a Band between God and us Let Man keep true to his Vows and God will ever be sure to fulfil his Promises In the Baptismal Covenant God promises and ensures much and we engage to much But let us but take care to be true to our Vow and we need not fear but he will most punctually stand to his Word and Engagement Now the Promises Ratifi'd on Gods part in the Baptismal Contract are of two sorts which I may call Common and Special The Former relate to External Helps Assistances and Furtherances as to Serious Piety and Godliness which tho' they are not actually Saving may yet very much promote Salvation The Latter relate to real Marks of Divine Favour and Peculiar Love to be communicated in order to Actual Salvation The Former refer to things that are indeed vast Advantages in themselves tho' alas too often neglected and misimprov'd The Latter to things vastly Higher and which intimate a State incapable of missing of Final Happiness and Bliss Under the Former are contain'd all Church Priviledges accompanying a visible Relation to God As an Admission to the Lords Table there to receive Divine Nutriment in the company of his Children the common operations of the Spirit in Holy Motions and Serious Convictions the Pastoral Care of those whom God hath set over them and order'd to watch for their Souls the hearty Prayers and Fraternal Admonitions of the Faithful with whom they are joyn'd in Communion and the like Under the Latter are comprehended Forgiveness of Sins Acceptance both of Persons and Services Sanctification the constant Guidance and Help of the Spirit effectually to further progress in the Divine Life together with all other Blessings suiting a State of Adoption THESE are the things whereto God in Baptism as 't were sets his Seal upon the requisite Vows preceeding And by our keeping this Vow we as I may say secure to our selves the Actual Performance of the several Promises made and ratify'd As to Church Priviledges we by our standing and acting agreeably to our Baptismal Engagement have an undoubted right to them which none can warrantably call in Question And whatever further is requir'd as necessary in order to our enjoying them is an Humane Invention For Baptism being an Admission into the Visible Church it follows That none can warrantably deny any of the Priviledges thereof to any so admitted unless it can be made appear That they don't heartily stand to that Vow of God they then came under by the open disagreeableness of their Lives thereto And then as to those which are more peculiarly Covenant Blessings as Pardon and Peace and the Sanctifying Guiding and Comforting Influences of the Spirit these unless the whole tenour of the Covenant of Grace be directly ' thwarted cannot be deny'd to those who faithfully keep this Vow For it includes a Serious Repentance and an hearty Faith besides which the Gospel requires nothing further in order to Persons entring upon a Pardon'd and Justifi'd State thro' the Merits of our Dear Redeemer and then upon Iustification by Faith follows Peace with God Further They being Born of Water and of the Spirit are become the Temple of God and have the Spirit of God dwelling in them And where this Blessed Spirit dwells nothing necessary to Salvation can possibly be wanting BUT 't is observable That there is this Remarkable difference in the case between Church Priviledges and Special Covenant Blessings That where the Baptismal Vow is not openly contradicted by the Life and but Professedly adhered to there is a right unto the former by reason that it is not in the power of Man to judge of Hearts But it must be Faithfully and Sincerely kept and most heartily adher'd to in order to the reaching of the latter wherein 't is with God immediately that we are concern'd who is not by any Artifices of ours to be impos'd upon Would you then at once effectually secure all the Benefits both of Visible and Real Christianity do but sincerely adhere to the Vow of God you came under in Baptism and act Correspondently and the work is done 2. OBSERVE That by wilful and allow'd Breaches of this Vow of God both Church Priviledges and Special Covenant Blessings are directly forfeited The Benefits of Covenant Keeping on the one hand are not greater than are the mischiefs of Covenant Breaking on the other The breaking Gods Bands in sunder and casting away his Cords which is the common practice of Lawless Souls is an actual forfeiture of the several Blessings that accompany either a Visible or Real Relation to God For what signifies an Infant Dedication by Parents to the Most High God tho' ever so Serious What signifies the Vow they then came under tho' ever so Solemn To them who when they grow up disown the Bond Disclaim Subjection and give themselves up to the Conduct of their own Hearts Lusts Living without God in the World forgetting their Dear Redeemers Love and Rebelling against the Blessed Spirit of Grace than which hardly any thing 's more common What I say can it avail to such Persons How can they pretend to lay any claim to Church Priviledges when advanc't in Years who by their disorderly Lives openly renounce the Vow on which their Admission to Infant Church-membership was founded How can they have any share in the Special Blessings of the Covenant Promis'd on Gods part who are so far from doing what was engag'd to on their part that they do the quite contrary Live to themselves instead of of living to God follow the vain guise and fashion of this World instead of obeying their Lord Redeemer and walk after the flesh instead of following the Conduct and Yielding to the motions of the Divine Spirit Persons whose case this is shew that they belong to the World out of which the Church is suppos'd to be gather'd It can't therefore own them for it must disclaim those whose Conversations savour wholly of this World It plainly appears that such Persons are Children of Wrath and not the Children of God and therefore have nothing to do with those marks of Favour that belong to such So that the interest in either the Common or Special Blessings of the Covenant is hereby forfeited Altho' it must be own'd possible for a right to the former to remain even when the latter are effectually lost But to prevent Mistakes I desire it may be here observ'd 1. That tho' there is so vast a difference
Gratitude A further Office of the same Grace is To behold the Fathers Mind and Heart in that Amazing Mirror of his Love that there is set before us and to behold the Divine Spirit in all his Sanctifying Gifts and Graces pourd forth on all truly Covenanting Believers as the Fruit of Christ's Purchase and to yield up the Soul to be transformed into the same Image by the same Spirit NO where hath Faith such an Advantage for this Work as at the Holy Communion and never is this Advantage so well improv'd there as when our Vows are seriously and expresly Renew'd For thereby do we shew that the Discoveries that are made by Faith at that Ordinance do truly Affect us and rightly Work upon us thereby is our Faith approv'd of the right stamp and thereby is it made a Governing Principle of our Tempers and Lives Withal 't is observable how express God is at his Table as to all the several Marks of his Favour and Love which he makes over to us and bestows on us These are receiv'd by Faith certainly therefore it becomes us to be as express in our Returns to him And hereby will our Faith be strengthened by reason of the Correspondence of our Carriage in this respect towards God to his dealing vvith us and also by reason of that Riveted Sense of Faith's Transactions at this Ordinance that vvill be hereby occasioned OUR Hope also will hereby be strengthened Our Hope of the Acceptance of what we do and of Assistance in what we need Our Hope of Grace here and Glory hereafter The more express if serious any one is in giving himself up to God at his Table every time he comes there the more Reason hath he to hope that God Accepts him who never Rejects a Self-Resigning Soul the more Reason to hope for all the blessed Fruits of the Sacrifice and Death of Christ to whom he consecrates himself the more Reason to hope for all needed Guidance and Assistance from the blessed Spirit of Grace under whose Conduct he freely puts himself the more reason to hope for all he can need either in this World or another since he so intirely commits himself to and reposes his Trust in him that is a suitable Portion for him in either Further 3. WHICH follows upon the former This Practice will encrease our comfort which it is one great Design of the Sacrament to promote 'T is indeed much to our comfort to be treated at so Noble and costly a Feast as God prepares for us when he spreads his Table before us 't is comfortable to see what is there to be beheld to Receive what is Offer'd and to stand and take so delightful a Prospect as we have there Opportunity for But the serious express Renewal of our Vows to be the Lords and Solemn Engagement to live like Persons devoted to him is as great a Spring of spiritual Comfort as any in all that Ordinance For this according to the Gospel-Constitution lays a just Foundation for a Claim of all Gospel-Blessings by vertue of the Promises made through the Blood we there Commemorate The Holy Communion implies an Investiture in Pardon and Peace Reconciliation Adoption and a Right to Eternal Life to all truly Devout Participants to all who heartily devote themselves to their Lord Redeemer Renewed Vows therefore confirm our Title to all both present and future Blessings and consequently lay a firm Foundation for the highest Comfort For what can be more comfortable than for me upon a Review of what past in that Ordinance to find that I am Entitled to all those peculiar Marks of Divine Favour which God in that Ordinance makes over to his Children of which nothing can give greater Assurance than our Repeated Devoting our Selves with all the Seriousness and Solemnity we are able to be his Servants and Subjects to our Lives End All which things taken together are methinks abundantly sufficient to recommend this Practice IT yet remains That I give some Directions about this matter and shew how we should manage the Renewal of our Vows to be the Lords at the Return of every Sacrament Which having been Excellently done already by so many I shall be but brief in it However these Eight following Directions I can dare to recommend to any serious Christians Direct I. BEFORE you go to Renew your Vows to be the Lords Recollect your past Breaches especially those since your last Solemn Engagement Look not on this as an indifferent or inconsiderable matter but as a thing needful in order to your Dedicating your selves anew to God with any Advantage Take a convenient Opportunity for Rering from the World and when alone set your selves down seriously to consider what strong Tyes and Bonds you are already under to be the Lords and how little you Answer them Review your Lives rip up your Miscarriages canvass all the Secrets of your Hearts endeavour to know the worst For since God knows all 't is every way best that you should do so too that so what is amiss may be rectified and his deserved Displeasure averted Consider your prevailing Temper and stated Tenour and recollect your Demeanor upon particular Occasions when you may find Reason to conclude the Eye of God was most upon you Think how you have carried it to the blessed God how you have behav'd your selves towards your Redeemer and what hath past between you and the holy Spirit Think how you have manag'd your selves in Secret in your Families and in your several Relations in your Callings and Business and in your Retirements How you have carry'd it towards your Selves and to Others Observe what Corruptions you have most indulg'd what Temptations you have given way to what Neglects you have fallen into and what positive Guilt you have contracted When Time will allow it the running as far back in our Lives as our Memories will help us to do will be very Proper and Useful And this should be done with more than ordinary Carefulness at Persons first Approach to the Lords Table But when our Confinements are strait the Recollecting what hath past since the last Sacrament may suffice in which the more strict we are the better Our Eyes should particularly be on our Dalilahs whereby our Affections are most entangled and it should be a particuly Subject of Enquiry What Breaches of our last Vows they have drawn us into In General Let 's lay our Rule before us and compare our Selves and our Carriage with it and that will soon discover our Defects I need not tell a serious and considerate Person the Benefit of this Practice Direct II. HUMBLE your selves seriously before God for all past Breaches with Him whether known or unknown before you offer to come under New Vows to Him The more pains we take according to the foregoing Direction in searching and viewing our selves the more reason shall we find to cry out with the Psalmist Who can unstand his Errors Cleanse thou me from secret
acceptably enough at other Instants during the Administration of this Ordinance But the Reception of the Elements seems to be the most advantagious season At every Sacrament therefore when thou takest the Bread and Wine as sensible Representations of Christ and his Benefits as visible Pledges of the Love of God through Christ to thy Soul do thou give up thy self afresh to God thro' Christ to live continually in his Love and Fear and in strict Obedience to his Laws till thou shalt be taken to Glory When the Minister as Christs Messenger puts the Consecrated Elements into thy hands then do thou after a thankful Adoration of the Divine Clemency and Bounty expressing it self by such inexpressible Gifts as are thereby represented then I say do thou from the bottom of thy Heart cry out I willingly accept of thine offer'd Covenant O Lord my Soul doth gladly take thee for my God and Father for my Saviour and my Sanctifier And here I give up my self to thee as thy Own thy Subject and thy Child to be sanctified and saved by thee to be beloved by thee and to be happy in loving thee to all Eternity O seal up this Covenant by thy Spirit which thou sealest to me in thy Sacrament that without Reserve I may be entirely and for ever thine Direct VI. EVERY time thou at the Sacrament Renewest thy Vows to be the Lords take care particularly to vow the Death of that Corruption that sticks closest to thee whereby God is most dishonoured and thy Comfort and Welfare most endangered Give it up freely to be sacrificed for him who gave himself a Sacrifice for thee Thy Darling Corruption is thy nearest thy closest and one of thy most dangerous Enemies Vow therefore to maintain a constant Combat against it that tho' thou canst have little hope of quite eradicating it yet Divine Grace assisting thee thou wilt not yield and give way to it thou wilt not be over-power'd by it Take care expresly to vow an opposition to that which by its prevalence would make all thy Vows ineffectual Direct VII THOU shouldst at every Sacrament not only vow to be the Lords in general but to be his in all Conditions Give up thy self time after time to be disposed of by him in all respects as he shall see good Take this particularly into thy Vows at the Lords Table That thou wilt Acquiesce in all the Disposals of Providence and be contented in every state whereinto God sees it fit to bring thee Disclaim being the Carver of thy own Lot By thy Renew'd Vows willingly resign all that belongs to thee to Divine Management and Conduct and resolve that thou wilt cleave to God whatever it cost thee that tho' he slay thee yet thou wilt trust in him that thou wilt follow him when he frowns as well as when he smiles that thou wilt bear his Rebukes as the Chastisements of a Father design'd for thy good that thou wilt look on every thing as best whatever he allots thee in a word that thou wilt intirely resolve thy will into his The doing this at every Sacrament seriously would prevent us a great deal of Trouble it would be a Spring of Peace and Comfort to us what ever were our Condition whatever should befall us Direct VIII TAKE care that the deepest Thankfulness be a constant Concomitant of all thy Renewed Vows No greater occasion for Thankfulness than this That we have any ground at all for hope of being accepted upon our Devoting our selves to God thro' Christ Tho past Vows have been broken we may be again accepted upon Renewing them That we have Hearts and Inclinations to Renew them that we have any ground to hope for strength from Heaven to enable us to keep them when we have Renew'd them that we have so advantagious a Season for Renewing them as the Sacrament brings with it all minister cause of Thankfulness Let 's therefore with an holy Exultation of Soul with that Chearfulness and Joy that are the Natural Indications of a Thankful Heart give up our selves to God from time to time that it may appear we don't look upon it as a piece of Slavery or Drudgery but as our greatest Happiness THESE few Directions well follow'd would make Sacraments otherguess things than they ordinarily are and would help us to a much more sensible encrease of Grace and strength by them than we are wont to receive CHAP. IX Of the Nature Sacredness and Strength of the Obligation that lies on all those to lead an HOLY LIFE who often repeat Sacramental Vows NOTHING's more obvious to be observ'd Than that Persons may in many cases be several ways oblig'd to the same thing Those who are under no Sacramental Vows at all do yet stand bound to the same thing to which they oblige those that are under them viz. To Love and Serve the Lord all their days with all their Heart and with all their Might to Live continually in his Fear and Walk in all Holy Obedience to his Laws All Rational Creatures as such are plainly oblig'd hereto without any such Vows Antecedent as those before explain'd or with part of them only Suppose Persons therefore to remain Unbaptiz'd which yet methinks none that are come to the use of their Reason who have any value for their Souls should be content to remain and so not to have come under the Christian Vow at all with any of the prescrib'd Solemnities or suppose them to have taken the Christian Vow initially upon them in Infant Baptism without a Solemn Recognition of it when at Age and without ever coming to the Lords Table to Renew and Repeat it which is the much to be lamented case of many who pass for Christians in the days we live in notwithstanding the defects in either case the Persons concern'd are yet highly oblig'd to be the Lords and to live to him Withal Vows made on a Sick Bed or in any hour of Distress and Danger give a Superadded enforcement to the same Obligation But there is a peculiar Sacredness and Strength and binding force in those Vows that are manag'd in the Order before describ'd and which particularly are frequently repeated at the Lords Table For 1. THE Obligation Persons are hereby laid under hath all the marks of Freedom and Voluntariness which is to be understood of their Confirming and Renewed and not of their Initial Vows Persons hereby freely oblige themseves to that whereto God had before oblig'd them They own the validity of the Obligation they were under to God antecedently to any consent or act of theirs by owning the Justice Equity and Reasonableness of his Claims and consenting to yield to them And so that which both was and is the matter of their Duty appears to be the matter of their Choice for of their own accord they bind themselves to a Faithful Performance Now this is a great Additional Obligation because it is a Self Obligation I am bound to be the Lords before
he that hath Peace with the Blessed God And who can be so likely to reach this Happiness as he that is rightly sensible of and that in the main lives up to those Vows of his that he is under 'T is true all Peace with God is the effect of Christ's Death the Merit of his Blood and the Fruit of his Purchase and whereever 't is bestow'd 't is his Gift who is the Prince of Peace But we may be well assur'd he 'll bestow it on none who carry on Hostility against his Father which is the case of all habitually wilful and allow'd Breakers of Sacramental Vows we may be satisfy'd he 'll deny it to none that are stedfast in his Covenant and who earnestly study and faithfully endeavour to answer the Demands of it which is the case of those I am speaking of On them he 'll freely bestow it to them he 'll take care to continue it and the Blessed Consequences of it so that nothing shall intervene considerably to interrupt it 2. THEY also take the most effectual course to maintain Peace of Conscience For what is Peace of Conscience but an inward quiet and composure arising from a well-grounded sense and hope that things are as they should be between God and us Whatever therefore hath any tendency to promote or maintain our Peace with God doth naturally tend to make and keep us at Peace with our selves by preventing or allaying those disquieting Fears that naturally arise from an apprehension of the Divine Displeasure That these Persons therefore take the best course to secure Peace within is a genuine Consequence of the foregoing Consideration There 's no better ground for Peace of Conscience in the World than they enjoy who devoutly renew their Vows to be the Lord's time after time at his Table and live correspondently to them Tho' they have a Body of Sin and Death sticking fast to them under which they groan and from which they never expect to be fully freed so long as they are surrounded with a Vail of Flesh and till Mortality comes to be swallow'd up of Life yet may they sensibly discern that things in the main are well with them by their Hearts approv'd Integrity It could not methinks but be a great comfort to Peter who had so shamefully deny'd his Master to find himself able to make so solemn an Appeal to him as that Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee So must it needs be a great quieting to serious Persons to find themselves able in His Most Sacred Presence who is the Searcher of Hearts notwithstanding their sense of their own Infirmities which nothing can make them lose to stand to it that they will be the Lord's and his alone and to resolve and vow that nothing shall ever be discover'd to them to be his Will how difficult soever it be but his Grace enabling them they will do it and then afterwards to find that notwithstanding their many Frailtys the scope of their Lives answers the Resolution of their Hearts their Vows in the main are kept and not faithlesly broken Peace may for some time be suspended but it can't long be a Stranger to such Persons And I think I need not intimate how happy this bespeaks them Further 3. SUCH Persons are out of the danger of many Temptations that others meet with and are fortify'd against those whereby they are most likely to be assaulted which is no small Happiness What a safeguard had Ioseph against a strong Temptation wherewith he was assaulted altho' 't was both insinuating because of its suitableness to his Carnal Inclination the means of privacy in it and prospect of advancement upon his Compliance with it and at the same time shaking because of the Disgrace which thro' his Mistresses Malice would attend his refusal what a safeguard I say had he by this one thought strongly imprest upon him How can I do this wickedness and sin against God So what a safeguard are frequently repeated Vows seriously made and strongly imprest against most Temptations Let such Persons be tempted to Sin and they have this soon occurs to them How can I run into this and break my Vows to my God and Saviour Whenever the Devil doth any thing to entice them to himself the sense of their solemn Engagements strongly imprest will put them upon lifting up their Hearts in a strain much like that of my Text Thy Vows are upon me O God This in many cases is such a Preservative that where the Devil finds the sense thereof strong he wont so much as assault But suppose him by some or other of his subtle Artifices to have insinuated himself and to have got any footing he is no sooner discover'd than resisted by those who retain a fixed sense of the Vows of God they are under and he can't long be resisted by any but he 'll be put to flight For that 's a standing Truth Resist the Devil and â—…e will flee from you If those then are happy that have a Preservative from the hurt of Temptation and who can question it they are very happy that have a riveted sense of the Sacredness ofâ—…eir Sacramental Vows and that set themselves to square their Lives by them For none have a better a more general a more effectual and safe Preservative than they 4. THEY have many excellent Promises upon record which they upon just grounds may apply to themselves and take comfort from and live upon I 'll mention two or three All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies The Mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him to such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them Who can express the Comfort which such Persons may derive from such Promises as these As also from all those that are made to the Upright and in general to the Doers of God's Commandments Come to the New Testament Promises and you 'll find few but what such Persons may justly apply to themselves All the Blessings of the Covenant of Grace are promis'd to them and they may safely depend upon them There 's one Promise of which so much notice is not taken as it deserves which might methinks dwell in the thoughts of such He that hath my Commmandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Such an one hath Christs Commandments not only in his hand but in his heart and he keeps them i. e. Faithfully obeys them and thereby shews the sincerity of his Love to his dear Saviour both the Father and Son therefore shall love him and Christ will manifest himself to them i. e. He will open and unfold to such those Gospel Mysteries whereto others notwithstanding all their light
deriv'd from his Death be enabled to die unto Sin daily That I who have vow'd to live to him in a course of holy Obedience may have the Grace to be faithful that so he may own me at last for his before his Father and all his holy Angels These are much like the strains of a sincere Soul after Renewed Vows at the holy Communion But as for the Spirit that breathes in them at such a time the Fervour and Ardour wherewith they are vented which is that that is most considerable it is out of my reach to describe it 5. ONE can hardly suppose a Soul thus affected to have long given over sending its Supplications upwards before it will be apt to lay a strict Charge on its self suitably to these premises I have little reason will such a Soul be apt to say to its self to fear the want of aid from on high little reason to call my Dear Saviours readiness to help me into question 't is my self I have most cause to suspect and my own Carelessness and Treachery that I have most cause to fear I charge you therefore says Conscience in the name of God to take care lest you break your Vows and frustrate your Prayers by your Negligence Sloth and Remissness Often therefore think to whom you are devoted whose badge you wear how observant an Eye is always upon you how strict an account of your Carriage you must one day give to him to whom you have profest to give up your selves Consider how much Religion will be disparag'd and discredited if you that are under the strongest Ties that it is capable of bringing you under to an unspotted Holiness of Life have no discernable difference in your Carriage from the rest of the World that pretend to no such strictness as you do Think what advantage you give the Devil against your selves by your heedlessness rashness and folly Think what grief and sorrow you have pretended your past breaches and trifling so much with God occasion'd you and now take care and stand on your guard Where you are weakest there let your Watch be the closest and your Guard the strongest Be not a stranger at home but often call thy self to an Account and whenever you do so think what the matchless Love of your Redeemer requires at your hands and how little you answer its Demands Of this nature is Conscience's Charge which if seriously solemnly and authoritatively given cannot but strike an Awe AND being come thus far let 's now take the other part of the Prospect and consider the After Life The after state and carriage of one thus seriously renewing Sacramental Vows and thus endeavouring to rivet the sense of them We may view such a Person in six several Instants or Periods 1. AS setting out and first attempting to answer Renew'd Vows and Engagements To begin well is in many cases a great matter tho' in others it signifies little because of the difficulty of persisting However in this case it argues the sense of Sacramental Transactions to be very small and weak if Persons set not out well of this therefore those who are sincere will be generally Careful They 'll look before them anew and round about them and consider their work and their way their Friends and their Enemies their Encouragements and their Difficulties their Helps and their Hindrances their Dangers and their Remedies and Preservatives and will endeavour to fortify themselves and make provision accordingly Such a Soul as hath been before describ'd will therefore at first setting out summon all its powers to act their parts in the payment of its Vows to stand on their guard for fear of a surprize Will revive in it self the sense of its own weakness to prevent Security will again call in aid from Heaven will be jealous of every thing that is grateful to Flesh and Sense will take heed of runing to the utmost bounds of what is lawful whence it s so easie to to step into excess will watch against first motions to Sin and endeavour presently to eject them with abhorrence will often consider his Character and what becomes it will prepare for opposition and expect to be various ways assaulted will endeavour to keep himself open to the Spirits Influences and to follow his Conduct will set himselfto discharge his duty in every different Relation and Capacity wherein he may be consider'd will peculiarly guard against his own Iniquity whereby he is most likely to be betray'd and baffled and endeavour to arm himself with an Holy Resolution and Undauntedness without which nothing is to be done to purpose in the Christian Life 2. THE next posture wherein you 'll find him will be assaulted by a variety of Temptations with which he is struggling and grappling He hath scarce begun in earnest to set himself to Answer his Vows before the Devil attempts to divert discourage or hamper him The World presently steps in its Affairs are apt to hurry him its cares to fill him and its disappointments to perplex him The Flesh that rebels and is impatient of such close confinement as is laid upon it and tumultuously rejects the yoke of Christ as too severe and galling The Mans Dalilah displays it self in all its charms again before him to entice his Affections it discovers where his Strength lies which is in his Union with his God and by its wiles endeavours to rob him of it A variety of Examples of those who call themselves Christians present themselves who allow themselves in a greater Latitude than their Religion can warrant Who being Dead and Cold and Careless Remiss and Formal their Conversation is Infectious and apt to cast a chilling damp Thus is the Man on all hands beset both within and without He cann't be safe a minute if he intermits his guard He must be continually strugling and that particularly with himself and his own heart which will be apt to be deadned when so many ways assaulted For a while therefore which is sometimes longer sometimes shorter he however mostly keeps his ground He spurs his backward Heart and by frequent plying keeps it warm And by often interspers'd Ejaculatory Addresses Heaven-wards obtains many a kind list from thence He maintains his Resolution Reâ—…ists Temptations keeps his heart for God and tho' with great difficulty and much imperfection he yet faithfully pays his Vows But 3. KEEP your Eye still fixt upon him and in a little time you 'll be likely to find him in another posture you 'll see him stumbling and falling through Temptations prevailing Being so many ways assaulted and somewhere or other unguarded Sin creeps in upon him the World entangles him or the Flesh prevails over him he breaks his Vows he 's again ensnar'd his Redeemer is dishonour'd his Conscience is wounded his Peace is interrupted he in part loses his hold he 's clogg'd and hamper'd and the vivacity of his Spirit much abated There 's a great deal of difference in the
are real strangers He will impart a full knowledge of himself to them and fill them with his Spirit which is a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation He will manifest the Secrets of Divine Wisdom and the traces of Eternal Love to them so far as their present capacities will bear and in the future Life he will lay himself and all those Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that lie hid in him open to their view that they may for ever entertain themselves with their Contemplation and Enrich themselves by a constant Derivation Such Promises as these that may be so comfortably apply'd by sincere Covenant Keepers with God unto themselves make their state and condition Exceeding Happy 5. THEY are provided with what may help to support them under any Crosses Troubles or Afflictions they may be Exercis'd with Come what will they are safe They may stand their ground without giving way they need not be terrify'd or dismay'd And Oh what a Happiness is this Who knows what Personal or Domestiek Troubles they may meet withe'er they Dye And how Terribly and Violently they may be Assaulted as strong as they apprehend their mountain to stand Who can fore-see what Publick Calamaties a wait us wherein all particular Persons must unavoidably be sharers now for Perfons to be able in whatever troubles they meet with to say with the Church All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our Heart is not turn'd back neither have our steps declin'd from thy way Foâ—… Persons then to be able to look back on their Sacramental Transactions and Remember the Seriousness and Devotion wherewith they oft have Renew'd their Vows to the Lord at his Table and to look back on their Lives and find a general stated correspondency thereto would be a spring of greater Refreshment to them than is well conceivable by them who have not had some experience of it Let 's suppose a Person to meet with great Distress in his Mind in his Body in his Estate or any other way if seriously looking upwards he can be able to say with David I have kept the way of the Lord I have not wickedly departed from my God it must needs be a great Comfort and Support to him Incredible is the Consolation which such Persons lay in against trying Times they may be call'd to pass thro' in the course of their Lives Great the Supports wherewith they are provided against the time when they shall be under the assaults of Death the King of Terrors To be able then to look back on seriously renew'd and faithfully perform'd Sacramental Vows will make those Pangs easy at which Nature trembles 't will make their Passage into another World safe and comfortable Who then can express their Happiness And then 6thly and Lastly THEY take the most Effectual Course to secure themselves from falling away That of the Perseverance of the Saints is a very comfortable Doctrine and rightly understood is so far from an evil and vicious tendendency as some imagine that it tends every way to make us better Now the satisfying Assurance of a true Christians Perseverance is built on these three grounds The Favour and Love of God to him the Sufficiency of the Divine Assistance and the Conscience of his own Integrity That these Persons take the best course to secure the Favour and Love of God hath before been made appear What can hinder those who often seriously Faederally transact with God and are stedfast in his Covenant from hoping for every thing from him which beloved Children may expect from a tender and kind Father As for the Sufficiency of Divine Grace they have no reason to question it And that they shall have it imparted to them in the measures and degrees wherein they need it is the purport of many promises which they upon just ground may apply to themselves And then as for the Conscience of their own Integrity on which the Personal Comfort of the two foregoing grounds depends none are so likely to get and keep it as those who often with great Solemnity renew the acts of their Self-Dedication to the Blessed God repeat their Vows of all prescribed Duty and in the main in their whole course demean themselves suitably What can shake such persons hopes of Perseverance Their frequent slips and failings need not For tho' they are to be lamented and bewail'd yet do they not forfeit those aids of Grace whereby they may be enabled to hold out yet do they not cut of the entail of Divine Favour whereby this perseverance is secur'd It is unquestionable that many may go far in Religion and yet fall off at last and come to nothing they may begin well and hold on for a time and for want of holding out lose the Crown that the Gospel propounds as a Reward to the Faithful But that which I assert is this That those who are serious in the frequent repeating and afterwards faithful in keeping their Sacramental Vows may on this very Consideration bottom a comfortable and well grounded hope of their own Perseverance that they shall not be in the number of them that fall away I am far from thinking that any are so far out of all danger as to have any reason to grow secure and if they do grow secure and careless 't is a plain evidence to me that they are not yet out of Danger But yet I doubt not but there are such things as that those who do them shall never fall And thus much I think may be plainly learnt from 2 Pet. 1. 10. And of this number I take this course to be of serious Repeating and faithful paying Sacramental Vows For it argues the Heart to be establisht with Grace it seems to imply an incapacity of forsaking their Saviour whose Love hath taken so fast hold of them and bound them so firmly to himself it argues an incapacity of being guilty of such crying Provocations as those must be whereby the Blessed Spirit should be quencht or God oblig'd to desert them it argues Persons to be arriv'd at so fixed an habit of Goodness as cannot be lost and eradicated Needs then must it argue unspeakable Happiness in their state who have arriv'd to it Who ought therefore certainly to be fill'd with Thankfulness and transported with Joy and will be inexcusable if their Souls don't Magnify the Lord if their Spirit don't Rejoyce in God their Saviour CHAP. XII Of the difficulty of Living up to our Sacramental Vows with that Exactness that we ought With the Solution of some common Cases relating thereto NOTHING's more easie to be observ'd Than that many are the imperfections which attend those who are most faithful in paying their Sacramental Vows Hardly any thing creates some Persons so much perplexity as this And those must be great strangers to Religious matters who know not that 't is very difficult to walk evenly with God closely to