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
a fruit of darkenesse is this that people now in this midday of light are so bafled that it fares with them as if it were twylight Is it not fearefull that when there is so great odds in the season there should be so little in the persons living in them because blindnes makes all seasons alike both of darknes and light How fearefull is it that our eye should be so evill to our selves when Gods is so good that we should be such Almners of Gods bounty to our selves as if we still served an hard Master what is this but to betray God to the blasphemy of Hypocrites profane ones and ignorants This little understanding of these mysteries among men in this age of ours wherein mens frequency of receiving seemes to strive with their unfruitfulnesse hath beene one occasion of my publishing this treatise That if possible that excessive exalting of the Sacraments in Popery above the word or any other peece of worship through their Superstition might bee equalled among us Protestants in the Church of God with as truely honourable an esteeme thereof and that from knowledge and experience of their worth Considering partly the little care of teaching their doctrine in Congregations and partly the cold preparation of such as receive and partly the resting of men in their performances onely without power or fruit I could not see wherein I should doe greater honour to God than to enhanse the knowledg of Christ Sacramentall to incite others to do it whose learned and habituous abilities can farre better performe it And surely it stands us all in hand least signes of contradiction deface to our uttermost to vindicate the excellency of our Sacraments That those rich legacies which the sin of man or that man of sin with his Complices have so long kept hid from the true heires and owners thereof may be cleared unto them to be their just portion and claime Beseeching the Lord that as he shall vouchsafe us clearer light of knowledge so as our Church Liturgy commands us to pray that ancient Discipline of Gods house might prevaile among us I meane That whereas the number of ignorant scandalous and unprepared ones as much exceeds the number of prepared penitent and worthy Communicants as the army of the Aramites exceeded the Israelites two flockes of Kiddes by this meanes it might please God the number of the latter might as much exceede the former For my owne part to returne to my matter I blesse God that while it was my lot to have a nayle in the Priests Sanctuary next to the preaching of Christ in the promise it was my poore care and course both by Catechisme and Sermons to discover him in his Sacraments Which labour as weake as it was I have so little cause to repent of that now I am encouraged in my selfe to recollect and compile those scattered meditations into some method and view for the benefit of others that heard them not A great motive whereto was also this that as while they were preached they found full as much approbation as any part else of my labours so since they have provoked the desires of many more than I can mention that they might not with my selfe lye by and be buried in forgetfulnesse Adde heereto that now in this vacancy of better service I could not easily quit my selfe of that idle unfruitfulnesse which too soone as rust is ready to grow upon us without some service done in this kinde To you then I addresse my speech in the conclusion deare friends who have beene taught by and now are made partakers of my labours Beseeching you and the Lord for you that by the lively resemblance of these things which you have bin long moulded in and shall be heere presented withall you would give Testimony to this Truth as the Truth is in Iesus That is that by your spirituall prospering in the grace of the Lord Iesus Sacramentall yee would commend this Doctrine of the Sacraments especially of the Supper So shall I have cause to say That you are my Epistle written in your hearts knowne and read of all men and manifâ—sted to be the Epistle of Christ not written with Inke in paper but with the Spirit of obedience and love in the fleshy Tables of your heart Oh how shall you then safeguard me not from the evill tongues of men which I feare not but the contradiction of hypocrites and the foule aspersion of an unprofitable Minister of Christ In which happy wish I cease troubling you and commend your reading hereof to the blessing of God Farewell The Contents of this first part which hath eight Chapters CHAPTER I. Shewing the generall Circumstances belonging to Sacraments P. 1 CHAP. II. Shewing the agreement and disagreement of Sacraments old and new with each other and then of the two new with themselves that of Baptisme with the Supper P. 11. CHAP. III. Treateth of the substance of a Sacrament and here the description and parts thereof are examined P. 28 CHAP. IIII. Of the publike exercise or Celebration of Sacraments and the acts therein of the Minister and people P. 64 CHAP. V. Of Baptisme in speciall The Description of it the severall parts thereof handled and the true use of Baptisme annexed P. 70 CHAP. VI. Of the Supper of the Lord The Description of it of the first branch thereof viz. the Sacramentall Acts thereof P. 105 CHAP. VII Of the second part of the Description viz. the Grace of the Sacrament of the Supper P. 146 CHAP. VIII Touching the Sacramentall Acts of the people referred to this place and so the third and last generall part of the description The end of the Supper P. 172 The severall branches of each Chapter the Reader shall finde set downe in their order in the Margin of each Chapter The Contents of this second part containing 12. Chapters CHAP. I. Treateth of Sacramentall Triall in generall the duty of it with the Necessity Reasons and Vses of this Triall pag. 1 CHAP. II. Of the severall objects of this our Triall and first of the Triall of our estates toward God pag. 32 CHAP. III. Of the triall of our selves about our wants pag. 49 CHAP. IIII. Of the triall of our selves about our Sacramentall graces What graces these are And of the first of them viz. Sacramentall Knowledge pag. 62 CHAP. V. Touching the triall of faith for the Sacrament pag. 81 CHAP. VI. The triall of our Repentance for the Sacrament pag. 108 CHAP. VII The triall of our Sacramentall Love pag. 140 CHAP. VIII The triall of Sacramentall Desire pag. 193 CHAP. IX Treateth of the necessity of Communicating and of the due carriage of a Communicant in the act of receiving Where of the remembring of the Lords death till he come pag. 209 CHAP. X. Of the carriage of a communicant after his receiving pag. 214 Appendix CHAP. XI Sixe Rules of direction how a good Receiver may without difficulty from time to time prepare himselfe to the
wee Yea hereby the latine vulgar Translation of the Bible falsely called Ieromes and magnified by Papists usurpes liberty to abuse the Text and though not alwayes yet for the most part the Translator when hee meets with the word Mystery there he thinkes he hath found a Sacrament as in Ephe. 5.29 Ephe. 3.2 and first of Timothy 3. the last verse in all which he translats Mystery by Sacrament And that so corruptly that even things not sacred for spiritualnesse but onely for ordinance are called by him Sacraments By which reason the investiture of a King and his annointing or coronation might be a Sacrament which yet is a civill performance although sacred for the ordeyning For a thing may retaine his temporall nature still although it receive a marke of sacrednesse for prevention of corrupt abuse and violation And thus in part crept in that multitude of Popish Sacraments into the Church Whereas if men had not beene thus lascivious and bold in using words of their owne invention generall words for peculiar meanings much corruption about Sacraments had beene prevented Vse Teaching us not to bee bold in coyning words of our owne heads to expresse divine things But keeping our selves close to the termes of the holy Ghost who calls them seales of the covenant to abandon from Sacraments whatsoever repugnes to the seale of the covenant The right use of this name Now although wee still retaine this so unavoydable and received terme of Sacrament yet wee must correct the abuse and use it properly And whereas sometimes by use of speech we meane by this word the Act of God and Christ in ordaining or concurring with it or the act of a Minister or people consecrating and offering it or receaving it and sometime the externall Symboles or solemne action of the Sacâ—ament yet here we doe most truly apply this word to signify the whole complete performance of this holy institution as it comprehends all these relations Circumst 2 Touching the second Antiquity Antiquity this I say no man can taxe the Lord that he ordained them no sooner For it is he onely in whose hands times and seasons are Act. 1.7 he knowes when the Church is aptest and capablest of the Sacraments and therefore best knowes when to appoint them He could have given them first to the Church in Adams house or Sheths or after the flood to Noahs or Shems But his wisedome was to settle the first Sacrament of Circumcision in the family of Abraham Gen. 17.10 Age of Circumcision Gen. 12.2 The covenant of God was doubtlesse knowne to many families before but more fully to Abraham in whose seede all the Nations of the earth should bee blessed When therefore the season of revealing the covenant more clearely was come then was the season of revealing the Sacrament of Circumcision of the fore-skin of the flesh to be cut off as a seale thereof Abraham desired to see the day of Christ and saw it therefore he was to see the seale also Now why God kept it so long from other families his wisedome is the cheefe reason although this I may adde that no family continued the constant memory of the covenant without interruption eyther before or after the flood till Abrahams from whom though with much eclipsing oftentimes no doubt the truth of God â—â—scended from age to age lesse or more without utter intercision sa it formerly had in the ages before So then although we goe no further than Abrahams time although some Heralds fetch the pedegree of Sacraments from Adams innocency affirming that the Trees of life and of knowledge of good and evill were both positive or negative Sacraments Age of Passeover I leave to determine yet surely the institution of the first Sacrament will be neare 4000. yeares old Long after this even above 400. yeares Age of Passeover it pleased God to adde the latter Sacrament of the old Testament to wit the Passeover even at and by occasion of the departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt Why there should be such distance and why one so long before the other God knoweth onely this I say There was greater necessity of Circumcision than the other to be so soone ordeyned because that being the seale of the covenant for the essence of it it was weightier than the other which concerned onely the better being and confirmation of it yearely But even this of latter institution is now above 3000. yeares old Age of two Sacraments of Gospell And touching the ancientnesse of the two Sacraments of the Gospel whereof one exceeded the other little more than 3. yeares wee know that though their birth is not much above 1600. yeares since yet since they were in the two former Sacraments of the old Church as Paul calls the one Circumcision not of the flesh but of the spirit meaning Christ our Circumcision 1 Cor. 17. and the other of the Supper hee calls Christ our Passeover therefore wee esteeme the antiquity of the one by the other To bee sure the yongest of them all farre exceeds the forced Sacraments and all other devises of Popery Vse 1 Teaching us both to rejoyce in the truth of that doctrine of the covenant and seales which now by Gods mercy we enjoy They are no new matters nor our Religion new which is as old as the Egyptians first borne destroyed yea and Abrahams dayes the one in the infancy the other in the more manifest appearance of a Church We are not then so moderne as our adversaries would make us from Luther Oh! how it should confirme us that Abraham the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles beleeved in the same covenâ—â—â— and seales which we doe Vse 2 Secondly what honour should this procure from us to Gods Sacraments Nothing was ever so despised as those of circumcision and the Passeover And as the Papists doe now overprize their so called Sacraments ascribing to them the conferring of Grace by the worke wrought so its manifest we Protestants through our ignorance of their sealing nature esteeme of them too little Whereas if ancientnesse can make them honourable wee cannot thinke too highly so wee doe it not superstitiously of the Sacraments An old man wee behold with reverence old coynes bookes manuscripts monuments buildings have a face of honour in our eyes we use to proove a man noble because descended of an auncient house How much more then the Sacraments Our Lord Iesus to smite reverence of his person into the Iewes told them before Moses was I am so before Popery was the Supper Baptisme were in their integrity nay in the old circumcision Baptisme was and in the old Passeover the Supper was as Moses is said to speake of Christ and the legall covenant to include the Evangelicall so did those Sacraments teach these Oh how then should we esteeme and honour them Circumst 3 The third is Of their teaching in the Church the Necessity of the due teaching and opening of
was as weake in the grace thereof Act. 2. end and the sealing power of it The Gospel hath more fulnesse of seede and begets more unto God than the Law could doe and therefore Baptisme is a farre fuller Sacrament to confirme the soule in her new birth than the other was So for nourishment The Gospel exceeds by many degrees the ministery of the Law in Point of her building up and nourishing the soule in the grace of the new birth the Gospel hath filled the brests of the Church with farre more milke and stored her with farre more provision than the old Testament could doe For thereby the Spirit is powred our upon all flesh Ioel 2.28 Esa 44 3. Looke what difference there was betweene them and us for the fulnesse of bodily food that in a sort may bee said for spirituall fulnesse How many Creatures for kind or for Circumstance as in case of blood or strangled might not they touth the Hog the Conie the Hare and many other both beast and foule tame and wilde which to us are cleane and sanctified How much more doth the Lord afford us fuller feede of the Sacrament of the Supper than their passeover Even as a feast exceeds an ordinary Therefore Paul calls theirs a ministry of the letter ours of the Spirit not because they had not the Spirit but in comparison of the fulnesse and power of ours The new more effectuall Now for us our Sacraments are farre more effectual The very change of the old into new argued the excellenter efficacy of them As the traine of a Prince personally riding in progresse is richer than an Herald or Harbinger The Sabbath wee know was changed at the resurrection to honour it So the Sacraments at his annointing to his office and at his passion to magnifie them How should they so doe if their Trayne were not greater I meane if the spirit of Christ and his sealing perswading setling comforting pacifying power were not greater Also except that blessed traine of his Graces more glorious and plentifull as humility heavenly-mindednesse patience hope love zeale ability to walke with God more closely to discharge our callings more fruitfully to suffer more willingly to live by faith more setledly and the like gifts of Christ Sacramentall attended them Hence is that of Austin so common Our Sacraments saith he are in efficacie greater than theirs in profite more gainefull in performance more easie and in number fewer Beside ours in their understanding are most sublime in observation most pure and in signification most excellent They lived in the Porch of Sacraments we in the Parlour Let us take heede least as they in their age when no Nation under heaven enjoyed any Sacraments save themselves were so puffed up by their priviledge that they disdained all as Dogges in respect of themselves cleaving onely to the barke of these Ordinances without any seeking after the Spirit and power of them and so opened a way to Gods wrath to bring into their steed the Gentiles who alwayes thirsted after them so let us feare least wee stand so much upon our dignitie above theirs that in the meane time there shall be found even among us baptized ones and communicants far more blinde prophane carelesse than the Iewe was yea and some of us who goe for better be found as formall barren as far from the Covenant as estranged from forgivenesse and as destitute of the life and sealing power of Baptisme and the Supper as they of their Circumcision and Passeover If it be so our dignitie shall so lift us up to heaven that it shall throw us downe to hell and I will not only say the Lord will not be pleased with us as with them 1 Cor. 10.5 1 Cor. 10 5. but as it is Heb. 2.2.3 Heb. 2.2.3 by how much more powerfull grace is put into his Sacraments and by how much more eminent waies and ordinances hee hath honoured us by so much the more shall our condemnation for our unbeleeefe be more fearefull than theirs who had so dimme a Covenant and so weake Seales in comparison of us Rather let us labour to enjoy the priviledge of our priviledge above them in carrying about us that evidence of faith and that peace of conscience and that joy of soule which our Sacraments seale up to us that wee may be as much better than they as our Sacraments excell theirs in efficacy and then that kingdome of Christ within us as well as that without us shall be a kingdome not of words onely and signes but of power also And so much of the former generall of this Chapter Agreement and difference of the 2. new Sacraments Touching the latter how farre Baptisme and the Supper doe differ or agree briefely understand that as they agree in Circumstances concerning Sacraments in generall so also in the definition of a Sacrament wherein as specialls contained under one Kind they communicate They are both ancient and within three yeares one as ancient as the other they are both alike publique as being equall legacies of the Church militant they have both one founder although the one by mediate Commission as Baptisme by Iohn the Baptist by extraordinary calling the other immediatly by Christ himselfe they both agree in the Name Necessity of a Sacrament Againe whatsoever is true of the definition of a Sacrament is equally true of both these as in the next Chapter shall more fully appeare For why In both the Lord conveyes spirituall grace by visible resemblances set apart by himselfe and furnisht with power to that end But in a word that I would say of their mutuall agreement Their Agreement is this First they both agree in the offer and representation of whole Christ joyntly and undividedly to the soule Touching the first 1 In the joynt offer of Christ Know that when we call the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacrament of entry and ingrafting of us into the body of Christ and of begetting us to Christ yet wee divide not Christ imputed from Christ inherent wee must not thinke Baptisme gives us an estate in Christ for justification onely for it estates us in Christ wholly both for wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption though justification makes us truly the Lords yet because the Sacrament conferres whole Christ therefore it conferres him as God offers and the soule needs him that is both for justification and sanctification Christ our pardon and Christ our life for without both equally ours all Christ is not ours A speciall point to be noted for the better understanding of the act of faith in applying Imputation and Sanctification both at once to the soule of which point I treat elsewhere So againe the Sacrament of the Supper conveyes Christ to the soule wholy and undividedly Practicall Catechisme not onely for the encrease of our Sanctification but our Iustification also Part 3. Article 2. For although Iustification as it is a benefit of Christ
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
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
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
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
under the government of others nor governours because they have authority over them No there is no Time Age Person who can prescribe against the Lord of heaven Prince and people learned and idiots Iew Barbarian bond free great or small are all alike and under no difference with him But all of all sexes conditions estates and relations if men if Christians if of capable yeares and discretion stand bound to this Sacramentall triall He who will exempt himselfe let him bring forth his dispensation Therefore let all covers of figleaves drawne from the variety and difference of outward respect fall to the ground as unable to hold water when God shall enquire who they are that dare take out their names from this generall rule Gods lawes are not as cobwebs onely to catch small flyes The second branch is Who must try To which I answer Branch 2. Who must try Each one himselfe for these are the expresse words of the Apostle in which were reason sufficient But besides there is cause for it Reason 1 For first the object of this inquisition and tryall Each one himselfe are not errours and ignorances properly whereof the soule for lacke of knowledge can take no notice but either good or evill whereof we are privy or guilty to our selves and as for the rest the Lord in mercy pardons them to his owne servants who mourne for them as those who would gladly know them and so shun all evill and repent of their omissions and failings therefore it is conscience which must give the answer and make the inquiry Reason 2 Secondly the tryall which flowes from the sence the eye or hearesay or conjectures of men and their actions is most uncertaine For sometime a good â—â—â—n out of ignorance of some cases being plaine and open may seeme to go to worke upon a worse ptinciple than indeed he doth and to be worse than he is And againe a sly hypocrite who can accommodate himselfe to the opinions of men and occasions of things very cunningly may procure the conceit of a very honest man But conscience well informed will beare witnesse without cosenage or error what a man is Reason 3 Thirdly it is conscience which is the do-all in the soule Shee is set by the Lord to be the espiall of the narrowest passages of the heart and life except hood-winked and defiled she keeps the cinque ports the out-lets and in-lets of the heart and life nothing passes without her notice and verdict that water which runnes by the mill of our course utterly unknowne to others is to her well understood And therefore from her must proceede this tryall shee is this him selfe who must examine and who must bee examined Reason 4 Lastly all judgment and triall from others without can not attaine to this true triall of a man and that for these Respects Respect 1 1. Because there is none that knowes or can know the spirit of man save the Lord and it selfe by the Lords meanes For then should man become in Gods place 1 Cor. 2 11. now that cannot bee for although some man may bee in GODS stead to another yet that is onely in light and derection not in search or triall The things that are in the soule lie hid under so many lockes and with so many windings and conveiances that the soule it selfe cannot search them of it selfe except the Lord helpe her Iere. 17. much lesse can any other doe it Secondly put case that some wise and discerning Minister should by his wisedome discover somewhat more than others yet the intentions extents measures and consequences of those evilles are past his inquiry how deeply the soule is engaged in her guilt with how high or low an hand shee offended against what light shee sinned what penalties shee hath incurred what offence to GOD or men and what wound to her selfe whether felt and repented or not hath followed no man besides her selfe can search out Respect 3 Thirdly say hee could yet is it not in him to work upon Conscience so discovered The feeling of sinne guilt and curse the true view of sinne to humble melt and aâ—â—â—ct the soule that it might apprehend pardon repent and returne to GOD is the act of conscience by the efficacy of the word reflecting upon it selfe Lastly though all these were yet is it not in the power and Authoritie of another to inquire Perhaps a fit man is not present if hee bee hee may want a calling however the issue upon triall may bee out of his power and hand for either he is not to debarre from the Sacrament for such sinnes as are unconvinced and open but onely within the bosome of the committer or if they bee scandalous yet it s beyond his strength to execute the censure of suspension upon the party but notwithstanding hee will rush upon the Sacrament Whereas a man examining himselfe aright may and must bee such a law to himselfe upon due survey taken Vse of it The use of the point is manifold Admonition But it will more fitly fall upon the last branch Heere only I admonish such as would try themselves well to beware least they rest themselves upon either the labors or opinions of others How ordinary an abuse is it of the publique and private directions that are given to people for triall that men thinke themselves discharged from selfe triall How great pitty is it that faire weather should doe such hurt And that men should hang other mens triall of them as a Cover of darkenes before their eye that they might not come within themselves Some through unwillingnesse ease or a false heart stop their mouths with this that having had such excellent helpes they cannot chuse but be well tryed Reasons why men try not Howbeit themselves can give no reason why And others when they have offered themselves to be tryed with some sence of their need yet either by having more knowledge of the Sacrament than was expected or expressing some good affections of desire and sorrow for the present or because they have a gift to make the best shew and to conceale the worst I say some way or other bleare the eye of their Minister or Parents 1 Sam. 16 7. so that they thinking the Annoynted of the Lord to stand before them occasion them to boldly adventure upon the Sacrament as if beyond exception Alas poore soule Dost thou not know that the triall rests in thy selfe If thou be neither truely broken beleeving or Penitent can other mens erroneous Charity releeve thee It may possibly be a great sinne in another to thinke thee unfit for the Sacrament knowing no other or to exclude thee when as yet it is a fearefull bold and uncharitable rashnesse against thy selfe who knowest thy selfe to dare and presume thereto Mat. 16 29. What shall it profit to winne a world of good opinion from others and loose thy owne soule or to rejoyce in other mens errors Mat.
thy cavils thinke not thy case desperate Say not there is no hope for so saped a wretch as thou Who can tell Perhaps the Lord may bring hony out of a carrion and even out of thy long contempt fetch humiliation and repentance I have knowne some touch'd more by the Sacrament than by any terrour beside That the Lord hath so long spared them in patience they have concluded hee hath done it to breake their hearts Perhaps the Lord will turne away his fierce anger that thou perish not Howsoever it fare bee doing humble thy soule and chuse if thou must perish to perish in thy triall rather than justly to runne hazard and rush into assured miserie by not trying Vse 2 Secondly this should be exhortation Exhortation to all sorts Minister and people strong and weake all who would behold the Lord Iesus his face with joy in his Ordinances to submit themselves to this triall 1 To Ministers Iude verse 23. The Minister first knowing this terrour of the Lord let him with compassion plucke as many out of the fire as hee can by a carefull instructing of the people in this way of triall It s not one of the least objections which are made against it that they have none to direct them No bucket for this deepe Well no man to thrust them into this poole How shalt thou answer the losse of so much bloud of soules when God shall call thee to account I know indeede that where the Minister is most faithfull many people are contemners but their bloud be upon their owne heads save thou thine owne soule and let them not perish by thy sinne Secondly let all godly Ministers doe their uttermost to debarre all open despisers of this Ordinance from partaking it Though they have but small power of the keyes of censure in their hands yet let them use the key of Doctrine so much the rather to stoppe as many as may bee from running upon the pikes of vengeance Likewise let all faithfull receivers looke to this dutie 2 To the people and upon no colour either of their knowledge or former use of it or other occasions neglect it either for themselves or their families committed to them The Lord will accept a little endeavour and judges us not according to that we want but that wee have if there bee faithfulnesse And let none thinke that this dutie is so urged as if there were any merit in it from the worke wrought No thy searching it selfe stinkes and thy very cloathes may defile thee if thou looke at thy selfe But looke at him that commands it and hath promised a blessing to it that is So let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup Let this welcome encourage thee And because I have already laid downe some properties of triall for thy direction I say no more but seeke the Lord in prayer and deniall of thy selfe to helpe thee to put one these cords and ragges to come out of thy ill custome And to shut up all let mee encourage all faithfull endeavourers to trie themselves I know there is cause for many tender hearts foile themselves sore in this worke and make the remedy worse than the disease They say These rules are so strickt that they shall never practise them and therefore cannot bee prepared yea they say the more they search themselves the more drosse and scurffe they meete withall To whom I answer First let no difficulty of selfe-triall in the point of the measure thereof dismay any let sloth contempt and wilfulnesse be absent and the Lord will both admit of their honest endeavour to trie and also the weaker they are so much the more welcome them to the Sacrament which is more especially belonging to the weake than the strong Secondly I say Although by triall they meete with much corruption yet better to be met with than concealed Neither doe they meete with it to favour it but loathe it and they so meete with more corruption than they dream'd of that also they finde a Pearle in their Dunghill and more grace than ever they looked for unlesse slavish feare and unthankefulnesse doe blind-fold them Let them thereby the more praise God who pardoneth these their transgressions and say Who is a God like to our God Mica 7. ult and then although they must adde who is so corrupt a wretch as I yet mercy shall drowne their sinne in the Sea never to appeare more Therefore let them bee comforted and looke what hath beene said in the generall touching Triall let them wisely applie to the particulars following to helpe themselves forward in the practise thereof This much for the Vses 2 Generall Object of triall threefold Having thus spoken of the properties of triall I come to the Object And that is threefold A Communicant is to trie himselfe either Estate first about his estate in grace Wants Or secondly his wants or else Graces thirdly about his Sacramentall grace concerning which God willing in the following Treatise more shall be said in their order CHAP. II. Of the Triall of our estate toward God Trial of estate COncerning which Triall although I know there be such strange spirits stirring in these our dayes as take for granted that all those that are baptized and live under the Gospell in a visible Church are undoubtedly in good estate of grace without any more a doe and therefore will reject this as needlesse to trie our estates by surer warrant yet because I know none of indifferent judgement but abhorre their conceit I shall take libertie to confute them with silence and to proceede to shew what better triall of a mans estate towards God may be found Objection against it Only one objection of greater moment I most first remove out of the way to wit that the calling in question of our estate toward God upon every such occasion as the Sacrament may seeme to inferre that a Christians estate is a very staggering condition which may easily bee doubted and suspected as also it may seeme to turne Christian liberty into a slavish and fearefull bondage Answer 1 To which I answere That it is no such matter The reason of the Triall is this First the Sacrament being a seale of the covenant of grace as oft hath beene sayd and no converting meane of the gracelesse unto grace properly needes it must bee that every one who would finde it as a seale to his soule of the encrease of Grace received must first approve his estate in grace to bee sound except the Spirit of God should bee made a servant of sinne and subject to the presumption of hypocrites willing to set his seale to a blanke Things standing in relation import an excluding of such as are out of that relation Ex. gr If the Prince should graciously proclaime that hee would renue the Charter of some Corporations in such a Countie No village Townes or places that never had any such priviledge
Arguments of the world to work in us by contraries As for example if when the world argues for loosenesse by the custome of the times As Eph. 5.17 wee argue then for so much the more closnesse in walking with GOD and then above all thinke its a season for us to draw neer to God Psal 73. the end Mark 3 Thirdly if when we may for ought man knowes scape well and avoid the mark of a sinner yea when we are in most secret privacy from men yet our Conscience checks us and keepes us as free from it as if all eyes were upon us And besides if the secretest passages of evill gall and sting us although but omissions of some good or defect in the secret passage of our spirit wandring remisse formall in a Sabbath in prayer or worship if then we are brought upon our knees with confuzion when men magnify us for the duties we doe it s a blessed signe Mark 4 Fourthly if we shrug and start not at close and neer Truths as too hot and heavy for us if we shun not information of such but seele a spirit joyful in us that truth is brought touseven with the losse of some lust Se Gen. 39.10 which the ignorance of it did nourish in us it s a sure signe that the more the Lord costs us the more wee love him and would lose any thing for it Mark 5 Fiftly if when wee feele that God payes us home for any sin or liberty wee corruptly lived in we then think it a cheape penny worth and cost wel bestowed if thereby wee may be purged and reclaymed And mutter not at the way of it Mark 6 Sixtly if that which setts us on to suffer bee the preserving of the honor of God and the purenesse and Power of godlinesse more than any respect of our owne praise or zeale 2 Sam. 6.22.23 it s a signe that we love the truth for it owne sake Mark 7 Seventhly if Gods way bee not liked because it runs in our streame but when our way runs in Gods streame If we preach not pray not worship not God because our streame of credit commings in welfare content to the flesh pleasing of man lyes that way But our zeale and service runs in Gods streame and fights under his banner and good Conscience it s a good signe For by this wee shew that wee chuse rather that our channell stand dry when Gods is full our crowne wealth gifts be cast in the dirt so the Lords crowne may stand upon his head than that our streame and ends should runne ful the Lords dry and empty When we take no more care for Gods ends than himselfe lookes for abhorring to thinke God cannot spare us except we serve him throughly with a craz'd conscience this is a sweete marke in this bad world Mark 8 Eightly if we picke out and devise duties for God when yet he streightens us so that when we cannot doe what we would yet wee doe what wee can if not openly yet secretly this argues wee serve God with our best wisdome and seek not handsome shifts not to serve him at all Mark 9 Ninthly if wee so serve God as none can but such as wee in our condition abhorring to serve him in a generality and with reservations For example If in bad times we onely rest in our faith and repentance family duties and such as all times require Act. 13.38 But serve not our time and Generation in the peculiar duties thereof Also if being rich learned honorable Ministers Magistrates wee content our selves with such Religion as any poore idiots meane ones and private ones may doe but for the duties of the rich as are rich to honor GOD with our wealth honour parts wee are farre from it This bewrayes us to be such as are nearer to our selves than God The contrary to this bad signe is a good one 10. Marke Tenthly if not onely we hate that calling and company and occasions which admit us not to serve God But also rather chuse to forgoe otherwise a lawfull calling if to us necessarily encombred with conditions of an evill conscience chusing rather to endure any streights and to trust God in a pinching crosse it s a good signe Many markes might be added whereof good bookes are full and the soules of such as are the Lords are convinced as to love a Saint as a Saint even a poore one that is so better than the tichest that is not To bee fruitfull in grace as well as gracious to change no religion with the time to mourne for sinne more than for sorrow our owne sinne more than others and yet for both sinnes and sorrowes of others as our owne to keepe the Sabboth closely and with a thousand more but these few I have chosen as perhaps agreeing best with these times and because many are not so convinced of them as were to be wished And thus much for the triall of our estate to God necessary for such as come to the Lords Table Vse Admonition in generall 1. The unregenerate Now I breefely end with the use of the doctrine First to all sorts better or worser this I say Try your estate All unregenerate ones doe it more fully toze your consciences by the parts and markes of true calling and grace And the regenerate also doe it yet with more quietnesse and lesse anxiety of heart as knowing these markes belong to them The former sort labouring to get some sence of sinne to rubbe their secure hearts to the quicke and get off their deadnesse of spirit awakening from the dead that Christ may give them light God is not the God of the dead Matth. 22.32 but of the living The Sacrament serves not to be put into the mouthes of the dead men enemies of God and strangers from the life of grace but into the soules of the living that they may prosper and grow 3. Ioh. verâ—â— How should such dare to receive the seale of a covenant of grace being in a covenant with hell and death Deceive not thy selfe If thou bee in covenant with God the fruit of the lips hath done it even the effectuall Ministery of the law and Gospel else thou art still as thou wert borne in old Adams rotten stocke There is no communion betweene lusts and Christ 2 Cor. 6.15 betweene a proud adulterous hypocriticall worldly wretch and grace Trust to it if the Lord never called thee thou art not in covenant so as by an actuall faith if God never stopt thee in thy lewd course laid it as a loade upon thy shoulders presented thee with better hopes even the hope of immortality by the Gospell digested in thy soule the value of this pearle till thou bought it Act. 15. Except the Spirit of God have purified thy soule through beleeving never count thy soule spirituall in the covenant and therefore presume not upon the seale of it Alas poore creature No seede of
know what a promise is what saying faith in a promise is what the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is which is the worker of this faith Answer 4 Fourthly the promise depending upon the Merit and Satisfaction made to justice without which God should be a lyar in promising to be reconciled to the soule most necessary it is and that above all other things that a man know who it is who hath satisfied the justice of God the angry judge what the Lord Iesus is both in his obedience and death how by vertue of both the Father having accepted a ransome from his Sonne offereth most freely and faithfully the fruit of it to a sinfull wretch Answer 5 Fifthly this reconciliation presupposing an estate of enmity and wrath necessary it is that the soule know by what meane wrath is discovered to belong by nature to every soule And that is the Law of God Also by what meanes the Law brings the soule to stand seaz'd before God as guilty of this wrath and that so as it may bee plunged into utter woe by it in respect of any ability of it selfe to wade out Answer 6 Sixtly because wrath in God and enimity in us presupposing in us some cause by which we contracted it which is sinne needefull it is that the soule know what it is and how it came upon us by whose sinne and what viz. The Rebellion of Adam and how that becomes setled upon us how unavoidable it is and what a staine and guilt it hath brought upon all flesh none excepted Answer 7 Lastly least it should be thought that God made man thus corrupt to damne him its necessary to know man was not made thus sinfull and cursed at the first but created in integrities of nature in all the parts and in the Image of purenesse and holinesse even his who made him and so should hee and wee have continued to this day had not wee wilfully forsaken and defaced it by revolt from God Conclusion of the answer By this draught of the truth of God its apparent upon what principles the Sacrament and the knowledg of it depends viz. immediatly upon the knowledge of the meanes of salvation next upon the knowing of the state of regeneration next upon the knowing of the worke of faith and a promise next upon a satisfaction and the Lord Iesus the worker of it next upon the worke of the Law convincing of the curse next upon the knowledge of sinne next upon the knowledge of creation I goe backward that the simplest may understand the coherence so that by this cheine of doctrine the last linkes whereof that is creation and the fall are the first in order and so downeward every one may see that a meere receiver is not onely to know the nature and use of the Supper But of sinne of the Law of pardon Christ and the new creature without which a Sacrament severally considered is a meare shred an Idoll an object of blinde devotion To apply what I have sayd both negatively and affirmatively Application of it This I sayd That although in all these seaven som-what there is which every receiver comprehends not fully yet the substance of truth in generall is to bee knowne by him except he will come to he knowes not what nor why For example Perhaps some poore soule distinguishes not the meanes of Salvation one from another Publicke private ordinary extraordinary in the name and nature of each one yet its necessary that he know the Supper to bee a meane of Gods ordeining for his growing in grace So againe perhaps every one cannot distinguish betweene the habite of a New creature and the operations of holinesse issuing thence yet its necessary that hee know all Gods people must be holy Say againe All cannot tell how many kinds of faith there are By what steps faith is wrought What is conteined in a promise What Christ hath in speciall obey'd in or suffered what the severall workes of the Law are how many kindes of sinne there bee and by what meanes Adams is derived to us yet necessary it is that he be convinced of all these in their natures generally and finde them wought in himselfe particularly And surely if none may receive at all save he who is in the state of grace needes it must follow that the lesser must bee where the greater must be I meane that knowledge there must bee of all these where faith must be to give a man his speciall portion in them Howbeit because now wee are about the triall of knowledge apart from the other and doubtlesse many both ministers and people teach and heare this point of knowledge as a thing sufficient to enable a Receiver though I abhorre their opinion as shall appeare in the sequele yet I would by this I have sayd stoppe the mouth of any such as dreame of a knowledge which is not competent to salvation Sure it is a knowledge incompetent for salvation cannot bee competent for the Supper A demand Some might here perhaps aske how they might bee directed to know these points soundly to wit of the Supper and Sacraments and all Those doctrines which they depend upon Answere I answere that belongs not to this chapter but the Reader shall finde them all handled in my Practicall Catechisme at large and briefly toucht in the second Chapter of this second Treatise And the doctrine of the Sacraments especially the Supper is handled at large in the former Treatise the three last Chapters to which I send the Reader with this caution That I handle these things at large here and there not to the end that my booke should never come into their hands save when they come to the Sacrament for to what purpose were that but that they duly exercise themselves in reading of the whole That noting those especiall things whiâ—h they most neede in the matter of knowledge and tryall they may be able to turne to them and make use of them familiarly when they come to the Supper I should now come to the third branch how a man may try himselfe about this knowledge But I consider that this will better come in in the use of exhortation I will referre it therefore to that place and being the breefer in other uses insist somewhat more fully in that Vses 1 First then let this doctrine teach us to abhorre the wofull superstition of Popish Sacraments and the wofull ignorance of Popish Receivers Exhortation with confutation who not onely in practise but even in doctrine maintaine ignorance to be the mother of devotion and so hatch in their bosomes all ignorant ones as principall members of their cursed Synagogue And to say truth their sacrifice of the Masse being it selfe a masse of confusion having no colour of bottome out of the word who but the blind are meete for it Who but the deceived as willing to be led by blind guides as they are to leade them would endure a Sacrament in an
as a marke of the wisedome of God plying thee with the Supper as hee knowes thy dayly spirituall ebbings and decayes require And doth the hearesay of each sacrament turne the spirit of thy mind towards it as a solemne object which may not be wanted Doth it possesse thy thoughts and memory more than common objects and passages of this life Doe thy thoughts so minde it heede it doth thy memory so reteine it as that it survives other occasionall matters thy selfe longing while they be over tha this may possesse thy spirit and doth thy preparation unto it cause all other things to lye by It is a good signe of reviving Secondly proceed to thy Affections I noted in the former Treatise in the chapter of the Supper that the good things offered in the Supper are manifold Looke backe and reade them I spake also there of those ends which the Lord gives them for viz. That the soule may bee healthy growing setled and fruitefull Try thy selfe also by this ground Tryalls by this Doth thy heart by the considering of all those good things revive and summon up all thy affections of love joy thankes zeale desire after them Doth not thy minde rest in a bare view of them till all the affections are up in Armes to covet them And is it with thee as with a crazie diseased man comming into a Physitians closet and there is shewed a boxe wherein his medicine lyes which being applyed will heale him Doth not such a man fasten his eyes upon that boxe Will he looke off Is not that boxe pretious to him for the medicines sake Doth he not stand upon thornes till it bee taken out and put into his hand Doth hee not thinke each minute an houre and doth hee take thought for the parting with his money to buy it Even so here Math. 13 44 Dost thou digest the good things of the supper till thou have caused thy heart to conceive an heate of appetite and love of them Dost thou ponder them so as to leape for joy to thinke that thou shalt bee healed there of pride selfe wrath and filled with meekenesse an heavenly minde and gifts for thy place It is a good signe thou hast revived thy faith for the Sacrament Steppe 3 Thirdly the Lord offers the good things of the Supper in the like manner and with the same heart wherewith hee offered whole Christ in the first promise and covenant of grace Hee offers Christ thy food and restorative with as free beteaming honest and full an heart of love as ever he did the other There is no oddes except for the better for heere in this ordinance above all other the Lord seales up his gift to the soule that is conveies it with the best strength he can Try thy selfe then by this rule Tryall by it Dost thou revive and quicken the blunt edge of thy weake faith by this consideration Dost thou beate out deadnesse benummednesse of faith by this ground Feelest thou as free and naked an assent of heart to this offer Take eate drinke as thou didst to the first promise Be eased Luke 22 19 20. Mat. 11 29. Take my yoake and my refreshing to thy soule Dost thou charge upon thy selfe strongly to resist thy unbeleefe in the Sacrament heereby Dost thou urge it thus my soule except the Lord should meane as he speakes he should doubly falsifie himselfe His Sacrament is a double strength there is both a covenant and a seale in it therefore it is a double confirmation or else a double deceit Oh! darest thou thinke the Lord can lye in that wherein he seekes thy double assistance If thou dare not Heb. 6.18 then let faith heere double her strength and edge If the strength of man be but weakenesse to Gods then what must this weakenesse be how should weakenesse it selfe gather life and spirit from it 1 Cor. 1.25 If thou canst thus revive thy dead faith at the Supper it s a good signe Steppe 4 Fourthly and especially I told thee before that each ordinance hath his speciall promises annexed to it as prayer and fasting Mat. 17 21. thankesgiving c. As that one of these shall cast out Divells which else will not goe out And that he who prayseth God Psal 50. ult glorifies him So the Supper hath speciall promises Take eate this is my body Drinke this is my blood of the new Testament Both are given and shed for you My flesh is meate indeede Luke 22.18 Iohn 6.55 my blood drinke indeed He that eateth my flesh hath eternall life shall not dye shall be satisfied shall not hunger nor thirst any more with many others Triall by it Try thy selfe above all by this ground Doth this promise really present the truth of God in speciall to thy soule There are thousands of receivers in the Church of God But doth this promise speake in speciall to thee as if there were no more receivers save thy selfe Is the promise of thy soule such a securitie as a specialty is from an able debtor for the paying of a great debt So that doe thou but sue the bond and the law will restore thy debt Is it so here Thy name is not written in the Scripture yet the promise assisted by the Spirit of Christ layes the grace of the Sacrament as it were in thy lap as Baez did the barley into the lappe of Ruth so that the Lord speakes by it in thy eare thus Ruth 3 15. This flesh is meate indeed and this blood is drinke indeed for thee Take it drinke it 2 Cor. 2 5. It is a sweete signe Againe doth the power yea the omnipotency of God shine in the promise to thee so that whereas thou doubtest how Christ can be in heaven bodily and yet in the Supper Spiritually thou wondrest how he should bee in thousands of communicants at once and how poore alements should bee one with him to convey him to thee yet the power of a promise can effect this Dost thou see that all the attributes of God attend his love least thy soule should be frustrate It is a good signe Againe doth the promise settle and beare downe the feare and bondage of thy heart arising from thy present sence of unworthinesse darkenesse and deadnesse Doth it worke thy spirit to a holding fast of Christ although unbeleefe would stave him off And whereas that would give God the lye ten times during the space of one Sacrament yet doth he promise still hold thee close to him till he answere thee so that as that poore dogge Math. 15. Mat. 15 27. rather than the Lord Iesus shall send thee away empty scraps and crummes shall serve thy turne Canst thou feele such succour from a promise notwithstanding thy formality and flatnes were great before thy experience of fruit by former Sacraments be small Dost thou thus strive in hope against hope and fight for life against thy base Spirit These are
delight in the inner man prevent falls restore ye being fallen and cause ye to grow in grace more than ever Which if you had once tasted who should drive ye from the Sacrament Or should ye come to Church meaning to receive and to yet depart without it or which is worse give advantage to the divell and the world to set upon you the more fiercely by occasion of this defiling your selves No surely but be confirmed in comming the oftner the welcomer Vse 5 Fifthly and especially make we this Doctrine Examination a rule of triall to us about our Sacramentall repentance I have laid downe 3. grounds in this Chapter which might serve for this use to a carefull heart Likewise in the triall of our estate Chapt. 2. at the end I have said somewhat which sorteth well with this Point Yet least I should leave the Reader unsatisfied let me here helpe somewhat toward setting this triall on worke I will cull out some few leaving the Reader to apply the rest Triall 1 And first trie thy selfe by this marke Thou knowest the Sacrament is a reall setting before thine eyes the body and bloud of Christ slain and crucified Zach. 12.10 Now it was prophecied by Zachary that repentant soules should see him whom they have pierced and mourne How is it then with thee Dost thou mourne to see the Lord Iesus pierced at the Sacrament Dost thou as well take thought for him as for thy selfe Is thy heart broken to thinke how thy pride hollownesse and selfe-love have shed his precious bloud and beene the speare to pierce him I mean not that thou shouldst whip thy self for the cruelty of the Priests and Scribes as Papists doe themselves being as bad but that the cost of thy redemption doth abase thee and thy sinne humble thee even to hells brinke in thy owne sence And doth it deepely affect thee that thy sinne caused the Lord to lay such loade upon his Sonne Doth it make thy sinne truly irkesome to thee And darest thou not the second time crucifie Christ to thy selfe But rather carriest all thy beloved darlings to his Crosse that they may there lose their life and heart bloud sacrificing them in an holy recompence unto him Rom. 12. â— It is a good signe Triall 2 Secondly art thou willing by any meanes to be informed of thy sinnes not onely morrall but also spirituall those that doe most defile thy spirit and vexe the Spirit of grace Ephe 4.30 Is that Ministry most welcome to thee which carrieth in the spirit to search the depth of thy heart When thou canst overtake thy subtill heart and find out the turnings and trickes of it the farre fetch'd devices of it to keepe thee in such a course as maintaines selfe and fleshly ease destroying selfe-deniall and sincerity canst thou rejoyce as one that findeth spoiles Is it thy secret prayer that the Lord would set the righteous to smite thee Psal 141.5 And countest thou him a deere friend that will reprove thee Yea when thou mightest carrie a sinne slily and none the wiser hast thou one within thee that will give thee no peace till it be cast out And is secret sinne as base as open unto thee A blessed signe Triall 3 Thirdly is the uprightnesse of others the servants of God more highly esteemed by thee than thine owne yea than the opinion of others though they thinke never so highly of thee Feelest thou no bottome in other mens praises when thy heart tells thee they esteeme too well of thee And dost thou desire they might thinke of thee as thou art 1 Cor. 4.3 that they might as well pray as praise God for thee as being privy that the greatest part of thy vertues are not the least part of thy corruptions Dost thou still see an excellencie in the members of Christ above thine owne And some such base stuffe in thy selfe as oft causes thy best graces to be in lesse account Rom. 7.24 mourning that thou canst not reach that measure in tendernesse jealozie of heart plainenesse and truth which thou seest in others It s a good signe Triall 4 Fourthly canst thou yet acknowledge that good which God hath done for thee with true enlargednesse of heart and without swelling Canst thou joyne humilitie with thanksgiving without prejudice to each other And although thou feelest when evill is present as pride selfe yet thou darest not bite on Gods glory in thy obedience because there will goe some scurffe of thine in the streame But thy heart prayeth Lord let mee shine still and honour thee but dash all shining upon my selfe and getting up into thy saddle by mine owne stirrops It is a signe of a wise and holy seeking Gods ends and that thine heart is cleane Triall 5 Fifthly dost thou love righteousnesse it selfe as righteousnesse be the thing and subject of never so small a nature And dost thou hate sinne as sinne be it never so little in thine eye Is the one precious to thee for that pure natures sake which it resembles and the other loathsome 2 Thess 5.22 because it is opposite to it It is a good signe Triall 6 Sixthly when thou feelest thy heart touch'd for thy sinne and humbled in prayer darest thou not stay there but proceedest to renounce it as seriously Or rather doth not thy tongue goe before thy heart So that when occasion is offered it seemes sweeter and welcomer than when there was none As Peter vowed to sticke to his Master when there was nothing to trie him but when there was Mat. 26 23.56 then to sticke to him was too hard and heavy to him If it be thus thou knowest not thine owne spirit Take an ensample Thou professest that thou darest not be unrighteous but it falles out that thou art convinced of some bad dealing now thou art willed to renounce it that is to make such a satisfaction as thou hast damnified not being thine owne judge but as they who are wise thinke best If thou be as free in renouncing when either shame by open confession or losse by restitution lies upon it it is a good signe else thine heart playâ—s bootie Triall 7 Seventhly are the sinnes of others the sorrowes of the Church as sensible bitter and laid to heart by thee Psal 119.136 as thy own And canst thou drown both other joyes and sorrows of thine owne in these And accordingly to thy affections so are thy prayers endeavours procurements for the peace of the Church and against her miseries and those that cause it And canst thou forget thy selfe and thy businesse for this purpose It is well Triall 8 Eightly dost thou rejoyce alway to be crossing thy selfe in those succors and supports of thy sinne which thy corruption suggests to thee if grace did not gainesay As for example findest thou thy selfe eager of base gain And when it tickles thy spirit canst thou in the chiefe of that sweetnes cut off thy hand and foote
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
formality of serving God Matth. 11.28 But to such as know that God will have his yoake put on and hath promised to make it sweete it will become so if they will yeeld neckes to it and beleeve Let none mistake me heerein I know that no man must diminish or take away the least dramme of weight from any service of God Revel 22.18 it were cursed presumption and sacriledge to doe it and cursed be he that doth the worke of God negligently Ier. 48.10 Yet neyther ought any to adde any weight of his owne to the Lords worke and to make it heavier than himselfe hath made it But take it as God hath framed it most light and cheerefull to an heart applyed thereto Now to apply what I have sayd to this Sacrament Yet to the most it is tedious and why What one worke of God among the outward is so shrugged at and wearisome to the most as this of Tryall and receiving the Supper On the one side men feele a great difficulty in the dispatch and on the other side the Kings command is streight a necessity is layd upon them and woe to them that doe it not and what comes of this Surely they breake through it with head and shoulders and doe it as they can their owne ease and sloath they will not shake off and the Lords yoake they are loath to take on Rules against it 6. To prevent this eye-sore I have set downe these few directions which I commend to the teachable as for the foole set in his frame I know though one should bray him in a mortar yet would not his folly depart from him Rule 1 And first generally seeing that onely To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 and nothing bee it never so pure is savory to an uncleane heart whose minde and spirit is defiled Let therefore this be the first rule That the heart and conscience be pure and so preserved daily Rom. 7.24 for so the inner man will delight in the law of God and the bent and streame of the soule will goe that way although wee be not continually bufied in the outward performance thereof as in receiving the Sacrament or hearing c. Whereas they who still abide in their uncleanenesse and their hearts are corrupt within them are at no time fit for any duty whether present or absent for why they delight onely in that which followes their owne principle yea in any thing save that which tends to the honour of God and their owne profit and comfort So then first I say let us get a beleeving heart and a pure minde thereby nourishing it daily and then the inward man will bend it selfe to walke with God in such duties as it meets with bee they liberties or crosses be they hearing prayer or Sacrament nothing shall through mercy come amisse to a prepared heart But as the playing of all lessons is equally seasonable to a well tuned instrument so heere Rule 2 Secondly being set thus in frame we must so goe to worke daily That is wee must live by faith daily apprehending Christ to our selves in his promise for the support of our life by his daily influence and nourishment For seeing the Lord is willing to give us Christ to be our wisedome and holinesse and to be ours to put on and doe all we have to doe in as well any day yesterday and forever as well as to day Heb. 13.8 yea as well every day as at the Sacrament to become our meate indeede and drinke indeede what save unbeleefe should hinder why wee should not take him every day as well as any day him I say with all the benefits as pardon peace and direction both for doing and suffering living and dying welâ— Christ is not for a Pageant or Procession to gaze on once a yeare but for use and to live upon daily as Paul saith Now live I Gal. 2.15 yet not I but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in the Sonne of God To this end consider further that wee receive the same Christ in the Sacrament and in the promise If then wee be upholden by faith in the promise daily that Christ will be our patience strength hope and will doe all our workes in us Esay 26.16 Then by the same faith the Sacrament will bee welcome to us although it were as daily as in the primitive Church Act. 2. end Act. 2. because still wee receive the same Christ though in a differing conveyance Deceive not thy selfe about thy life of faith and then thou shalt not bee easily unprepared for the Sacrament The Souldiar that lyeth alway in garison is fitter to encounter the enemy in the field than one that commeth from the shoppe or plough untrained for the battell Rule 3 Thirdly wee must bee vigilant against those evills daily which steale into us whereby we make a separation betweene God and us Eph. 6.18 and so betweene us and his ordinances setting a gulfe betweene us and them so that wee cannot come at them easily as the Sacrament by name And contrarywise wee must maintaine our daily fellowship with God daily in faith patience meekenesse diligent use of meanes meditating of the word absteyning from techinesse worldlinesse pride inconstancy unthankefulnesse remissenesse of spirit busying our selves about other or more things than wee are called to c. Iam. 4.2 Heb. 3.14 Which although at the time of committing them they seeme nothing we not thinking of after-reckonings or what hurt they will doe us yet in the meane time wee are corrupted and hardned therewith ere wee are aware Little dreaming what an ill handsell they make us toward the Sacrament And moreover when we would finde them out and confesse them at the Sacrament wee cannot so easily bring it to passe our hearts being a farre off to seeke through their distemper Psal 32.3 So then in a word keepe we our hearts undefiled and shun occasions as we may and we shall finde our Sacrament worke mightily set forward thereby so that the sollemnenesse and hardnesse of the taske will be well over and we shall come to it not as a Beare to the stake but as to our appointed food for why Is not this our fellowship with grace much furthered thereby Marke but this When we have newly bin at the Sacrament we seeme pretty well affected And what hinders us from being so continually if such scurfe brake not out to defile us but we imagine basely that fellowship with sinne and Christ light and darkenesse may be held together which cannot be 1 Cor. 6 19. Rule 4 Fourthly if we have beene prevented by Sathan our owne loosenesse or other occasions and have fallen into the sinnes before named or the like That wee practise a daily repentance thereof breaking our hearts and fastning upon the promise Lam. 3.40 by which we must get pardon and new strength to obey and abhorre