one body at once as selfe and Christ in equall termes to a soule The red earth had never had the breath of life put into it if it had not beene a meere dead patient and at Gods dispose to be as he would have it The flesh of Christ had no subsisting in it selfe save in the Godhead Rom. 11.32 and what is else that of Paul God shutting up all in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all Not of the willer or the runner but God c. Rom. 9.16 The Doctrine of imputation what doth it import saue that righteousnesse stands in counting that as ours which is none of ours What else is that of the Apostle Romanes Chapter 11. verse 6. If of Workes not of Grace Rom. 11.6 else Workes were no Workes If of Grace not of Workes else Grace were no Grace Trie thy selfe then by this Rule Triall by this Dost thou observe this backebyas of corruption in thy soule alway playing her parts and resisting grace Is this spirit of originall sinne as irkesome to thy spirit as the most odious sinnes of swearing or theeft Is it so much the more suspected by how much the more fine spunne and subtill running in the streame of thy best Religion Dost thou feele it in the Worke of the Law of the Gospell of Sanctification still resisting Grace and starting as much from the Word as the Sacrifice from the Knife of the Priest Dost thou wholly set thy selfe against it both selfe on the right hand deceiving thee with thine owne hopes and deserts and on the left scaring thee with feares of unworthinesse Art thou as well afraid of a white Divell as a blacke yea more Dost thou tremble to thinke that selfe should share with God in thy conversion Dost thou chuse rather to bee as base as dung and dogges meate yea when thou hast done all dost thou thinke thy selfe no neerer heaven thereby than if thou wert a Publican Dost thou confesse that there is no bloud no merit no congruity in selfe to purchase any dramme of grace And that it is just with God rather to seeke himselfe glory by abasing all flesh and carnall proppes than to suffer selfe to perke above him or mixe with him Yea canst thou say oh Lord I chuse to lie as the dust under thy footstoole and to be at thy pleasure as a fatherlesse Orphan to doe with mee what thou wilt yea when thou art under the deepest abasement and selfe-desertings and without a subsisting in thy selfe canst thou say Verily gladdly will I bee under this buffeting 2 Cor. 12.9 though it bee as a pricke in the flesh that Gods grace may bee another selfe and a new principle of comfort to stay my selfe upon Yea in this want of carnall stay I wait upon the promise to be my stay If it be thus in any true measure in thee it is a sweet signe The fourth ground I come to the fourth ground of trying faith to wit by the act of it The act of faith And that in two things First in the naked and free consent of the whole soule to the truth of God which is that he will ease the loaden soule comfort the mourning and satisfie them that hunger after righteousnesse Math. 5 4 5 6. The Lord requires that the soule simply relie it selfe upon this bare Word of his because he will performe it without descanting this way or that against it Esay 1.16 Psal 32 1. Secondly in the relying upon the meere and free act of Gods not imputing sinne or imputing righteousnesse to the soule yea a righteousnesse inhering in another and not in thy selfe The Lords act of esteeming and reckoning to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ is as reall an act as if hee had infused a reall habite of it into the soule to dwell personally in it as it dwelt in Christ Triall by this Trie thy selfe then by this rule thus First canst thou say truely that in the beleeving of Gods promise thou didst directly goe from a word to a word without adding or mixing the slime of thy owne conceits to defile the purenesse of it Didst thoâ— with Peter emptied of himselfe obey and say At thy Commandement Lord I will let downe though else I should not Luke Chapter 5 verse 5. Luke 5 5. Canst thou say oh Lord thou bidst a loaden wretch come unto thee to take ease as if there were no more circumstance in it than onely so Lord I have found my soule loden and pinch'd by thy Word therfore I come to thee for ease beleeving that seeing thy selfe art the Author of both words therefore thou who wouldst so really lode me canst as truely ease mee Canst thou say Lord in thy words is neither hooke nor crooke and therefore as I seeke to adde nothing to it so neither doe I detract nor dare I Revelation Chapter 22. verse 18. Rev. 22 18. Ephes 4 21. but take thy truth as it is in Iesus even truth it selfe subject to no exceptions or cavills of flesh I enquire not why thou dost it or why for mee and not for many hundred thousands that lie in their blindnesse still Secrets are for thee but revealed promises are for mee and therefore to thee I leave the one and claspe so much the more closely to the latter by how much the former is more above mee If thou canst find in thy heart thus freely to concurre with free grace saying Luke 1 38. Luke 7 30. Bee it to thy servant as thou hast spoken I dare not despise thy Counsell for my salvation or gainesay and give thee the lye but put my seale to thy word that it is true I say againe Iohn 3 3â— if in any true measure thou canst doe thus it is a sure signe And secondly if the Act of God in heaven justifying a poore wretch by his bare accompting him his righteousnesse when yet corruption abides in him exceedingly yea his perfect righteousnesse can so farre prevaile with thee as to say O Lord thy one witnesse and approbation of mee is to my conscience as a thousand though I neither see thy face nor can heare thy voyce yet O Lord I accompt my selfe as thou esteemest me even thy perfect righteousnesse in the midst of my greatest sinfulnesse and all because thy accompt is a done deede and my faith compts it done in earth because it is done in heaven I say this act of thy faith is a good signe The fifth ground is from the end of thy beleeving The 5 ground The end and that is that God may have the glory of his rich grace in saving a lost soule The last and full end of God in thy pardon and savation is not that thou mightst be happy but that himselfe might be glorified This the Lord so lookes at that all other ends are but second hand ends unto him although reall ends Try thy selfe also in this The tryall of this
them up shufflingly in the bagge of their devotion being unable to give a reason why themselves were baptized when they were infants or why being elder they receive the Supper Vse 2 Secondly to confute the practise of all those who Popishly ascribe to the Supper the conferring of Grace of all sorts and when they receive they thinke that although they never reaped the fruit of their baptisme before neither had faith yet one Sacrament may supply all wants which is to destroy the distinct end of each Sacrament and to plucke up good Land-markes confounding the agreement and disagreement of both for as all Christ is in both so yet for two severall purposes A Divines life we know is to study and Preach he doth both these wholly himselfe wholly is required to doe either howbeit the things he doth are divided acts he preacheth not while he is in his Study nor studieth while hee is Preaching Let us abhorre such profanesse and know all Christ is in both the Sacraments yet orderly and so that who so hath not enjoyed him in the first to beleeve cannot enjoy him in the second to grow Vse 3 Thirdly to teach us how to apply the benefit of these two Sacraments according to our speciall temptations The former thus If Satan tempt us concerning the truth of our Conversion to God telling us wee are in the state of enemies cut off from God aliants and excommunicates from him and Christ whither shall wee recourse To the Supper and our oft receiving No in no wise for Satan can speake Divinitie when hee list and tell us that the Supper is no Sacrament of Regeneration But in this case flie to thy calling and to the seale of it Baptisme if indeede thou canst proove thy calling by the worke of the Law and Gospell else thy seale is to a blanke and presse thy Adversary with the weapon of thy Baptisme sealing it up to thy conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. which shall quench the fierie dart of his temptation and scare him from thee better than all Popish Holy water Againe doth the Divell tempt thee to beleeve thou art an hypocrite because thou hast a dead heart thou growest not in Grace thou art sunke from thy first love fallen to the world pleasures vanities lusts of thy uncleanenesse waxen unprofitable and revolted from God What shall now helpe thee That thou art baptized No hold that close also that thou maist pleade the other rightly But in this case flie especially to the Supper and alledge thus I am sunke too farre into a formall course and the custome of the world but yet Lord to thee I appeale that in truth I have coveted thy Sacrament of Restorative and Nourishment I haue come with hunger to it for the repairing of my losses and decaies and departed in good hope and comfort of recovering life and vigor againe and therefore in despite of Satan I will hold to the end of this Sacrament which is to seale up comfort to the afflicted and strength to the weake and recovery to the decaied and raising to the fallen therefore from hence I will fetch it by vertue of the promise Vse 4 Lastly it teacheth us the excellency of the Sacraments because they have such a gift in them as to represent all Christ at once to the soule Christ wholy and in each part of his merit and efficacie It were an odde and strange Picture which could describe the same man living dying dead raised up and ascending to heaven and all in one person That which no Art of man can doe the Lord can doe by the Sacrament that is above all Images or Crucifixes and can tender to the soule in on view all these the Lord Iesus dead risen ascended the Grace imputed of reconciliation the Grace inherent of holinesse all the particular graces of the Spirit the promises of God made all Yea and Amen in Christ for this life and for a better for all conditions and times and occasions are offred at once in each Sacrament the one to give us right and title to Christ when we wanted him the other to rivet us more into him to enlarge us in faith and the fruits till wee shall neede no more Sacraments or Ordinances And therefore let us much esteeme and honour Sacraments as most divine comprehensions of all Christ and channels of his Fulnesse from whom as our Head We receive grace for grace Iohn 1.17 Iohn 1 17. And this for the second Chapter CHAP. III. Of the substance of a Sacrament in generall The Description of it propounded and examined Substance of it HAving spoken of the Circumstances the agreement and disagreement of Sacraments Next wee come to the substance and nature of a Sacrament Which will be understood the better by the description and particular handling the parts thereof Description of a Sacrament in generall A Sacrament then is an Ordinance of God wherein by some materialls duly appropriated and united and by some acts duly administred the Lord signes and seales up to the soules of the Elect the truth of his Covenant and receives a reciprocall seale from them of their covenant with himselfe For the clearing hereof I would have the Reader conceave that in this place I take the word Sacrament in the greatest latitude not onely for the substance of it in it selfe but also as it is administred and performed in a solemne manner betweene God and his Church So that hereby two things arise to be considered Two Generals First Substance Secondly Administration In the Substance foure things 1. The Substance of a Sacrament in all her constituting câ—uses 2. The due administration and performing thereof in the Ordinance Touching the first we are to consider these foure causes 1. The efficient and supreme cause of a Sacrament 2. The mâ—â—erials of it 3. The true formall cause 4. The finall Where first the generall end Sealing Secondly The branches two First Gods sealing of the truth of his Covenant to us Secondly returning backe againe our owne covenant sealed to him In the latter member also viz. The Administration wee consider the acts of Ministers and people and the spirituall dispensation of God in these externals attending thereon for the ends mentioned Of the first of these in the first place 1. The Author of the Sacraments all and each Old and New is one unchangeable Eternall and onely Wise and Gracious God And no wonder for first First the Author God Proofes of it In his bosome of eternity lay hidden that purpose of entring Covenant with man fallen from the grace of Creation Reason 1 It was free to him to relinquish him finally in that revolt of his in that he did not it was free mercy doubly greater than the love of Creation If the devise then of a gracious Covenant with man was onely in the power of the Creator who shall be supposed to be the Author of seales to this Covenant save the same
have beene planted together with him into the likenesse of his death we shall also be to the likenesse of his resurrection And note this further that as the holy Ghost expresses the meriting causes diversly now by one then by another part of his mediation so sometime he applyes that his merit to one frâ—it sometime to another yet so that by one merit we understand all and by one effect of it all the rest Take a Text 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto baptisme now saveth us not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience in the resurrection of Iesus Christ Marke the resurrection of Christ being the compleatnesse of his satisfaction and the declaring of it is made here the meriting cause of the grace of Baptisme But by it all the satisfaction is meant And the effect of this Baptisme is called The answer of a good conscience which is the peace and security of it properly issuing from pardon of sinne and guilt yet in and by this all are meant both justification and sanctification The selfe same phrase is used Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10 22. Having your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodyes washed with pure water that is with peace For this blood Hebrewes 12. cryeth better things than that of Abel The phrase of sprinkling compares Baptisme to the Israelites sprinkling their doore posts with the blood of the Lambe If they had not done it Exod. 12 22. they had beene in danger of slaying by the Angel But having done it Heb. 10.24 their heart was at quiet and peace through the promise So baptisme is a better sprinkling of a better blood upon a better object to a farre better peace even peace of conscience as being passed from death to life By all these places not unmeet to be conferred together we see that whole Christ crucified Christ in water Christ in our Regeneration Christ in our union and by it all his benefits are the extent of the grace of baptisme And that the Minister standing in Gods stead applying water to the Baptised doth by it apply the power of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit accompanying the same to create a new birth of Grace and life in the soule The which worke of the Spirit I shall more revive in the first use of this point Vse 1 This use is exhortation to all that bring or behold children brought and offred to the Lord in his Sacrament of Baptisme to lay in by faith for the Spirit of Christ in the water whereby the Lord would vouchsafe to thy child and renew to thy selfe if ever truly converted the Lord Iesus for regeneration and the new creature To this end doe two things First 2. Things 1. Behold the truth of the word Behold the truth of this offer of the Lord Iesus in the water by the helpe of the word and not so onely but what the word of Regeneration can worke of it selfe in the soule and therefore much more can further it by the Sacrament Secondly by and through this Word apply the merit and power of the Sacrament to thy soule in particular For the former know although a Sacrament be above a word yet it is so by a word and with it and not else Behold not a Sacrament without a word for then thou seest a meare empty vanishing Element Behold it in word and thou sest no lesse than Christ in the water true regeneration offred thee Take all those Texts I cited before looke up to God by prayer to see the truth of them Ephe. 4 22. as they are in Iesus to rivet every of them in speciall into thy spirit that so thou maist feele a bottome to thy faith out of a word Labour to see what makes this word so powerfull even the truth of a promiser the merit of a satisfyer who died shed his blood was buried and rose againe by the power of God that he might fill a promise with efficacy and perswade thy heart that seeing all that he suffered was for thee to make himselfe thine in remission of sinnes and renewing of the holy Ghost therefore the promise that offers this to thee in the Sacrament is sound and effectuall Reade and ponder that place I named Ephe. 5.26 Ephe. 5.26 Washing of water by the word And so be resolved if the word of a true God tell thee That he will wash thy soule by Christ in the Sacrament it shall be so it cannot be otherwise and if he have said Christ in the water water is spirituall birth regeneration renewing purging burying in the grave with Christ rising up with Christ then so it is This word will give a bottome to thy feete to stand upon while thou reachest out with thine hand to take Christ so that thou shalt not stagger Consider that the same word which hath held Christ and water in so strong an union can also hold thee upon sure ground Alas mens going to worke without a word marres the power of Baptisme and causeth the soule to be present with any object more than with Christ in the water It goes with the Spirit Further bee assured this word of Christ in his promise of the Sacrament never goes alone The truth of it alway is annexed to the Spirit of Christ in the water All the word is full of this tells us the Spirit is that which assists the Sacrament The Spirit quickneth 1 Ioh. 5.6 water profits nothing alone It is the Spirit which must joyne with the word with water and unto Christ to both in the soule or else the things of the Sacrament are as farre off as heaven and earth But the Spirit of Christ crucified water and blood meeting with the Sacrament fetches out all the power of Christ into the soule and makes the promise of blessing effectuall Hence it is that nothing is so common in Scripture as the Spirits concurring with Baptisme Matthew 3. Matth. 3.11 Hee shall baptise with the holy Ghost and fire Tit. 3.5 Water of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit 3 5. As it attended Christs baptisme so it must ours if it bee efficacious else not These two things being forelaid bring forth thy faith in the word Spirit of the Sacrament both for thy child and thy self These two things brin faith for begetting or reviving of Christ to regeneration And as the hand puts on the apparell upon the body yea as thou beholdest the Minister to dip thy child in water so concurre with him by faith and behold God the Father putting the Lord Iesus upon thy soule and the soule of thy childe for pardon peace joy confidence security grace and holinesse and fasten upon the Word and draw thereby the Spirit of Baptisme to helpe and satisfie thy soule with Christ in all these As thou wouldest put on a garment upon thy naked body How this 1 By the stripping
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
richest are so covetous nor fine cloathes because under them is hidden many a rotten body So neyther let men mislike knowledg for the sins of them that have it No it s their hypocrisy their profanenes which defiles their knowledge It is just with God to suffer ungodly men to defile each other and them that know to lay offences in the way of the ignorant 2 Tim. 3.13 that both the offending and offended might fall and perish because neyther love the truth True it is That knowledge is not sufficient a man with it may perish but to be sure he must perish without it So much for these cavills And also of the first branch The second followeth What knowledge there is requisite 2. Generall Question what knowledge I answer First the more knowledge a man brings if conscience be thereafter the better too exact knowledge cannot be had And heere I will crave leave of my Reader to digresse a step or two mourne to consider that which according to that little experience I have had in my Ministery of late yeares I cannot but say O that I were a lyer in this A digression and caveat to ungrounded Christians viz. That hundreds of poore people in our countrey there are of whom I am perswaded they are the Lords and shall be saved who yet by all the cost and meanes which the Lord hath for 20. or 30. yeares beene at with them never came to see such sweet light order and direction by the Catechisme that they can give an account of their faith and sound knowledge therein They rest in heere a snatch and there a catch at a good point in their good affections innocent lives and blamelesse carriages But as for discerning of things peisons doctrines that differ holding that which they have spent many a weary step to come by grounding themselves upon the word for their estate and actions and seeing how they have their warrants not from a Preacher whom they love and like but from the strength of truth which cannot lye growing up in knowledge that so their hearts might waxe better and themselves more setled in Christianity Oh these things are as the sound of many waters unto them farre above them Shall I prayse you in this I speake to you of my owne flocke No I prayse you not Especially where there is a manifest defect of that which might bee As for invincible weakenesse and want of reach I am so farre from dismaying such that I doubt not to say The Lord will cloath their uncomely parts with the more honour and supply some want of judgement with much integrity and uprightnesse of heart Alas poore soules 1 Cor. 12.23 if yee wanted this too what should become of yee And because I know not whether I shall ever speake to you any more let my words sinke into you Enjoy your portion in truth and singlenesse of heart as a jewell exceeding all the skill and cunning of hypocrites Vex not your selves too much for the want of that whereby God doth so humble you for who knowes what yee would proove if your knowledge did equall some other graces and affections in yee Exhortation to others But to others this I adde Seeke as much light to guide you in this deceitfull world as possibly yee can Let not all doctrines be alike with yee Prize all but above all those which teach yee your selves and Christ and the well ordering of your conversations Psal 50. ult be wise as Serpents as well as doves in innocency let not the cunning jugling of Sathan and diceplay of men Ephe. 4.14 Eph. 4 14. so gull yee as to picke out heere one truth there another while he hath left you barren so that all is one with you whether yee live under an idle empty fruitlesse ministery or a grounded and fruitfull And the like caution I might give yee in other respects But I forbeare onely let that hope and opinion which God and his people have conceived of you bee upheld in you with honour least the Lord doe crosse you both with a staggering life and a doubtfull death because of your dallyance And so I returne againe to the point and answer Answere that it is one thing to speake of that measure of light which would doe best another of that which is simply requisite Not exquisite but competent knowledg required When I teach that knowledge is necessary I speake not as if every one who fails short of exact and cleare and full knowledge were to bee rejected God forbid for the grounds may be soundly held by many who yet faile in these As for example if I should question with many a Christian in what nature Christ subsists or how a person and a nature differ or how Christs humanity is not a person but a nature perhaps I should gravell them whereas yet they beleeve firmely the Lord Iesus to be flesh and truely God and both made one Christ for the working out their salvation The like may bee sayd of other points which to the skilfull are taken for granted yet to them are not so cleare As how Christ should satisfie and yet not tast of hellish torments in what speciall office the act of satisfying standeth To what part of the Catechisme each article of truth as the Sacrament belongs So I am perswaded many a poore soule conceives not of each mystery in the Sacramentall union although he beleeve Christ to be there present in his word and Spirit to a faithfull soule Therefore of such knowledge this I say The more the better but many who want it may yet be good receivers I know I cast bread to dogges in thus saying but weake ones must not want their due let none abuse that to slightnesse and ease which onely aymes at releefe of the weake But the question is what knowledge is needefull What this competency is Answer 1 I answer the Sacrament being one linke of the whole cheine of godlinesse must necessarily presuppose a competent knowledge both of it selfe and also of those doctrines which it depends upon For example the Supper is one of the Sacraments of the Gospell Necessary therefore it is that a man at least know what the other â—â—crament of Baptisme is upon which it dependeth Answer 2 Secondly both the Sacraments are part of those divine meanes ordayned by God to build up the soule in the power and practise of grace Needefull therefore it is that a Communicant know what the new creature meanes what sanctification is what lets it hath from sinne Sathan and world what priviledges a beleever hath annexed by God to encourage him and what those meanes are which God hath afforded the soule to susteine it from decaying in the spirituall condition Answer 3 Thirdly the new creature and sanctification being impossible to be conceived of aright without the grace and gift of faith and the Spirit of the promise necessary it is for the soule to
needlesnesse of it the precisenesse of it the disrepute of the world Breake through these armies to the well of Bethlem Foster no secret love of the sweetenesse of ignorance it kills as the viper Thinke not that because this sinne deprives you of sence for the time of your danger therefore yee shall avoyd it No the ignorance of the glasse of mercury water among other glasses of rose water and the drinking of it by errour will poyson you and fret out your bowels as well as if wilfully taken In a word as ye love your soules so hate the steps leading to this hell of ignorance Admonition 4 And whereas the Divell would have you thinke its an harmelesse thing a tame beast and the mother of good meaning know its an hideous mungrell a monster of many heads Cry out against it as Crescentius that Cardinall did of the blacke dogge which came into his chamber Beate out the blacke dogge beate him out This ignorance is the true blacke dogge and the Divell himselfe Know that it s as the surfet and Drunkennesse of the soule for as that surfeit sometime makes men mad Woefull fruits of ignorance sometime merry sometime sullen sometimes fearefull sometimes bold and ventrous sometime quiet but ever fooles so does this sometimes it breakes out into sottish stupor of heart sometimes into madnesse and villany sometimes into desperate presumption and scorne of all meanes sometimes into slinesse and subtilty sometimes enmity and malice sometimes superstition and Popery but alway to mischiefe and misery And in a word it makes every Idiot uncapable of the Sacrament eating and drinking his damnation not discerning the Lords body This damnation sleepes not because thou sleepest God shall awaken thee one day with sad confusion Psal 4. Lastly this is exhortation to all Gods people that they bring knowledge with them to the Sacrament Exhortation and try themselves about the competency and savingnesse of it If those whom it concernes forget their duty to us yet that shall not excuse us let every one examine himselfe about his owne knowledge It will be asked how this tryall shall be made Trialls I answere By these rules following or the like First The 1. If our hearts tell us that we have so prized knowledge of Gods will and the Sacrament in speciall that we have sought it as pearles have attended upon the ordinances in season and out have chosen rather to be at cost with God than to forgoe the knowledge of his truths No heate in Summer cold raine windes snow in winter have hindred us but as hee that soweth or reapeth takes his season so have we ordering wisely yea undervaluing other affaires commodities liberties to make a purchase of truth Phil. 3. buying it whatsoever it cost us not selling it whatsoever we may have for it wives farmes Oxen but returning to them with our second affections when God hath had our cheefe courage and strength this is a good signe The 2. Secondly if we goe not to worke by halfes that is to catch up knowledge in what kindes we please scumming off the fat and sweete of the easiest duties or that which will stand with our owne wils or knowledge of some Promises or priviledges But as for knowledge of our selves our natures our sinnes we are backward to them If we rejoyce that there is a word that crosseth us in our belovedst sinnes that smites us under the fift rib most mortally compting it as balme Psal 141.5 esteeming the words of the minister in that kind as sweete as any refuzing no information from God which concernes us not kicking at it but saying The word of the Lord is good it s a good signe Esay 39 8. Thirdly The 3. if as we have sitten at the feete of Christ attentively while we heard so afterwards we ponder the things wee have heard digesting them and chewing the cud of them Luke 2.51 Mat. 13 43. till they become nourishment unto us and till that which is truth in the understanding becomes love in the soule causing the word to dwell plentifully in us Col. 3 16. swaying us as the scepter of Christ to all obedience in our course living by fath bearing our crosses and the like it s a good signe also Fourthly The 4. if we come and goe to and from the meanes of knowledge with appetite savor delight and hunger That is if we come with a view of our speciall errors and ignorances to be freed from them and if when wee have sucked out the sappe of one ordinance we are unwearied and goe to another if by any meanes we may attaine to true knowledge and that we take as well other occasions to enquire advise pray meditate conferre and reade the Scriptures as at the Sacrament and use extraordinary helps aswell as ordinary by others aswell as our selves yea the meanest not disdaining to be disciples even to the Ant the Horse the dumbe creatures Prov. 6.6 so wee might learne it s a good signe Fiftly The 5. if the knowledge we get be sweete and harmonious according to the analogie of faith That is cleere evident convincing orderly and agreeing with other parts of the word unto which as the linkes of a chaine it belongs by coherence so that by knowing some one threat command or promise we conceive of more and be not still in darkenesse and doubtfulnesse about the truths of God it s a good signe Sixtly The 6. if as our knowledge encreaseth so our humility doth also grow withall If it awe us tame us mortifie us and teach us to denie our selves as it did good Iudas who sayd Iohn 14 22. Lord what is the cause why thou shouldst reveale thy selfe to us and not to the world it is a good signe Commonly men either are blockes under the meanes or if they thrive in knowledge the Divell puffes them up in the companies where they become so that they must rule the rost be praysed or else all is marred But true knowledg serves especially to shew us our ignorance and so to abase us more than when we were empty ignorance is ever most bold The 7. Seaventhly if our knowledge be a welspring to runne out to others as well as to teach our selves If our lippes be as a fountaine of life Prov. 15.4 and never stands as a lake putrifying and stinking but alway is dropping as those Olive branches Zach. 4. Zach. 4.3 were into the Candelstickes to maintaine their burning So if we be alway dropping as dew Deut. 31.2 and raine upon others that are dry and barren wives children others it s a good signe The 8. Lastly if we revive the knowledge of the Sacrament in our owne spirits and linne not till that we know of it set our teeth on edge to the Sacrament and whet an appetite in us unto it it is a good signe that we rest not in the lazie
servants of Naaman told him 2 King 5 14. If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much more then when he onely bids thee Wash and be cleane So say I put case the Lord required the greatest worke of thee would it not seeme small in respect of the good of the Sacrament How much more when he saith Revive thy faith in the promise of the Sacrament If thou wert bidden to trie what almes thou hast given since thy last receiving or what prayers thou hast made or what zeale thou hast uttered against sinne c. oh how wouldest thou plod and gather thy goodnesse together Now when the Lord saith Revive the edge of thy faith once received oft renewed quicken it up in some Sacramentall promise or other ere thou come to the Supper lo how hard a taske it seemes Why save that those morall duties partly are from thy selfe and are mixt with selfe-love But the other is a meere divine grace without thee freely given and relying barely upon the promise and behold how tedious it is whereas thou shouldest say If I were found of God when I sought him not Esay 65.1 how much more easie will it be when I seeke him unfeignedly If mercy were free when I had no promise who should doubt of the more assurednesse of it when God hath tied himselfe Surely the verie ease of it should teach us to dispute strongly for our selves the Lord teacheth us to argue for our selves In other matters that serve for our owne ends wee can argue fast enough but in this either God must put us to it and shame us or else we will lose our benefit for lacke of pleading and so come to the Supper with a dead or unrevived faith May not the Lord repent him of all his cost when he sees so small profit The point it selfe And thus much of this third ground Now having premised these things thus let us apply them to the point in hand The Question then will be how a Christian may try his Sacramentall faith Two waies of trying faith 1 First beleeving I answer by these two wayes 1. When he can prove by good evidences that he hath beleeved the promise of reconciliation already Secondly when he can revive his faith upon the promise of the Sacrament Therefore of these two I will speake a little and so come to the use of the chapter Question It will first be demanded how a Christian may find and trie himselfe to have beleeved savingly How may first beleeving be tried Answ To which I answer this may be done sundry wayes 1. By the meane conducing in the purpose of God to beleeve 2. The Object upon which the soule looketh that it might beleeve The 3. The Roote out of which faith springeth 4. The Act it selfe of beleeving 5. The scope and end which faith propounds to her selfe in beleeving The 6. and last The effects and properties ascribed to faith The order wherein I would lay downe these points is this 1. I would propound the truth of them 2. Shew how the soule may try it selfe about them Which ere I enter upon let the Reader for avoiding of confusion take notice that in the second Chapter of this Treatise under the head of assisting grace I named five trials which doe all agree with that which now I am to speake of the triall of beleeving Onely there necessitie lead me to speake of the end of calling here more specially I treate of saving faith Let not any thinke that I make these two diverse But let him borrow what light that point will affoord for the better conceiving of this and so adde what this point affoords to that knowing that the grace of faith is the upshot of calling This by the way 1 Position The meane conducing to faith Now for the first Position The meane conducting unto faith is the distinct understanding of the Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ both in life and death It was the foundation of Election Ephe. 1.3 not the cause in which the Lord answered his owne Iustice fully to the end that here might set open a doore of mercy to poore Adams lost posteritie Now that which was a meane ordained by the Lord for the declaring of his righteousnesse in saving Rom. 3.25 must be the meane also to conduct the soule to fasten upon the offer of God For why As nothing save a ransome could stop the course of Iustice or cause him to be reconciled with a sinner so nothing can stop the feare of conscience guiltie of wrath nor warrant her that she may be reconciled to God save this propitiation Till the soule come to know Esay 27 4. that anger is not in God she cannot thinke shee may dare come neere him seeing shee knowes him to be a consuming fire Therefore 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Paul grounds a fearefull soule strongly upon this bottome Be reconciled to God poore soule For why 2 Cor. 5.22 Hee hath made him to be sinne that knew none both by obaying and suffering that wee might be the righteousnesse of God in him So saith Elihu Iob 33.24 Iob 33 24. Deliver him for I have received a ransome The triall then of faith by this Rule is this Triall by this Canst thou say truly that in the conflict of thy soule with Gods anger for thy sinnes thy long lyen in deepely died sinnes both of omission commission morrall spirituall offences and revolts thou hast beheld the meane of grace in the alsufficient merit of Christ Hath this stai'd thy heart that God hath cut off his plea against thee in giving his Sonne to satisfie Canst thou say Heb. 10 20. that thine high Priest hath brought thee to God and caused thee to see his face with joy Hast thou sent Satan to Christ and told him God cannot be satisfied and yet angry still Heb. 6.18 Hast thou found strong consolation in the pursuit of Satan from this that thou beholdest this citie of Refuge the satisfaction of Christ as a sure Sanctuary to rescue thee from the avenger of bloud Psal 100.7 Hast thou dranke of this brooke or well-spring and lifted up thine head in hope of being accepted Deny not thy selfe if it hath beene thus with thee it is a good signe I say a good signe if thou hast any condition of faith any feeling of thy burden wrought in thee and sending thee to this meane For why By vertue of this price the righteousnesse of wrath is turned into a righteousnesse of mercy so that it is a meete and equall thing with God having thus received a ransome to forgive yea in Christ God himselfe was reconciling the world and now he doth declare his righteousnesse in justifying a sinner through the faith of Iesus yea thou maist say with David Save me O Lord according to thy righteousns See Rom. 5.26 2 Cor. 5.17 Briefely for the 2. The
it Remember that faith doth set thee as those Lampes under the oyle dropping into thee from the promises of the Sacrament Branch 2 2. Againe try thy faith first in the maine promise If thou finde thou wantest it desist for a time Come not in thy base unbeleefe rather make use of what I have sayd about faith and blesse God that by such an occasion thou maist store thy selfe with it for heereafter and art now convinced of thy want Perhaps thou never hadst knowne it save by such an occasion therefore ply it hard while season lasteth But if thou have got it yet neglect not to consider Gods worke in thy conversion blesse him that thou canst proove by what meane thou camest by it what a promise is what the roote of faith is what the act effects of it are confessing it were hard for thee now to beginne or to bee without it Branch 3 3. Revive it also as oft as thou commest musing of these last trialls or some of them and linne not till thou finde them in thee more or lesse that so the Sacrament may light upon thee as dew upon dry ground and thou mayst count the approach of the Supper joyfull newes above the joy of a feast or banquet Vse 3 Lastly let it be consolation to all poore beleevers Consola The best will soonest complaine Oh! sayth one Heere bee so many Rules that I am confounded to thinke of my selfe or to try my faith by them But I answer Proove but a droppe or dramme of faith unfeigned precious and effectuall and the Lord and thou shall not differ about measure Bee sure thou have any and then know the Supper is an ordinance to make weake ones strong Objections remooved not onely nor cheefely to make strong ones stronger Touching the objections of the weake I have spoken in the Chapter of the tryall of our estate To adde a word more another objection is I cannot finde the promise so powerfull as to overpowre and perswade mee to beleeve with full streame of heart I answer Answ I grant that oft the phrases and similitudes of Scripture imply First by a Concession That faith is a sensible thing and a conviction of heart So it s called Ioh. 16.9 It s called the rayning downe of righteousnesse The receiving of Christ The buying of the pearle The running into the streame Esay 55.6 and the like as drawing neare to God Secondly Solution comming to God Howbeit wee must know the spirituall sense of these phrases imports not alway a reflexe sight and knowledge that we have it and much lesse ought wee to stumble at such phrases as imply the measure of faith as to be carryed with full sayle To rejoyce with joy unspeakeable c. Heb. 1â— 22 Onely let a poore soule beware of resting in any measure till hee have atteyned faith with power and feeling which is a stranger in these dayes But to hasten this I adde Many talke of the over-powring of the heart who know not what it meanes it is not the measure of full assurance but the true drawing of the soule from Idols to the beleeving God Therefore poore soule dismay not thy selfe perhaps thou seest not full light of beleeving nor the whole breadth and length of it as yet nor yet what the Lord meanes to settle upon thee Thou art as one that dreameth yet God was at worke to deliver Israel when they were as they that dreamed Psal 126.1 Exod. 6. â— Long anguish caused them to heare of a Saviour as one that was farre off yet hee was neare Give not the Lord over but even in thy darkest bondage cleave to the meanes seeke the Lord and leave the successe to him be not beaten off from hope by any feare within or without Reade Acts 12. Act. 12 7 8. Peter in his sleepe thought hee saw but a vision of deliuerance yet the Lord was at worke even then He came not at first clearely to consider the matter But what did he Surely he did as he was bidden even in his dreame he arose shooke off his cheynes Verse 8.9 put on cloake and sandales followed the Angell through yron doores and gates and at last when he was past danger the Angell departing hee understood all the businesse So perhaps the Lord will doe by thee When all Angells and proppes are gone and thou left to the bare promise stript of other helpes thou shalt bee as glad to cling to the Lord in it as ever thou were backward to it But in the meane time bee doing as thou art bidden and obey and thou shalt one day see light Receive the Sacrament with weake faith for so God bids thee and more shall be given thee And so I shut up this weighty tryall of Sacramentall faith CHAP. VI. Of the tryall of repentance at the Sacrament Entry upon repentance I Must in the entry upon this point advertise the Reader of some generalls which may make for the better Caveat 1. conceaving of the scope of the whole Chapter First let him remember that which was before sayd That in pressing the tryall of repentance I doe not meane that repentance concurrs to the act of receiving so properly as faith But in a second respect as affording a sweet witnesse to the truth of faith already shaped in the soule as also to honour the purenesse of the ordinance with sutable purenesse of conscience and course The second thing I would have noted is The second That although in this tryall of repentance it is to be supposed that each receiver of the seale must first bee in covenant that is have his heart renewed and in that respect that whole labour might be spared how the substance of repentance may be tryed yet considering that it is not alway with receivers as it ought to be but man still will come without it Therefore as I have done already in the point of faith to shew the true forme and being of it ere I came to handle the renewing of it at the Supper So heere I will doe for the grace of repentance The rather least any should alledge his ignorance what it is or wherein it standeth yet I will be short because I have elsewhere handled it largely viz. in the third part of my Catechisme in the two first Articles The third thing I note is The third That our speciall and mayne enquiry shall be in this tryall about daily exercise and renewed practise of repentance at the Sacrament and not onely as repentance is taken for some penitent affection occasioned but as it is taken for that walking with God which consists in the duties of mortifyed and quickned obedience to God and men and that eyther in an ordinary course of innocency or in the case of some speciall revolt Before I handle the tryall of eyther the substance or the practise hereof Grounds of the point first Scripture I will ground the necessity
Whereas love is supporting and tender Gal. 6 1. 1 Cor. 8 10. chusing rather never to eate flesh than to offend the weake But some if their conceit bee crossed though never so mildly and with reason given yet with a prejudicate heart forestall their intentions suspect and shunne their persons and judge them instantly for refractary and opinionate Not remembring that so it hath ever beene and will bee in the Church that in some particulars which some allow others will streine and scruple and therefore such should be forborne and tendred so farre as may stand with the common peace Lastly and especially dissimulation 9. Dissimulation Rom. 12 9. 1 Iohn 3.18 Other vices seeme to teare the coate but this to stabbe the heart of communion Therefore Paul chargeth that love be without dissimulation let there bee no false brother who under colour of love should undermine his brother Paul also saith All have not faith hee meanes there fidelity to bee trusted sound to God and his brother 2 Thes 3 2. Such as can say to their brethren I am as thou art and my horses as thy horses I am weake in my love but sure and true 2 King 3 4. Whereas it is with many as it was with Ioabs sword It s sometime in and sometime out They are not true and constant in their love yea many their tongues are ready to jangle and their feete to carry tales against those whom they will seeme to love and honour belike hypocrites they speake faire words and their words are as smooth as oyle but their tongues are as swords and coales of Iuniper yea themselves as Ioab taking Abner and Amasa by the beard in great love and with the other hand shed their bowells to the earth 2 Sam. 20 10 These are some few of those many distempers which faith purgeth love from or rather them who professe to love By the which judge of the rest The third point is 3. Point reviving of love at Sacrament that this love is to bee revived at the Sacrament Hence it s called Sacramentall No winde of an Ordinance but bloweth good to love for all are more or lesse sanctified to this purpose Sweetely sayd the Psalmist Oh Psal 133 1. how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together Meaning that as cohabitation is a great improover of civill love so the house of God in which Gods weatherbeaten servants in this world doe meete together is a singular band and provoker of love When they consider one God Christ Spirit truth Eph. 4 5 6. one baptisme one Supper one hope one faith all which the Ordinances of word prayer and Sacraments doe exhibite oh how doe they conceive heate of love before these rods But above all the Sacrament of the Supper is ordeined for love So faith Paul The bread which wee breake 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and the wine which we drinke are not they our Communion with the body and blood of Christ And what of this Marke how hee inferres For wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread Many wheate Cornes and grapes doe not more partake of one loafe and cup of wine than the Receivers doe of one Christ So that next our partaking of him wee partake of each other and that under the most reall Symboles of Communion The Papists may in this teach us who when they have any villany which they would most combine and secret themselves in come to the Sacrament In this I grant basely that they stretch it to strengthen hellish communion But well if by it they did provoke themselves more to serve in love to bee faithfull and painefull for each other Psal 122.5 Therefore the Psalmist speaking of the union of the Church addes There are the thrones of discipline and assemblies of Religion as if they were the sinewes of it And who is hee that is not utterly debaucht whose heart hath not this instinct that the Supper is for love Vse having prevailed to call it The Communion Witnesse the Conscience of the worst though rotten who then count it a mayne thing to be at amity though it bee but while the day lasteth The 4. The forme Psal 122 4. The fourth point is the forme and essence of love That is Vnion Ierusalem is as a Citty compacted that is dwelling close noting that love takes all joynts and compacts them together Not onely them whom other bands of nature civilnesse or family hath linked but such as are otherwise strangers and farre off Hence the Prophet saith that under the Ghospell Esay 11 6. the lambe and the Lyon should seede together that is put off their contrariety and the little childe shall then put his finger into the hole of the Cockatrice So Paul Hee hath reduced or contracted all into one by his death Eph. 2.15 making peace and destroying enmity All both in heaven earth and under it being brought to a league either to love or not to feare each other Either so findes or makes one As the soule makes the body one by the band of the spirits so doth love make the members of this spirituall body one One soule one mind Act. 2.46 one heart one fellowshippe was in the Primitive Church yea even one wealth as then occasion required Note this then The being of love is union be there never such disproportion of particulars for yeeres gifts birth wealth place or mâ—nners yet this grace makes all unequalls equall and one There could not else bee such a sensiblenesse betweene the members such sympathy likenesse of minde of heart of course if this were not One spirit causes them though so farre off as England and America to be one Wee know a member cut off feeles no more the welfare or paine of the body But union causes each toe to be afflicted with the affliction of the legge thigh backe or head All are knit by the mediation of fit joints sinewes and bandes into one Ephe. 4.16 and therefore greeve or joy in each others greefe or welfare yea doe but cut off these Pipes of union and sensiblenesse and what becomes of that instinct which sends every member about the others businesse The foote to goe and the hand to worke for the good of the whole The fift point is the Act or exercise of love The fifth The Act. Col. 3.8 This stands partly in the negation of all opposite vicious dispositions as wrath crying bitternesse sullennesse envie rejoycing in the evill of others heartburning contention quarrels jealosies uncharitablenesse unmercifulnesse and the like of which I spake in the act of faith purging and partly in negative acts as occasion is offered For instance 1. Negative Iam. 5. ult hiding of a multitude of sinnes when they may bee hidden passing by offences both in word and deed concerning our name or goods so farre as may bee if necessity require that wee
God Reason 2 Secondly If the Lord onely found out his Sonne to be the foundation of this Covenant meant him sent him made him enabled him to ratifie it by the bloud of the Covenant accepted all this offers it seconds and assists it by his owne Spirit to make it effectuall Who can doubt that he onely is the Author of these Seales whereby this effectualnesse is convei'd Reason 3 Thirdly If he onely be the Author of blessing the word of promise to breede faith in the Covenant which is the lesser Who but hee shall breed the assurance of faith and the reflexion thereof upon the soule that it may know it selfe to beleeve Now how is this done ordinarily save by the seales If hee then be the Author of the lesser efficacie who but hee is the Author of the greater by the sealing Ordinance Reason 4 Fourthly If no externall blessing accompanying the Covenant for so the Lord was wont to perswade obedience Deut. 7. and Chap. 32. Deut. 7 32. Hos 2. Ezek. 33 c. can come from any other Author save the Lord as the blessings of raine dew plenty health long life successe Deut. 5.29 Deut. 5 29. and the like who shall dare usurpe the authority of Seales and Sacraments which are the most eminent annexes to the Covenant of all other Reason 5 Fifthly If the Lord Iesus himselfe was the onely stablisher of the Testament and Covenant by his death and bloud for without death no Legacy is of valour then who but himselfe shall make Sacraments which are in effect nothing else save the power of his life and death Reason 6 Sixthly If the Lord onely can authorise divers signes for the Sacraments as supr Chap. 2. if he onely can abrogate old ones if he one day shall abolish all old and new their nature and use as past use who but himselfe shall frame Sacraments It resting in one and the same power to make Lawes and to abolish them I conclude then that God alone is the Author of a Sacrament Conclus As indeed the Scripture doth witnesse The Lord only Gen. 17. Gen. 17. appointed Circumcision The same Lord Exod. 12. Exod. 12. ordained his Passeover the Lord extraordinarily gave commission from heaven to Iohn to appoint Baptisme Luke 3 1 2 3. Luke 22 18. and the Lord Iesus with his owne sacred presence and hands ordained the Supper before his death Seeing after his Resurrection he could not being partly an act of humiliation and so all Sacraments were given by the Lord in their severall kindes for their severall uses as in the next points shall appeare And to say the truth if it be once granted that the Lord is not the sole ordainer of Sacraments what a wide doore must of necessitie be set open for both usurping Ordainers and counterfeit Sacraments Where should the period be or why should not hundreths as well as three or five be admitted to the heape Vse 1 For use therefore hereof this teacheth us to abhorre all Sacraments which have not God and Christ for their ordainer If they cannot shew their pedigree in the Lords Genealogy Nehem. 7 63. nor be bookt in his Records nor have his stampe set upon them Math. 22 21. we say of them as our Saviour of the Penny Give unto Caesar that which is his So give to the Pope his Vnction throw him backe his Sacramentall Orders and Penance wee abhorre whatsoever savors not of God as copper coine Yea and we loath whatsoever of Gods first ordaining they by their abuse have corrupted namely as corrupted and seeing God and Christ never gave us a Sacrifice for a Sacrament wee abhorre to meddle with it as a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead and for their Baptisme we loath it also as administred by them as an horrrible defiling of Gods Ordinance professing to depart from their Sacraments both for their new inventions and for their adulteratings of the old and bidde them take them as their owne for now they have used them thus they are no longer Gods As for their distinction of Apostolicall and Divine we take what they grant if they be not Divine although an Angell from heaven did ordaine them wee should abhorre them How much more when their Pope or their Clergy or the body of their defiled Church For were their Church a chaste Spouse shee durst as well forsweare her husband as cast off subjection in embracing his Sacraments and usurping power to appoint other which is so farre beside her commission that she may as safely devise a new Covenant Scripture and Doctrine as doe it Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth us to esteeme so much the better of Gods Coyne as wee scorne the base stuffe of Popery Gods stampe upon the Sacrament should make it honourable and precious in our eyes If some civill ordinance hath honour in it because God hath put it upon it if marriage be so solemne if the Crowne of an earthly King be so sacred how holy is his Sacrament He who profanes it by sacrilegious adding detracting or profaning either by superstition or unprepared use shall finde God will not hold him guiltesse for taking his Name in vaine Wee delight when wee have any curious thing of a choise workeman to say It is a Picture of such a ones drawing It is a Musicall Lesson of such a ones setting a Watch of such a ones making How should Gods Master-peeces than affect us Not to over-prize them to keepe them in Pixes and under Canopies of gold but to preserve them in their spirituall integrity Vse 3 Thirdly it should teach us to behold them not in their outside but as they are in Gods ordination not the outside of a man which we see but the soule which is not seene is the man so not the outward thing but Gods Ordinance in it is the Sacrament Of which more in due place Vse 4 But Fourthly and especially seeing God is the Author of Sacraments let us be â—uled by him in the right manner of receiving them Looke what Iosia 2 King 21 23. 2 King 21 23. said to the people Keepe the Passeover to the Lord your God according to all that is in the Booke of the Covenant so heere I say Receive to the Lord be ruled by him in Preparation in action and the fruite of both It s onely in him that ordaines to order also and prescribe the due manner of using them Take we this item with us before wee come to the Doctrine of right receiving that it may set a spurre in our sides to quicken us to due preparation and using of them for he who gave them to his Church will most severely punish all ignoraâ—â— rash unbeleeving unrepentant uncharitable indifferent commers to his Sacraments and every such one stands to Gods Tribunal as we shall heare in due place Vse 5 Lastly let this point teach us to whom to goe for the spirituall life of faith
graces and Ordinances Another whereby he returnes from the people of God praises duties and acknowledgements Vse 1 The use whereof to the Minister is that he tremble to take upon him such a Person and service except well and truely warranted thereto by calling from God and the Church as one well qualified Mat. 6.23 If the eye be darke which should be the light of the body how great is that darkenesse If to dishonor the Profession of God be so horrible 1 Sam. 2 12. what is it as Hophni and Phinees did to make loathsome the very sacrifices themselves by a notorious debauchednesse of manners and life Will not God loathe such agents for him whose pure Angels are uncleane in his sight Iob 4 18. Oh! ye profane Idols Epicures malicious and hereticall avant from the presence of this holy God of Sacraments pollute not for so ye do as far as in you lieth the Sacramentalnesse and symbolicalnesse of the things of God by your unsutablenesse If Heathen Poets cry out against ye and bid ye get ye a farre off what shall the Lord doe who will be sanctified in all that come neere him Levit. 10 3. Remember Nadab and Abihu But a Question Question is what shall we doe in case of such an unavoyable Minister Is not the Sacrament a nullity so administred and is it not a thing unlawfull so to communicate I answer Answer That it were a thing much to be desired for our greater joy and comfort that hee who deales betwixt God and them in this kinde were a man without blemish and offence meet and apt Howbeit if all courses being used its unavoydable but we must fall upon others I affirme though the Ordinance be hereby much eclipsed in her beauty which the grace of the receiver ought to supply yet it is not thereby disanulled The pollutions of Ministry and Baptisme disanull not the Sacrament The grace of our Lord Iesus not being pinned to the sleeve of an unworthy man no more than a Sacraments consecration rests upon the present intention of the Priest whose mind may then intend some other thing but the grace and truth of the ordayner Objection If any object the Ministers person is as essentiall to the Sacrament as either the signes or the words of institution now if they be wanting the Sacrament is destroied I answer Answer The instance holds not For in these as there is more immediatenesse of being matter and forme being more essentiall than the instrument So also the error is generally curable it being as easie to appoint true Elements as well as counterfeit and to utter the true words of institution as well as false But not so in the Minister It being simply a thing impossible So to order it in any Church that all Ministers should be teaching and inoffensive And be it admitted that such error growes by the wilfull sinne of such as might avoid it yet its unreasonable the body of the Church suffering rather such an error with griefe than causing it by their act to cast such an aspersion vpon the Sacrament for the sinne of such men as it s not in our power to reforme In such a case wee are bound to behold such a Minister as in the place of him whom the Church if shee might intendes to be qualified and to looke up above him to God to preserve the honour and fruit of the Sacrament pure and inviolable If further it be objected How can that which is uncleane affoord cleanenesse to others I answer It s too great an ascribing to any Minister to set him in Gods roome or in Christs to conveigh cleannesse to the soule it s the Lord not a man who walkes in the midds of his people to cleanse them and our Saviour prayes Ier. 31 33. Iohn 17 17. Sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is truth He saith not Sanctifie them in the Minister Rather I would allude thus as a woodden pipe may affoord most pure water running through it so also the Lord can and may affoord to his people the purenesse of Christ and good of the Sacrament through a woodden as a golden pipe If lastly it be demanded But what if he cannot teach the Doctrine of the Covenant Is it not then unlawfull for us to receive the Seales from him I answer It is not lawfull for him to offer them But it s not our duty to reject the Sacrament for his cause Rather seeke instruction where it is to be had and then come and receive communicate not with his sinne nor be led by the blind least both fall into the ditch The acts of the Minister Now touching the Ministers acts in celebration consider that in them the Lord offers his Chrrist with all his good things to his Church The Lord Iesus baptised with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3 11. then when Iohn baptized with water Mat. 3.11 And this he doth while the Minister cleaves to the words of institution as God hath prescribed For when the Minister corrupts the forme the Sacrament is corrupted if he deface the words of instruction by any other of his owne the Sacrament begins to be his not the Lords Addition to the words of institution defiles but detraction from the words of instution destroyes the Sacrament Vse Teaching the Minister to beware of any boldnesse in this kinde least with the Papists hee spoile the Ordinance of a Sacrament And as concerning the acts themselves know this that by them the Lord conveyes to his people Iesus Christ They are and all his benefits It s he who by those acts doth impart the grace of the Sacrament as the Ministers imparts the Elements And those acts are 1. To teach the people the true nature and use of the Sacraments 2. To separate the Elements from common use to divine 3. To qualifie them by his sprinkling of the one and breaking and powring out the other which is the accommodation of them 4. To sanctifie them by the Word and prayer to become the channels and exhibiters of that which they resemble 5. To apply them duly to the parties who are the due objects thereof and that in speciall 6. To pray for blessings upon the administration of them 7. To be the mouth of the people to God as he hath beene the deputed instrument of God to convey to the people his grace even so to returne the peoples unfeined thankes to him againe for his faithfulnesse Now touching particulars the next two Chapters will better declare them in each Sacrament Here I onely speake generally of Sacramentall Agents Vse The use is That the Minister loooke carefully to himself not onely to the purenesse of his spirit but even of his outward man also Not to intermeddle with such sacred things with prophane mouth hands members not to approach to the Lord with light vaine irreverend behaviour but solemne and holy such as well becomes the holinesse of the things conveyed and
of thy selfe so be stript and empty of all good and grace in thy selfe feele in thy soule an utter absence of life of sence motion and power towards the inner man of grace Lie before the Lords Sacrament as a forlorne wretch Say thus If thy baptisme Lord be for my regeneration what am I without it A dead dogge a very lumpe and masse of sinne and curse utterly void of the least dramme of life savoring nothing but earth vanity lusts world pleasures a very slave to these and a very carcasse of all goodnesse and being of God Oh Lord strip me starke naked plucke off my mufflers shame me drive me out of my selfe as one poore miserable blind and naked This is the first worke of faith to put off the soules ragges and to void all conceit of life hope or grace in it selfe and to set it before the Lord as Adams red earth lay before him when he was to breathe the life of Creation into it Now the Lord is creating thee anew by his Sacrament Remember Creation is of nothing Baptisme never made new creature where it finds any thing of ones own Baptisme should then not create but rather draw somewhat out of our owne principles to make us somewhat to which we bring matter of our owne Oh! people come to the Sacrament full of their owne devotions and looke that God should make them new creatures of their owne stuffe this were to patch and soden our old not to create a new man in us Apply our selves to the Word Secondly being thus nothing in our selves apply wee our selves by the word to the worke of the Spirit of union Sacramentall bare poore empty water which hath in it selfe no Sacramentall substance yet by the vnion of the Spirit of Baptisme incloseth the Lord Iesus to regeneration in it If thou canst say water is not a more beggerly Element in the Sacrament without Christ than thy soule is emptie unsubsisting without regeneration Looke to the Lord by thy faith and pull hard at him for the Spirit of Baptisme to renew a life a spirit and being of pardon and holinesse in thee If while the word lasts and the Spirit of Baptisme endures even to the worlds end Christ and water shall never be sundred from the Sacrament Beleeve thou as firmely that Christ as water shall never be severed from thy poore soule that lies humbly before him destitute of all life in thy selfe and lost for ever except Christ be thy life and succour I say the Lord Iesus shall never be wanting to such a soule in the point of regeneration Plead then thy cause strongly with the Lord behold here is Christ in water What letteth why thou maist not be baptised Actâ— 8 16. as Philip said of the Eunuch Shall water ever lose her cleansing Were it not madnesse to thinke so And shall Iesus Christ then lose his power to cleanse the soule Hath hee not annexed his cleansing to waters cleansing Is it possible that all the divels in hell can dissolve the Sacramentall Vnion of Christ and water Oh Lord why is this Vnion and for what serves it Is it good for any thing save as it is Sacramentall Was it Christ before Is it Christ after No sure but during the Sacrament onely And why so Surely to teach me all this Vnion is for me Christ water serves for my soules washing He delights not to be one with a base Element for it selfe but that in and with a creature of a cleansing quality he might flow into my soule with his renewing Spirit Oh Lord I beleeve thy word Lord let thy Spirit convey thee with water into my soule Be it Oh Lord as thou hast said Separate not thy Spirit from thy Sacrament but give it the power of begetting mee to the life of faith and a new creature 3 Abhorre carnal reason Ioh. 3.9 Thirdly look off from all thy carnall reason and the sillinesse of the creature Say not with Nicodemus How shall this be Consult not with flesh and bloud cavill not 1 Ioh. 5 8. Mat. 3 ult aske no further signe thou hast three in heaven and three in earth bearing witnesse to Gods truth Water is one of these it is the instrument of the Spirit though it be on earth yet that is from heaven call not for a voyce from heaven the second time it s enough that in the Baptisme of Christ it as manifest Hold close to the Word and Promise Go teach and Baptize and lo Mat. 28 ult I am with you till the end Let all conceits of Reason vanish in the truth of God and when corruption hath done all it can yet roll thy selfe upon the promise and by the Perspective glasse thereof thou shalt see that grace in the Sacrament which else is invisible to flesh and covered under the ashes of unbeleefe Let all be quâ—sht with this My soule God hath said it I see nothing but water but there is Christ with water to regeneration Lastly cloze with the Spirit and meete it at the Sacrament 4 Close with the Spirit of the Sacrament If thou meete it not there it s because thou bringest not faith with thee for that is there for ever inseparably Grone in thy spirit unto the Spirit of Christ that thee may susteine thy bottomelesse heart in her desire after the grace of the Sacrament Say thus Oh blessed Spirit of Baptisme remember thou wert given by the Lord Iesus at his ascension for thy Church Ioh. 7.56.57 Now Christ is glorified Ioh 7 56 57 now let thy Spirit be given to bring the life of the Sacrament into mee Once when the world was a Chaos the Spirit of creation fostred and brooded the waters and brought forth order and matter for each part of the world Oh now come downe with thy fire and warme this water make it effectuall for the scattering of my darkenesse errour rebellion corruption Gen. 1 2. and the purging of old Adam the mortifying and consuming of my concupiscence and lusts And then travell againe with mee in this thy ordinance till Christ and the new creature be formed in mee Make mee thy off-spring Gal 4 19 and generation breede the thoughts affections and disposition of the new birth in me Oh make this fountaine â—nd laver blessed and fruitfull to be the seede of Christ in me Once thou didst so worke with Iordan that the washing of a Leper 1 King 5 12 caused his flesh to returne as the flesh of a child Take away my leprosie also Ioh. 5 3.4 and make me as a little child Once thy Angell so stirred the Poole that who so stept in next was healed of what disease soever he was sicke Oh stirre this poole also make it an healing water put into it the vertue of him that with a word spoken could cure all maladies Heale mine Lord by this poole if an Angell could heale a lame legge a blinde eye a deafe eare thy Spirit
it within or without No do What was all grace laid in one houre in your bosome Have ye no steppings in of Sathan flesh infidelity revolt had world to unsettle ye I will not judge you but judge your selves and enquire whether that sudden peace of yours be not rather such a one as savors of presumption or of a desire to be troubled no longer about the matter than solid and profound Feare the worst the best will save it selfe Tremble to thinke God should have an Ordinance in store which you stand in no neede of If it be so then such as neede it shall have it but you may misse it well enough Branch 3 To these I may adde another though better object of mourning whose hearts are afflicted enough for lacke of assurance but what with their selfe-loving rest in their complements and not going to the golden Scepter with Ester and what with their deapth of melancholy Ester 4.16 and 5 2. hardnesse to be perswaded as also their deepe bondage by unbeleefe they will not heare of such a possibilitie of sealing assurance but either thinke it a fable or farre from their reach and therefore set downe their staffe that if unbeleefe and staggering can doe it all their dayes must be miserable The Lord hath removed them farre from prosperitie and put out their light Oh Lam. 3.13 Deut. 32.6 unthankfull ones Doe ye thus requite the Lord for his Sacrament Is this your meditation application of the sealing power of it Is it too good for ye with Ahaz to receive a signe from God! Doe ye not neede it or Esay 7.12.13 are ye so saped in bondage and anguish that ye heed it not Why then yeeld ye purposely to it Why strive ye not to lay in for any grace which God hath for ye What service shall God have from ye without it If ye slight this comfort must ye not needs slight obedience If God should streighten ye in seeking it and hold ye off yet is there any such employment so precious as this Oh! poore soules if lamenting would doe you good what neede have ye of it Oh! consider and come out of your dungeon Tell me when our Adversaries the Papists laugh and scorne the Doctrine of assurance say its impossible doe you favour them Sure I am in your conscience and conversation ye are of another stampe and do ye not tremble that you should dwell next doore to such and fall into the same streame of their error 2 Pet. 3. ult Vse 2 Secondly let all humble ones that would follow the Lord in his Ordinance if by any meanes they might comprehend that for which they are comprehended of Christ admire and adore this bounty of God in his Sacrament Phil. 3 11 who so long since thy Baptisme when thou thoughtst no other but thou hadst beene forgotten yet hath remembred or offers to remember thee with the fruit of thy Baptisme who could have dreamt it Once Ioh. 13 7.8 9. when Peter heard Christ offer to wash him he told him he should never doe so meane an office to him But when our Saviour replied What I now doe thou knowest not but hereafter thou shalt know then hee changed his minde When the Lord gave thee Baptisme in thine infancie which was a pledge of further favor he shewed thee mercy But lo he had a deeper reach and in due time thou shouldst know it and now he offers it thee No Sacrament passeth thee but if thy heart and mind be matches he revives the print of thy Baptisme unto thee Oh! Why is not thy heart broken at it Lord I have lived loosely and basely this twenty thirty fortie yeares since thy baptizing me Shewing that I was not much the better for it And now shouldest thou at last send a showre to fetch up the seed of regeneration Iud. 14 14. from under this drie clod Out of the eater bring sweetnesse and create thy selfe in a wombe so old barren and past all hope of new birth Gen. 18.12 Sarah laughed the text saith when she heard of such newes But truly Lord my heart hath cause to rend in pieces to see such mercy Oh Lord I see with thee a thousand yeares are as one day 2 Pet. 3 8. Rom. 4 17. Thou callest things that are as if they were not Thirtie yeares of ignorance saped in the world carnall civill saples under the doâ—trine of thy Grace and Covenant it may be also a swearing drunken uncleane wretch to be sure a son of old Adam still an hypocrite and unbeleever Oh! shouldst thou now ere I die prevent hell for me and cause that word of Regeneration which never afforded any favor to me now to shew me that thy Sacrament fortie yeares since cast upon me hath not lost her strength and efficacy Oh Lord methinks now I see plainely why thou wert aforehand with me Even that I might be ashamed I should be so behind with thee That being on the surer hand I might ply thy Covenant the more earnestly Oh Lord if thou hadst not prevented me wth the grace of the Spirit I had slept in death and in thy livery lived and died a Traitor But now since thy Covenant hath entred into mee behold I see well thy Sacrament hath added some strength unto my unbeleeving heart and laying all thy dealing together I perceive thou meanest to heape hot coales of fire upon me that I might at leasure ere I goe to the pit and be no more seene know and feele that blessed use of Baptisme which I never saw Oh Lord I know there is a sealing power in it It s an annex to thy Covenant No sooner did that allure me to beleeve but thy Spirit joyned it selfe to me to second it to strengthen my fainting heart and then I saw If thou hadst meant to destroy me thou wouldst never have spent one cord upon me Iud. 13 23. But seeing thou meanest to save me all shall do me good promise Seale and so I have found it Lord and blesse thee in the view of such experience How many hundreds of my age education and fashion have quite given thee over in the covenant they made in Baptisme But now I doe adore and wonder at this unspeakable love of thine towards me Oh let it never be forgotten Vse 3 Thirdly let it teach thee to examine thy selfe about the truth of the sealing grace of the Spirit in thy Baptisme If the Seale be as large as the Patent to all uses and ends of it the way to trie thy selfe herein will bee this to examine thy self about the work of the word of Regeneration in thee If that have brought thee neere to thy birth lo here is the Spirit for thee to give strength for bringing thee forth to the light For Baptisme truly understood seales up all which the word hath bred in thee Deceive not thy selfe in thinking that the water alone will beget the to God No it
speech The Lord is my portion thou shalt maintaine my lot and my chance Christ is able to uphold his owne worke and the portion which hee hath in his As Iohn 17. Iohn 17 11. he prayed for it Father keepe them in thy Name so hee can doe it and of his fulnesse they receive grace for grace Iohn 1 17. Iohn 6 55. His flesh is meate indeede and his bloud drinke indeede it s a seene upon their faces and runnes in their veines it puts sappe and vigor of joy peace and hope into them and will not suffer them to looke worse and worse as it s said Dan. 1. Dan. 1.15 That the pulse they eate by the blessing of God made them looke as well and fresh at seven dayes end as if they had eaten the Kings fare How much more then shall the Kings diet doe it Gods servants neede not forsake his house and fare for the diet of the world joviall bold wanton libertines and timeservers the Lord hath better fare than so for them He counts it a dishonor to his housekeeping to see any of his to looke meager or evill-favoured And therefore looke what grace he hath put into them he upholds it in them by his diet by his flesh by his bloud So that they have the true Spirit of nourishment in them they doe not coole in their love through the abundance of iniquity they are not pulled from their stedfastnesse by the errour of the wicked they doe not decline in their zeale love affections judgement savor by the malice of Satan the corruption of their owne spirits the examples of formall and temporizing ones they leave them to themselves and looke to what they once received and to him they have once betrusted themselves with and from his nourishment they finde themselves to be enabled to keepe the good things they have swet for as a Iohn 8. 2 Iohn 8. which in so bad and degenerate world as this is no small portion The second degree Growth in grace The 2. degree of Christs Sacramentall influence is growth And this still argues more prosperitie of soule and that their nourishment doth them good Wee see it in the creatures and bodies of men health wil cause growth by the constant use of nourishment And this is when not onely the soule holds even termes with the Lord What it is Esay 63.3 4. but outstrips her self as a tree of righteousnesse shouts forth her branches and as the willowes by the waters doe every yeare grow in length thicknesse and tallnesse that they doe not onely not wanze and wither but get still and grow bigger and bigger So it is with a true prospering soule Phil. 3 13. He lookes not behind him what he hath beene is not weary of health and welfare waxeth not resty lazie carelesse and standing at a stay as who say I have held long enough and abode the heat of the day Let hypocrites who stand upon their own bottome keep a measure of their own within them doe so These are in another stocke planted by the hand of the Lord Iesus into himselfe and therefore looke what the seede is of which they were borne Luke 2. ult the like is the pitch they aspire to they looke still forward to that which is before aiming at the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In whom Ephe. 4.16 Ephes 4. the whole body fitly joyned and compact according to the effectuall working of Christ in each part maketh encrease of it selfe till Verse 13. it grow to a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ So that looke what dimensions are in Christ what his length depth and bredth is Ephes 3 16. that in proportion the soule united to him by his Spirit doth covet and seeke after by a kinde of holy instinct and never thinkes her selfe to prosper and to be in good case till she thrive and grow in grace and although she mourne for insensiblenesse in this kinde and that any outward growth is more discerned than this yet she rejoyces that she hath some secret motions in her that way Psal 101 3. that as shee loathes to cleave to such as decline and wax dead so she abhorres also to stand still luskishly lazily wearisomely in the way and worke of Christ Therefore sweetly Peter 2 Epist last Chap. and the end joynes these two to hold our owne not to be pulled from our steadfastnesse with growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus And to the end she may doe thus The Lord Iesus can doe these how 1 By himselfe she beholds him into whom she is ingrafâ—ed from his stocke she drawes juyce and moysture continually She doth not onely behold his flesh and humanity how that grew in stature or at his example how he by the assistance of his godhead grew in grace with God and favour with men although these be sweet helpes but she beholds the Mediatorship and unction of the Lord Iesus Heb. 1 9. how by the unction of his flesh with God he was sanctified for his Church and her use how all his obedience and growth in it was not for himselfe but for his beleeving ones that they might grow up in more meekenesse humblenesse brokennesse of heart mercy love patience holy example more in quality of graces that they might be more purged from the uncleanenesse of their owne spirit and be more pure and savory more in the quantity and measure of them that as a little did some good and went a little way so more may doe more and goe a farre greater give more light seeme more beautifull afford more savor beare downe an ungracious world more powerfully and witnesse more sweetly to their owne heart the truth of Regeneration than ever By his Sacrament And to helpe themselves herein they apply themselves to the Ordinances of Christ not onely to the word that they might grow thereby But to the Sacrament of the Supper especially being the especiall helpe appointed to this onely end to bring the Lord Iesus into the soule for her nourishment and growing in grace So that needs it must be that this growing in grace which a poore soule seekes is one of the most especiall fruits of Christ in the Supper and Baptisme doth not more truly assure her of Regeneration than the body of the Lord Iesus and his bloud in the Sacrament doth assure her of her groth in grace Matth. 13.8 Such as the seed is such is the crop wheate brings forth twentie thirtie or sixtie fold it still of wheate even so the food of Christ which is heavenly and holy for the flesh profits nothing nor the bloud although one had dranke it under the crosse Iohn 6.63 it s the Spirit onely which quickneth and was given for the breeding and nourishing the soule in grace it breeds an heavenly groth and a spirituall
Passeover whereto this succeeds It s manifest by the Scripture that there was speciall Preparation of them that ate the Pascal Lamb. For not only the Lord required the Lamb it selfe to be weaned off from the damme 4 dayes to teach the people in all that space to weane themselves from those sweet breasts of their worldly delights and lawfull liberties but he required them also to keepe another feast of unleavened bread seaven dayes wherein all leaven whatsoever was to be swept out from their houses and Sacrifices to be offered for expiation of sinne and uncleanenesse that so they might not come polluted to the Passeover And those two Passeovers of Hezekia Iosijah prove it 2 Chro. 20. 2 Chro. 23. where speciall charge is given to the Levites and people to sanctifie themselves and each other although for the speedinesse of receiving there could not be such legall clensing as the Law required and so also the people and the King first purged out Idols and defaced their groves and abandoned all will-worship ere they came to the Passeover What betokened this save the triall of their spirits much more purging out all Idols of the heart sweeping out the leaven of corruption from within without which the other had beene bootlesse Therefore Paul in that place doth presse the same though not Sacramentally yet universally saying Let us therefore keepe the feast 1 Cor. 5.7 8. not with old leaven of malice and mickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and truth Why Because Christ is our Passeover who is sacrificed for us q.d. Let not us be behind hand in our feast and spirituall Pascall Lambe to those that ate the old Passeover If they might not eate it with leaven with any pollution of flesh as of Leprosie touching of the dead or the like ceremoniall defilement how much lesse wee with our reall and spiriturall leaven and uncleanenesse of soule Vse of it To adde a word or two of use to this for I leave the reasons to the last point this I say Instruct That its well that we have an expresse charge from God for this triall Else the world is full of curious heads and profane hearts to outface and outwrangle the Ordinance Men have no joy to such a taske as they feele to pinch their spirits and presse upon them any power of practise and therefore although they are ready to cast the cords and breake the bands of the most convinced truths yet the more mannerly way is to question the charge it selfe And hence are those usuall interrogatories How prove you that any man hath to doe with mee when I come to the Sacrament Or how proove you that Paul speakes to us as well as the Corinthians to try our selves Or how can you proove that I am bound to sanctifie the seventh day from the Creation for a Sabbath Or how know yee that God will have us preach and heare twice upon the Sabboth in publique Or that a man is bound to pray by himselfe or twice a day in his family Or that it is against nature for a man to weare long haire Or for a woman to bee shorne Profanenesse of mens wits And to these might I adde a thousand other scrutinies of a base and profane heart willing to overthrow all such strictnesse as it selfe distasts and loth to beleeve or informe it selfe of any thing which it is loth to do The truth is never did Satan so obscure those maine truths of the Scripture in Popish darke times by turning all into curious queres of things lesse pertinent as now he doth in this light of the Gospell seeke to alay and disanull the power of truths by profane cavillation But I say still both to the one and to the other It s well that God hath so punctually declared himselfe in his Word as hee hath All that are not wickedly nice and curious will rather yeeld to those probable deductions from Scripture which arise by consequent for the beating downe of our own base spirits and rejoyce in so doing because they argue for God than whet their leude and prejudicate wits and spirits upon the divels whetstone to cavill against truths received nibling here at one and there another till they have defaced their beautie and grace and so exposed them to the utter contempt of themselves and others Stop your mouthes therefore oh ye carpers at Gods precise rules and play not the Proctors for the divell against God least he pay you your fees little to your content Stoope rather to the Lords Canon in all things And you to whom this yoke of triall at the Sacrament is so heavie consider the Lord will not lessen or lighten it for your sake labour ye to be eased of the divels yoke of a profane carnall heart and turne your swords into mattockes deny your selves get the Lord to change your minds and wills that so his yoke may become sweete unto you And as the Prophet tels those Cavillers who asked him Why may not we goe to good Witches about our cattell Esay 8.20 or things lost c. Goe saith he to the Law and to the Testomony let that be your touchstone that wil abandon both all will-worship on the right hand and all profanenesse on the left If these give ye no allowance know there is no wisdome in your witchcrafts nor in your cavilling defences So here say I Goe to the charge of God that will convince both Popish triall and tell you that there is no Religion either in fasting before the Sacrament although I do advise no man to eat nor in not spitting at the Sacrament that much more wil confute all profane contempt of triall of our selves let God speake and let all men be liers both left hand profanenesse and right hand superstition must fall before the Ordinance Oh! if men be so busie against the practise of goodnesse when there is a rule to controwle them what companions would they bee if wee wanted it Howbeit even by this they shew that the dutie is divine because else their cursed spirit would never so fight against it Thus much of the fifth point The sixth and last branch is Generall 6. what it is what is that due triall which God requireth of every true Communicant and in what things doth it consist I answer Due and true Triall standeth either in the properties thereof to qualifie it aright or in the object therof that is the things to be be tried Concerning which first I will lay downe some reasons why the Lord requires this triall in both respects Then secondly I will lay downe the due properties or manner of triall And so with the use of the generall doctrine I will finish this Chapter and in those that follow God willing I shall handle the severall objects to be tried in their order one after another The Reasons are these three Reason 1 First the plaine charge of God importeth it For the word here
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