manifestation of himself to his Saints In this Sanctuary is the Golden Pot of Manna even an abundant fulness of Divine Joy whose sweetness is incorruptible and everlasting yea here is Aarons Rod which being withered after budded flowred and brought forth ripe Almonds that is the dead bodies of Gods Saints raised to life are cloathed with immortality and glory Or further By the Tabernacle and Sanctuary was represented not onely the Mystical but also the Natural Body of Christ not onely his Church but also himself He the Ark of the Testament as the Word of the Father placed in the Tabernacle as cloathed with flesh He the Table of Shew-bread as our Life and Food in the Eucharist he the Candlestick as our Spiritual Light he the Incense in the sweet savor of his Merits he the Sacrifice in the sufferings of his Cross he the Altar in the efficacy of his Mediation by which ouâ— persons and our Prayers our selves and our services become accepted of the Father Further yet The Tabernacle and Sanctuary was a Map of the Universe the greater World and of Man the lesser World 1. A Map of the Universe the greater World the outward Court representing the outmost Creation the holy Place the Church of Christ and the Holy of Holies the Heavenly Presence 2. A Map of Man the lesser World consisting of Body Soul and Spirit the outward Court that 's the Body 1 Thess 5.23 the inward Tabernacle that 's the Soul and the holy Sanctuary that 's the Spirit by which Spirit we have our communion yea and our communication too with our God And well may the Temple of God be compared unto man 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.16 seeing man so often in Scripture is called The Temple of God Now how well might David in all these Representations of the Sanctuary contemplate a Beauty and that Beauty divine even the Beauty of the Lord No wonder then if David be so importunate in his suit to have his dwelling in so pleasant a seat as the House of the Lord an Habitation which hath Heaven for its prospect the beauty of the Lord for the object of the eye and delight of the Soul But however David doth behold the beauty of the Lord in the Sanctuary yet where is that beauty in our Churches what is that glory of his presence as may denominate them his Houses Why see it in our Churches sacred Liturgy both as to the decency and order of her daily Service and Sacramental Administrations First As to the decency and order of her daily Service There being nothing in Devotion nothing in Doctrine nothing in Substance nothing in Circumstance but what Gods Word either explicitely commands or implicitely allows O lovely Order of holy Worship right a form of Divine Service as being a continued Exercise of all the parts of holy Worship taking up the whole minde and soul of the Spiritual man In this Divine service the Church by an orderly progress of Piety and performance of Devotion sometimes makes confession of sin sometimes deprecations of wrath sometimes Petitions of mercy sometimes intercessions for all men even all estates and conditions of men whatsoever from the highest Prince to the meanest Peasant from the holiest Saint to the vilest sinners Turks and Infidels not excepted Yea in this Form of Divine service and Publick worship see how the Church of Christ doth sometimes adore Gods sacred Majesty sometimes extol his glorious attributes sometimes commemorate his famous acts sometimes recount his gracious blessings sometimes denounce his severe judgments sometimes declare his Fatherly promises sometimes set forth his heavenly praises Sometimes the Church makes profession of her Faith sometimes she publisheth the commands of her God sometimes she is humbled in larger yet not long winded supplications sometimes she is exercised in shorter yet piercing and pathetical ejaculations All which hang together not as mens extemporary non-sense like ropes of Sand but in an orderly composure like a chain of Gold one part still linkt within another to become a fit ornament to set off the Churches beauty whereby she is the more comely and fair in the eyes of her beloved Secondly View we the Beauty of holy Worship in the Churches Publick Administrations to instance in that one of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist O how does Divine Order Reverence and Devotion mutually contend which shall give greatest lustre to the Beauty of this solemnity First the judgment is rightly informed from sacred Scripture in the Mysteries of that blessed Sacrament And the judgment being rightly informed by instruction the affections are divinely raised by exhortation set on with that perswasive argument and inforcing motive the riches of grace and promises of life which God hath vouchsafed unto his chosen through Christ This done the Church proceeds to an oral confession of sins and upon that a Ministerial absolution of the penitent and after with heart and hands and eyes lift up to Heaven all joyn together in the devout Harmony of Prayers and Praises Then the Faithful Pastor of the Flock having offered unto God the Sacrifice of his own Rev. 8.3 and others Devotion ascending up before the Throne of Grace as sacred Odors made acceptable through the Incense of Christs merits he proceeds with fear and reverence to the Consecration of the Sacramental Elements and how is this why observe It is with a most pathetical commemoration of Gods love of Christs passion and of mans redemption yea with an obediential and Eucharistical acknowledgement of Christs holy Institution with the Order and End of the blessed Sacrament Upon which is pronounced the Word of blessing with Prayer consecrating the Bread and Wine to be the Sacramental signs and seal of Christs Body and Blood The Consecration ended View we the Administration in which the dearest pledges of Divine love are delivered with a Summary Recapitulation of the whole Sacraments mystery That so the Soul of the receiver may have a present impression of renewed Devotion in the very act of receiving This Ministration being performed the close of the whole service is applicatory of the whole solemnity in most devout and pathetical Prayers with Heavenly and Evangelical praises which being ended the Congregation is dismist with a Ministerial Benediction Now ex pede Herculem know ye the Eagle by its Feather the Diamond by its spark the excellency of the Churches Liturgy by this one part of her Publick service the solemnity of the Eucharist of which Sacraments administring I may say what St. Paul said of the Corinthians prophesying 1 Cor. 14.25 That if an unbeliever or any one except a pertinacious Separatist come into the Congregation of Gods people while they are exercised in this solemn service of Divine Order Reverence and Devotion he will be ready to fall down upon his face and worship God reporting that God is in them of a truth I may confidently affirm That so lovely is the Beauty of the Churches Order
THE PREACHERS Tripartite IN THREE BOOKS THE FIRST To raise DEVOTION in Divine Meditations upon PSALM XXV THE SECOND To Administer COMFORT by Conference with the Soul in particular Cases of Conscience THE THIRD To establish TRUTH and PEACE in several Sermons Against the present Heresies and Schisms By R. Mossom Preacher of Gods Word late at St. Peters Pauls-wharf London Quondam è Col. S. P. C. S. Aug. Hom. 28. in Ezek. 3.19 Si me non audierîtis tamen ego non tacuero liberabo animam meam sed nolo salvus esse sine vobis LONDON Printed by Thomas Newcomb and are to be sold in St. Pauls Church-yard at the sign of the Bible on Ludgate-hill and in Fleet-street 1657. To the Right Honorable KATHERINE Countess of PEMBROKE c. Together with her truly Noble Sister THE LADY MARY SOANDES As dear in affection as near in blood The Ornament of their Sex and Name AND To the true Exemplars of Piety Honor and Faithfulness whether of Nobility Gentry Ministry or Citizens Late Auditors and Communicants at the preaching of the Word and ministration of the Eucharist At S. PETERS Robert Mossom Dedicates the ensuing MEDITATIONS which conceiv'd in the Closet have had their Birth from the Pulpit and being now grown up to the Press they take heart to travel the World under so just a Patronage and Protection AND The same holy Spirit of Truth which accompanied them to the ear and the heart of each reverent Auditor bless them also to the eye and the soul of every ingenuous Reader For a sustaining with grace in the present Warfare and a crowning with glory in the future Triumph of Christs holy Church Amen TO THE Ingenuous Readers BEcause just Promises are due Debts I acknowledge my self a Debtor to the Church by promise under mine hand for the Second Part of my Sions Prospect which if they who importune me by their desires assist me with their prayers I doubt not by Gods blessing to perfect notwithstanding the encumbrances to retard and difficulties to discourage Indeed did not my Ministerial service unexpected when I past my word engage what time of the Night I might spare from my necessary rest and my School-employment take up what time of the Day I could spare from my Family-charge I had not run into so great arrears in being so long behind-hand with so just a debt Yet now with that honest though necessitated person in the Parable I plead a Patientiam habete Have patience with me and I will pay you all and till I can pay the Principal accept the Interest These Treatises and Sermons a part of my Five years Service which by a good hand of Providence amidst all the variety of Secular changes I did continue in a plenary discharge of all Ministerial duties according to the legally established viz. Ab Ann 1650. ad Ann. 1652. and ever piously to be esteemed Order of the Churches Liturgy And when I was forc'd from any longer Ministry at S. Peters I may say with confidence a Congregation was dissolved which for reverence charity and devotion was not outvied if parallel'd by any in the World For their sakes especially that they may the better call to mind what they have heard and so the more fully practise what they have been taught I here publish to the eye those Instructions I once delivered to the ear And what many of mine Auditory have importuned me for in a Transcript I here present them with advantage by an Impression viz. Those Divine Meditations which once warm'd their hearts with a devout fervor when Communicants in the monthly ministration of the blessed Eucharist Also those Choice Cordials which refresht their Souls with a chearing vigor when Combatants in the Christian warfare of their Spiritual Conflicts Lastly See our Contests with Heresie and Schism in zeal not so much to confute the Adversary as to confirm the Orthodox confirm them even in Truth and Holiness In which Contests it is not the Bays but the Olive not victory but peace even the peace of Jerusalem which is the aim and end of my Preaching and God who is the Searcher of hearts will bear witness to the sincerity of this profession I know well what I publish in Print will find a Critical Comment and censorious Paraphrase from some but if I may benefit the souls of Gods suffering Saints I am not careful to stop the mouth or smooth the brow of a clamorous or supercilious censure I will not fear it worse nor expect it better in the whole Volume then in a large Vineyard that there be tà m uvae quà m labruscae some clusters of sound and sweet grapes which have their full blood and true spiritual vigor though withall some of lighter digestion not so happy in their soil or sun and therefore not ripened to so divine a maturity and sweetness Neither am I ignorant or unexperienc'd how much less the mind is affected with reading then with hearing even by how much a Preacher in the particular gift of utterance is the more master of his tongue then pen and so can speak much more piercingly to the eye as an Orator then as a Scribe But what my Pulpit-conceptions do lose by the Press as to their affecting heat I hope they will have repair'd them by their informing light the Judgment being more thorowly convinced by a frequent perusal then a single delivery Whatsoever then you meet with of a devout vigor and solid nourishment receive it as from the Store-house of Heaven and only ministred by my hand it is wholly God's and yours But whatsoever is flat or crude weak and indigested that 's all mine own it 's like my self and I shall not refuse though blush to father it Accept the former and excuse the latter And as in that I shall further your Piety so in this do you express your Charity the charity of a fair construction considering my busie and distracting charge of a School-Tuition in which I am still engag'd and I bless God I am so as well to get subsistence as employ my talent This troublesom Task may well plead a favorable interpretation Which yet is not all the kindness I crave your Prayers I sue for viz. That God will make me farther serviceable to his Church and you whose I am in the strictest bond of love and heartiest zeal of devotion From my House near Black-Friers over agrinst the Old-Wardrobe Pridiè Nonar Febr. 1657. Robert Mossom Divine Meditations UPON PSALM XXV THE INTRODUCTION § 1. WEll might David be called the sweet Singer of Israel â— Sam. 23.1 Non minus vivendi genere quà m canendi juavitate immortaâ—em Deo sui fudisse Cantilenam dicit S Ambr. lib. de offic c. 22. whose Heart was more divinely musical then his Harp and the harmony of whose devout Soul did outvie that of his composed Song His whole life what was it but a continued Antheme His several failings through the indulgent mercy of his
embraces of thy love and comforts of thy Spirit unto thee that thy thorns may be my crown thy blood my balsom thy curse my blessing thy death my life Coloss 3.3 thy cross my triumph Thus is my life hid with Christ in God and if so then where should be my soul but where is my life And therefore unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul § 4. I lift up my soul unto thee at thy Table who hast been thy self lift up for me on thy Cross thou hast been lift up for me in a propitiatory sacrifice and therefore I here offer my self to thee in a gratulatory oblation Is◠53.10 thou madest thy soul an offering for sin and here I make my soul an offering of thankfulness In this Eucharist then accept my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mine oblation of praise and thanksgiving in which O Lord it is that I lift up my soul unto thee § 5. Unto thee O Lord thy flesh thy blood not unto the outward elements the bread the wine unto thee and thy fulness as the inward grace not unto thee and their use as the outward sign My soul dwells not on those earthly symbols but by them as by a ladder it ascends and lifts up it self unto thy heavenly riches And thus whilst my body feeds on consecrated food oh let my soul be filled with thy consecrating fulness whilst my body tastes their wholsom sweetness let my soul be satisfied with thy saving goodness And to this end it is that unto thee O Lord I lift up my soul § 6. Unto thee O Lord Oh make good thy name of Lord unto me as Lord rebuke Satan and restrain all earthly and carnal affections that they do not once dare to whisper a temptation to my soul a distraction to my thoughts whilst I am in communion with thee in prayer at thine holy ordinance Do thou as Lord rule me by thy grace govern me by thy Spirit defend me by thy power and crown me with thy salvation Thou Lord the Preserver of heaven and earth thou openest thine hand Psal 145.16 and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Oh open now thine hand thy bosom thy bounty thy love and satisfie the desires of my longing soul which I here lift up unto thee § 7. Thou Lord givest bread to man from the earth thou gavest Manna to Israel from heaven give oh give thy self unto me in this Sacrament as the true bread the heavenly Manna the life-giving food of thy Church Thou Lord art now reigning in heaven oh do thou now also set up thy throne in my heart Thou art exalted in heavenly glory oh manifest thy self in thy gracious presence In thy heavenly glory thou art the joy of holy Angels and blessed Saints in thy gracious presence be thou now the reviving of devout souls and humble Penitents O my love my joy my Jesus my Lord be thou present with me in thy Sacrament present more then by inspiration and make me present with thee and that more then by meditation even lift up my soul unto thee in a spiritual real and eternal communion § 8. Oh how does this blessed Sacrament add wings to devout souls and wrap them up with S. Paul unto the third heaven 2 Cor. 1◠2 in an extasie of contemplation and love And what shall my soul now lie groveling on the earth hiding it self with Saul amongst the stuff 1 Sam. 10.22 clogg'd and deprest with worldly thoughts with earthly and carnal affections No it may not it must not Christ is risen Col. 3.1 and therefore sursum corda my heart my spirit that shall rise too and seek those things which are above even unto thee O Lord my Jesus do I lift up my soul § 9. My soul but how shall I call it mine seeing it is thine thine by purchase thine having bought it with thy blood yea is it not thy Spouse whom thou hast wedded to thy self by thy Spirit through faith And is not this holy Sacrament the Marriage-feast If so sure then my Jesus I was lost in my self till found in thee and therefore my soul is now and not till now truly mine in being wholly thine so that I can say with confidence I lift up my soul unto thee § 10. I lift up Oh the load of my sins the burden of my flesh so heavy that I cannot of my self lift up my head how shall I then lift up my soul Wherefore O my Savior do thou add thy strength to my weakness thy supporting grace to my fainting spirit and then I will run after thee and lift up not onely my hands but my heart not onely my eies but my soul unto thee § 11. My soul For it is not indeed the eye or the tongue or the hand or the knee but the soul which makes the acceptable service in prayer and praises unto God the devotion of the soul that is the very soul of devotion Wherefore that I may present my self a living sacrifice at Christs table Rom. 12.1 my best part shall be my first oblation and therefore in the very preparation and entrance of this sacred solemnity See O see unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Vers 2 3. O my God I trust in thee let me not be ashamed let not mine enemies triumph over me yea let none that wait on thee be ashamed let them be ashamed which transgress without cause § 1. O My God I trust in thee c. My prayer O Lord is founded upon faith my faith upon thy promises so that because thou art my God therefore I trust in thee yea because I trust in thee therefore thou art my God My God otherwise O Christ thou wert not my Jesus but O my Jesus who savest me by thy blood Gal. 3 1. in this thy Sacrament thou art set forth crucified and I behold thy wounds from whence by the hand of faith I pluck forth these comfortable words of life My Lord and my God Joh. 20 28. § 2. My God mine for thou hast partook of my humane nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and thou hast made me to partake of thy divine nature thou hast taken upon thee my flesh and thou hast communicated unto me of thy Spirit yea in this thy Sacrament thou communicates body and blood flesh and spirit thy whole Manhood yea thy very Godhead too thy whole self as Mediator therefore thou art my God and I trust in thee § 3. I trust in thee to make good my right to the Covenant of Grace to make good my claim to the heavenly inheritance yea even to make good my communion with thee in all thy fulness a communion so firm that the Bread and Wine I eat and drink is not more really my food then thou my Jesus in whom I beleeve and trust art my God And for this so great a blessing of thy love for this so great a benefit of thy grace it is
on when all temporal supplies fail and all humane help is gone then does the religious heart see a fulness and allsufficiencie in its God 2 Cor 3.5 9.8 To put our trust in God is an act and exercise of faith whereby we take our souls off from all carnal and worldly props and devolve them upon God through Christ to obtain present support and future salvation And we thus devolve our souls upon God through Christ in his Word of promise and in his Works of providence 1 In his Word of promise without which neither the goodness of God nor the fulness of Christ would administer firm rest and solid comfort to the soul of man for that we can no further extend our faith then God reveals his will nor draw our line of hope beyond his rule of promise 2 Cor. 1.20 § 9. Now the sure foundation of all the promises is the love of God in Christ So that in their nature they are free and gracious in their vertue quickening and purifying in their value rich and precious Yea the all-glorious Majesty in a gracious condescendment of mercy hath obliged himself unto his creature He hath past his word not only promissory but also federal He hath made his word a word of promise his promise the promise of a covenant his covenant a covenant confirmed by oath that oath and covenant sealed with blood even the blood of the Lamb yea of the Son of God and that word promise covenant oath blood and all we have confirmed yea sealed over again in the blessed Sacrament And wherefore is all this but that with David we may with the greater confidence of faith put our trust in him 2 His works of providence Jer. 23.24 in which he is powerfully present by an immediate and intimate operation at all times and in all places with all things § 10. For that God does not do with the World as the Workman with a Watch that is when by the divine art of his all-powerful hand he hath finished each wheel and fitted each part then to winde it up by a Law of Nature and set it by him to observe how the time spends how the ages pass no Gods providence is not a bare and naked view but an actual and efficacious administration so that rather he does with the World as David with his Harp when artificially made and accurately strung he tunes the Creatures as so many strings unto an unisone consent of divine harmony by an obediential power to his holy will And then by his hand of providence he strikes each string in its due place whereby it hath a particular Note in the universal Melody of the Worlds Hallelujah Ps 103.22 § 11. Now our trust in God as to his works of providence is an act of faith eyeing that infinite power and wisdom whereby he preserves and governs all things in order to his glorious mercy and justice And hence it is that no extremity of danger or of distress can nonplus the Saints faith in establishing their trust because they know nothing can pose Gods wisdom Jer. 32.17 27. or puzzle his power to accomplish their deliverance for that either by an absolute power he can create succors out of nothing or by a wonderful wisdom of his providence he can bring light out of darkness Isa 45.5.7 comforts out of discomforts life out of death salvation out of destruction As in the Red sea he can make the swelling waves a fencing wall Exod. 14.22 and the swallowing Deep a Champian plain In the fiery furnace Dan. 3.25 Jon. 2.10 he can make the consuming flames a refreshing heat and in the raging Ocean a devouring Whale a safe Port. This this the wisdom and power of his providence Isa 28.29 who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working § 12. Now that God doth work oftentimes without means and oftentimes against means it is to teach us to trust in him even when we see no means for that hereby as God declares his soveraignty so does he exercise our dependance and encourage our faith encourage I say our faith this being the chief Basis of all our comfort that Gods powerful providence serves his gracious purpose even his purpose in Christ of saving us Rom. 8.28 so that all things work together for good to them that fear him all things all gifts and graces all blessings and benefits yea all crosses and calamities all afflictions and persecutions and to go further all their infirmities and failings Satan and his instruments all are awed and ordered all are overswayed and overruled by the wisdom and power of Gods providence to further his intendment of grace and love unto his Saints § 13. Thus faith overlooks the Creatures and fixeth it self purely and perfectly wholly and solely upon the Creator And this is the reason that in all changes in all extremities in the deepest of the worlds distress and of worldly mens despair the Saint and Servant of God he hath his heart fixed trusting in the Lord trusting in him Ps 112.7 in his word of promise and in his works of providence Wherefore now O God let the mercy and truth of thy promise let the wisdom and power of thy providence attract the force and quicken the vigor of my faith that when I see nothing in the Creature for temporal safety nothing in my self for eternal salvation I may then see all things in thee and thy Christ for both And thus shall my faith be the more pure and firm and thy glory the more perfect and full § 14. Wherefore make we God the object of our trust Isa 12.2 26 4. Exod. 34.6 7. God the great Jehovah who hath his being from himself and himself gives being unto all things He a God gracious and merciful just and holy powerful and wise wonderful and glorious and that which is incommunicable even to the best of creatures he is eternally infinitely and immutably such God alone then is the fit object of our trust earthly objects have no proportion with the heavenly soul As soon may the chest be filled with grace as the heart be satisfied with wealth and assoon may we fat the belly with â—ir as fill the soul with honor Indeed we may not trust in the Creature which is none otherwise good then in not being trusted in Nothing we say can act beyond its sphere what then can outward comforts of the world do to solace spiritual griefs of the soul § 15. Yea look we inward to the gifts of Nature and those streams we find can ascend no higher then their Spring-head and as for the gifts of Grace take the whole New creature yet it is but a creature and therefore no fit object of our trust God alone then who is the Author of our life is fit to be the object of our trust as being the fountain and fulness of all our comfort and strength all our grace and
from an impulse of love as a delight I make mine Obedience a legal debt not a free-will offering a necessitated service aw'd with fear not an Eucharistical sacrifice mov'd with love Yea I am not what I was in stead of improving my Talent of Grace I have forsaken my first love I am not at all ready and cheerful willing and constant in holy duties as formerly so that I fear I have received the grace of God in vain Time was when with David I made Gods Word my portion and heritage gold and silver not so precious liberty and life not so dear mine heart seem'd then to be fill'd with God and with Christ holy services were so sweet to my soul that I counted my very work wages But oh now my delightful Paradise is turn'd into a barren Wilderness holy duties and religious performances they are as the ways of thorns and briars even wearisom and unpleasant paths and oh how can I then believe God accepts my person in Christ when I feel no quickenings of his Spirit in an holy life The Grounds of Comfort 1. It is the wise dispensation of our gracious God sometimes to suffer our devotion to decay and our corruptions to prevail on purpose to advance the dignity and discover the necessity of his grace Joh. 15.5 that so knowing our dependance we may become the more sincere in our obedience and being humbled in the sense of our own emptiness and vanity we may be the more intent upon the fulness of his Alsufficiencie The goodliest fabrick of an holy life Phil. 4.13 Jud. 24 25. if God withdraw the props and pillars of his supporting and strengthening grace how will it soon shake and sink and fall to ruine If David then be continually with God it is because God holds him by his right hand Ps 73.23 As it was grace which wrought effectually to our conversion and regeneration so it is grace that worketh still in the like efficacie to our further sanctification and final perseverance And therefore it is Davids prayer unto God saying Hold up my goings in thy paths Ps 17.5 1 Pet. 1.5 that my footsteps slip not And that we are kept it is by the power of God through faith to salvation So that as fuel to the fire as food to the body as showers to the corn such is Grace to devotion and an holy life without which it faints it dies it withers away 2. That there is a less active vigor in our holy life and religious conversation may proceed from weakness of nature not of grace The soul follows much the temperature of the body if that be sickly and weak the soul cannot act its gracious operations with that vigor and zeal as when healthful and strong A decay of spirits in the body will certainly make an abatement of vigor in the soul the unaptness of the Instrument takes much from the art and excellencie of the Workman and the body that 's the souls instrument whereby it acts its motions and therefore if the body be more dull the soul must needs be less vigorous and so the duties of devotion the less active and lively Rev. 2.4 3. Whereas many complain as thou dost that they are fallen from their first love because not so affected with the enlargements of devotion and therein not so quickened with the life of grace as at their first conversion when they first gave up their names unto Christ they may haply find if rightly examined those enlargements and delights of their first conversion did proceed as much from the novelty as the piety of their estate Their love and in that their delights more sensible but not more solid more passionate but not more sincere right like the love and delight of first Espousals Jer. 2.2 Cant. 3 11. whereas we question not but that a long married Couple are as dear in their love though not so frequent in their embraces Yea it may be an excess of love which begets this affliction of soul for true love is so enlarg'd in dispositions and resolutions of doing more service to God and Christ that all it does seems still too little And therefore many complain their present duties are short of former services and their present vigor less then former zeal which yet is not so indeed but in appearance Before small love thought little to be much and now great love thinks much to be but little To close then Whereas it is ordinary with God to deal with the penitent Convert as the Father did with his prodigal Son even entertain him with feasting and mirth receive him with much of spiritual solace and delight Luk. 15.23 And this he does the better to encourage him in the way of holiness yea and to fortifie him against the days of trial and temptation which shall after come upon him in which days of temptation and trial he may not think but that though his former joys and delights do cease yet the sincerity and strength too of grace may continue yea and be increased The Rules of Direction 1. Breathe forth thy complaints unto Christ in prayer for the life thou hast is from the quickening power of his grace and therefore he who died that thou mightest live will preserve the life which he hath given But then thou must beg it by prayer And at once to quicken thy prayer and strengthen thy faith hear his promise and own his love Mat. 5 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled What parent is it who hearing his child hungry and fainting cry out for bread Luk. 11.11.13 that can restrain his bowels from pitty or his hand from relief And far more compassionate is thy Saviour far more tender is his love He is indeed love it self 1 Joh. 4.16 He the fountain as of life so of love The love thou bearest to him proceeds from him and certainly he would not make thee to love him if thou wert not first belov'd of him Wherefore take heart in thy dejections convert his promise into prayer plead with thy God in the right of his own bond and his Sons blood urge the grace of his own promise the Law of his own Covenant say with David Make good O Lord thy word unto thy servant Ps 119 4â— upon which thou hast caused me to hope Yea let me bespeak thee as the Prophet does Zion Let tears run down like a river Lam 2 18. not in the impatience of distrust but the importunity of devotion In this Ne taceat pupilla oculi tui let not the apple of thine eye keep silence Ps 6.8 every tear every sigh hath a voice to implore mercy and to importune grace Yea seeing thou canst not follow Agnum immaculatum sine macula the spotless Lamb without thy spots of sin Joh. 1.29 thy daily tears shall obtain the blood of the Lamb to cleanse thy guilt And doubt
hell upon earth O God! who knows whither that man goes to his confusion who is once gone out of the Church by separation especially if it be that of Anabaptism It is the known observation of the Exorcists Sancta ecclesia uniformiter agit ut exertismis spiritus immundus abigatur Aug. de eccle dogmat c. 31. That whom Satan possesseth he first tempts them to renounce their Baptism in which they renounced him and till this be done he cannot have power to possess them Now that too many miserable wretches are possest with an Evil spirit is too unhappily apparent by their quakings and trances by their rantings and ravings their impudence and filthiness their diabolical blasphemies and hellish execrations Aquam ingressi renunciasse nos Diabolo Angelis ejus ore nostro coâ—testamur Tert. de spect c. 4. And how come they thus possest Why sure whereas they renounc'd the Devil in their Baptism in renouncing their Baptism they have too too much given way to the Devil and God by a just judgment given them up to his delusions But O God! thou who art more gracious then man is impious 2 Thess â— 9.10 11 12. O do thou yet restrain Satan and preserve their souls in the day of the Lord Jesus It being then too endless a task to encounter each Sect and Heresie of our times in particular I have thought it best to give you a soveraign Antidote and Preservative in the general and it is this even in discharge of duty to God the Church and your souls to fortifie your judgments and strengthen your faith in what concerns the nature and manner the duty and benefit of Infants Baptism hereby to keep open the door of the Church for entrance into her communion and yet shut it too against those who otherwise running out by Anabaptism would find themselves departed from Christ in departing from his Church and subjected by Satan to all horrid profaneness by their quitting subjection to Christ in his holy ordinance that ordinance for which he here gives commission and instruction to his Apostles in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye disciple all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost c. Having given you the former branch of our Saviours instruction to his Apostles the Institution of Baptism we proceed to the latter Explicat the manner and form of Baptisms administration viz. in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And here we shall consider the administration of Baptism in a twofold respect 1. In what is necessary as to the essence of the Sacrament and 2. In what is requisite as to the solemnity of the Church 1. In what is necessary as to the essence of the Sacrament and this is the application of the Water and of the Word The application of the Water whether it be by immersion or aspersion or effusion The application of the Word that the immersion or dipping the aspersion or sprinkling the effusion or pouring out be in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost In the administration then of Baptism the first thing necessary as to the essence of the Sacrament is the application of the Water and this in an outward washing whether that washing be by a dipping in or a sprinkling on or a pouring out of the water All which forms of washing exprest in the one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have in S. Mark where we read concerning the Pharisees and others of the Jews Mar. 7.4 that when they come from the market they eat not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless they be baptized that is except they wash as our English reâ—ds it Yea from the tradition of the Elders they are said to hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Baptisms so the Original the washings so our English the washings of cups and of pots brazen vessels and of tables or of beds From which baptisms or washings it is most certain and evident there can be no strength of argument from the propriety of the word to prove a necessity of dipping or plunging in the water seeing that baptism doth equally signifie a washing by sprinkling or pouring out the water And as there is no strength of argument from the propriety of the word so nor from the signification of the ceremony For that the sprinkling and pouring out of the water is aptly significative of the sprinkling of Christ blood and the pouring out of his Spirit the very inward grace and thing signified in Baptism whereby it is rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.5 1 Pet. 1.2 the laver of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost yea the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus And as it is in the Gospel Ezek 36.25 Joel 2.28 so it was in the Prophecy There says God unto his people I will sprinkle clean water upon you and I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh Object Ay but does not Baptism signifie the death and burial of Christ And if so what more proper then that the person baptized be received into the bosom of the water Answ as into his grave Ans Baptism may signifie the death of Christ without exposing the person baptized to the danger of death yea it may signifie Christs burial too without sending the baptized to his grave as in colder Countries we certainly know dipping and plunging in the waters do for so the experience of some more ignorantly zealous then religiously wise hath lately assured us Even in sprinkling and pouring out of the water then upon the Child which is under it there is signification enough of Christs death and burial this being the main thing intended in the sign to represent the actual efficacie of Christs blood and spirit to wash away our guilt and renew us again to righteousness thereby giving us an interest in the merits of his passion Rom. 6.3.4 and power of his resurrection But further yet as it is not from the propriety of the word nor from the signification of the ceremony so nor thirdly is it from the prescript of Christ that any strength of argument can be drawn to prove a necessity of dipping or of plunging in the water For examine the whole of what concerns our Saviours institution of Baptism and we shall find no more of positive command in this Sacrament for the measure of water or manner of washing then in that other for the quantity of bread or quality of wine This is infalilble Christs evangelical ordinance does in nothing oppose his moral command and therefore the ceremony of his Sacrament must not be made such as may hazard the life of the person celebrating that Sacrament and ceremony Besides Baptism is prescribed to all Nations and sure its manner of ministration being common to all must be possible to all Which yet it cannot be if as some Anabaptists would have