Scriptures and Fathers expressing Sacramentall union As when our Saviour saith This is my body and Paul The bread we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ from which and like places they presently cry out Loe yee the bread is his body So when the Fathers especially those who were the greatest orators doe hyperbolize in the prayse of the Sacrament calling it the bread of life and an ineffable union and that after consecration the bread by the omnipotency of the Word is made flesh c. they abuse the scope of the Fathers which to themselves was good because although they meant no other but to magnifie Sacramentall union yet the excesse of their speech occasions the errour of corporall union to prevaile Let us loath their Idolatry and superstition Vse 4 Fourthly it should teach Gods people never to cease magnifying the love of God who hath refused no course neglected no meane which possibly might make for the communicating of himselfe to lost man both in union fellowship and seeing his word through our infidelity could not sufficiently satisfie your scrupulous and doubtfull mindes touching the realnesse of his faithfull meaning towards us hath not onely stooped to be in our flesh as a man but to tye himselfe to base creatures that so he might familiarize with our soules more nearely and make us one with himselfe so that the meate drink we receive is not made our substance of flesh more really than the Lord Iesus is made the substance of our spirituall nourishment Oh! I say how should his love shewed upon so hard conditions not onely ravish us but also prevaile with us for those ends which it serves for how should our soules study for union with him influence from him to become like him How should wee strive to attaine the perfection of that happinesse which Adam lost recover it in a farre fuller and nearer union with Christ and by him with the Lord Oh! this is the scope which all unions and especially this Sacramentall have to unrivet us from base unions and fellowships with things below that so we might settle our hearts upon him whom to know and beleeve to be our God reconciled is happinesse and to be united to his natures in one mysticall being of holinesse is above all earthly fading comforts Oh! hath the Lord joyned himselfe to the creatures that we not resting in them might by them be carryed to him in whom true rest and peace is to be had How should we despise to be one with money with pleasure with mans acceptance with other carnall objects and say since I came to see the excellent union of the soule with God in Christ I see nothing below but seemes base to me and such as I am loth to unite and give over my selfe to it to be servant to it to be possessed by it or to possesse it I will use all other things and enjoy the Lord. None of his good things can be made mine without union therefore as I seeke them and the increase of them in the Sacrament so I will especially seeke union and make much of the Sacrament for the purchasing of it Vse 5 Fiftly and especially how doth this point presse the necessity of faith upon us in the use of that Sacrament Onely faith is able to discerne the Lords body in this Sacramentall union and as by the former point to make us partakers of the divine nature so by this to strengthen the soule in the increase of communion by the Sacrament Let it be double exhortation then to all beleevers both to discerne to apply the Lord Iesus sacramentall 1. To discerne it For the first Turne wee all our cavilling and carnall reasoning which is endlesse for carnality comprehends not mysteries into a quietnesse and stillnesse of beleeving forsake the swift rolling torrent of never satisfied sence and embrace the softly and still streame of Siloam cut all knots in two by the ordinance thereby determine all endlesse reasonings of Popish curiosity spend that time in admiring this mystery and in longing to be partaker of that which is by it resembled I meane union of thy soule with Christ If this be so mystical how excellent is that to enjoy by faith Oh! Till union be made nothing is thine Behold not with a carnall eye say not with those Iewes Ioh. 8.22 how will he give us his flesh will he kill himselfe If reason may prevaile the Sacrament setting aside a little blinde devotion will discover no more Christ to the soule than bread and wine in a Cellar It s the power of God uniting Christ regeneration and nourishment to the soule not a few qualities of Christ but whole Christ to the whole man And the Sacraments obey him herein representing whatsoever he hath united to them No divell no instrument of his no Pope can sever these two each from other The Sacrament they may quite destroy but this union they cannot take from the Sacrament The spirit of the ordinance it is which makes it abide so irrepealable Do not then sever those things by unbeleefe which the Ordinance hath put so close together wander not descant not goe not into heaven nor downe to hell with a papist to consult and aske Rom. 10.15.16 How should this be But know the word is neare thee in thy eare yea hand eye taste the vertue of the ordinance makes whole Christ as neare the Elements as the quality of clensing feeding are neare them Destroy the one destroy the other If the one be naturall the other is spirituall and from an higher union if it be against sense to divide the one its sacriledge to sever the other True it is the things thus united are farre distant in place but yet the power of the eternall ordinance can easily unite them And shall not the gift of faith unite the soule to the Lord Iesus by these Elements as well as the ordinance for ever unites the Lord Iesus and the Elements Beware then least we sever what God hath united It is not the farrenesse off of a thing in place which can hinder union The Lord Iesus his body in the grave lost not union with the divinity by the distance of the soule in paradise because the relation was indissoluble the vertue of Christ crucified is united to the soule if it beleeve although his body keepe his place in heaven Faith in this kind is not unlike to the hand of the Marriner in sounding the depth of the sea His hand cannot touch or fadome it but by vertue of the line and plummet which he lets downe and holds in his hand he feeles the bottome and gages the depth be it never so remote So the hand of faith holding the cord and plummet of the word and promise feeles a bottome of Truth and unites it selfe to Christ For the second 2. To apply it from this discerning power goe to the applying get this
worke or else all shee hath in her is in vaine the principle of life shee hath will not worke will not helpe except it be jogged by the Spirit that gave it as the hand that stirres the saw to quicken the operations of life no meanes no diet can nourish without this 5. Takes measure of all her wants in speciall And so I might bee endlesse For this spirit doth by a promise offer the Lord Iesus to the soule as one that knowes all her wants takes measure of her defects as one should doe of a body for apparell to make it fit and sutable So doth Christ provide all nourishment apt nourishment for every part against each corruption temptation affliction for every duty for marriage for liberty for company for Sabbaths hearing and ordinances yea to draw to an end the Spirit by the promise doth stirre up first sight of Christ her nourishment 6. Workes application of the promise secondly affections after him thirdly an hand to reach him take him put him on apply him faith to digest and draw from him whatsoever he offers her freely cheerefully confidently sensibly Faith carries her into the streame of his welfare the floods as Iob speakes of his butter and honey and venturing upon his word takes him as he offers himselfe and not by a base and trecherous heart putting him off with his store and plenty as if it were too good for her to receive Conclusion Now then to end this point if the Spirit can thus worke the heart to imbrace Christ by a promise how much more by the Sacrament of the Supper in which I may truely say the Lord Iesus is brought forth in his likenesse eminently even in the instruments and immediate manner of nourishing all Christ whole in respect of his obedience and death pardon and holinesse as a diamond not to be broken and yet broken also upon the Crosse divided into portions as the meete morsells of each poore receiver that needs his flesh and blood True bread to be her staffe of life and wine to be the cherisher of her spirits Oh! the bringing forth of these flagons in so sensible a manner to affect all her soule and to overthrow infidelity must needs be a more effectuall instrument of the Spirit to perswade her that Christ is all in all unto her for her support in grace and holinesse than eyther the word alone or any other ordinance The Lord having in speciall set the Supper apart neyther to bee a breeder at all of grace as the word preached is nor to be a nourisher in an ordinary manner as other publique or private meanes in each of which Christ conveyes himselfe his communion to the soule but an ordinance onely tending to nourish serving for the nonce and to no other purpose and therefore having no other scope must needes be most effectuall for the end it serves for Each thing is most prevalent in her owne predominancy and Element If then the spirit so can worke by the promise alone how much more by the Sacrament which represents that which it offers under the shaddow of the signes and tells the soule Ioh. 20 27. Behold the print of the nayles behold my side behold my selfe heere is my body heere is my blood given for thee shed for thee Verse 28. Be not unfaithfull bue faithfull Sooner shall bread and wine cease to nourish thy body than my flesh and blood to nourish thy soule to eternall life The conclusion is the Spirit doth more eminently convince the soule by the Supper of her nourishment by Christ than it can by the Word alone for as much as the Sacrament with the Word is above the Word The third and last question remaines 3. Quest Wherein Sacramentall Christ for our nourishment stands Answer twofold The first The object expressed many wayes wherein Sacramentall nourishment consists The meaning of which question is double The first concernes the parts of it The second the degrees of it The first lookes at the object how many wayes Christ is the nourishment of his The second rather lookes at the influence it selfe of what kinde or measure it is Touching the first As I sayd before of Baptisme that it affords to the soule Christ to be her seede in all respects of true being and regeneration so now I say the Supper offers him to the soule in each of those particulars for welbeing I have oft thought of two Texts which will expresse the difference That of Paul Ephe. 1.3 Ephe. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things by Christ doth note unto us the grace of Baptisme as all the Chapter following prooves in which the distinct essence of those blessings consists There is another in 2 Pet. Chap. 1 Vers 3. 2 Pet 1.3 His divine power ministring to us all things for life and godlinesse hee meanes not the being of those things but daily supply and increase influence from the Spirit of Christ to uphold the soule in them which hath them and this denotes the grace of the Supper Now if wee marke wee shall see the Scriptures speake of this nourishing grace of Christ sundry wayes Psal 84. Psal 84.11 Psal 37.4 He shall deny them no good thing Delight in the Lord he shall give thee thy hearts desire Doe but think what it is which of all other thou wouldst have finde out thy want and the Lord shall be thy supply noting that how infinite so ever the needs and decayes of the soule are God hath supply enough in Christ for them This is most generall Sometime the holy Ghost shortly knits up particulars as in the same Psalme The Lord shall afford light and defence to his By light including all such good things as wee call positive graces as pardon peace ability to duties c. By defence all privative grace as prevention of evill strength against enemies assaults of Sathan world flesh streights and crosses Sometimes hee is more large â— Cor. 1.30 saying that Christ is made to us wisedome to make us more and more understanding in the truths of God and direction to live accordingly righteousnesse to know our selves justified by better and surer evidence Sanctification to grow holier more mortified daily abler to walke with God in the course of our conversation Redemption to uphold us in all our troubles with more humblenesse patience faith and experience and to helpe us against all enemies till we be fully delivered from all Especially by applying it to the graces of Baptisme But as I take it the most convenient way to expresse the extent of this Grace will be to apply the Supper to all and each branch of the grace of Baptisme Breefely then marke Doth Baptisme give us an estate in Iustification Adoption Reconciliation Redemption Then the Supper confirms nourishes them Objection Heere by the way a doubt may be soone made and is as soone answered
to their forme and inward excellency which is nothing else save the Impression of God stamped upon them by his owne hand for speciall signification and use Now the whole workemanship of Christ about the forme of Sacraments may be reduced to this double head First Appropriation Secondly Vnion Two Generals here First Appropriation The former of these is precedent and preparing to the latter and it s such a worke as concernes the remote signification of Sacraments The latter more belongs to their exhibiting and sealing power but both essentiall to the being of a Sacrament To begin with the first Appropriation hath in it these two maine acts In it two things First Propriety First Propriety to signifie 2. actuall ordaining to Sacramentall use Touching the first The Lord in making a Sacrament beholds the materiall Elements in their naturall aptitude and peculiar Symbolicalnesse to expresse such a thing To open this Consider that things are said to be apt and peculier to resemble either by a made aptnesse which is not in the thing it selfe but put upon it accidentally or else is apt by an agreeablenesse in it selfe so to doe In Latine we would thus distinguish them Proprietie double First Accidentall Apta facta or Apta nata of the first sort are all such things whether Reall or Nominall or Notionall as have their signification from an outward consent of them that impose this aptnesse As I know when I heare the name of London Yorke or Dover what places are and what are not signified and meant Why How comes my conceit to fasten upon such a citie by the mention of such a name Surely from no naturall aptnesse in the names to signifie one city rather than another but by imposition and consent or custome which is as good as a naturall aptnesse to decipher such a place men will so call it therefore it prevailes to be apt to it Of this kinde are all watch-words Dan. 3.5 Dan. 3 5 When the noise of all kind of Musique sounded then was it thought a fit season to fall downe and worship the Image Why It was so consented and agreed upon Such is not the aptnesse here meant A second therefore is naturall Secondly naturall when a thing hath peculiar aptnesse in it selfe to resemble although the things are of never so different kinde yet in their kinde they concurring in one third notion looke what is in the one doth or may incline to describe the other even of it selfe And thus a shaddow is apt to expresse shortnesse or changeablenesse of mans life Sacramentall matter is apt naturally a deepe well apt to resemble the depth of a mans heart so water is apt to expresse a cleansing bread a strengthning food and wine a â—efreshing of the heart And this latter is the aptnesse which our Saviour beholds Elements in such a peculiar aptnesse as might alone carrie the minde of the beholder to that which is signified And hence is that of Austin Except Sacramentall signes had a Symbolicalnesse with the things they represent they could be no Sacraments meaning they could not be so apt to resemble For howsoever the Lord might by his power have made any signe to become a Resemblance and that because hee so pleased yet seeing in this hee sought not the declaring of what hee could doe but of that which is best for the convincement of distrust and dulnesse of our nature he rather chose such Elements as might out of their owne congruity resemble things spirituall Appropriation then requires a naturall aptnesse to resemble The latter and maine peece of Appropriation is divine Secondly Application of Elements by divine institution Proofe of it and peculiar application not onely in generall to serve for holy use but in speciall to note out typifie and describe to the soule the Lord Iesus Sacramentall for breeding and confirming the soule in grace Now this is a further thing than the former determining the propertie of the creature and the fitnesse thereof to resemble unto this speciall resembling of Christ Crucified in his washing qualitie and his nourishing propertie Although there were never such aptnesse in a creature to doe thus in it selfe yet it hath nothing to doe to meddle with a Sacrament except the Lord doe specially appropriate it to serve for such a purpose and then it begins to have in it a Sacramentall proportion and power to raise the soule from earth to heaven whereas else it selfe being earthly it were more likely to naile downe the heart to it selfe and to earthly thoughts and affections But so potent is the worke of the Ordainer who hath put this peculiar property into it that although it be but a creature yet it carries the soule from earth to heaven in a most familiar manner And marke how this stands in the power of the Word Wee know that the common blessing of the creature to feede and cherish the body comes from the Word Man not living by bread but by the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God How much more then must the vertue of the Ordinance come from God to make this carnall nourishing creature to be a spirituall nourisher Hence it is that Austin saith Accedat verbum c. Let the Word come to the Element and there is a Sacrament This Sacramentalnesse of the Elements stands in a word Illustration of it 2 Cor. 4 6. Gen. 1 4. God that said Let light shine out of darkenesse Let there be day night Let the earth bring forth fruits grasse c. effected it with a breath so the word of Ordinance Let Bread and Wine be representers of the body and bloud the merit and efficacie of Christ Crucified to replenish the soules of the faithfull hath caused these Elements for ever to have such power to represent these things so that no age or time shall ever prevaile to weare out this Impression yea and not onely to represent them in their kinde but also in their fulnesse So that as it was one charge concerning the Pascall Lambe that hee must be wholly eaten or burnt so by this Appropriation the Sacramentall signes doe resemble fully as well as properly And as in the compound of Bread and Wine there is not only a supply of drie but also of moist nourishment that so both hunger and thirst may be satisfied and the body both made strong and cheerefull to service so by the Ordinance these signes convey Christ in his Sacramentall fulnesse of nourishment so that nothing is lacking to the soule which Christ can supply it with if it beleeve Reason for it Now to returne take away this third act of Christs Word and institution giving this peculiar power to the signes to resemble the ends of the Sacrament Tell me what is there in the world which hath in it an aptnesse to resemble but might be a Sacrament Whereas now wee see not aptnesse but Approbation of Gods Word determining such an apt
in the soule not because thy are substantially one but notionally Yet this notion is realnesse in her kinde Man and Wife are one flesh no more two but one how by vertue of divine institution this union is reall and true yet not meerely Physicall and naturall onenesse but in the kind of it a matrimoniall union The like may be sayd of all civill unions of the family which by vertue of the ordinance of God assisted by law and order become bodies united I doe not allude to these as if they did hold in all points but for two causes First to shew the power of divine ordinance to unite and make things one Secondly to shew that the disproportioÌ„ of the natures of things united eyther for kind or distance is no let to reallnesse of union in a word it s the ordinance of Christ which hath an indeleble and irreversible power of the conjoyning of the Lord Iesus to the Elements in a reall and sacramentall kinde so farre as serves the turne not to subject Christ to a base creature but to subject the creature in her property to be a close and neare uniter of the soule with Christ to whom else through the incapablenesse of flesh it could not so easily have beene knit and made one withall All vnions serve to make God and the soule one This point will the better appeare if we goe a little further and shew that even the greatest and deepest unions that are serve to make way for the union and communion of the soule with her first originall hereafter in glory and here in grace The very personal union of the Trinity how should it be better conceived than by the mystery of redemption wherein God could not possibly have satisfied God nor man bee brought and united to God except there had beene a personall union that is a samenes of deity in the differing of persons The like is true in the union of Christs Godhead with the nature and flesh of man why was it but to serve Gods holy purpose to reconcile and unite flesh to God by the person of Emanuel So also that spirituall union of the whole body and soule of a beleever with Christ why is it but to prepare it for eternall union with him The union or communion rather of the members of Christ into one body and being to what serves it but that the whole Church may be one with Christ and her head that by him shee might be one with God himselfe who shall be all in all in glory wholly possessing and possessed So also wonder not if this inferior union of Sacraments be so reall and close seeing its cleare the Lord in this condescending so low to the Capacity of man unites himselfe no otherwise to the Elements than that in and by them as channels of conveyance he might when and where he sees it good to use them derive himselfe into the poore beleeving soule in a fuller assurance of Communion with her So that our Saviour saith Mervaile not that I said unto you he that eates and drinkes my flesh and blood Ioh. 6 43. shall abide in me and live for ever To man such a union is impossible betweene a creature and the Creator betweene basenesse and glory But it is the Word and ordinance that causeth it and which hath setled this Sacramentall union indissolubly that our soules might fare much the better and the union of the soule with Christ himselfe might bee more familiarly conceived Rule 1 To adde somewhat for the better opening of this union let us first understand what it must be and then what it cannot be First of necessity it must be such an union as the nature of the things united will admit Then secondly such as the ends of a Sacrament will suffer For the former A further opening of this by two things The nature of the things united will not admit either a locall or a Physicall union They will and may admit a spirituall one First not a locall viz. That as the Bread and Wine are locally present so that the Body and Blood of the Lord Iesus be also locally present this I say the nature of the Lord Iesus his Body will not admit 1. What they admit not viz. a locall or naturall For although it be a glorified body yet it is a true naturall body and therefore limited and so cannot Consubstantiate with the Elements in all places where they at one and the same instant are present to the sence of the receiver Which confutes the Lutheran error of locall Presence as if of necessity there must be a corporall Presence or else those words This is my body cannot bee verified No wee deny it because it râ—sists the Nature of the things united and present Secondly neither will their nature admit a physicall Presence or union that is such an union as by which the proper formes and beings of the things united are lost and become under a new forme of mixture or composition For the Natures of Christ and the Bread are incompatible in point of mixture or compounding because the one is a spirituall the other a corporall thing which admit no such mixture as corporall things of like nature doe as wine and water So then if this union bee not mixt it is much lesse Transubstantiate for in that the one doth not mixe with but evacuate and disanull the other leaving nothing of substance behinde But the nature of these Elements admit a spirituall union 2. What they wil admit viz. spirituall union nothing hinders why the things which are furthest distant or remote in place may not yet bee present in truth and realnesse for the sound of a Canon-shot 40. miles off from my eare yet is present by the meane of the ayre bringing it home to mee and the body of the Sunne of light and warmth distant farre from mee yet by the ayre which carryeth the beames of it is present and made one with my bodily touch and feeling And againe nothing hinders why two things physically disjoyned may not yet spiritually be one and joyned together by vertue of the power of the ordainer In a word the Nature of the things united will admit a reall union although no corporall unnion eyther locall or mixt and much lesse transubstantiall therefore the things united in the Sacraments are onely spiritually and really united Rule 2 Secondly the union of a Sacrament must be such as the scope and end of a Sacrament will suffer and no other It s such an union as the end of a Sacrament will suffer But the end and purpose of a Sacrament cannot admit any other union betwixt the signes and things signified save spiritually reall For then must we destroy the scope of a Sacrament in a double respect 1. Of relation 1 Relation for except there bee maintained in the Sacrament distinctnesse of Termes and Relation of one to another so that a bodily thing may
continue unto them the fruit of Baptisme but at the houre of death or that the soule could in faith use the Sacrament of feeding which had refused the first Sacrament of begetting or as if God needed such our wisdome to preserve grace and intercept sin 1 Cor. 1.25 Let us beware of such wilworship The foolishnes of God is stronger and wiser than our best strength and wisedome The Second branch Secondly I adde consisting of water which is Sacramentally Christ Touching Sacramentall union I treate nothing Onely note that although the Grace of Christ must neither be equalled nor tied to a dumb creature yet he hath freely yeelded to unite himself with his creature so oft as he pleaseth to use it for the good of his owne and for his glory and that to this end that wee might learne to adore him in all such Ordinances by which he drawes neere to us for our comfort and to set a mark of honor and esteeme even upon those meane things which his wisdome hath devised for the releefe of our dulnesse deadnesse of heart and infidelity Vse 3 To teach us where he hath cast honour upon uncomely parts yea united himself for the gracing of a meet helpe to further us to himselfe there to account reverendly of his Ordinances and not commonly Act. 10.15 That which God hath not thought common beware we of thinking so Hath he taken water and joyned it with a kinde of equall necessitie with himselfe in this kind of conveyance Hath he said He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved and Except a man be borne againe of water Marke 16 16. Ioh. 3.5 c. And shall not we fasten both our eyes upon Christ and water Christ Sacramentall in and by water Better with it for our ease and helpe than without it Shall not he who despiseth water appointed to such an inseparable holy end despise the ordayner of water Shall wee take his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 by slighting that by which he makes himselfe and the power of his Word and Spirit manifest to beget the soule to him and bee holden guiltlesse When Christ hath put both in one Matth. 19.6 shall wee dare to say the one is strong the other is base Shall wee slight it slacken our haste to it our holy preparing of our selves to it our abiding at it our offering up prayer for blessing it our making it the joynt object of our humiliation faith reverence and thankes Farre bee it from us so to abhorre that Popish hyperbolicall esteeme of it and the merrit of the worke wrought of it that wee run into another riot to disesteeme it Doubtlesse he that cares not for Christ in the word Christ in the promise Christ in the Minister Christ in the water Christ in the bread and wine Christ Sacramentall cares as little for Christ God Christ flesh Christ Emanuell By these he comes neare us And he that despiseth you despiseth me Matâ—h 10 40. and him that sent me Beware we of such contempt even in the secretest of our thoughts and affections and let Christ in the water be honoured as Christ for that sweet union and fruit which hee brings to a poore soule thereby 2 Kings 5.14 Ioh. 5.2 1. Generall in the descript Persons If Iordan be precious when God will use it for the Angels healing by it much more this The next point concernes the due acts and performances of meete persons in the applying of water The persons are the parents the Congregation the Minister and the infant The acts are the mutual carriages of these toward each other Sacramentally Touching the which in breefe thus being loath to digresse much from the streame of the point Duty 1 The parents are to have competent knowledge the more 1. Parents duty Psal 51 4 Luk. 9.2 the better if sanctified both of the woefull pollution of nature which by themselves their child hath contracted to blesse the Lord for mercifull dispensing with it in the penalties deserved to be inflicted even outwardly upon it for the deformity of sinne in the markes thereof maymed blind halt lame monstrous yet in this not satisfied they ought to behold the inseparable inward defilednesse of the infants nature and spirit the more the Lord hath done his part the more tenderly to commiserate the wretchednesse of the inner man of it deprived of the image of God by originall sinne to mourne and sigh for it to God by deepe groanes and confession to pray and bee instant with God for the pardon of it the purging and the sanctifying of it Duty 2 To blesse God who hath ordeyned such a remedy as the Sacrament Rom. 6.3 not to abolish but to kill the poyson of sin to remember that the child of it selfe hath neither sence or favour in Baptisme Ephe. 2 11 12. no nor right thereto of it selfe it being the priveledge of the Church further than in and by themselves and their right to the covenant 1 Cor. 7 17. it partakes an holinesse Duty 3 Therefore they ought seriously to revive their faith in this covenant to offer their infant to God by vertue of that promise made to the righteous and their seede that God will be their God to many generations Duty 4 Gen. 17 7. Exod. 20 6. In this strength they are to plead their owne right for their child to beseech the Lord not onely to vouchsafe it his outward livery and cognizance of a visible member but further to extend the efficacy of Christ crucified Christ as presented in the water to the inward ingrafting it into his invisible Church when and how he shall please if it dye soone by baptizing it with the spirit of Election and Adoption Sanctification and renewing of the holy Ghost ere it depart If it live continuing upon it the power of baptisme by attending upon the ordinance of the word upon the offer of the covenant of grace that by it in due time it may be admitted to the condition of faith and faith it selfe by the calling of the Gospell and so receive the seale of it in due time with assurance and comfort Duty 5 In the confidence whereof they are not to distemper themselves about the estate of it whether it dye or live but cheefely apply themselves to use the meanes for the atteyning hereof Duty 6 And so with reverence they are in due season early and betimes setting aside all by-matters to addresse the infant to the publique assembly to the Minister by name desiring him as deputed by the Church to conferre the Sacrament to it Duty 7 Also giving it such a name as may savour neyther of curiosity nor vanity nor superstition nor profanenesse but rather edification and holinesse savouring of the graces offred by the Sacrament Duty 8 And so joyning with the people in humble supplication confession and thankes to devote it solemnely to God and his service carefully watching over it for
for the present enlarges it selfe further and gives the soule a taste of that eternall joy which it shall possesse hereafter when it shall put off this corruption and earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands Secondly the Spirit of sealing hath fulnesse of faith in it It s therefore compared to full sayles of wind Heb. 10 22 which carrie the ship an end Is it so with thee Art thou free in good measure from a life of sence from judging things of God by the outsides Canst thou rest in this that although thou neither hearest voyce from heaven nor seeest shape yet there is a Sun within the clouds There is a God and all the fidelity truth and love is still in the promises which ever was without shaddow of turning Art thou by this faith carried above those feares doubts distempers Rom. 5 2 3 4. which when the coast was mistie thou wert annoyed with Walkest thou now with cleerer comfort joy and perswasion of Gods love providence promises Is thy heart as the Arke above the rockes Gen. 7.10 Is it farre otherwise with thee in the frequencie the dismalnesse of thy unbeleefe than formerly Are thy buffetings temptations lusts well blowne over Then hold and nourish this fruit in thee knowing it is no common thing But Oh Lord where is the man to whom I speake this Thirdly nourish thy liberty Was it wont to be an usuall thing to thee to be clogged with the weight of sinne Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 vexed with the fiery darts of Satan and his noysome buffetings tossed with strong lusts Was the worke of God irkesome painefull to thee hardly drawn to it soone unsetled How is it now 2 Cor. 3.17 The Spirit of sealing is a free Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is a Spirit where he is there is libertie Dost thou now walke in and out with the Lord as a sonne in the house Luke 1 6. well provided for Rid off thy old chaines enlarged to runne the Commandements of God with chearefulnesse Hast thou freedome from thy old feare Psal 119.32 Hath the Lord both overthrowne the court of sinne and bad conscience and all the officers of it Canst thou meete the Bayliffe securely Canst thou as a free man Gal. 5.1 looke upon Satan hell death without horror Nourish it and be thankefull for it Fourthly Hast thou the boldnesse of the Spirit of adoption Canst thou come to the Lord in prayer with holy confidence Is thy slavish heart gone Rom. 8 15. Verse 26. Zach. 12.10 Darest thou call God Father by good proofe and triall Doth the Spirit of God teach thee to pray Doth it purge out thine owne spirit of selfe of gifts of forme and teach thee to pray wisely with feeling and groaning under thy corruptions seeking more mortification of heart and spirit Art thou so fervent and frequent as one that knowes his welcome Canst thou lay in daily for thy selfe and others Blesse God for thy portion and prise it So fifthly Hast thou the spirit of holines purenes If thou be sealed by the assuring Spirit thou are sealed by the holy Spirit of God How doth it appeare Is there love of purenes and holines a loathing of all falsehood and profanes in thee Hast thou gotten a pure title unto Deut. 33.16 Tit. 1.15 and use of all ordinances blessings and administrations of God towards thee Art thou able to say To the pure all things are pure Dost thou grow more fruitful and plentifull in holines all holy means meditation fasting conference holy duties compassiâ—n mercy love pietie sobernes holy graces 2 Pet. 1.5 8. 2 Pet. 3 ult 1 Cor. 15 ult as faith hope patience Dost thou adde grace to grace so as thou maist not be unprofitable but grow be rooted and setled still then I say nourish these I assure thee this world is not for such matters blesse him that hath called thee out of it in the strength of this seale of Baptisme walke on as Elia did to the mount of God 1 King 19 8. Ephes 4 30. Grieve not this sweet Spirit by any lusts or roote of bitternesse keepe the world under the girdle of this Spirit provoke him not to forsake thee but having felt his sweetnesse let him not depart from thee till hee have conducted thee into the land of righteousnes And know if this Spirit be given thee thou keepest a costly thing which not all they have who yet beleeve in this measure deceave not thy selfe about it and if thou have it nourish it carefully For as the traveller who hath nothing to lose is carelesse of theeves so know thou that hast such a charge hadst need be jealous least Satan the world and thy evill selfe rob thee of thy treasure Ephe. 6.18 And this be said of this 3. generall also of the end of Baptisme and so of the whole doctrine and use of Baptisme the more largely because I shall touch it no more as I purpose to doe the other Oh! how is it to be lamented that the knowledge and use of it is no more understood by our Ministers and people CHAP. VI Of the Supper of the Lord. The description and parts of it And first of the Sacramentall Acts of it I Come now to the Doctrine and discourse of the Supper of the Lord wherein as I foresee that those things which do peculiarly concerne the handling of it will take up much more roome than the former of Baptisme as being the Sacrament of growen ones and therefore having in it more life for present administration and use than the other of Infants So also I see much labour is spared me in this latter because of those generals which unavoydably have been handled in the former I say so far as those things do agree to the Supper subjects only being changed So far then as ought hath beene toucht before of the Order the Constitution the Acts Grace or Sealing of Baptisme which may sute and agree with this of the Supper let none looke for the Repetition of it onely in such grounds I will content my selfe to point to the speciall application in few words and dwell the longer upon things peculiarly proper to the Supper And those are these three The Acts to be performed The distinct grace offred in it The speciall end of it which stands in the sealing power and the object wherabout it s occupied Description of it The Supper of the Lord then to describe it first is the second Sacrament of the Gospell consisting of Iesus Christ exhibited in the Bread and Wine wherein by certeine Acts duly perfourmed about the Elements whole christ-Christ-body and Blood is conveyed to the Soule for the sealing up of her Growth and encrease in the Grace of the Covenant 1 Branch of the order Vse First I point in a word at the order In the first Sacrament I noted the impudency of such as will invert Gods order Now in
this I taxe the Distrust of such as profit not by the connexion of this to the othet Who so then have truely tasted of the Grace of Baptisme and have lyen in the wombe thereof Let them come in and humbly yet confidently plead for the succor of this second For the Lord who hath no superfluous nourishment for Bastards yet wants no necessary releefe for sonnes and daughters The Lord is not as that worke-man who having built the bouse leaves it at Randon to whose will to mend it may droppe downe to the ground for him it s none of his But the Lords buildings are all his owne and hee compts it no lesse perteining to himselfe to keepe it in Reparations than first of free grace to make it an Habitation of his owne by his Spirit 1 Pet. 2 2 Yea the new borne Babe whimpering for the breast pleads not more effectually with the tender mothers heart to give it than that Soule which is really bredd the Lords hath liberty to cry Psal 119 97. Abba father susteine mee preserve mee I am thine Lord save me mainteine thy lot and portion in me as by al holy Ordinances of support so by this thy Sacrament as most peculiar to that end Lord of thee I am 1 Cor. 1.30 Blood Flesh Bone all I am I am from thee mainteine the Creation of thy hands by all meanes against all enemies in all spirituall welfare and prosperity meet for thy glory and the good of thine so farre as all thy Promises and Priviledges belonging to the members of thy Body can effect it Remember it will be as great a dishonor for thee to leave the workmanship of thy hands as if thou hadst begun to build and given over thy worke at the first Secondly I say it consists of Iesus-Bread and Wine 2 Branch The coÌ„pound Sacramentall union hath beene toucht already Heere I adde that the Lord Iesus who unites himselfe to his Word of Promise to his Beleeving ones bidding them Eate good things and dâ—light themselves in fatnesse Thereby Esay 55.2 putting into his Word the spirit of nourishment refreshing and support to the Soule doth also unite himselfe to Bread and Wine both Vnions are Spirituall both Verball and Sacramentall yet Sacramentall including the Verball is above it to convey Spirituall refreshing more fully more immediately more lively into the Soule than by the former alone As if hee should say Oh! poore Soule I am content to unite my power and fulnesse of strenght and comfort not onely to my Word and Promises but even to my Creatures also and yet thinke it no abasement neither for thy good I know thou hast as great need of a signe of my good will and love to uphold thee as ever thou hadst of my Creating power to forme mine Image at the first in thee If there were use of both Word and Water to become a seed of Regeneration to create thee there is as great use of the same word and Bread and Wine to cherish thee Ephe. 5 29. No man ever hated but preserved his owne flesh To shew then how deare thou art to me even as the wife to the husband loe nothing shall ever part thee and me which I can doe for thee I that was with the former to breed thee will bee with the latter to feed and nourish thee no necessary aid shall be wanting Psal 84 1â— for all ends meet as well to keepe thee fat and wel-liking in goodnes as to make thee good I who created thee of nothing Esay 57 1â— yea of worse then nothing to bee mine Image will not faile of good to make thee better therefore acknowledge my love and faithfulnes in both Vse The Vse may bee to convince all such as have a sinister and unequall conceit of the worth of Sacraments Against two sorts as if the necessity and Sacramentall union of one were not as essentiall and thankworthy as the other Papists first although they magnifie both Sacraments too farre yet debase the Sacrament of the new birth under the other which they call of the Altar Here they put all their confidence and lay all their treasure Christ shall not onely bee united Sacramentally to it but even Transubstantiated into it it s their Pandora to which they have brought all their base additions to adorne and set it foorth whereas the union with both these is one and the same for their severall use and if not equall then none at all Contrary to whom is another conceite of such as thinke there is lesse use of this union than the other seeing the Church may farre worse want the Sacrament of ingrafting than the other To which I answer that although in some respect it s not to bee denyed that the Sacrament of a Christian being hath in it selfe a preheminence above the other of well-being yet in the wisedome of the ordeyner and for the continualnesse of use which the Supper hath to repaire the daily wanzings and decayes of the soule it s most certaine there ought to be made no comparison betweene their necessiâ—y no unequalnesse to bee imagined But as the child being asked whether it love father or mother best is taught to say I love them both best I love neither better than other so ought a Christian to say of these Whereas the administration of God in the old Church is alledged That their circumcision was long without a Passeover I answer What God can doe by one when he denies another is not here debated but rather what esteeme he requires of both so long as both equally may be enjoyed Nay further we know God bare with his Church for the long intermission both of Circumcision and Passeover after the ordeyning of both how much more shall hee not tollerate onely but supply aboundantly the necessary want of the one if persecution compell it But otherwise in the liberty of both who should dare to dreame of an inequality The materials of it Now I come to the materialls and first of the Elements to wit bread and wine whereof because I have spoken somewhat before therefore here I will content my selfe onely to treate a little of these foure particulars Foure things First the sensiblenesse Secondly the aptnesse Thirdly the simplicity Fourthly the fulnesse of these two Elements The first sensiblenesse Touching the first seeing the Lord would have these Elements so plaine and sensible resemblers of heavenly nourishment how sensibly should our soules bee lifted up by them to the things resembled Vse It comes to my minde what Moyses Deut. 8.2.3 c. tells the Israelits that the Lord had so palpably discovered himselfe to them in the Wildernesse that for shame they could not but know beleeve and obey him The Lord saith he hath revealed himselfe to all your sences yee have heard his terrible voyce in the mount yee have seene the rocke gush forth water a Table spread in the Wildernesse all other
thing to such an apt use is the very life bloud and marrow of a Sacrament There is no doubt but as the Scripture teacheth a Christian wise man will picke out holines out of each resemblance an housewife that is godly will not boult out her flower from the bran but her heart will carrie her to our Saviours words Satan hath desired to winnow you Luke 22 31. c. An Husbandman will not use his Fanne or Floore to dresse or cast his corne in but he will muse of that finall separation of the drosse from the Wheate But there is great odds betweene a voluntary act of our owne devotion and an obedience to a Sacramentall charge As the Text saith Luke 4. Luke 4.27 There were many Leapers in Elisha's time and many Widdowes but not many to whom hee was sent So the world yea the world is full of resemblances but not of such as Christ hath set his stampe upon to bee Sacramentall The setting of a young child before the Disciples and the washing of their feete with his owne hands were Christs acts still at this day apishly followed by the Pope but neither appointed to be Sacramentall but onely naturall resemblances to an holy heart which hath a gift to make use thereof of a spirituall grace of humility Appropriation then especially stands in â—â—is determining of the Elements to such an use by the word and ordinance Vse 1 Ere we proceede this first point may be of speciall use 1. To blesse the Lord as for the releefe of our stupor by outward Elements so especially for the aptnes thereof chusing such as without any more adoe might easily acquaint us with such holy things of which before And to teach us to beg of his Majesty heavenly hearts which might be capable of his meaning herein Vse 2 Secondly this must keepe us within holy bounds as concerning our devising and setting up to our selves resemblances of holy things as Crucifixes the Image of the blessed humility of Christ to behold and worship Who allowed us these The Sacraments serve as a Supersedeas from all such inventions All Popish trash of forged Sacraments heere falles to ground Vse 3 Lastly let us learne to familiarize with Gods Sacraments in the point of the institution of Resembling the Lord Iesus Let us not be dull and blockish in appropriating them to their use but learne still to climbe up by them to heaven If the minde be at Yorke instantly at the naming of the Citty when yet the body is an 100. miles distant and no sooner doth a woman heare her husbands name but shee is present with him though he be in a farre Countrey by the velocity speed of the Apprehension stirred up by such a relation Oh! how dull and slow of heart are they who in the midst not of artificiall humane or naturall but divine appropriations are so carnall and heavy that scarsely the Sacrament will ingender one lively representation of the Lord Iesus to nourish us cheere us But as we come so wee sit and so depart as Strangers and Idiots as if Christ and we were devided as farre as heaven and earth The causes of which are these 2 Causes of our dulnesse herein eyther that wee are not those new Creatures in whom God hath renewed the powers of understanding and affection and therefore want the discourse and the spirit of relation in a word want the operation of a new Creature which is faith stirring the soule to a lively meditation of Christ by the word the ordinance and promise of God and then what wonder if Sacraments which should bee the most active meanes become all a-mort dead and dumbe with us and wee being held and taken in all our lims at once like numbâ—â—alsie-ones can neyther stirre hand or foote towards Christ or else wee abuse the gift of faith and the power of the new creature by disabling our selves and disinuring our soules from this worke and disguising that image of God in us which serves to carry us to God by setting it upon trash world profit pleasure ease and sensuality till it seeme tedious unto us to set it upon holy thoughts in the Sacrament Caveat thereto To prevent this it were good counsell to trade our spirits to heavenly things even by earthly occasions as well without as within the Sacraments He shall not finde his spirits so flat loy and lazy in meeting with Sacramentall Christ who inures his dead heart daily to an holy nimblenesse in comparing earthly things with heavenly Hee that cannot see a Pismire but hee will thinke of providence Prov. 6.6 not a garish harlot dressing herselfe for an adulterous wretch but will taxe himselfe for his lesse loving Christ shee that cannot lay a leaven Matth. 13.33 but thinkes of the kingdome of Christ and in a word hath a gift to be heavenly and to turne ordinary properties of the creature or common occasions to holy meditation he shall not have his heart in another world when the Lord presents unto him the Lord Iesus by Sacramentall resemblances And thus much for the first The second part of the forme of Sacraments is union The second part of forme Vnion Which yet comes nearer than the former as more closely conveying exhibiting the Lord Iesus to the soule Yet wee must know the former makes way to this the aptnesse and speciall application of signes to this use helpes much the minde to conceive but this is the more immediate object of faith to fasten upon Christ that the Sacraments are no longer the bread of the Lord but bread the Lord wine the Lord and water the Lord. And this Sacramentall union is an act of Gods ordeining Spirit and Authority by vertue whereof the Lord Iesus in all his merits and efficacy is not onely resembled and presented by apt likenesse to the minde but really made one with the Elements that by them and with them he might be carried into the soule inseparably for assurance of union and Communion with God Hence it is that the Scripture speakes in such a phrase This is my body This is my blood of the New Testament Luk. 22 19. 1 Cor. 5 7. Ioh. 6 32. yea in the Old Testament Christ is our Passeover The Rocke was Christ I am that Manna which descended c. All which phrases denote a realnesse and union with the Elements true and unfaigned And indeede all divine unions are Reall All unions reall although they differ in their severall kinds yet by vertue of the ordinance and the power of him that hath so made them they are no shaddowes of empty things no dumbe Pageants as we may see in other unions Sorts of them There is an intellectuall union in nature betweene the mind and object in which respect we say the mind is all things meaning in and by this comprehension and union The object and the mind are one by vertue of this power of God
grace of faith to unite Christ Sacramentall unto thy soule Say thus Are water bread wine inseparable from Christ why so Doth God care for oxen as Paul saith or careth he to be one with bread and wine 1 Cor. 9.9 Are these the subjects of his delight poore base corruptible Elements 1 Cor. 6.19 Heb. 12.23 No no those lively Temples of our soules and spirits of just beleeving ones are the places of his delight Oh! then say so Lord this union serves for a better that thou and my soule be one by the convey of the Sacrament that I might eate drinke Psal 24.7 enjoy thee Oh lift up thy head my dore be thou lifted up in me oh eternall gate of my soule that the King of glory may come in Let faith unbolt set you wide open that Christ may enter and take you up for his habitation be your head as the husband is the wives to procure her all good as a Prince in his governement as a Master in his family nay as the soule is in the body Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17.26 ult to act rule frame purge them to encrease the power of faith in adoption reconciliatiō to enlarge the graces of his spirit love meekenesse patience thankfulnesse to fill the conscience with joy hope peace to cause these to flow out of the belly of the soule as waters of life unto eternall life yea not onely better hearers worshippers of God but more wise to rule more faithfull to obey righteous in buying selling exemplary in our Christian practise harmles upright sober to purge us of our wrath uncharitablenes unmercifulnes unprofitablenes that the Lord Iesus Sacramētall in the spirit of him may become more lively powerfull and fruitfull in us Oh! pray and give the Lord no rest till he have bred faith in thee to these ends Vse 6 And to conclude if the poore creatures thus hold their union with Christ and thou by unbeleefe remainest destitute of him know these dumbe Elements shall one day rise up in judgment against thee condemne thee for they have kept their union which is but subordinate and serving to a better end But thou hast rejected thy union spirituall with Christ in the increase of his graces Oh wretch In naturall things and in vicious things thou art ripe and quicke enough to apprehend yea more than thou oughtest No sooner doth the name of that which thou takest pleasure in as the Taverne or Alehouse in which thou hast often disguised thy selfe come to mind no sooner the name of thy Farme which affords thee such a Rent Revenue offer it selfe to thee no sooner doth the name of the harlot whom thou hast consorted with the glasse in which thou canst reflect thy owne face upon thine eyes stand before thee but instantly thou feelest an union with those lusts which those names and notions present to thee thy spirit savors drunkennesse covetousnesse uncleanenesse and pride Onely the Sacraments are offred to thine eye by the Lord in which Christ is nominated nay actually exhibited and united and here the union is so strange a thing from thee that any other base object will sooner offer it selfe alone without any other occasion than the least apprehension of Sacramentall Christ come into thy thoughts or affections eyther to beleeve in love joy in or much lesse to be knit unto and made one with that all his excellency and grace might be thine that fatnesse and sweetnesse of his might be conveyed by faith into thy soule How shalt thou be able to answer this sensuality estrangement of spirit from the Lord Iesus Iustly may that curse light upon thee 1 Cor. 16.22 The 4. is the end twofold primary or secondary which Paul pronounceth upon al such as love not the Lord Iesus Thus much for the forme of a Sacrament be also spoken I proceede to the last generall in the definition which is the end of a Sacrament And that is double eyther concerning us from God or God from us Both as I noted are the scope of a Sacrament The reason whereof is because the Sacrament intends full as much and neither more not lesse than the covenant doth I meane the covenant of grace But the covenant of grace is reciprocall That God be our God Both essentiall Gen. 17.1 and wee be his people that God be our God al-sufficient and we walke uprightly before him I doe not meane by reciprocalnesse any equality in working as if our obeying or uprightnesse could worke God to be ours as his being ours workes us to be upright But that indifferently the one as well as the other part and condition is interchangably requisite on our parts as well as the Lords As then the seale of the covenant assures the one so must it the other it must secure the Lord of our upright walking as well as us of his beeing our God both must needs goe together Yet I meane not that the Sacraments doe equally seale up both for Gods sealing grace to us is strong our sealing backe to him of duty is weake the Sacrament is the Lords and therefore principally aymes at our good yet I say God lookes for it that the same messenger of his unchangable love to us revived at the Sacrament should carry backe to him our revived covenant of upright walking The Lord so comes to his oath and seale for our security that hee lookes we also come to the oath of Covenant with him hee will not be tyed and wee be loose First then of the former of these two ends Gods end concerning us What God covenanteth Touching which let us conceive what God covenanteth and so we shall see what the Sacraments doe assure Touching this point of the offer and Covenant of God I having elsewhere largely spoken Practic Catech. Part 2. Artic. 3. therefore I doe here referre my reader to that discourse to spare a labour Onely thus much in a word when Adam had lost his integrity by disanulling the covenant of creation the Lord had it in his bosome what he would doe with all his posterity if hee had quite destroyed them all it had beene but just In this demurre grace cast the skole and brought him out of his meere good pleasure to purpose to recover a Remnant out of their ruine And as hee meant this within himselfe so he thought it meete to expresse so much to us not by including some and excluding others but by a free unconditionall offer of grace in respect of any thing in man to covenant with him to be his God and to become propitious and favorable againe unto him as if hee never had beene offended This covenant he establishes with us in the Blood of his Sonnes satisfaction requiring of us to beleeve that thereby his Majesty is reconciled with us and that therefore we be reconciled to him This he urges us to beleeve nakedly upon his bare word and covenant and that we seeke no
starting holes but set too our seale that he meanes no lesse than his words import for his Sonnes sake that he will be our God and forgive us Now there is weight in the promise alone sufficient to overpeize our infidelity But such is the basenesse of spirit in us being disabled by our fall that neither can our feeblenesse reach it or remember and represent it to us in due sort and much lesse our guilty slavish and treacherous hearts which muse as they use and thinke God like themselves to hate them whom they have hurt can beleeve it Heere the Lord not content with the bare offer and Covenant of grace in Christ rather than he would leave any who is not wilfully an enemy and hating reconciliation unconvinced of his unfeignednesse of meaning to doe as he speakes What the Sacraments doe assure condescends so low as to stoope to our weake forgetfull and base hearts and therefore comes as the author to the Hebrewes speakes cap. 6 17.18 Heb. 6 17 18f to joyne an oath to his Covenant That by two things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge upon pursuit of our conscience Satan or any enemies Now what is the oath of God in the Ghospell Surely no other save his seales that is his Sacraments which I take to bee no small cause why the Fathers devised the Name of a Sacrament that is an oath This oath or seale call it as you will must be that uttermost security which the Lord can or will reach us forth in his Gospell to take away our distrust and slavery That as among men in the greatest Controversies an oath is beyond all expectation able to decide the doubt so in this matter of Gods open and hearty meaning in his covenant if the soule question it he desires that his oath might put an end to our unbeleefe The Lord to speake with reverence taking a kinde of corporall oath in the Sacrament I take these Sacramentall Elements united to the Crucified flesh of my Sonne to witnesse that as surely as nothing can sever from the one a cleansing feeding cherishing quality to the bodyes of the creatures to whom my word hath so appointed them so nothing shall separate the quickning comforting and refreshing quality of my Sonnes satisfaction that is my love and grace from the soules of them whom I have ordained it unto I swere and vow my Sonne is theirs as truely as the bread they eate and the wine they drinke Let us then collect out of this that hath beene sayd a threefold end of Sacraments 1. To be Glasses 2. Memorialls 3. Pledges and that of best assurance if oath seale be sufficient of the true meaning of God to the Soule in bidding it be reconciled The last of these three is the cheefe Three ends of them yet there is use of the former two Of which seeing partly I have spoken and partly shall speake therefore heere the lesse Touching the first then that Sacraments are as Glasses to the Soule I spake before in that point of the matter of Sacraments 1. To bee sses noting that the Lord chuseth things of most ordinary familiarnesse to helpe the feeblenesse and carnality of our minds And in the like respect the Lord hath given them to this end that they might be looking glasses that as in them each part of the face may bee cleerely discerned so in this mirror of the Sacrament for that of Paul is as proper to the Sacrament as to the promise 2 Cor. 3. ult 2 Cor. 3. vlt. that with open face we behold the Lord we may fullyer discerne the very letters of the covenant which before seemed dim Spectacles we see are of use to cause a weake eye to see clearely by multiplying and inlarging the character or object And the perspective glasse will so extend the object a farre off that a man may perceive a two or three miles distant a little cottage under a darke wood side with all the proportion of it not a doore wall or window of it excepted Even so is it heere The Sacraments are glasses yea perspectives which discover to the dim eye of the soule all that fulnesse of Christ which the only promise could not yeâ— its as a picture at large shewing the soule all the dimensions of mercy of Christ his length depth height and breadth which is as Paul calls it the fulnesse of God That as the Prophet speakes of the writing which should be written in great letters that he that runnes might read it so heere 2. Memorialls Habak 2.2 For the 2. Memorialls of Christ I shall more fully handle afterward when I shew the duty of the Communicants behaviour in the act of receiving Heere this may be sufficient to signifie that as Monuments Marble Pillars with engraven characters serve to bring to the memory the lively impression of things fallen out or done time out of minde so the Sacraments serve to be memorials to our forgetfull mindes to make lively and fresh the memory and impression of the Lord Iesus crucified together with the power of his death and satisfaction So that no injury of time weakenesse of memory or craft of Sathan might ever be able to weare out the print of such a divine gift and favour as much worth as the salvation of mankind See at large in the place quoted 3. Pledges or seales But thirdly and chiefely I adde for pledges and seales of security to the soule doubtfull about the meaning of the COvenant The other two make way in the minde for this but this is the last and finall end of Sacraments in Gods ordination To adde a word or two to that I have said of it the Lord by his Seales seekes the uttermost securitie of the staggering soule in his true and faithfull meaning to save and sustaine it here during the kingdome of grace These Seales he appoints frequently to be offered and received that as the weake soule finds her selfe to stand in need so shee drinking at these brookes might lift up her head Illustration To make my meaning more plaine we see among men for sundry causes it is meet one secure the other of his faithfulnesse If men be suspected for restoring what they borrow wee see they are faine to lay in a pledge with the lender to secure him of his owne When Abraham sent his servant upon a weightie errand far off Gen. 24.24 2 3 he caused his servant to put his hand under his thigh and bound him with oath to deale behind his backe as if he were in his presence So God doe and more if thou faile of ought which lies upon thy trust and fidelity Even so doth the Lord abase himself to us in Sacraments seemes to yeeld to our infidelity as if it were excusable and to make himselfe obnoxious to us who is free and bound to none hee is content to cleere
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
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
Bookes Bells Candles Reliques Creame Oyle Salt Spittle and stuffe not of Christs but their owne separation So much of the former branch Vse of latter branch Touching the latter let it be a comfort to all Gods people to consider the perpetuitie of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the nourishment of his Church So long as Christ Iesus shall have a Church till he drinke this Passeover in his heavenly kingdome with them hee will see these holy signes separated by himselfe to holy use to abide therein for hee hath setled them upon it for ever What persecutions what confusions of Popery what malice of enemies could ever prevaile these 1600. yeares to robbe the Church hereof As Iachin and Boaz abode while the Temple stood 1 King 7 21. so these two Pillars of Gods Sacraments shall never cease till the ordeyner of them shull come to judgement They may be eclipsed the light purity of administration defiled and for a time sundry corruptions of men may bee permitted by Gods providence to pester the Church but none of all these changings of the Sacrament into a Masse-sacrifice none of their pollutions and superstitions brought in and obtruded upon the Church shall prevaile That setled separation of our Lord Iesus shall give life to the Sacrament and as the Church her selfe Micah 7.8 Micha 7 8. saith to those Babylonians Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy for whâ—n I am fallen I shall risâ— Then shall she who upbrayded mee see it and tremble and be trodden downe as the mire of the streets So may the Sacrament of Christ triumph over all popish enemies who set up a signe of contradiction against her Masse and Altars and other defilements Rejoyce not over mee for I shall see thy ruine the life of Christs ordinance shall give mee a rising and recovery and I shall say Where is now your mouth that scorned the Sacrament where is your God of bread become Oh! one day the Lord Iesus shall consume your trash with the breath of his mouth Revel 11 and then his owne Sacrament and all his holy ordinances shall be set up in their purity when all humane scurfe shall breathe his last and say Thou hast overcome Oh Lord thy truth and ordinance have prevailed Vse 3 Lastly seeing the Minister hath deputed power from Christ thus to separate the Elements from common to divine use It should teach him to begin with this act and as may be obteyned to take the materialls himselfe at the entrance of separation and thus to separate them by vertue of the ordinance not to leave it to his Sexton or Clerke to fetch from the Taverne as he list and powre out at his pleasure Better is an overplus than a defect in this behalfe And for the first act thus much The second act of the Minister about the materialls 2. Act of the Minister blessing is blessing them for so our Saviour Luk. 22.19 Luk. 22 19. is said to doe ere he brake them Still I must put in this that the Minister of himselfe can doe nothing oftentimes he is farre from being blessed himselfe but the obedience to the institution doth it Now by blessing is meant sanctifying What it is Sanctifying the word being taken from the ordinary manner of the Iewes in their feasts and meales whose graces were called blessings because the first word of them was 1 Cor. 10 10. Blessed be God who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and who giveth wine out of the grape c. From hence our Saviour is said to blesse bread and wine though in another forme and to an higher end yet in generall as in the use of the creatures And the truth is whosoever they be that dare come neare the Table of the Lord and the blessing of the Minister being privy of ordinary using the creatures without blessing are fit to bee quite excluded from this Sacrament Remember the phrase of this blessing issued from that Now besides this blessing although it properly denote Thankes yet it includes prayer also First by Prayer Both make up the blessing of the Sacrament Our manner at this day is to say Wee give thankes not as if we did nothing else or as if prayer were inferior to it but so the use of speech hath prevailed First then our Saviour prayed and secondly praysed and gave thankes to his Father and in both stood this second act of blessing He was in this his act subject as mediator to his Father and so acknowledged no lesse viz. That looke what hee did hee did deputedly from him as the cheefe Agent in the sanctifying of the Sacrament And even so is the Minister much more to doe in his stead not to arrogate to himselfe Popishly this power but to abase himselfe to the lowest earth as a worme creeping out of her hole when he lifts up his heart in this kind to the Lord in the behalfe of the Church for a blessing upon the Sacrament It s farre from him or his intention to make or not to make the Sacrament it depends upon an higher power For in this case without question the greater is blessed of the lesser to wit instrumentally For the former of these two viz. our Saviours prayer it s not to be wondred at that its a part of this blessing For why Why It was put up to his Father to the end that he would give his solemne consent to it and by his word establish it to bee a Sacrament Even our blessing the creatures is by applying the strength of the Word Matth. 4.4 for man lives not by bread but by each word of God So that our Saviour here craveth a word from his Father 1 King 8.22 for the blessing of this Ordinance Salomon when he consecrated the Temple what did hee Applyed a word by Prayer unto it Thou O Lord art so great that the Heaven of Heavens cannot conteine thee yet thou hast sayd I will dwell in this house and make it a place of my residence Oh! be it so Vers 27. Matth. 12.42 Now although a greater than Salomon be heere yet lo as being now deputed by his Father to this great worke he beggeth from him to set his Fiat to this his act of Institution As if he should say Father it s not of my selfe as man but from thee and thy command I thy righteous servant have separated these Elements Esay 42.1 Oh Father then as the cheefe ordayner shew that I have done nothing rashly and without thee in this attempt Conteines 4. things But more fully to speake of this Prayer of Christ it conteines these foure things in it First as I said The Lord Iesus having abrogated one Sacrament and substituted another craves a consent from his Father by prayer as if he had said If thou oh Father say the word these Elements shall be Sacramentall they shall be united to my Deity and
not for the fruit Vse all these in their kindes but enjoy these and in so doing ye have the perfection which nothing else can and these doe affoord to the soule But heere yee will say is the difficulty I answer I will point briefely at two or three branches of direction and so conclude Directions for it three The first delight in God Psal 37. The first is this Delight in the Lord for this perfection of soule-content which he offers in his Christ The perfection of love is joy let him have perfect delight of thy heart for his perfect nourishment If David said well Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire how much more then set thy heart upon him when he hath already done it that hee may doe it more Vse the Ordinances of Word of Prayer yea of this Sacramentall Christ our nourishment as a stirrop to get up into this full safe pure and durable object of delight in the Lord his Christ and Spirit who when all these poore helpes which serve to proppe up a Pilgrims travell as so many baiting-places till he get home shall faile yet shall be the eternall delight of the soule in glory Beginne this complacence and well apaiednesse of heart heere and if it be hard pray to God to give thee a judicious heart to understand the weight and worth of the things and to delight groundedly in those things which are best approved of God to deserve it As if a Iueller assure thee of the value of a pearle he neede say no more And pray also that all thy affections may follow love joy feare to forgoe it sorrow if weakened and all the rest as in a Gentlemans house let the Master welcome a stranger and all the servants will striue to doe the like Beseech him that his Spirit of comfort by faith may not only shew thee the good things he hath given thee 1 Cor. 2 12. 1 Cor. 2 12. but shed a lively sweetnesse and joy in them into thee so that as the Vine said Iudg. 9 11 13. Thou wilt not forsake this thy fatnesse and sweetnesse for any thing Beseech him to purge thy conscience from all creeping defilements of thy selfe world Satan or crosses which might dampe it and so raise up thy soule by them above all this earth which might eclipse it If it be an heaven upon earth now and then to beleeve a promise to savor a Truth to receive a Sacrament to be in good company to resist a lust to revive a grace what should he be who is all these and whereby should the heart be sooner raised up to him than by that which makes all this good cheere the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Oh! maintaine no melancholy distrust against this But as Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 1 Sam. 1 1â— when she had heard Eli was quite another and wept no more so be thou Peninna still was a chokepeare and so shall there never cease some thing or other to correct thy content but yet Peninna now was no more thought of Remember if food and gladnesse alway go together as Act. 14.17 Act. 14 17. How shalt thou hold up thy face before the Lord of this feast if thy sad heart poison it Secondly 2 Maintaine communion with him adde thiâ—â—s maintaine this Communion with God daily As the influente of Christ in the Sacrament is a speciall peece of our communion with God so when wee are gone it should make us fond to hold it that wee might bee as it were drunk with the wine of his cellars and the pleasures of his house That so wee may keepe a communion with him daily from Sabbath to Sabbath and be alway breaking bread and receaving as those disciples at Ierusalem who attended the comming of the Holy-Ghost David was so ravisht with that hee felt in the house of God that he saith had I but one thing of God this it should be Psal 27. That I might behold his face in the beauty of his Temple and holinesse and yet he might never come into the Priests Sanctuary much lesse rhe Holy of Holies to see the merciseat and the Arke under it covered with glorious Cherubins which wee may doe daily This is to spend our whole life in Gods House Psal 23. ult Psal 23 6. Not to be never out of it which old Anna her selfe could not but to retaine that savor of immortalitie and hope of eternall life which the communion of Saints in the world and Sacraments doth breed in the soule Oh the smell of these spices in the garden which the North-winde of the Spirit doth afford to our nostriles Cant. 4 16. Cant. 4 16. should so perfume us as all other fellowship should stinke unto us as no douht Peter his nets did and all the world when he was with Christ and Moses and Elias upon the Mount and would have built three Tabernacles Math. 17 4. and said It is good to be there As those brutish ones longed When will the Sabbaths be gone and the new Moones be past meaning those feasts of continuance for weekes so shouldst thou long for them When will they come And with David Psal 84. Psal 84.3 Oh my heart fainteth and my feete long for to goe to thy Temple How rare are such in these dayes in which though our cups and vessels be of silver and gold yet our receivers are wood and stone for the most part and such as savor not this bread of life and food of Angels How should we be afraid lest this Idoll of forme eate up all as those leane Kine in Gen. 41 18. Gen. 41.18.16 20. and lanke eares devoured the fat and full ones Where is hee who so comes to the Sacrament as loth to leave it and to goe into the aire of the world againe I â—â—mmend not the excesse of these old Monkes who forsooke the course of the world for to live alway in holy services But this I say few such there are who doe so much as hold any savor of this communion of Christ Sacramentall a few dayes after Oh! then such as have found this hoord of grace in the Supper keepe it daily also that it may attend ye fortie dayes till the Mount of God Directions for it Therefore let our daily course hold this communion But how may some say I will adde one or two words of direction First in the due exercise and quickning of the graces of the Spirit within us both the life of faith in all estates blessings and crosses in all meanes ordinary and extraordinary in their season as well as the Supper all having their particular use also in all duties of both Tables and the fruits of this faith I meane the graces of hope love to the Saints the partners with us in this communion Psal 16 2. Psal 16 2. and patience humilitie courage thankfulnesse and the rest of
Psal 122.6.7 prayes for this That our sonnes may be as plants our daughters as polished stones That our garners be full our sheepe plentifull our Oxen strong and no beggers in our streetes But especially love lookes at the inward prospering of the Church that it may goe well with it that the kingdome of Christ may be set up throughout it farre and wide Dan. 9.7 And therefore first shee mournes for the spiritull sinnes of the whole body Ezra 9 6. especially those that threaten her ruine dallyance with the word contempt and profanation of Ministery Sabboaths and ordinances declining from the power of godlinesse chusing to serve God for forme secretly looking towards Popish trash as being weary of sound doctrine Secondly rejoycing to consider that the Lord hath yet reserved to himselfe many whose hearts are upright with God holding their first love entire and their zeale unspotted with the filth and dregges of the age and time serving their generations as David did Act. 13.38 Thirdly sorrowing to see the distresses of the Church abroad Esay 63.15 Zeph. 3.18 Micah 2 7. to heare of the sad disasters that are the darke wayes of providence the disappointing of our hopes the mourning of Assemblies the unfruitfulnesse of ordinances the streightning of the Spirit the dissipation of sheepe into the remote corners of the world Lastly by faith holding the promises that concerne the Churches victory as that shee shall possesse the gates of her enemies The gates of Hell shall not prevaile against her Matth. 18. Micha 7.8 â— shee shall arise even in her falling and shall see light in darkenesse untill at last the Lord plead her cause execute vengeance against her enemies head and tayle branch and rush and bring forth her light as the morning This for the fifth point The sixth and last is the end why love doth thus act it selfe The 6. Thâ— end All these passages of love although they convey in them some good to the body and members yet looke at a further thing that is the edifying it selfe in love and the finall welbeeing thereof in this vale of misery Concerning which and the encrease of grace in the body and members the Reader may looke into my Catechisme in the Article of Communion and there helpe himhelfe And this be sayd of these six grounds by which this grace may be the better understood and according thereto try himselfe if hee be wise Which worke though I might have spared yet knowing that weake ones as well as strong may meete with my Booke I will after I have grounded the point come to application and among other uses to examination Fow the point then this it is 2. Generall the proofes Exod. 12.3 Num. 9.12 Love thus described is a necessary grace for the Sacrament And it appeares first by proofes thus The Analogy of the Passeover which the Lord commanded to bee eaten in one house Not onely least the Lambe should bee broken and divided but rather to typifie this Sacramentall love and union betweene those that received it Againe whence was that Exod. 12.8 3. That no bone of it should bee broken Surely not onely to typifie the Lord Christ that hee that enjoyeth him enjoyeth him whole But to shew also That those who will bee bone of his bone and make him their nourishment must be whole unbroken and unshattered in their Communion as wee know his seamelesse coate was another type of this want of rupture and division Psal 133.1 in the Church In Psal 133. David is ravished with love and amity of the Church in the use of the ordinances of which this was one And what saith he Oh how comely and good a thing it is for brethren to dwell even together Even to come together as one man And hee resembleth it to the fragrant oyle of Aarons consecration and the fruitfull dew upon Hermon and Zion Yea even those love feasts as badly as they were used yet intimate that Ancient Churches desire to nourish Sacramentall love And that text of Paul 1 Cor. 10 18. Who by this Sacrament and the elements thereof presseth Christian love as in Eph. 4 5. he urgeth it by the Oneship of God Christ baptisme and faith doth cleerely proove it The bread wee breake made of many graines the wine wee drinke consisting of many grapes what is it but our love and fellowship in the body And one speciall proofe must not be forgotten Reade Iohn 12 and 13 and 14. Where Christ exhorted his Disciples about sundry things immediately before the Supper This is one of the many and oftest urged that they would obey his new commandement and love one another Have peace in your selves and each with other Five or sixe of such passages there And the Evangelist doth not so expresse that consent and love of the Church in this Sacrament of breaking bread But hee inferreth strongly thereby that it was a peculiar grace to be brought thither Reason 1 For why first whereby shall the soule more comfortably satisfie it selfe about the truth of her faith than by this love for faith worketh by love The workeman and his tooles goe alway together Reason 2 Secondly by what shall wee testifie our soundnesse of judgement touching the way of Gods communicating himselfe unto each member by and through the body than by comming to receive in love as well as in faith And how can they better declare their humilitie than by this That they acknowledge The rooote beareth them up not they it Reason 3 But the third reason is chiefest The Sacrament conteyning the very instruments bands and cordes by which the Lord Iesus reconciled his Church to himselfe to make it one viz. his body and blood who should dare to defile it with enimity Even Heathens themselves loathed ceremonies in their worship repugning to their institution As to admit of dwarfes to Hercules his sacrifice To suffer such to come to Bacchus his feasts as were too sad to Venus who affected virginity to Saturnes who were not sad and solemne What comelines then shall the Lord looke for at his Sacrament That all who come to a Sacrifice grounded in love should not dare to come in bitternesse and so defile it Reason 4 Fourthly if all other ordinances doe so absolutely urge it that else they are marred how much more this Looke two texts one in 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Tim. 2.8 Lifting up pure hands without wrath And 1 Pet. 2. 1.2 Where all such as covet the Word are bidden to cast of all superfluitie of malice and wrath and envies c. Now if this be so necessary for all how much more for this Reason 5 Lastly the conscience excusing us in this that wee bring love doth also leave us well appayd in sundry things of farre greater consequence As that we love him who begat That we are borne of God that we are verily Christs disciples 1 Ioh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 4.7 that we are passed from death