the husband hath his wife Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God by which they are made one flesh So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by knowledge faith feare love confidence worship and the like Use Be thou sure my good child to have the true God onely to be thy God thus When thou knowest not God and doest not beleeve love and feare him nor put thy trust and confidence in him that thou mayst enjoy him and use him as thine thou hast him not no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone Thou hast there articles of the Covenant for him alone and for other things and persons under him and for his honour onely 10. Q. What is the second Commandement A. Exod. 20.4 5 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship What God requires in the second commandement God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters Because they are carnall they must have carnall helps of their own inventions Hence is it because they have not bodily communion with their gods they ordinarily see them not heare them not feele them not therefore they set up their Images likenesses and similitudes they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods they adorn them they cense to them they kneele bowe courtesie and pray to them they think that there is a religious and divine power and presence in them to be a chariot of their devotions and to convey the Influences of their hearts and words to their patrons their great gods But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way Deut. 4.15 16 17 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 and a Jealous God and will have none of his worship conveyed to any devises of man or by them to him but he will have his own worship by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him in the way and by the means that he hath appointed that is by the Word Sacraments and Prayer Vse Therefore my child look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne or others Imagine not that Images or Idols either graven or carved or painted can carry thy worship to those Gods or divine things or Persons whom they represent Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing or person but God alone Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true and good God But as thou learnest out of the word the worship to give him all manner of prayers and prayses to heare his word to receive his Sacraments and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices so doe that thou provoke not God to jealousie and so to hate thee and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort 11. Q. What is the third Commandement A. Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner What God requires in the third Commandement so as it may not be in vaine If it be not done as he would have it as good never a whit as not done as he would have it The name of God is God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee Thou art knowne by thy name and God hath a name whereby he is or may be made known to all mankind to wit his works his word his titles his attributes his religion his worship this is his name To take it signifies to take it up or to challenge it from contempt and blasphemy so as God may not be dishonoured by thine or others use of it To take it in vaine is to use it to no end to a fruitlesse end or to a wicked end as when thou usest the names titles and attributes of God to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech when thou usest them in asseverations and oathes to belch out the passions and bitternesse of thy heart to or against others and when thou usest them in word or actions to vent the malice or hypocrisie in thy heart Vse Take heed of doing thus my child Thou art a Christian and wouldest be accounted godly and so thou takest up Gods name Do it so as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknowledge thee for such Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth doe it with all reverence When thou swearest doe it when thou art justly called unto it Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2 to cleare the innocency or to end strife among men in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement When thou prayest hearest vowest or receivest the Sacraments doe them as sincerely desiring to draw thy self into communion with God in Christ If thou doe not though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods yet God tenderly respects his owne name and will account thee guilty and bind thee over to be plagued in this world and for ever 12. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Here God requires the worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed It is said What God requires in the fourth Commandement That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a summe and therefore compare other Scriptures and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto Esau cries out to Jacob Gen. 27. Blesse me even me also my father and then Jacob gave him a
thou doest not record truth as it is found Thou mayst sinne against truth and charity privately either against thy selfe or others Against thy selfe when thou dost not regard thine owne credit or thinkest either too basely or boastingly of thy owne person Against others when thou praysest them above deserts or praysest mens vices or givest not them their due truth by scorning backbiting slandering or the like Vse Thus my child maist thou sinne against truth but take heed God would have truth precious with thee and all men Therefore discerne it as cleare as thou canst honour it by not withholding the truth in unrighteousnesse and maintaine it in thy selfe and others that justice may flourish It is true that many times truth breeds hatred among men but beleeve God who saith that he that deales truly is Gods delight 18. Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Exod. 20.17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours Here thou art at the very foot of the ladder and from hence thou mayst rise to the highest pitch of morall vertue What is required in the tenth commandement or of sinne against it If thou have this coveting after that which is thy neighbors thou wilt not spare falshood to get it If thou canst once out-face truth then have at thy neighbours goods for thy profit thy neighbours honesty for thy pleasure yea thy neighbours life rather then thou wilt misse of either and next have at thy neighbours honour that thou mayst have none to punish thee and then have at thy God in all disobedience for if thou sinnest against thy neighbour whom thou seest thou wilt much more sinne against thy God whom thou doest not see but in his word and works Therefore God requires in this Commandement such an evennesse of spirit that nothing that is thy neighbours doe trouble thee Hath thy neighbour better house better wife better servants better cattell better any thing then thee thy eye may not be evill because Gods is good If thou have God it is enough it is all things nothing that is thy neighbours must trouble thee This Coveting is call'd Evill concupiscence Col. 3.5 and is an inordinate motion of thy soule soliciting to evill against thy neighbour This is of two sorts originall and actuall Originall referred to neighbours is part of thy flesh which by pronenesse poysoneth thy soule and moveth thee to injustice Actuall are ill motions rising from thence in thy mind by foolish fansies thoughts and judgements and in thy heart by affections wishes and desires inordinately carried after pleasures the lusts of the flesh profits the lusts of the eyes and honour the pride of life This Coveting must not be carried in speciall after things without life as thy neighbours house nor after things with life which are reckoned according to their honour as thy neighbours wife servants oxe or asse nor in generall after any thing that is thy neighbours that so thou mayst know that nothing is to be excepted These home-bred broyles and covetings are the causes of all evils when they are yeelded unto therefore God hath set them at the lower end of this Ladder Vse Be carefull my child to watch with all care and diligence in thy soule about these covetings Have such a quiet resting in God and all that he gives thee be it little or be it much that nothing that is thy neighbours trouble thee If thou doe not thou wilt trouble thy selfe and thou wilt be provoked to hurt and trouble thy neighbour and to rise higher to a more direct sinning against thy God Thus have I given thee fit for thy capacity I hope a short summe of these Ten Lawes of God now look back and let me see what thou hast observed Thou hast told me that God made thee to serve him as he hath commanded in his Lawes Q. Where are these Laws set down A. In Exodus and Deuteronomy Q. How many of them are they A. They are ten in two Tables Q. What doth God require in the first A. My having the true God onely to be my God Q. How canst thou have God A. By cleaving unto God by Covenant Q. How must that be A. By knowledge faith love hope feare confidence patience prayer and vowes Q. What doth he require in the second A. My giving of God his owne worship and service Q. How canst thou doe that A. By abhorring the will-worship of Idolaters and serving him according to his owne will Q. What doth he require in the third A. My worshipping of God in his owne manner Q. How must that be done A. By observing not onely the matter of his worship but the manner that it be done well Q. What doth he require in the fourth A. My worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time that is appointed by him Q. What are his means to advance his worship now A. The Ministery of the word of God Q. What is the appointed time A. The seventh part of time as the Sabbath was in the old World so the Lords day in the new Q. What doth he require in the fifth Commandement A. Superiours and Inferiours with their severall duties Q. Whom doe you meane by Superiours A. Those that are in state of excellency above us Q. Whom doe you meane by Inferiours A. Those that are in severall orders under them Q. What is it to honour them A. According to their order above us to have reverence obedience feare and thankfulnesse Q. What doth he require in the sixth Commandement A. The preservation of our owne and our neighbours lives Q. May none be killed A. Yes upon a just cause by a just person in a just order and with a just mind Q. What then is murder A. An unlawfull hurting of the life of any man in thought word and deed or inclination Q. What doth he require in the seventh Commandement A. The preservation of our owne or neighbours chastitie Q. What doe you meane by adultery A. Properly the abusing of anothers bed Q. What doe you meane by it here A. All unchastity in nature preparation or thought word and deed Q. What doth he require in the eighth Commandement A. The preservation of our own and neighbours goods Q. What is meant here by stealing A. A close conveyance away of our owne or our neighbours goods Q. What is comprehended under it A. All hurting of our neighbour in his goods either in nature or thought word or deed Q. What doth God require in the ninth Commandement A. The preservation of our owne or our neighbours truth Q. What doe you meane by false witnesse A. Any testimony by word or deed which is either against truth or against truth and charitie Q. What doth God require in the tenth Commandement A. Such an evennesse of spirit that nothing that is my neighbours trouble me
Thus thou hast heard what God is that he made thee to serve him that thou must serve him according to his Lawes and what these lawes are Now tell me 19. Q. Art thou able to keepe these Commandements A. No let me doe what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse Here thou makest a strange accusation against thy selfe Indeed Christ saith that out of the heart come evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses Mat. 15.19 blasphemies They are not sent into the heart but sent out of it and such an heart surely breaks the Commandements And Paul saith when he spake experimentally of his naturall heart I know that in me that is Rom. 7.18 19. in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I know not for the good that I would I doe not but the evill which I would not that doe I and certainly he that stands in this state cannot keepe the Commandements Yet marke that thou puttest in an heavy indictment against thy selfe I say marke this and marke it seriously Hast thou a strange God to be thy God Doest thou follow Idolatrous worship Doest thou dishonour the name of God in thought word action Doest thou neglect the Ministery of the word and profane the Lords day Doest thou rebell against Gods Ordinances for the orderly government of the world Art thou a murderer an whore or whore-master and a thiefe Art thou a lyer slanderer or backbiter Hast thou a wicked lustfull heart which boyles with discontents because it is better with thy neighbor then with thy selfe If another body should charge thee with all these things thou wouldst defie him and be ready to spit in his face yet thou sai'st openly that thou doest breake the Commandements every day I confesse it to be a truth How we do break all the Commandements every day yet must thou understand it according to the word of God or else shame and confusion will lye upon thee more then upon other men women and children know then that thou breakest all the Commandements every day three wayes First in Adam we were all in Adam when he sinned Rom. 5. and in his fall sinne went over all mankind and so over thee as well as any body else If a Carp eat of a baite and be taken and killed not onely she dies but thousands of spaunes that are in her belly so when Adam sinned in eating the forbidden fruit and died to God we that were in his loynes eate it and died in him He sinned against a Sacrament By eating the forbidden fruit he made himselfe unfit and unworthy to eat of the Tree of life In sinning against this Sacrament he sinned against the whole Covenant of Nature For thou know'st that he that tears off the labels and seales of a Bond sinneth against the vertue of the Bond and makes it of none effect so Adam sinning against that Sacrament the seale of the Covenant he made it uselesse He was neither bound to God now by vertue of that Covenant because he had made himself unable nor God to him because he had made himsefe unworthy We therefore being in Adam and sinning in Adam doe break all the Commandements in him as we are in the first Adam Secondly we breake all the Commandements in the pronenesse of our nature to breake them A Fox is chained up in the yard If he doe not kill all the Poultry about the house no thanks to him but to his wary Master who hath tied him up So no thanks to thee if thou doe not break all the Commandements but to God who hath an hook in thy nosthrils and restraines thee by his providence before he renues thee by his Spirit for thy nature is prone unto it God looks upon the pronenesse of nature and according to that doth passe censure upon men women and children Heb. 11. Abraham is said to offer up his sonne Isaac by faith though he did it not because from that principle of grace within him his nature was now prone to doe it and would have done it Gen. 22. if God had not held his hands Christ saith That he that looks upon a woman lustfully hath already committed adultery with her in his heart Matt. 5. yet the woman is very chaste and untouched because Christ looks to the pronenesse of the heart So though thou have not broken any of the Commandements but art as unrebukable concerning the letter of the Law Phil. 3. as Paul was yet so long as God sees the pronenesse of thy nature that thou hast a principle of wickednesse in thee which makes thee as ready to break the Commandements as Cain Achitophel Peter yea Judas he will adjudge thee a breaker of all the Commandements Thirdly in breaking one of the Commandements Jam. 2.10 we doe breake them all Holy James saith Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all and surely thou breakest some one of them every day or else thou couldst not be a sinner 1 Joh. 1. and he that saith he hath no sinne is a lyer The whole Law is one body of righteousnesse Now thou know'st that if I sinne against the least member of thy body I sin against the whole Let me cut off the least joynt of thy little finger or of thy little toe I offend thy whole body Thy eye weeps thy mouth complains thy whole body shrinks because touching is shot through thy whole body So if thou breakest the least part of Gods Commandements all will feele and call for wrath upon thee because thou sinnest against the whole body of righteousnesse There is such a linking of all the Commandements together as is betwixt ten sworn friends abuse one and all will fall upon thee Therefore Paul saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. Thou must have the Law thou must know it thou must doe it thou must doe all things in it thou must continue in doing it thou must continue in doing all things that are in it or else thou art accursed Yet one thing may seeme strange unto thee that thou confessest thy selfe a breaker of all the Commandements every day when one Commandement concerns the Sabbath of old the Lords day now which comes but once a week how then canst thou break this every day I tell thee sadly that thou mayst break it before it comes and when it is gone Before it comes by doing that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit to keep it when it comes If I command a servant to doe some businesse for me afarre off put case he doe make himselfe drunke by the way and so be unfit to doe my businesse he sins against my command So if thou doe that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
propheticall blessing the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heaven Judg. 1. Achsah Caleb's daughter ask'd him a blessing and what did she mean Springs above and springs below that is a convenient situation for dwelling So when God blesseth he gives a blessing to things or persons Thus the Lord blessed that is gave a blessing to the Sabbath day Before the giving of the Law the blessing of Patriarchs who were Priests Prophets and Kings of their Families to regulate under and from God the private and publique worship After the Law the blessing of Levites Priests and Prophets So in these times of grace he gives the blessing of Apostles Evangelists Ephes 4. and Prophets by their writings and Pastors and Doctors by their teachings from the word to be as blessings to the Lords day Now because we are so worldly and wicked that we would not make use of this blessing of the means of worship by the Ministery of the Word if we were left unto our selves therefore God hath hallowed the seventh part of time and set it apart to holy uses and enjoyned us to apply it to such uses that we making use of this blessing may learn to know God and serve him with his owne worship and in his owne manner Marke then that the meanes for the advancement of the worship of God is the blessing of the Ministery of the word of God which is set apart for interpretation and instruction of us in Gods will by the Scriptures The time that God hath set apart for this end is the seventh part of time at the least For if he required of a Jew thus much whose mercies were not so great much more of us Christians whose mercies are greater Vse Therefore my good child think this Commandement to be as Joseph to provide for all the rest and when thou seest that all men are not Prophets 1 Cor. 1.10 nor all Teachers but God hath gifted out of all now some to be apt to teach by taking more speciall heed to themselves to the word of God to reading and to doctrine 1 Tim. 4.23 and when thou considerest that God challengeth the seventh part of time that thou mayst make use of the gifts of these men gifted for thy edification and lastly when thou weighest that that seventh part of time which was allotted to the Jews as a type of Christs resting in the grave is now vanished and another seventh part of time consecrated by the acts of Christ and his Apostles and the practise of the Church in all Ages which is particularly called the Lords day the like grounds for observing any other seventh part being impossible for us now to have therefore with all care and conscience doe thou remember the time and apply it unto holy uses both in preparation and practise that by the publique Ministery of the Word and private meditation of it and conference about it and prayer to make it profitable to thee thou maist make it a market day to thy soule to provide for the knowledge and service of thy God according to his good will both for matter and manner Thus have I shewed the summe of the foure first Commandements The sum of the first Table as thou art able to receive it now and that thou conceive them clearly I le thus represent it unto thee Thou art born into this world and when thou comest to yeers of discretion then bethinkest thy selfe how thou mayst live in after time First therefore thou puttest thy selfe to a Master to bring thee up in some good Imployment When thou hast a Master thou knowest that thou must doe his work If thou doe his work thou knowest thou must doe it in his manner He had rather thou should'st let it alone then not doe it according to his mind and in case he be not bodily present but hath left his Stewards to give directions at set time how he would have all his businesse dispatched according to his will thou must wait upon them in their seasons that thou mayst be punctuall and exact in all his affaires Just thus must it be with thee in this businesse for thy souls good Thou desirest to know how it may be well with thee in after-time Therefore first thou must choose God to be thy onely Lord and Master there is the first Commandement Next thou must doe his worke and worship not according to the fancies of Idolaters but according to his will there is the second Commandment Next thou must doe it in his manner so as it be not in vaine Esa 1. for otherwise he will say Who required this at thy hand there is the third Commandement And lastly because he is not visibly present but hath left his Stewards and Ambassadours to direct thee in his will at times by him appointed therefore must thou especially at those times hang upon their lips to be satisfied in thy Masters will that thou mayst serve him with his own service and in his own manner Now proceed and tell me 13. Q. What is the fifth Commandement A. Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Here God establisheth Superiours What God requires in the fifth Commandement and Ineferiours and their severall duties When he hath ordered every thing concerning himselfe and his worship then thy good God comes to order the world And because it can never be put in order by a parity and equality he doth establish first the throne of excellency He would not have Haile fellow well met in the world but he would have some high some low some rich some poore some Governours some governed and some Superiours some inferiours for the better marshalling and ordering the world There shall be fathers and mothers this he speaketh to superiours Ye shall honour your fathers and mothers this he speakes to inferiours Fathers and Mothers are all those that are in state of excellency above thee If they be more excellent in Age as old men and women who beare an Image of Gods eternitie or more excellent in Grace who are fuller of Gods Spirit and beare an Image of Gods goodnesse Or more excellent in Nature who have priority in time of us and are instruments of our derivation into the world and so beare an Image of Gods Paternity Or more excellent in Place who have power and government over us and so beare an Image of Gods Soveraignty all these are thy Fathers and Mothers These are commanded to be Fathers and Mothers that is so to carry themselves in nature in grace in age and in place that they doe not lay their honours in the dust and make their inferiours to despise them By honouring of father and mother thou must understand those respects which are due to severall excellencies To naturall excellency Reverence obedience and all thankfulnesse under God To gracious excellency acknowledgement and submission To
I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Q. What is conveyed in the Sacrament A. Christ with all his benefits Q. How can the Sacrament convey CHRIST unto thee A. Sacramentally Q. How is that A. As a sign and seal Thus have I by Gods blessing brought thee from thy creation to thy fall from thy fall to thy curse from thy curse to thy deliverance by Christ from thy deliverance to the settlement of it upon thee by faith and from thence to the means working encreasing and confirming Now proceed and tell me 30. Q. How many Sacraments there are A. Two onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Here thou tellest me the number The number of the Sacraments and what they are in particular 1 Cor. 10.2 2 3 4. and names of the Sacraments The number there are but two For thou findest but two ordained by Christ and where Paul speaks of purpose of them he names onely two under those that went before them yea two are aboundantly sufficient for their end one to signe and seal our engrafting into Christ that is Baptisme and another to signe and seal our growing in Christ that is the Supper of the Lord yea lastly the true nature and use of a Sacrament agrees onely to these two for onely these two are signes and seales of a thing signified and sealed having a word of commandement and a word of promise to all beleevers Act. 10. Matth. 28. Rom. 6. Their names are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Baptisme is a washing with water consecrated by the word and prayer by a Minister in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ The Lords Supper is bread Matth. 26.26 Luk. 22.19 20. 1 Cor. 11. and wine consecrated and broken by a Minister given received eaten and drunk by the Church to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Thus maist thou conceive these two Vse Therefore my childe see the wonderfull love of God to thee who would not onely have the fellowship of Christ bestowed upon thee but will signifie and seal it unto thee also Doest thou doubt of thy union with Christ Thou hast it by covenant in Gods promise thou hast it by application in the exercise of thy faith about saving Christ and thou hast it sacramentally by signe and seal in Baptisme Doest thou doubt that God wil not provide for thee a feast of fat things Esa 27. Luk. 15. and fined wines even that fattest Calf to nourish and feed thee to eternall life because thou hast been a wicked prodigal sinning against the covenant of Baptisme Do but thou condemn and alter thy course and renew thy covenant and then thou hast Gods promise for it in the covenant the settlement of it upon thee by faith and thy assurance of it in the Lords Supper To make it more plain tell me 31. Q. What benefit hast thou by baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sins if I repenting do beleeve according to the Covenant in baptisme This is an excellent benefit indeed The benefit of Baptism if thou rightly understand it and do make use of it accordingly Thou hast a new estate in Christ Gal. 2â— 7. Rom. 6.3 4 5. for in baptisme thou doest put on Christ and art planted into his death and resurrection Thou hast the forgivenesse of thy sins for Peter saith be baptized for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 and Ananias said to Paul arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes yet know that thy baptisme doth not this as the bloud of Christ by way of expiation and attonement not as the Holy Ghost by an infinite power How in baptisme is the forgiveness of sins but onely as a Sacrament and that three wayes First by signification for as the water doth wash thy body Heb. 10.22 so Christ's bloud being sprinkled upon thy conscience by faith doth wash thee from thy sins Secondly by the receit of Beleevers As if a Prince made a Proclamation that he that can bring in the head of a traytour shall have a thousand pounds so soon as he hath this head he sees his thousand pound and is confident upon the word of the Prince so a beleever when he heares this proclamation of God Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 2.38 for the forgivenesse of sinnes when he sees and feels his repentance and hath notice of his baptisme he is confident for the forgiveness of his sins upon the word of God Thirdly by the Covenant of God God strikes a Covenant with his people upon this condition that if they beleeve they shall have their sinnes forgiven He gives his seal for it that certainly he will be as good as his word When the Christian sees his faith he builds upon this covenant and sayes surely God hath forgiven my sins Indeed it is the bloud of Christ that deserves thy forgivenesse the Father that pronounceth it and the Holy Ghost that effectually applies but Baptisme by Gods covenant doth signifie and seal it unto thee Use This may be either comfortable or terrible to thee to consider It is terrible if thou keep not the condition of the covenant that is if thou repenting beleeve not Mat. 3.11 Thou must make thy Baptisme a baptisme of repentance to amendment of life Mar. 1.4 Mar. 16.16 and God will make it to be a baptisme for remission of sinnes Thou must beleeve and be baptized and then thou shalt be saved Thou shalt not be made partaker of these benefits without observing the condition Act. 2. Indeed God accounts thee a federall beleever when thou wast an infant and wast baptized as he accompted the Jewish children when they received the signe of circumcision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 But as it was accounted uncircumcision to them if they kept it not when they came to years of discretion because he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2. neither is that circumcision which is litteral but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is not of the letter but of the spirit so thy baptisme shall be accounted nothing if with a penitent heart thou doest not when thou comest to years of discretion beleeve according to the covenant But if thou doest out of conscience bethink thy self of thy covenant get into this new estate wherein thou maist be baptized into Christs death and resurrection then what a sweet comfort to thee is it to see thy assurance of the forgivenesse of thy sins Be sure therefore that thou have faith working by charity to the author of faith by obedience to the word of faith by hearing and the houshold of faith by love and then thou maist look back with joy to thy baptisme and say surely my good God hath given me forgivenesse of sins For it is not laying