Commentary on 2 Peter, Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse 5 · Part
The Myſterie of Noahs Arke.
THis miraculous preſervation hath alſo a myſticall ſenſe; and ſerves for the Inſtruction and conſolation of the militant Church unto the worlds end. There is in a Text, as in a Tree; the bud, bloſſome, fruite: a literall, a ſpirituall, and a morall ſenſe.tCant. 4.16. Awake O North-wind, and come thou South, blow upon my garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow out: let my beloved come into his garden, and eate his pleaſant fruites. In a literall ſenſe, Salomons Queene deſires a pleaſant garden to delight her husband. In a ſpirituall ſenſe, the Church intreats the Holy Ghoſt, that wind which blowes where he pleaſeth, to blow upon, and enlarge her graces, that CHRIST, her husband, may take pleaſure in her. In a morall ſenſe, ſhe would have all her children bring forth ſtore of fruites, good workes that they might be bleſſed of their father.uPſal. 45.10. O daughter, forget thine owne people, and thy fathers houſe. Literally, it is ſpoken to Pharaohs daughter, to forget Aegypt wherein ſhe was bred and borne, and to adhere to her husband Salomon. Myſtically, it ſpeakes to the Church, to forget this world, wherein ſhe was borne an Egyptian, blacke with ſins: and cleave faithfully to her beloved CHRIST, who had now with his owne bloud waſhed her faire, and greatly deſired her beautie. So that under the title of Pharaohs daughter, heare what the Spirit ſpeaketh to the Church.xCant. 4.9. Thou haſt raviſhed my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chaine of thy necke. Literally, corporall beautie is commended; chaines, jewels, ornaments allowed: ſpiritually, graces, the beauties of the ſoule; and good workes, the beautie of graces, are required. Only here is the difference betweene other Trees and the Tree of life. They firſt bud, then bloſſome, then ſend forth fruite:yKevel. 22.2. but the tree of life hath all theſe at once. Yea further, as in a tree there is the barke and the pith: ſo in a Text are Quaedam adjacentia, ſome things that lie on the upper face: and Quaedam in haerentiae, ſome things in the bowels of it. Thus Noahs Arke literally ſerved for the temporall deliverance of their bodies: ſpiritually it taught them the eternall deliverance of their ſoules: myſtically it preſignifies to … the deliverance of both our bodies and ſoules from the vengeance due to our ſinnes. As a Muſician therefore, firſt tries the ſound of his Inſtrument, before hee playes the leſſon: ſo now having delivered the literall ſound, I come to the myſticall ſenſe.
Herein let us obſerve firſt what it taught them, next what it muſt teach us. It i… ſtructed them in two things.
Firſt, it was a pledge of Gods love to their ſoules: for he that was ſo carefull to ſave their bodies from the floud of water, gave them certaine hope that he would ſave their ſoules from the fire of hell. The preſervation of that which was mortall and inferior, was a ſtrong argument that the other ſhould be ſafe, which was immortall and farre more precious. When a houſe is on fire, he that redeemeth the Cabinet, will not loſe the Iewell in it. Let it be granted, that God doth ſometimes reprieve the wicked from temporall plagues, and binds them over to the Generall Seſſion: yet is Davids inference good;aPſal. 41.11. By this I know thou favoureſt me, becauſe mine enemie doth not triumph over me: from merciemercy to his body, he argues grace to his ſoule. We cannot conclude by inverſion, that whom God doth not free from temporall judgements, he will not free from eternall: none are to be judged for outward miſerie.b2 King. 4.27. Let her alone, for her ſoule is troubled, and the Lord hath hid it from me. The cauſe of their troubles is hid from us.cIob 16.4. If your ſoule were in my ſoules ſtead, I could heape up words againſt you, and ſhake my head at you: I could, but I would not. Quod nos in malum, Deus ſaepe deſtinavit in bonum. But from a leſſe benefite to a greater, is a good collection of faith. When the faithfull of Iſrael ſaw the LORDS arme in delivering them from Aegypt, they beleeved that he would bring them into Canaan. He that hath freed us from ſuperſtition, certainely meanes us to ſalvation.
Secondly, it was a confirmation of their faith and obedience. Without obedience in building the veſſell, without faith in beleeving the promiſe, they ſaw no hope of preſervation. This taught them for afterwards, what precept ſoever was impoſed, to obey it: what promiſe ſoever was made, to truſt upon it. And what could bee ſtrange to their confidence, that had of miraculous merciemercy ſo late an experience? Some profeſſe they beleeve the pardon of their ſins; yet feare the want of bread, or ſinke under ſome light burden of ſorrow. Is any load ſo heavy, as the preſſure of ſin? O the waight of one ſin is too much for the ſupportation of one man. Now hath CHRIST borne the talent, and can he not bare the dramme? Shall we truſt him with our wounds, and not with our medicines? Hath he given us the bread of life, and can he not give us the bread of earth? Shall we ſay with the … ſting Iewes;dPſal. 78.20. Hee gave us ſtreames from the rocke, but can he give fleſh to his people? Conſider, will Chriſt deny fleſh to our bodies, that hath given his owne fleſh to our ſoules? Hath he performed ſuch Soveraigne pieces of gold, and will he ſticke at farthing tokens?eRom. 8.32. He that ſpared not his owne Sonne for us, what good thing will be deny us? Doe we truſt in the Lord for the remiſſion of our ſins, the reſurrection of our bodies, and the everlaſting ſalvation of our ſoules: and diſtruſt him in a feaver, in a ſcandall, in a fit of want? Certainely if he have vouchſafed us that great merciemercy to make us his own; he hath given the whole army of afflictions more inviolable charge concerning us, than David gave his hoſte concerning Abſalom; See ye doe the young man, my Son Abſalom, no harme: looke you never hurt them whom I have adopted.
Thus for them, now for our ſelves. This Arke hath alſo a ſymbolicall ſenſe, a ſpirituall uſe. It was a Type and figure of Chriſts Church: out of which there is no hope of ſalvation, as out of the Arke was inevitable deſtruction. Examine we the reſemblances.
1 All that were preſerved, were within the Arke: all that ſhall be ſaved, muſt be of the Church. In that great deluge, when Omnia Pontus erat, deerant quo que littora ponto, there was no other poſſibility of eſcaping: in the huge pond and vaſt ſea of this world, there is no hope of redemption but by Ieſus Chriſt. Either we muſt …he incorporate into Chriſt, or reprobate with the world.fActs 2.47. The Lord addes to the Church daily ſuch as ſhall bee ſaved: to the Church militant, all ſoules that ſhall bee crowned in the Church triumphant. As for them that were out of the Arke, no gold could buy their preſervation: no holes could hide them, no hills helpe them, no houſes hold them, nothing in the world, not the world it ſelfe could ſave them. So for them that be out of Chriſt, no riches can beſtead them, no honors ſecure them, no policie can deliver them, no refuges can ſhelter them, no friends, no favour can doe them good; but they muſt periſh in the flood of GODS eternall vengeance. What ſuccour had they by the mountaines, or by taking hold on the higheſt Cedars, whom the Arke received not? Such helpe ſhall men find in thoſe worldly things wherein they have truſted, when God ſhall find them out of his Church. What reliefe in their honours, upon whoſe foreheads the ſunne of promotion wantonly playes: As if that arme ſhould never ake, that weares a ſilken ſleeve: nay as if the higheſt hills were not moſt ſubject to the lightning-flaſhes. For the covetous, that like a ſpider eviſcerates herſelfe, ſpends her owne bowels in making a webbe to catch a flie; how fooliſh is his confidence in that, which he knowes will never faile him but when he hath moſt need! Alas, he cannot buy Chriſt with it; and therefore muſt expect Simon Magus doome; Thou and thy money periſh together. gActs 4.12.There is no other name given to men under heaven, to bee ſaved by, but the name of Ieſus. Nothing in nature, nothing in art, nothing in the world, no other creature, no other Name. In vaine they thinke to ſaile in their cockboates, or ſwimme with their windy bladders: every hereſie is a little barke by it ſelfe, and while it is not troubled, it goes on with proud ſailes like a Merchants ſhip: but vexed you ſhall find it a man of warre. Every factious and diſcontented humour is like a bladder, which the peeviſh refractary puts under his arme, and he will not be beholden to the Arke for paſſage, he can ſwimme to ſhore. Let ſuch ſullen ſpirits heare and feare: as a man will not admit that perſon to his houſe, who loves not his family: ſo they that forſake the Church, muſt be forſaken of Chriſt.
2 As God was the Pilot of the Arke, ſo CHRIST is the Governour of the Church. The ſuperſtitious Romaniſts have their ſeverall Saints for ſeverall ſervices; for the Teeth, Apollonia; for Souldiers, Saint Maurice; for Sea-men, Saint Nicholas. As thoſe groſſe Idolaters in Heathen times, marſhalled their gods into ſeverall rankes; allotting Heaven for Iupiter, Hell for Pluto, and the Sea for Neptune. But the Lord is all in all to us: our Pilot on the Sea, our Captaine on the Land. Wee tender not our petitions to the no gods of the Gentiles, or ot the moe gods of the Papiſts: we doe not trouble the bleſſed Virgin for every thing, as if her Sonne Ieſus were ſtill a Babe, and not able to helpe us: but we goe to Chriſt for all. That ſame Ship in the Prophet,hIoh. 1.5. Every man calling upon his god; is a map or module of Rome: one calling on Saint Francis, another on Saint Anthony, &c. But if wee love learning, the Lord is our Gregory, the God of Wiſdome: if Souldiers, hee is our Mars and Maurice, the Lord of Hoaſts: if Marriners, he is our Neptune and Nicholas; thatiMat. 8.27. commands the winds and ſeas, and they obey him. As Caeſar ſaid to the trembling Marriner; Confide nauta, Caeſarem vehis: Be not afraid, thou carrieſt Caeſar. So, O Church be comforted; He that is in thee, for thee, with thee, that guides thee, that will ſave thee, is the Invincible King IESUS CHRIST.
3 The matter of the Arke was not every kinde of wood, but the Pine: nor is every one admitted into the Church, but ſuch as the Lord hath choſen:kIoh. 1.13. Which are not borne of bloud, nor will of the fleſh, but of the will of God. Ex quolibet ligno non fit Mercurius: the Lord often leaves the loftie Cedar, that over-lookes the reſt with an imperious top: and the ſturdy Oke, him that will not ſtoope to his Word: the melancholy Ewe, the hollow-hearted Elderne, the intractable Thorne, the hypocriticall Ivie, that by embracing the tree, ſuckes out the heart of it. He chuſeth the Vi… for his Orchard, the Pine for his Arke: he firſt hewes us out of the wilderneſſe of Sinne, takes away the ruggedneſſe of our nature, and having planed us by grace, puts us into his Church,Epiph. where we fit with the reſt in unanimous obedience.
4 The Arke conſiſted of many pieces of wood joyned together: Non ex … ligno conſtat navis: Nor doth the Church conſiſt of one man, or one ſort of men; butlRev. 7.9. of every nation, and kindred, language and people. Many ſoules compacted … one body, many Chriſtians into one communion of Saints. And all theſe make b… one Arke, one Church. One World ſhewes that there is but one God: one God that there is but one Church: one Church, that there is but one Truth. Therefore is it called Columna Veritatis, and Columba unitatis: The ſweeteſt muſike conſiſts of many well-tuned voices:Aug. if there be any jarring and contentious ſpirit, he is out of tune, none of the Chriſtian conſort. Let us live as we ſing, and our hearts goe with our voyces; this is the Concent of the Church. God doth ſeldome divide his graces among divided ſpirits: if we will not beat one with our ſelves, he will not be … one with us. A ſhieveld threed is hardly got thorow the needles-eye. The Spirit is one, and ſaid to ſpeakemLuk. 1.70. by the mouth of all the Prophets; not Per ora, ſed Per …s; as … all the Prophets had but one Mouth; to ſhew the ſingular harmony of their concord. That Spirit which came in a Dove will not come but upon a Dove. When wee delight in diſcord, our aſſemblings are diſſemblings, our convocations provocations, every man vultuous, wedded to a wife that fooles him, Selfe-will: here is as little argument of a Chriſtian congregation, as the confuſion of Babel was like the harmonie of the Temple. An unſquared ſtone, a warping boord, a jarring ſpirit, muſt not be put into the building of Chriſt.
5 The Arke was pitched within and without, the better to keepe out the water. So muſt every Chriſtian be joyned into the Body, with Profeſſion and Sinceritie: ſound-habited without, ſound-hearted within. Nor profeſſion, nor ſincerity, are ſufficient aſunder; both doe well together. Iericho was pleaſant of ſituation, but theo2 Kin. 2.19. Springs were naught: many mens profeſſion is faire, but the fountaine, the heart is infected. Laiſh was a barren turfe, but the heart of the ground was good, had it beene tilled: ſo ſome have a little religion hid in their conſciences, but for want of husbanding their graces, it periſheth. But God cannot abide a wanton Chriſtian: A wanton Iew, Turke, Pagan, is bad enough; but none ſo intolerable as a wanton Chriſtian, As in many things we ſinne all; ſo in ſome things we may obey all: b… one line makes no Geometry, nor doth one act put Chriſtianity. Neither the timber rotten at the heart, how faire ſoever to the eye, nor the timber crooked and ill-favoured to the eye, how ſound ſoever at the heart; ſhall be put into Chriſts Arke. To be good, and not to appeare: to appeare good, and not to be; is not the way to glorify God, or for him to glorify us.
6 In the Arke were diverſe roomes, ſo in the Church are diverſe places and gifts, as in heaven there be diverſe manſions. Many diſtinct offices in a ſhip; the Pilot, Captaine, Boat-ſwaine, Marriners; concurre all in one care for the preſervation of the veſſell.1 Cor. 12.28. Eph. 4.11. In the Church be Apoſtles, Prophets, Paſtors, Teachers; ye… all tend to the Edification of the body of Chriſt. There is nothing more endangers confuſion, than for one to intrude into anothers roome: diſplacing the members from their proper faculties and functions. When the rude hinde will be a counſellor of State, the ignorant ſectary be made a Biſhop, and Iack Cade a Iuſtice of peace. It is no eaſie wiſdome, rightly to diſtinguiſh our owne office: all parts have their ſeverall functions; and Tractent fabrilia fabri. The foote muſt not uſurpe the office of the hand, nor the hand intrude upon the office of the head. Aliud plectrum, al…d Sceptrum. So looke to others vineyards, that thou be ſure topCant. 1.6. keepe thine owne. If we be Chriſts faithfull ſouldiers, let us keepe our ſtation, and fight it out with victorious courage. What roome in the ſhip ſoever is aſſigned us, let us make that good. In Gods Arithmeticke there be no cyphers, we muſt be ſomething on earth, or we ſhall be nothing in heaven.
7 In the Arke were beaſts cleane and uncleane: in the Church are ſinners blended among the righteous:qMat. 13.25. The Lord did ſow good ſeed in his field, whence then hath it …ares? The divell hath no ground of his owne, but he ſoweth in Gods field, and upon Gods ſeed: ſo the corruption of the good, is the generation of the bad. Theſe …ares are not of Gods ſowing; it is none of his fault.rGen. 1.31. All that hee made, was exceeding good. The Church militant is an heaven, but on earth; therefore not without the fire-brands of hell. Let no man leave Gods floore, becauſe there is ſome chaffe, nor breake his net becauſe there is ſome baggage: nor run out of his field, becauſe there is ſome cockle: nor depart from his houſe, becauſe there be ſome veſſels of diſhonour. God would have ſpared a Citie forſGen. 18.32. Auguſt. ten good ones, and ſhall wee refuſe a Church for ten bad ones? Fugio paleam, ne hoc ſim: non aream, ne nihil ſim. I avoid the chaffe, leſt I become chaffe: I keepe the floore, leſt I become nothing. This their accuſation of the Church is vaine; if men cannot prove it, they ſhame themſelves: if they do prove it, they deny Chriſt: for his cleare anſwer was a Sinite …reſcere, Let both grow together till the harvest. Either becauſe the bad may turne good: God can make a Luther of a Monke; a St. Auguſtine of a Maniche. Or becauſe the good are exerciſed and tried by the bad. If Arrius had not held a Trinity of ſubſtances with a Trinity of perſons: and Sabellius, an Vnity of perſons with an Vni…y of eſſ…nce; the myſteries of the Trinity had not beene ſo cleerely explained by thoſe gr…at lights of the Church. If Rome had not ſo violently obtruded her merits, the doctrine of juſtification by faith in Chriſt onelyonly, might have bin leſſe digſted in mens hearts. We may ſay here, as Aug. doth of Carthage & Rome. Magis nocuit Romanis Carthagotam citò everſa, quàm prius nocuerat tam diu adverſa. If ſom enemies had not conteſted againſt the Church, it might have gone worſe with the Church. But let them, beare the rack of their own fancies, whoſe ſchiſmatical torn opinions are ſtitched together with a skain of ſiſters threed, and rounded with the bobbin-lace and ſelvedge of reformation. Criticall quarrels argue hypocriticall hearts: and if they prevent it not by humility and unity, the Arkeholds none ſo uncleane as themſelves.
8 The Arke was toſſed of the waves, and all the ſtormes of the world ſpent their furies upon it, yet could it not be overwhelmed. When the windes, waters, weathers, had done their worſt, ſtill Noahs preſervation was ſure. The more the water roſe againſt it, the more the Arke roſe above it: and the higher it was raiſed by the floud, the ſafer it was from the danger of hils and rockes. In the midſt of water it was ſaved from water, and the danger it ſelfe was made a defence againſt the danger. Thus ſure of ſalvation is every one in Chriſt, nothing can croſſe it. The deluge of calamities may aſſault us, but they ſhall exalt us. The more they ſeeke to preſſe us downe, the more they ſhall lift us up: the neerer they would ſinke us to hell, the higher they ſhall advance us to heaven. Through all the guſts of tentations, and flouds of afflictions, wee ſhall be borne ſafe in Chriſts Arke.tIohn 10.28. Nothing ſhall pluck them out of my hand. Satan cannot, he is caſt out: tyrants cannot, for if we ſuffer, we conquer: ſinne cannot, for grace abounds above ſin: ſickneſſe cannot, God is ſtrongeſt when we are weakeſt. Death cannot, that ſerpent hath loſt the ſting. Indeed Non minus vita ſine luctibus, quàm mare ſine fluctibus. All our voyage is a tempeſtuous navigation: the ſhore from which we lanch, is our nativity: the Port whither we are bound, ſupernall felicity: the ſea we muſt paſſe, full of raging calamity: the ſhip wherein we ſaile, full of ſweet ſecurity. There will be croſſe windes, but let us reſt in the Arke, the Church; and truſt in the Pilot, Chriſt: and our danger is not halfe ſo ſure as our deliverance: we may faile of grievous afflictions upon earth, we ſhall not faile of glorious ſalvation in heaven.
9 Noahs body being entred into the Arke, ſeemed there a dead man: that veſſell being a grave or tombe unto him, wherein he was buried. Yet was that by Gods appointment, the meanes to ſave him, which in all reaſon ſeemed to bury him. And if Noah will be ſafe, he muſt goe into this ſepulcher, and be buried in the Arke, as the Arke in the water. So muſt there be in us a mortification of luſts, and buriall of our corruptions: and there is no way to everlaſting life but this. The ſoule cannot live, while the ſin doth live: one of the two muſt die, the corruption or the perſon. Thus is death the way to life; and mortification of luſt, to the reſurrection of bliſſe. He that thus dieth not, never lives: and he that is not thus buried, never riſeth againe with comfort.
In how wretched an eſtate then are many, that ſcarce know what mortification meanes; unleſſe it be to mortifie grace, and to bury all holineſſe. The old man raignes, and the new man ſerves: corruption lives, and grace is dead. To mortifie goodneſſe by our ſins, this is common: but to mortifie our ſinnes by goodneſſe, this is rare. What a prepoſterous change is this? Chriſt ſhould live in us, and we cr… cifie him againe: ſin ſhould be crucified in us, and that liveth. But this is a true ſaying; He that will live when he is dead, muſt die while he is alive. Proceed we then after this ſpirituall death, to the buriall of our ſins. It was the manner of the Iewes, to bury their dead with odors: bury we ſin with the Incenſe of our prayers againſt it, that it may never returne upon us. Only two things let us avoid in the buriall of our ſinnes, which we obſerve in the buriall of our friends. 1. When we bury our friends, we doe it with mourning, to teſtifie our loves, that we are loth to part with them. Our ſins muſt not be ſo buryed; no ſorrow at their departure: no man weepes to loſe an enemie, nor grieves to be rid of a Tyrant. Shall we ſorrow, to loſe the proper cauſe of our ſorrow? It was good newes for Iſrael, that Siſera was dead i… the Tenths of Iael; and Deborah ſings; So periſh all thine enemies, O Lord. Sepelu… tur cum gaudio, quae non retinentur ſine periculo. Let them be buried with joy, that cannot be kept without danger. 2. When we interre the bodyes of our friends, it is done in hope that they ſhall riſe againe: by no meanes, ſo bury we our ſins; let there be no deſire of their reſurrection: wrong not the Sepulchers of the dead, let them ſleepe for ever. Otherwiſe, like Iudas, and Demas, and ſuch hypocrites; they bury them not in their forgotten graves, but in their owne hearts. And ſo Cum ſ… gent corpora, reſurgent & peccata; their ſins ſhall riſe with their bodies, and goe with them to judgement.
Laſtly, the Apoſtle compares is to Baptiſme: that which was Noahs Arke to them, the ſame is Baptiſme to us: the Arke ſaved them, Baptiſme ſaveth us. u1 Pet. 3.21.The like figure whereunto, &c. The particular Inſtance, or point of reference is Baptiſme; the Generall is the Church. For Baptiſme no otherwiſe ſaveth us, than as it is a ſeale of our admiſſion into the Church, and incorporating into Chriſt. Therefore i… is a Synechdochicall ſpeech, the part for the whole, the doore for the houſe, Baptiſme for the Church.
Baptiſme is the doore of entrance into this Arke; therefore the ſacred Fo…t … commonly placed neere the Temple doore. As in Salomons Temple were three roomes, the Porch, the Body, and the Holy of holies; and they muſt paſſe thorow the one into the other. So in Chriſtianitie, we cannot enter the Holieſt of all, b…t by the Church; nor into the Church, but by the Porch of Baptiſme. There mu… firſt be ſhipping, then ſailing, laſt of all arriving: we muſt be ſhipped with Chriſt by Baptiſme, ſaile with him the Pinnaſſe of the Church, or elſe not arrive at the co… of eternall bleſſedneſſe.
The end of Baptiſme is double; Principall and leſſe principall. The principall is to aſſure us of two things. Firſt, the remiſſion of our ſins;xAct. 2.38. Be baptiſed … the name of Ieſus, for the remiſsion of ſinnes. And next, that wee are within Gods covenant, partakers of his grace here, and of his glory hereafter. The leſſe principall conſiſts in three things. 1. To note a diſtinction betweene Chriſtians and Infidels: a cogniſance or liverie to tell the world, whoſe ſervants we are; the Colours of that Generall under whom we fight. 2. To be the bond of Chriſtian ſocietie.aEph. 4.5. Keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace: Why? Becauſe there is One faith, One Baptiſme. We are all baptiſed into one Chriſt; the remembrance of our Baptiſme is enough to ſtay contention. 3. It is a profeſſion of homage to that God, even thoſe three perſons, in whoſe Name we are baptiſed. And it is a holy memoriall of Chriſts baptiſing in the ſea of his Fathers wrath for us.
bIoh. 3.5.Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into heaven. As …he Spirit is an inward neceſſary cauſe, ſo Baptiſmall water is an outward neceſſary …eanes, of our regeneration. It incorporates us to Chriſt; Vt ſuſceptus à Chriſto, Leo.& Chriſtum ſuſcipiens, non idem ſit poſt lavacrum, qui fuit ante baptiſmum: ſed corpus …geniti, fit caro crucifixi: ſo that the body of the baptiſed, is become the fleſh of him …hat was crucified. The day of the Infants baptiſing, is the day of his marriage; wherein he is made the Spouſe of CHRIST by the union of the Spirit. As Chriſt was made our fleſh Naſcendo, by being borne: ſo we are made his fleſh Renaſcendo, by …eing new borne. The Spirit being in the new birth inſtead of a Father, and water …n ſtead of a Mother.
As there is a long Antiquitie of Sacraments, ſo a ſpeciall neceſſitie. For Antiquity; in Paradiſe was a Tree of knowledge, and a Tree of life: both Sacramentall …rees. For neceſſitie; as a man conſiſts of two parts, one viſible, the other inviſible: ſo reſpondent be the meanes to draw him to heaven, the Word and Sacra…ents: and a Father calls the Sacrament, Verbum Viſible, a viſible word.Aug. We fell …rom God to Satan by viſible things; God brings us backe from Satan to himſelfe …y viſible things. Wherein we may ſee the infirmity of our natures; the Lord is …aine to ſtay us up by many helpes: the word for our eares, the Sacraments for our …yes. If we ſee a houſe held up by props, pinnes, columnes and ſupporters; we ſay, …t is certainely old, ſere, and weake of it ſelfe.
I doe not enforce an abſolute neceſſitie of this, as if God could not ſave us with…ut it. Of it owne vertue it hath no ſuch power to ſalvation; water of it ſelfe be…ng readyer to drowne, than to ſave; eſpecially the Infant being dipped into it. No …an concludes the Innocents out of the Arke to be damned and caſt into hell; ſo …or the Infants of Chriſtians that die unbaptiſed. It pleaſeth the Lord to admit Infants to baptiſme, though they be not able to anſwere for themſelves. And as it was …n his Iuſtice to impute my ſin to my child, to make it guilty: ſo it pleaſeth his merciemercy to take my faith for my child, to make it holy.
cProv. 31.8.Open thy mouth for the dumbe, in the cauſe of all ſuch as are appointed to deſtructi…. Still the Lord requires our ſpeech for thoſe ſpeechleſſe little ones; whom the …loudy Papiſts appoint to deſtruction. They cannot anſwere for themſelves; but …he Lord Ieſus, when he was on earth, ſpake for them; and he hath ſent us to pleade …heir cauſe. They have thoſe great Dukes and Peeres of heaven for their Patrons,dMat. 18.10. The Angels: and ſhall we be ſilent.
Parents love to heare well of their childrens ſtates in this life, much more …hould they enquire of their ſtate to come. The greater their joy in them, the grea…er their ſorrow for them; eſpecially when they fall ſicke in the field, and die at …ome; as thee2 King. 4.20 Shunamites ſonne: but more eſpecially if likef2 Sam. 12.18. Davids ſon, they …ie without the Sacrament. Then their ignorance and diſtruſt puts them into a hope…es griefe: as if they were of the ſtocke of Iſmael, and not the ſeed of Iſrael. And …ven thoſe that will not keepe their houres with God and the Church, in reſpect of …tate and outward complement; yet take on with God and man if their children …miſſe baptiſme. I would they did thinke of that womans ſpeech to Elias; g1 King. 17.18.Art …hou come to call my ſin to remembrance, and to ſlay my ſon? that God in ſlaying their …ons, brings to remembrance their ſins. But that good Lord, who puniſheth our …eglect, ſhewes merciemercy to thoſe little ones. They often vaniſh from us in a night, be…ore we have ſcarce looked on their faces: but the God of compaſſion, who pities …hem in Aſhur and Niniveh, will he forget the ſeed of Chriſtians? We miſſe them …n our armes, behold they are in the armes of God. They are plucked from the mothers boſome, but unto Abrahams boſome: tranſlated from a cradle below, to a Throne of immortalitie above. How oft doth a friend among men, take a babe from the poore feeble mother, and bring it up as his own; as Pharaohs daughter did Moſes! And ſhall not God take a child from the wombe, or waine it from the breſt, to have it nurſed in heaven, leſt it ſhould finde ill bringing up here?
Let this comfort parents againſt that unmercifull doctrine of Rome; teaching that if children dye on earth without baptiſme, they muſt dye hereafter without mercy. That infants who cannot ſpeake or doe ill, whoſe fleſh is but new quickned in the wombe, or bones ſcarce griſtled out of the wombe; ſhould paſſe from the darkeneſſe of the wombe, to outer darkeneſſe for ever; this is the voice of the Deagon goared with bloud. The Lambe of God ſpeakes better things, and gives his bloud to theſe little lambes. David grieved for the child ſick, but deſired not reſpite of life for circumciſion: and though the child dyed on the ſeventh day, (which had beene terrible, if the want of a day had loſt it for ever) yet hee then ceaſed mourning.
Ioſh. 5.5.The children of Iſrael forbore circumciſion forty yeeres, during all their journey in the wilderneſſe: will they pronounce damnatory ſentence on all them? If not, why then on ours? Hath the ſtate of the Goſpell leſſ… mercy and pitty than the Law? Goes it harder with the infants under Chriſt, than under Moſes? They had a ſet day for circumciſion, the eight: we have none defined: hath not the Lord in this left it freer? Thoſe infant Martyrs, to whoſe memory they obſerve a feaſt as to Saints; deſired nor Baptiſme, nor their friends for them; much leſſe that baptiſme of bloud; but their hearts rather bled for it: yet are they glorious in heaven. Iohn Baptiſt ſeemes not to have beene baptiſed himſelfe, by his anſwer to Chriſt,hMat. 3.14. I have need to be baptiſed of thee, and commeſt thou to mee? Gods love is no fancie that the want of baptiſme may breake off. It were heavy for the poore child to be loſt for the Parents or Miniſters negligence.
To ſay that Baptiſme even the moſt ritually and formally adminiſtred, ſaveth of it ſelfe, is to deifie it, and to make a god of the water, with the Gentiles. But the Lord ſaveth, and when he pleaſeth, without thatkLuk. 19.9. This day is ſalvation come to this houſe; he is alſo the ſonne of Abraham, ſaith Chriſt of Zaccheus. This day, and yet that was not the day of his baptiſme: he was made the ſon of Abraham, yet was not waſhed in Iordan. The Eunuch by faith, Cornelius by devotion, Lydea by obedience, received grace before baptiſme. Mary Magdalen, that ſcowred on to ſin as if ſeven devils drove her, with tyde, winde, and ſaile; found mercy before baptiſme;lLuk. 7.50. Thy faith hath ſaved thee, goe in peace: Thy faith, not thy baptiſme.
True ſanctification may be without the viſible ſigne, as the viſible ſigne may be without true ſanctification.Alzim. One of their ſide ſaith, Neceſſity is two fold. 1. Abſolute, as meate is for life. 2. Or convenient, as a horſe is for a journey: Baptiſme is neceſſary this laſt way. Yea, a great peale of their owne voyces doth repeale that mercileſſe ſentence; which like Herod, hath ſent out a decree againſt young infants: who becauſe they enjoy but a little of this life, muſt loſe all the next: IndeedmMar. 16.16. Hee that beleeveth and is baptiſed, ſhall be ſaved: but it is added withall; Hee that beleeveth not, whether baptiſed or no, ſhall be damned.
To conclude let us make a double uſe of this; the one for obedience, the other for faith. The former is a direction for our obedience, that we uſe the appointed meanes, Baptiſme. The other for our faith, that we build not our ſalvation upo… Baptiſme, but upon Gods election and grace.
1 For Obedience; Baptiſme cannot be wilfully neglected without great ſinne. Let us neither with the Papiſts make it abſolutely neceſſary: nor with the Ma… chees, wholly unneceſſary: nor inconvenient with the Anabaptiſts, becauſe they are children and cannot profeſſe. But ſeeing children have ſinne they ought to be waſhed; and ſeeing they belong to God they ought to be ſealed. Seeing the Lord hath commanded it, let us performe it. Seeing he hath promiſed the waſhing away of ſin, by powring on of water: let us powre on water for the waſhing away of ſinne. Otherwiſe. we deſpiſe not the Miniſter of the Signe, but the God of both S…e and Miniſter: and for thoſe that refuſe the Signe, it is a ſigne they refuſe the grace: and deſerve the reproofe of Ahaz, nEſa. 7.13.Is it a ſmall thing to grieve men, but you will grieve God alſo? This was the condemnation of the Phariſies and Lawyers:oLuk. 7.30. They rejected the counſell of God againſt themſelves, in this very point of not being baptiſed of Iohn. It is not onelyonly the bare element, but the power of GOD with it, his wiſdome to eſtabliſh it, his conſtancie to maintaine it, his holineſſe to ſanctifie it, and his mercy to bleſſe it.
When Time, Place, Miniſter, all things concurre, let not us be wanting. They are young flowers, ſoone nipped by deaths cold hand. Perhaps ſome humane additions we diſlike, yet know that this overthrowes not the ordinance of God. The foundation is ſure what ſtubble ſoever be built upon it: fire ſhall purge that, Gods inſtitution ſhall ſave thee. If thou maiſt have i… pure and uncompounded, ſo take it: if otherwiſe, doe not refuſe it: let no ceremony of man prejudice the ordinance of God.
And as we honour the Sacrament, ſo let us honour the word: for that muſt goe with the element, to make a Sacrament. The word hath ſaved ſome without baptiſme; what men hath baptiſme ſaved without the word? The promiſe of the Goſpell is the writing, baptiſme the ſeale. The certainty of the writing is from the Seale, but the validity of the Seale is from the writing. Indeed, neither writing nor Seale can ſave, without the Holy Ghoſt to apply them. In Baptiſme, as inpIoh. 5.4. Cypri. Betheſda, if the Spirit move on the face of the waters, then there is healing. The ſerpent prevaileth againſt us in Sicco, in the dry ground: but in Aqua, in the water, hee loſeth all his venome: ſatans malicious power is loſt in the Sacramentall waters.
2 For faith, depend wee upon the election of GOD, which ſhall ſtand with meanes, if he afford it; without meanes, if he deny it. Among men, firſt the conditions are agreed upon, then the ſeale is annexed: ſo God firſt receiveth into covenant, and then ſealeth. Men firſt poſſeſſe their ſheepe, then marke them: firſt we muſter up ſouldiers, then levy out ſome, and give them preſſe-money. The father being a good Land-lord, after the grant of a Tenement to a poore man, dies without ſealing it. Yet the right dies not, ſeeing an honeſt ſon commeth in place, who will be a confirmation to his fathers promiſe, a ſeale to his grant. God the father hath granted a covenant of grace to the beleever and his ſeed, promiſed them an eſtate of life in his Son Ieſus: though haply the young ſeed be prevented of this outward ſeale, Baptiſme; yet the good Son Chriſt will performe to them his Fathers promiſe, and ſeale them up to eternall life. The claime of the proprietary is good …lbeit no actuall marke be ſet upon his goods. The marke of God is inviſible;q2 Tim. 2.9. He …nowes them that are his, andrIoh. 10.28. my ſheepe ſhall never periſh, nor ſhall any man pluck them …ut of my hand. Not a ſheepe not the leaſt lambe of a day old, yea, not that which …s ſcarce eaned and brought into the world.ſRev. 12.4. The Dragon stood before the woman, …hich was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as ſoone as it was borne: he watch…d upon the very birth, yet the child was caught up to God, and to his Throne. If the ſin of the firſt Adam could bring an everlaſting taint upon them, why cannot the bloud of the ſecond Adam wipe it out for ever? The infant cannot reaſon, yet hath it …he ſeed of reaſon: it hath a ſoule, though it know not ſo much; why then may it …ot have faith? Children muſt come to Chriſt: what children?tMat. 19.14. little ones, that …ave but little reaſon; yet Theirs is the kingdome of heaven. If ſo, then are they cleane, …oruRev. 21.27. No uncleane thing ſhall enter that holy Citie: now what clenſeth but faith? This …aith then they have after a miraculous inſpiration, by that bleſſedxIohn 3.8. Wind that blow…th, it ſelfe pleaſeth where, and gets in no man knowes how. Draco's lawes altogether …oncluded in death: death for this, death for that, nothing but the fatall noiſe of …eath. But Chriſt is no Dragon, he is rather a Lambe that takes away the ſins of the …orld, a world of ſins: much more will he heale theſe little lambes of his flocke.yHeb. 12.24. The bloud of Abell crieth for vengeance, but Chriſt crieth with a ſtronger and more …racious voice; my bloud for all bloud, my body for all ſin, even of mine enemies: …f he were an Herod in his butcherly doome, Rachel might weepe and make lamentation for her little ones, and refuſe comfort, becauſe they are not. If the grave and hell, thoſe Miniſters of vengeance, were to devoure thoſe unbaptiſed little ones; then every mother and father, ſiſter and friend, might howle and mourne, anſwering one another with dolefull plaints and remediles moanings, and have no comfort, becauſe they are not: yea which is worſe, becauſe they are, that is, they are in endleſſe ſorrow. B… bleſſed be God, that hath ſealed us a better covenant: praiſed be he, that hath given us better aſſurance and comfort, through the Sonne of his love IESUS CHRIST.