The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI.
Rules about the Sacrament of Baptisme.
THus of the rules of our carriage about hearing: Next we are to consider, how we are to order our liues in respect of the Sacraments: The Sacraments are two: Baptisme, and the Lords Supper.
The duties we are bound to Rules about Baptisme.in respect of Baptisme, concerne either
1. Our children.
2. Our selues.
3. Others.
For our children, it is our duty to present them vntounto Baptisme, 1. Abou… our children.but withall we must looke to it, that it be done in due time, and with faith and thankfulnesse to God. In due time, so as thereby we signifie our great estimation of Gods mercy to our seed, and our great desire to hauehave the Couenant sealed, euen vntounto them. We must also bring them to Baptisme with saith in Gods couenant. The Lord hath bound himselfe to bee our God and the God of our seede▪ Now it is our parts to giuegive glory to God, and to declare before the Lord our perswasion of his goodnesse, and claime to that part of his Couenant. By faith we plead our right, whereas by vnbeleefe wee giuegive God occasion to neglect our seed. I adde also, with thankefulnesse, because we ought with great ioy and acknowledgement of the free grace of God to behold our seede admitted, in the sure couenant of mercy and saluation with our selues, and ought to thinke that God hath done more for our children, to admit them into the couenant by Baptisme, then if the greatest person on earth had made vponupon them the assurance of some great estate of maintenance or preferment.
Secondly, for our selues, we 2. About our selues.must make conscience of it, to make vse of our owne Baptisme, and that throughout the whole course of our life: It is giuen vsus as a seale of Gods promises, and as a vow of our obedience, and so we must make vse of it all the dayes of our life, especially in three cases.
First, in the case of doubting and In … thing….feare of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes; or of the saluation of our soules: for Baptisme saueth vsus, that is, effectually assures vsus of our saluation; and we doe not offend in trusting Gods promise made in his word, & signed and sealed in Baptisme. As certainly doth it saue our soules, as the Arke saued the bodies of Noah and his houshold; so as we cannot miscarry, if we leape not out of the Arke into the Seas of water. Let vsus sticke to our Baptisme, and then we are safe: The washing in Baptisme did assure the washing of our soules by the blood of Christ for our sinnes. If I be tempted to doubt of my saluation, I must say to my owne soule: Hath not the Lord prouided me the Arke of Baptisme to preserue me from the seas of his wrath? And if I doubt the forgiuenesse of sinnes, I must say… Hath not the Lord washed mee …om my sinnes by the blood of his Sonne? Did he not shew mee so much in Baptisme? We sin shamefully, in that we doe not make this vse, but neglect the confidence Baptisme should worke in vsus, as if the Lord had but dallied with vsus, or that Baptisme were but some idle Ceremony, 1 Pet. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 29. Acts 22. 16.
Secondly, in the case of temptation How Baptisme may help vsus against sin.to commit sin: we ought to fight against sin by this mighty weapon of our Baptisme, and so we may do by diuers Arguments: As
First, in my Baptisme I hauehave made a vow to God, that I would cleaue to him in Iesus Christ, and renounce the world, the diuell, and sinne: and shall I breake my vow to God, that would be ashamed to breake my promise to men?
Secondly, my Baptisme was the Baptisme of repentance: and shall I yet liue in sinne? My body was washed: and shall my soule be still impure? Mat. 3. 11. Mark. 1. 4. Acts 13. 24.
Thirdly, by Baptisme I was assured of the vertue of the death of Christ to kill sinne in me: and shall I not beleeue the operation of God, that he can deliuer mee from the powerfull temptations, or inclinations to any sinne? Shall I not seeke strength of Christ? or shall I betray my selfe to the diuell and the flesh? In Christ I am dead to sinne, and shall I yet liue therein? Rom. 6. 1, 3. Col. 2. 12.
Thirdly, our Baptisme must bee vsed against the doubts of perseuering, or whether we shall be kept vntounto saluation, and whether our body shall be raised againe at the last day: for God hath assured all this vntounto vsus in our Baptisme, that we hauehave our part not onelyonly in the death of Christ, but also in the resurrection of Christ: and if Christ be raised in vsus, Christ can dye no more, either in himselfe, or in our hearts, and the same power that raised him out of the graue, will also raise vp our bodies at the last day, as is pleaded, Romans 6. 10. &c. Galat. 3. 27, 28. 1 Cor. 15. 29. 1 Pet. 3. 21. If we be baptized and beleeue, we shall certainely be saued, Mark. 16. 16.
Thus as it concernes our selues.
3. In respect of others, we are 3. In respect of o…hers.bound to the good behauiour in Baptisme: as to acknowledge the communion of Saints; so are we tied to preserue our selues in all brotherly louelove with the godly, who weare the same Liuery with vsus, and are Souldiers prest to the same warre, and hauehave taken vponupon them the same holy Vow with vsus: we are bound in Baptisme to louelove them, to stand for them aboue all other people, and to liue with them in all holy louelove, to our liues end, Eph. 4. 3, 4, 5. 1 Cor. 12. 1…. & 1. 13. Gal. 3. 27, 28.
CHAP. XII.
Rules about the Lords Supper.
HItherto concerning Baptisme: The rules that concerne Rules about the Lords Supper.the Lords Supper follow.
Now concerning this Sacrament, we are charged with these things.
First, Examination, 1 Cor. 11. 1. We must examine our selueswe must examine our selues, and so eate and drinke: Examine our selues, so as we be sure there bee no sinne in our hearts and liues, which we hauehave committed, but we are desirous to forsake, and doe vnfainedly iudge our selues for it, being as desirous to forsake, as we desire God should in the Sacrament forgiue it.
Secondly, The diseerning of the 2. We must discerne the Lords Supper.Lords Body and Blood: so comming to partake of these outward signes of Bread and Wine, as we withall know and beleeue the presence of Christ; and that God doth as effectually giuegive Christ to the soule of the beleeuer, as he giues Bread and Wine to his body: yea, we must thus discerne and beleeue, that he is there offered and giuen vntounto vsus also, and that God doth not delude vsus, but as truly giues vsus the Body and Blood of Christ, as he doth by the Minister giuegive vsus the Bread and Wine, 1 Cor. 11.
Thirdly, The shewing forth of the death of Christ: This is a solemnity, 3. We must shew forth Christs death.where we must intend to make a solemne remembrance of the Passion and Death of our Sauiour, not onelyonly in being present at the breaking of the Bread and powring out of the Wine, but in raising vp in our heart a thankefull remembrance of his grieuous sufferings and death for our sins, Math. 26. 1. Cor. 11.
Fourthly, Fellowship and louing 4. We vow to cleaue to the godly.communion with the godly, which we both signifie, and vow in the Sacraments, and testifie before God and men, that we wil cleaue vntounto them aboue all the people in the world, as being the same bread with vsus, euen members of the same mysticall Body of Christ, 1 Cor. 10.
Fifthly, speciall reconciliation 5. We must be reconciled.with such as we hauehave offended, bearing malice to no man, and desiring and seeking peace with all sorts of men, Matth. 5. Rom. 12.
Sixtly, and lastly, The vowes of sincerity, resoluing to keepe this 6. We vow an holy life.feast all our life in the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth, euen to spend our daies in all vprightnesse of heart, and vnfeigned hatred of all sinne and hypocrisie, 1 Cor. 5. 8.