The Rules of a Holy Life, Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI.
Rules about the Sacrament of Baptisme.
THus of the rules of our carriage about hearing: Next wee are to consider, how we are to order our selues in respect of the Sacraments: The Sacraments are two: Baptisme,Rules about Baptisme. and the Lords Supper.
The duties we are bound to in respect of Baptisme, concerne either
1. Our children.
2. Our selues.
3. Others.
For our children,1. About our children. it is our duty to present them vntounto Baptisme, but withall we must looke to it, that it be done in due time, and with faith and thankefulnesse to God: In due time, so as thereby wee 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 faith in Gods Couenant. The Lord hath bound himselfe to bee our God, and the God of our seed: 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 wee plead our right, wheras by vnbeleefe wee giuegive God occasion to neglect our seed. I adde also with thankfulnesse, because we ought with great ioy and acknowledgement of the free grace of God, to behold our seed 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 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,2. About our selues. for our selues, we 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 daies of our life, especially in three cases:In three cases.
First, in the case of doubting and 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 wee doe not offend in trusting Gods promise made in his Word, and signed and sealed in Baptisme. As certainely doth it saue our soules, as the Arke saued the bodies of Noah and his houshold; so as wee cannot miscarry, if wee leape not out of the Arke into the Seas of waters. Let vsus stick to our Baptisme, and then we are safe: The washing in Baptisme did assure the washing of our soules by the Bloud of Christ for our sinnes. If I be tempted to doubt of my saluation, I must say to my own 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 from my sins by the bloud of his Sonne? Did hee not shew mee so much in Baptisme? VVee sinne shamefully, in that wee 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. Act. 22. 16.
2. Secondly,How Baptisme may helpe vsus against sinne. in the case of temptation to commit sinne: we ought to fight against sinne by his mighty weapon of our Baptisme, and so wee may doe 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 deuill and sinne: and shall I break my vow to God, that would bee ashamed to break 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 bee still impure? Math. 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 hee can deliuer me from the power, or powerfull temptations, or inclinations to any sinne? Shall I not seek strength of Christ? or shall I betray my selfe to the deuill 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 bee kept vntounto saluation, and whether our bodies shall bee raised againe at the last Day: for God hath assured all this vntounto vsus in our Baptism, that we hauehave our part not onelyonly in the death of Christ, but also in the resurrection of Christ: and if Christ bee raised in vsus, Christ can die 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, Romanes 6. 10, &c. Galath. 3. 27, 28. 1. Cor. 15. 29. 1. Pet. 3. 21. If wee be baptized, and beleeue, wee shall certainely bee saued, Mark. 16. 16.
Thus as it concernes our selues.
3. In respect of others,3. In respect of others. we are 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, Ephes. 4. 3, 4, 5. 1. Cor. 12. 13. & 1. 13. Gal. 3. 27, 28.
CHAP. XII.
Rules about the Lords Supper.
HItherto concerning Baptisme: The Rules that concerne the Lords Supper, follow.
Now concerning this Sacrament,Rules about the Lords Supper. we are charged with these things:
1. First,1. Wee must examine our selues. Examination, 1. Cor. 11. we must examine our selues, and so eate and drinke: Examine our selues, so as wee be sure there bee no sinne in our hearts and liues, which we hauehave committed, but wee are desirous to forsake, and do vnfaignedly iudge our selues for it, being as desirous to forsake it, as we desire God should in the Sacrament forgiue it.
2. Secondly, The discerning of the Lords Bodie and Bloud: 2. We must discerne the Lords Body.so comming to partake of these outward signes of Bread & 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 hee giues Bread and Wine to his body: yea, we must thus discerne and beleeue, that hee is there offered and giuen vntounto vsus also, and that God doth not delude vsus, but as truely giues vsus the Bodie and bloud of Christ, as he doth by the Minister giuegive vsus the bread and wine, 1. Cor. 11.
Thirdly,3. We must shew forth Christs death. The shewing forth of the death of Christ: This is a solemnity, where wee 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 hearts a thankefull remembrance of his grieuous sufferings and death for our sinnes, Math. 26. 1. Cor. 11.
Fourthly,4. We vow to cleaue to the godly. Fellowship and louing communion with the godly, which wee both signifie, and vow in the Sacraments, and testifie before God and men, that wee will cleaue vntounto them aboue all the people in the world, as being the same bread with vsus, euen members of the same Mysticall Bodie of Christ, 1. Cor. 10.
Fifthly,5. We must be reconciled. speciall reconciliation with such as we hauehave offended, bearing malice to no man, and desiring and seeking peace with all sorts of men, Math. 5. Rom. 12.
Sixtly,6. We vow a holy life. and lastly, The vowes of sinceritie, resoluing to keepe this feast all our life in the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth, euen to spend. our daies in all vprightnesse of heart, and vnfaigned hatred of all sinne and hypocrisie, 1. Cor. 5. 8.