The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the firſt vſe of a Sacrament.
HItherto of the parts of a Sacrament, both outward and inward: now we come to the vſes thereof. For vnleſſe we know the vſe & vnderſtand the end why they were ordained, it ſhall not profite vsus to know the parts. EueryEvery thing muſt be referred to his right vſes and proper ends: ſo muſt the Sacraments be.
The ends are eſpeciallyaThree chief vſes of the ſacraments. theſe three. Firſt, to ſtrengthen faith. Secondly, to ſeale the couenant betweene God and vsus. Thirdly, to be a badge of our profeſsion. Touching the firſt ende, the Sacraments ſerue for the better confirmation of our faith, as appeareth, 1. Pet. 3. where the Apoſtle hauing ſet downe the drowning of the world, and the preſeruing of Noah by the Arke, he ſaith our baptiſmeb1 Pet. 3, 21. directly anſwereth that type, which is a taking to witneſſe of a good conſcience, and ſauing vsus by the reſurrection of Chriſt. So then, by faith confirmed in Baptiſme, we hauehave an infallible aſſurance in the death of Chriſt of our ſaluation. Many indeede come to the Sacraments, are preſent at baptiſme, are partakers of the Lords Supper, that feele no ſtrength of faith, no increaſe of Gods graces, no ſpirituall growth in the body of Chriſt, ſo that they worke not ſaluation in them, but further their condemnation. For the Sacraments (as we hauehave ſhewed) giuegive not grace, but more firmely, ſurely, and comfortably confirme faith, they apply and ſeale vp Chriſt crucified. The Sacraments cannot giuegive faith to the faithleſſe, neyther were they inſtituted to the end men ſhould beleeue, but becauſe they doe beleeue: as meat was not giuen that men ſhould learne to eate, but that they eating might be nouriſhed. Faith indeed receiueth them,cAuguſt. de ciuit. dei. lib. 25. cap. 25. and then they ſerue to nouriſh it. And they confirme not faith by any inherent power included in them, but the holye Spirite applyeth Chriſt to vsus, and frameth this comfortable concluſion in our hearts. All ſuch as are conuerted and doe rightly vſe the Sacraments, ſhall receiue Chriſt & all his ſauing graces: But I am conuerted and doe rightly vſe the Sacraments: Therefore I ſhall receiue Chriſt and his graces. Thus doth the Comforter comfort all thoſe that come rightly and religiouſly to the Lords Table.
Now if wee would enquire and ſearch after the reaſons of this firſt end, we ſhould finde that one cauſe why they confirme faith is, becauſe God is true in his promiſes, he confirmeth and maketh good that which is gone out of his mouth. All thed2 Cor. 1, 20. promiſes of God in Chriſt Ieſus are yea and are in him Amen, vntounto the glory of God through vsus. For as Princes ſeales confirme their charters, aſſure their grants, and make certaine their pardons: ſo do Gods Sacraments witneſſe to our hearts and conſciences, that his words and promiſes are true and are eſtabliſhed to continue for euer. For as he declareth his mercies by his word, ſo hee ſealeth and aſſureth them by his Sacraments. Againe, this appeareth by the example of Abraham, who firſt beleeued the promiſe, and it was imputed to him for righteouſneſſe, being yet vncircumciſed; and afterward receiued the ſigne of circumciſion as the ſeale of the righteouſnes of faith, as the ApoſtleeRom. 4, 9, 10, 11. teacheth: We ſay that faith was imputed vntounto Abraham for righteouſneſſe: How was it then imputed? when he was circumciſed, or vncircumciſed? Not when hee was circumciſed, but when he was vncircumciſed, &c. Where he ſheweth that Abraham was iuſtified in vncircumciſion, but yet was afterward circumciſed, that the guift of righteouſnes might be confirmed in him. ThefActs 8, 36. Eunuch likewiſe beleeued before he receiued baptiſme, & therfore it ſealed vp the increaſe of his faith & of Gods graces. And Acts 2. They that gladly receiued the words of Peter, gActs 2.41. & 10, 44, 47, 48. and 22, 16.were baptized. And, as Peter preached to Cornelius and others of the Gentiles, The Holy Ghoſt fell on them all which heard the word, and he ſaid, Can any forbid water that theſe ſhould not be baptized, which hauehave receiued the Holy Ghoſt as well as we? So he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Wherefore, when the Miniſter waſheth with water, it repreſenteth our burial with Chriſt, into his death, and our riſing againe with him into newneſſe of life. As bread nouriſheth and ſtrengtheneth man: ſo the body of Chriſt taken by faith feedeth the ſoule. We take the bread and cup into our hands, we eate, we drinke, we are refreſhed: ſo we feed on Chriſt, whoſe fleſh is meate indeed, & whoſe blood is drinke indeed, and we are comforted.
Vſe 1 Let vsus now come to the vſes, as wee hauehave ſeene the reaſons. And firſt of all, doe the Sacraments ſerue to ſtrengthen our faith? Then let vsus all acknowledge our failings and infirmities: Let vsus labour more and more to feele the weaknes and wants of our owne faith. True it is, if our faith were perfect & entire lacking nothing,hChriſoſt. in Math. hom. 83. we ſhould not neede the Sacraments. We muſt not therefore abſtaine from them for the weakenes of our faith, but for that cauſe come to God and to the Sacraments of God, praying for ſtrength and confirmation thereof;iMar. 9, 23, 24 as that father did, whoſe ſonne was poſſeſſed with a dumbe ſpirite when Chriſt ſaid to him, If thou canſt beleeue, all things are poſsible to him that beleeueth, hee anſwered crying with teares, Lord I beleeue, helpe mine vnbeleefe. And Luke 17. The ApoſtleskLuke 17, 5. ſay to the Lord, Increaſe our faith. Vndoubtedly he that neuer doubted, neuer beleeued: For whoſoeuer in truth beleeueth, feeleth ſometimes doubtings and wauerings of his faith. Euen as the ſound bodye feeleth oftentimes the grudgings of a feuer and diſtemperature of the body, which if he had not health he could neuer finde and feele: ſo the faithfull ſoule findeth ſundry doubtings, which if his faith were not ſound, hee could not diſcerne. For wee feele not corruption by corruption, nor ſinne by ſinne,lLu. 11, 21, 22 becauſe when the ſtrong man poſſeſſeth the houſe, all things are in peace: but we feele ſinne and perceiue corruption in vsus by a contrary grace of Gods Spirit. The leſſer and ſmaller meaſure of grace we hauehave, the leſſer is our feeling: & the more grace we hauehave, the more quicke we are in feeling of corruption. What is the reaſon that many hauehave no ſight of ſinne, no feeling of their corruption, no tentations, no trembling, no terror, no feare of Gods wrath, but wholy liue, lye, and dye in their luſtes? Surely, becauſe they are without grace, without Gods Spirite, & without his inward worke in them. But the faithfull who are not led by the fleſh but by the Spirite, are often tempted, aſſayled, turmoyled, tryed, and prouoked to many euils, according to themLuke 22.31, 32. words of our bleſſed Sauiour, Simon, Simon, behold Sathan hath deſired to winnow you as wheat, but I hauehave prayed for thee that thy faith faile not; therfore when thou art conuerted, ſtrengthen thy brethren. As a man carried vp and ſet vponupon an high Tower or on the Pinacle of a Temple, & there faſt bound in chaines of Iron that he cannot fal although he would, when he looketh downe, feareth, and all his ioynts trē ble, becauſe hee is not acquainted and accuſtomed to mount vp ſo high in the ayre, and to behold the earth ſo farre beneath: but when he remembreth himſelfe and perceiueth himſelfe faſt bound and out of all danger, then he conceiueth conſtant hope of continuing, and caſteth away all feare of falling: So when wee looke downeward vponupon our ſelues and our owne waies, we hauehave doubtings, wauerings, aſtoniſhments, horrors, terrors, tremblings, and feares: but when wee looke vpwards, to behold the ſweet conſolatiō which God hath promiſed, Chriſt hath purchaſed, the word hath publiſhed, the Holy Ghoſt hath ſealed, and eueryevery beleeuer hath taſted, we feele our ſelues ſure, and ceaſe to doubt anymore. For faith though aſſaulted with doubtings may be certaine. The Sunne alwaies ſhineth in the firmament, though the clouds hauehave couered it, and the light appeare not. The tree hath life in it, though it be not in winter diſcerned. So faith hath his aſſurance & perſwaſion, though it be ſhaken with doubtings, and aſſaulted with tentations. Wherfore, ſo often as we feele theſe doubtings & imperfections, let vsus ſet againſt them the certainty of Gods truth: let vsus ſet before vsus the vnchangeablenes of his promiſes: let vsus draw neer to the holy Sacram. & therby ſeek ſtrength & increaſe of faith.
Moreouer, was this one end of the Sacramēts to ſtrengthen Vſe 2 faith? Then God refuſeth and reiecteth none for weaknes of faith. For a weak faith is a true faith as wel as a ſtrong faith. A leprous hand can hold that which is offered vntounto it, as well as a ſound and ſtrong hand, albeit not ſo ſtrongly: So is it with faith; though it bee feeble and as a graine of muſtard ſeed, yet if it be vnfained, it will apply Chriſt effectually; which weaknes God leaueth in vsus as a meanes to ſtirre vsus vp to goe to the Sacraments. We reade that Dauid called lamen2 Sam 9, 7.8 Mephiboſheth to his table, thereby honouring the ſon for the fathers ſake: ſo doth God receiue vsus al deformed and defiled to his heauenly Supper. And as Mephiboſheth profeſſed himſelfe vnworthy to eate bread at the kings table, ſaying, What is thy ſeruant, that thou ſhouldſt looke on ſuch a dead dogge as I am? So muſt we confes our vnworthineſſe, & beoMat. 15, 26.27. contented with the crums of his grace, that fall from his heauenly table. And thus acknowledging our ſelues to be blinde, he will reſtore vsus: to be poore, he will enrich vsus: to be wounded, hee will cure vsus: to be captiues, he will deliuer vsus: to be ſicke, he wil heale vsus: to be weake, he will ſtrengthen vsus: to be loſt, he will ſaue vsus: to be hungry and thirſty, he wil refreſh vsus: to bee broken-hearted, hee will binde vsus vp: to bee ſolde vnderunder ſinne, he will ranſome and redeeme vsus.
Vſe 3 Thirdly, it teacheth vsus to abhorre the abſurdity of Bellarmine, a factour and atturney of the Church of Rome, pBellar. de Sacram. lib. 1. c. 14who denyeth that the Sacraments are ſcales of the promiſes, or ſerue to nouriſh and confirme our faith, and to aſſure vsus of free remiſsion of ſins by the death of Chriſt. Contrary to that we heard before, in the example of Abraham, who receiued circumciſion to ſeale vp & aſſure his iuſtification, by faith; whoſe example is ſet foorth to ſhew how all men are iuſtified before God,qRom. 4, 11. and what is the vſe of the Sacraments in all that are partakers of them. So doth baptiſme ſeale vp to vsus Gods promiſes in Chriſt, and aſſureth the remiſsion of ſinnes,r1 Pet. 3, 21. as Peter teacheth.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, if the chiefe end of the Sacraments and of the ordinance of God in the inſtitution of them, be to confirme faith, and to aſſure vsus of regeneration, mortification, ſanctification, iuſtification, remiſsion, and ſaluation: then how ſay ſom…, we cannot be aſſured in this life of our ſtanding in the eſtate of grace, of the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, and of our adoption in Chriſt? Doth not theſRom. 8, 15, 16. Holy Ghoſt teſtifie vntounto vsus particularly the adoption of children, the remiſsion of ſinnes, and ſaluation of our ſoules? As Rom. 8. Wee hauehave not receiued the Spirite of bondage to feare, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba father: the Spirite beareth witneſſe with our ſpirits that we are the children of God. In theſe words, Gods ſanctifying Spirit, & our ſanctified ſpirit, are made the two witneſſes of our adoption. This we muſt certainely beleeue by faith. And this made the ApoſtletRom. 8, 38.39. moſt confident in the end of the ſame Chapter, ſaying, I am perſwaded that neyther death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, ſhall be able to ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord. If any obiect, we may hope well for forgiuenes of ſins, but we cannot beleeue the ſame. I anſwere, Faith and hope cannot be ſeparated, they doe alwayes as louing friends accompany each other, they are neuer ſundered and diuided; ſo that if we may be aſſured of our ſaluation by hope, it followeth we may be certainely perſwaded. True hope followeth true faith, as the effect doth the cauſe, and no man can truely hope, that is not truely aſſured. Beſides, this is the property of hope,uRom. 5, 4, 5. it neuer maketh any aſhamed, they ſhall not be confounded and diſappointed, they ſhall attaine vntounto the thing hoped for, according to the doctrine of the Apoſtle, Experience bringeth foorth hope, and hope maketh not aſhamed, becauſe the louelove of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghoſt, which is giuen vntounto vsus. Hitherto of the firſt end of a Sacrament.