The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the ſecond vſe of a Sacrament.
THe ſecond end of a Sacrament is this;aThe ſecond vſe of a Sacrament is to be a ſeale of the Couenant. It ſerueth to bee a ſeale of the Couenant betweene God and vsus, that hee will bee our God, and we will be his people, as Gen. 17 I am God bGē. 17, 1, 11all-ſufficient, walke before me, and be vpright. The Sacraments are aſſured teſtimonies and confirmations of the fauour and good will of God, who is well pleaſed toward vsus in Chriſt his Sonne. By them as by certaine pledges giuen and receiued, God of his great mercy doth as it were binde himſelfe to vsus, & wee binde our ſelues to him to remaine his people, and to walke in obedience before him: for they bee as ſtrong chaines to compaſſe vsus, as ſure cords to hold vsus, and as faſt knots to keepe vsus, that we do not depart from him, and caſt off the feare of his name. Circumciſion was a ſeale of Gods promiſe to Abraham, and a ſeale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God. But let vsus ſee whatcWhat the couenant is betweene God & man. this couenant is, what are the Articles of agreement betweene God and vsus, and what things each part interchangeably couenanteth and contracteth each toward other. The couenant of God in reſpect of himſelfe, hath three parts. He promiſeth,dRom 11, 26 Ier. 33, 8. Eſay 43, 25. firſt of all, forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes: for The deliuerer ſhall come out of Sion, and ſhall turne away the vngodlineſſe from Iacob, and this is my couenant to them, when I ſhall take away their ſinnes. Secondly, the adoptioneIer. 31, 31.32, 33. 2 Cor. 6, 16.18. Zach. 8, 8. of ſonnes and acceptation of vsus to be his children, ioyned with the promiſe of his cō tinuall fauour, louelove, grace, and protection: as Iere. 31. Behold, the dayes come (ſaith the Lord,) that I will make a new couenant with the houſe of Iſrael and with the houſe of Iudah, not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers, when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, the which my couenant they brake, although I was an husband vntounto them, ſaith the Lord: but this ſhall be the couenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael, after thoſe daies ſaith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. Behold, the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God, wherein for better aſſurance he hath bound himſelfe to forgiue our ſins, & promiſed to be our mercifull God. And to the end there might be a paire of theſe indentures, interchangeably giuen each to other party; the Lord by the hand of the Apoſtle, writing to the Hebrewes, hath drawn as it were the counterpane of the former word for word, expreſſed as it is in the Prophet;fHeb. 8, 10, 11 ſo that we hauehave a paire of indentures of couenants, to ſhew the ſtablenes of his counſell. The 3. part of the couenant in reſpect of God is,gReuel. 21, 4.7. the promiſe of the full poſſeſsiō of the heauenly inheritance and of eternall glory after this life, as Reuel. 21. God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes, and there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow, neither crying, neither ſhall there be any more paine, for the firſt things are paſſed: he that ouercometh ſhal inherit all things: Alſo cha. 2. To him that ouercommeth, will I giuegive to eate of the tree of life which is in the midſt of the Paradice of God, he ſhall not be hurt of the ſecond death: he ſhal hauehave power giuen him ouer the Nations, and rule them with a rod of iron: he ſhal be cloathed with white array, and I wil not put his name out of the booke of life: hee ſhall be a pillar in the Temple of God, & ſhal go no more out. I will grant to him to fit with me in my throne, euen as I ouercame, & fit with my Father in his throne. Thus we ſee, how God on his part, by writings and euidences promiſeth to giuegive to his people remiſsion of ſins, adoption of ſons, & poſſeſsion of heauen; he hath couenanted by word & by oth to performe theſe things: neither is he as man that he ſhould lie, nor as the ſon of man that he ſhold deceiue. Theſe are great grants, of great bleſsings, by our great God, to the great good & cōfort of his childrē. For what greater bleſsings can there be, then being miſerable ſinners, to be graciouſly pardoned? being vtter enemies; to bee freely accepted as ſonnes? beeing bondſlaues and priſoners of hell, to be made heires of heauen and ſaluation? Againe, the couenant on our part requireth three conditions: for when men intend to couenant and contract one with another, they ſet downe articles, as well on the one ſide as on the other. Firſt, faith to God, to beleeue his promiſes, as Iohn 3.16. God ſo loued the world, that hee hath giuen his onelyonly begotten Sonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh, but hauehave euerlasting life. And Cha. 14. Let not your heart be troubled, ye beleeue in God, beleeue alſo in me. And Rom. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vntounto righteouſneſſe, and with the mouth man confeſſeth vntounto ſaluation: for the Scripture ſaith, whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhall not be aſhamed. Secondly, God requireth of vsus louelove toward our brethren: for ſeeing he hath ſhewed ſo great louelove toward vsus,k1 Iohn 4, 7, 9, 10, 11. he exacteth louelove of vsus againe, as Iohn exhorteth, Beloued, let vsus louelove one another, for louelove commeth of God, and eueryevery one that loueth is borne of God, and knoweth God: heerein was the louelove of God made manifeſt among vsus, becauſe God ſent his onelyonly begotten Son into this world, that wee might liue through him: beloued, if God ſo loued vsus, wee ought alſo to louelove one another. Thirdly, he requireth as a neceſſary couenant to be kept on our part, holines, & true obedience throughout the whole courſelIoſh. 24, 24.25. 2 Kings 29, 3. of our life and conuerſation. This is repeated and vrged in many places of the word of God, as Ioſh. 24. when they ſaid they would ſerue the Lord their God & obey his voice, Ioſhua made a couenant with them the ſame day, ioyning God & the people together. So alſo Ioſiah ſtood by the pillar and made a couenant before the Lord, that they ſhould walke after the Lord, and keepe his commandements, and his teſtimonies, and his ſtatutes, with al their hart and with al their ſoul. Likewiſe, to the ſame purpoſe we reade, 2. Chro. 15. They made a couenant to ſeeke the Lord God of their Fathers: and whoſoeuer will not ſeeke the Lord God of Iſrael, ſhall be ſlaine, whether he be ſmall or great, man or woman. Thus we ſee the conditions of the couenant, both what he promiſeth to doe, and what he looketh for at our hands. He requireth of vsus faith, louelove, and obedience to become his people, if we will hauehave him to be our God. All theſe three parts of the couenant,m1 Iohn 3, 23 24. are mentioned and expreſſed, 1. Iohn 3. This is his commandement, that wee beleeue in the name of his Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, and louelove one another as he gaue commandement: for he that keepeth his commandements, dwelleth in him, and he in him: and heereby we know that hee abideth in vsus, euen by the Spirite that he hath giuen vsus.
The vſes of the ſecond end of a Sacrament are, firſt to Vſe 1 behold the exceeding louelove of God toward his people vnworthy of his fauour. Can there be a greater louelove then this? Certainly ſuch as know the great rigor of the law, the infinite iuſtice of God, and the heauy burthen of ſin: and feele God to arraigne them, the law to endite them, their conſciences to accuſe them, and their hearts to cō demne them, do finde nothing ſweeter then to be eaſed of that burthen, to be acquitted of that Iudge, and to be freed from that condemnation. For of all burdens ſin is the heauieſt; of all wounds it is the deepeſt; of all afflictions it is the greateſt; of all paines it is the ſharpeſt, and often preſſeth downe to the gates of hell. Wherefore ſuch as feele Gods mercy in their miſery,nPſal. 32, 1.2. may cry out with the Prophet in the reioycing of their ſpirite Bleſſed is he, whoſe wickedneſſe is lightened, and whoſe ſin is couered, Bleſſed is the man, vntounto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. This kindneſſe is ſo great, that the eternall God ſhould make a couenant with duſt and aſhes, that it ought neuer to be forgotten of vsus vsus, nor depart out of our hearts.
Againe, let eueryevery one be carefull to keepe the former Vſe 2 conditions of the Couenant, which are, to louelove him againe, and our brethren for his ſake,oLuke 1, 74.75. and to walke in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all the dayes of our life. Our Sauiour Chriſt directing our louelove to our brethren, and teaching that the ſtreames thereof ſhould flow vntounto our enemies, ſheweth that if we louelove thē that louelove vsus, theoMat. 5, 44.46, 47. Publicans do the ſame: & if we be friendly to our brethren only, this is no ſingular thing. Beholdp1 Iohn 3, 1., what louelove the Father hath giuen vntounto vsus, that we ſhould be called the Sons of God: he loued vsus graciouſly & freely: he loued vsus whē we were enemies vntounto him, & ſpared not his own Son, but gaue him to death for vsus al: do not theſe things deſerue louelove againe? are we not bound to ſhew duty for theſe mercies, and louelove to our brethren for this louelove of our God? & yet many regard neyther theſe bleſsings of God, neither walking in vprightnes of hart Vſe 3 before him. Thirdly, is God & mā entred into a ſolemne couenant, & are the Sacraments ſeals of it? Thē the contempt of the Sacraments is the contempt of God himſelfe & of his couenant made with vsus, and therfore worthily to be condemned, and iuſtly to bee cenſured of the Church. If men wer throughly perſwaded of this truth, I am perſwaded they wold not ſhew this careleſnes & prophanenes in coming to theſe ordinances of God. They are not bare and naked promiſes, but couenants of mercy & fauour. EueryEvery couenant is a promiſe, but eueryevery promiſe is not a couenant. Abraham had receiued many promiſes from God, of reconciliation, of poſterity, of bleſſing & protection, that he would be his buckler, his bulwarke, and his great reward, and giuegive vntounto his ſeed the land of Canaan; yet we reade not that God as yet made a couenant with him, vntill by a ſolemne rite and ceremony he eſtabliſhed it, Ge. 15. where we ſee that Abraham took an heiffer, a ſhee-goate, and a ramme, and diuided them in the midſt, and laid each piece one againſt another In the ſame day the Lord made a couenant with him. This he confirmed afterward by the ſigne of circumciſion, as alſo hee confirmeth his couenant with vsus by two Sacraments. If any were asked the queſtion whether they would hauehave God to be their God, gracious and mercifull vntounto them, they would anſwere it is their whole deſire: howbeit if we would hauehave God magnifie his mercy toward vsus, we muſt magnify & make much of his ſacram. whereby he hath ſealed vp his louelove toward vsus. Could Abraham hauehave God to be his God, and the God of his ſeede, and yet reiect circumciſion commanded vntounto him, which was a ſigne of the couenant? Could the Iſraelites acknowledge God to be the author of their deliuerance out of Egypt, and yet refuſe the Paſſeouer that was inſtituted in remembrance of their deliuery and of his mercy? O that we could conſider theſe things, and learne them aright, to make vsus wiſe to God and to our ſelues. If wee giuegive to any man a piece of mony to binde a bargaine that hath paſſed betweene him and vsus, we would thinke ourſelues much abuſed, if hee ſhould not count himſelfe tyed by it to performe his promiſe and make good his word. So hath God left with vsus his Sacraments (as an earneſt penny) to aſſure vsus of his word, and the vnchangeable faithfulneſſe of his promiſe: ſhall we then make no account of them? or eſteeme them at our owne pleaſure? We make our ſelues guilty of the blood of Chriſt, and as much as lyeth in vsus, ſay to the almighty, Depart from vsus, we will none of the knowledge of thy waies, we will walke after the ſtubbornnes of our harts.
Laſtly, are the Sacraments as a band with a condition? that leaueth vsus not at liberty to doe what wee liſt, but Vſe 4 bindeth vsus to performe the condition? Then wee muſt learne from hence, that howſoeuer God hauehave dealt in mercy toward vsus, offering vsus the pardon of our ſinnes, promiſing to receiue vsus as ſonnes, and aſſuring vsus to beſtow vponupon vsus eternall life: yet if we be not faithfull and obedient vntounto him, but reiect theſe benefits from vsus, & walke not worthy of them, they ſhall be taken from vsus & giuen to a people that will make more account of them, The couenant that God hath made, is a mutuall promiſe and agreement betweene God and man, whereby God giueth men aſſurance that he will be gracious & fauourable vntounto them, remitting their ſinnes, beſtowing vponupon thē righteouſnes, bringing thē to ſaluation & reſeruing them to his heauenly kingdome through Chriſt his Son and our redeemer. And on the other ſide, men binde themſelues to faith, repentance, and obedience, and to be thankful vntounto him for ſo great and gracious benefits. This mutuall compact and couenant, that it might bee made firme and authenticall, is ſealed by the outward badges and tokens of baptiſme and the Lords Supper, which are ſacred ſignes teſtifying Gods good will toward vsus, and confirming our duty toward him. This is no ſmall mercy ſhewed vntounto vsus, but the moſt ſacred and ſoueraigne guift of God that can be beſtowed vponupon any people in this life: as Pſal. 111.9. The Prophet remembreth in the laſt place, that he ſent redemption vntounto his people, he hath commanded his couenant for euer. So the Apoſtle maketh it as a wonderfull priuiledge that God gaue to the Iewes, in that they had the ſigne of circumciſion and the Oracles of God committed vntounto them, Rom. 3, 1, 2. According to the ſaying of the Prophet,Pſal. 14.19.20. Hee ſhewed his word to Iacob, his ſtatutes and ordinances vntounto Iſrael: he hath not dealt ſo with eueryevery Nation, neither hauehave they knowne his iudgements. This ought to teach diligence, and worke conſcience in al ſorts of men, leaſt we depriue our ſelues of the guifts of God lent vntounto vsus and beſtowed vponupon vsus. Thus we ſee firſt of all, that mankinde generally, neyther was, neither is within the couenant, but onelyonly ſuch as by faith imbrace and lay holde on the couenant. The Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnderunder ſin, that the promiſe by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt ſhould be giuen to them that beleeue. Without faith it is vnpoſsible to pleaſe God, and therefore there is no promiſe of reconciliation made without faith. The couenant betweene God and man touching righteouſnes and eternall life, was deliuered and reuealed from the beginning to our firſt parents, immediately after their fall, before they were driuen out of the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3, 15. The ſeede of the Woman ſhall bruiſe the Serpents head. And in the tenour of this couenant God did put a difference betweene the ſeede of the woman and the ſeede of the Serpent. By the ſeed of the woman he meaneth, the head and his members, Chriſt and the faithfull that beleeue in him: as alſo by the ſeed of the Serpent, all the reprobate that liue and dye in their ſinnes, foraſmuch as he that committeth ſinne is of the Diuell, 1 Iohn 3, 8. and, he is their father. Iohn 8, 44. Hence we ſee, how foule and fearefull a thing it is to be without faith, all ſuch are without life, without Chriſt, without the couenant, euen ſtrangers from the couenants of promiſe, without hope, and without God in the world. Againe, al ſuch as contemne grace offered vntounto them in the Mediator Chriſt Ieſus, who is the foundation and ground-worke of this couenant, in whom all the promiſes of God are yea, and amen: All ſuch as follow ſinne with greedines, and drinke iniquity as water, ſuch as are both bare and barren in good things for euer, but plentifull in bringing forth the workes of darkneſſe, and the fruites of diſobedience, are all out of the couenant, and hauehave no promiſe made vntounto them of grace, of righteouſneſſe, of reconciliation, of protection, and of ſaluation: It is required of vsus to repent and beleeue the Goſpell, Mar. 1, 15. But if we begin to breake with God, ſhall we thinke to hold him cloſe to his couenant, and to challenge him with his word? Will we tye him to conditions, and imagine to goe free our ſelues? Will we vrge him hard with his promiſe, and as it were lay heauy burdens vponupon him, and not touch them our ſelues with our little finger? Hee promiſeth nothing vntounto vsus, except we keepe couenant with him. And what reaſon is it, that we ſhould looke to receiue bleſsings at his hands, when we will yeelde no duty of obedience vntounto him? For as God promiſeth to bee with vsus and beſtow all good things vponupon vsus, ſo we binde our ſelues vntounto him, to become his children and his ſeruants, to feare him, to louelove him, and to walke in vprightneſſe before him. God neuer beginneth to breake with vsus, neither falſifyeth his truth. He neuer forſaketh vsus vntill we forſake him: and therefore the Prophet ſaid to Aſa king of Iuda, 2. Chron. 15, 2. The Lord is with you, while ye he with him: and if ye ſeeke him, hee will be found of you: but if ye forſake him, hee will forſake you. In all couenants the condition muſt euer more be marked, conſidered, and obſerued. It is vnpoſsible that God ſhould lye, he cannot faile vsus or deceiue vsus. The like fidelity toward him is required of vsus. It is not enough for vsus to know what God hath promiſed, but it is requiſite for vsus to learne vponupon what conditions he hath promiſed to be gracious vntounto vsus. He neuer promiſed to be mercifull vntounto any, but vnderunder the expreſſe condition of ſincere obedience. If we will beleeue and obey, we ſhall proſper: but if we become rebellious and ſtubborne, he will alſo walke ſtubbornely againſt vsus, and bring vponupon vsus all the curſes theatned in his word.