The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. II. Of the third inward part of a Sacrament.
THus much we hauehave spoken touching the holy spirit, being the 2. inward part: the … inward part aChrist is … 3. inward part of a Sacrament.is Iesus Christ crucified, the very subiect & substance of all Sacraments. He was represented by … meision and the pascall lambe: and he is represented in Baptisme and in the Lords supper. When we receiue the outward signes, God the father offereth his sonne and all his graces with him, to confirme our … therby. The signe is but a figure and token: Christ is the truth and substance. This we shewed before, Ch. 2. in the discription of a sacrament, that therein Christ and all his sauing graces are truely offered, sealed vp, and giuen to the faithfull that … in his name. Heereunto commeth the doctrine of the Apostle, where hee teacheth that the Iewish Sacramentes being in the truth of them the same with ours, did signifie b1. cor. 10. 1. 2 3. 4. 5.Christ, for They dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them, and that rocke was Christ. So he doth teach …, that by Baptisme we cGal. 3. 27.put on Christ, we are buried into his death, and are planted dRom. 6. 4. 5.into the similitude of his resurrection. Wherefore, this is the vse and end of the sacraments, to lead our saith to the onelyonly sacrifice of Christ once offered vponupon the crosse, as to the onelyonly ground-worke and … of our saluation: as touching the other Sacrament, the same Apostle sheweth, that the breaking of the bread sealeth vp the e1 cor. 10. 16.communion of his body, and the pouring out the wine the communion of his blood. So then, this is an euident, plaine & manifest truth, confirmed by testimonies of the Scripture, that Christ is the matter and substance of a sacrament.
Heereby, we gather great strength of faith. If Christ be Vse. 1.offered withal his merits, then let vsus lay hold vponupon him and not let him go: let vsus stretch forth the hand of faith, and receiue him into our harts. Wherefore, when Satan assaulteth vsus, touching our faith in christ and assiance in his promises, perswading vsus we are not elected, iustified, and indued with faith, & therby seeketh to cut off our hand from aplying, or to blind our eie from looking vponupon the brasen serpent, that is, Christ sitting at the right hand of his father: let vsus run vntounto him, let vsus hunger and thirst after his righteousnes, let vsus acknowledge him to be our wisdom, our rightiousnes, our sanctification, and redemption, and let vsus looke for our saluation from him and in him. What though our faith be frail and weak? What though it be as a graine of a Mustard seede, which is very little and small? What if it be but as the groth & strength of a child, which is ready to fal except he be staied vp? yet this weak, this smal, this little, this fraile, this feeble faith, is able and sufficient to ingraft vsus into christ. A childe taking a staffe in his hand, is able to hold it, as truely though not as strongly as a man: so if we lay hold vponupon christ by faith, though we doe it with many wantes, and much weaknes, yet it shal serue and suffice vsus to saluation. For God looketh not so much to the perfection as to the truth of faith, neither so much to the measure as to the maner of our beleeuing. Euen as fMar. 8. 24.the blinde man in the Gospell, when he beganne to perceiue the mouing of men, and saw them walking as trees, when yet hee could not discerne their bodies, did as truely and certainely see them as other did, though not so cleerely, plainely, and distinctly: So when we hauehave the least sparke of faith, it will as truely assure vsus of our saluation as a stronger.
The poore prisoner that … in a deepe and darke dungeou, may as wel discerne the light of the Sunne at a little hole and creuisse, as he that walketh in the open ayre, so albeit wee bee compassed about with ignorance, doubtinges, Weaknes, and manyfolde fraylties of the fleshe, yet by a dimme light and sighte of faithe, wee may certainely apply vntounto vsus the mercies of GOD and the merits of Christ, as well as if we had a strong and perfect perswasion of our election & saluation before the foundations of the world. Thus we see, howsoeuer the faithfull may be afflicted, yet g2. cor. 4. 8. …they are not distressed: though tempted, yet not ouerwhelmed: though cast down, yet they perish not, For h1. Iohn. 5. 4.this is their victory that hath ouercome this world, euen their faith, wherby they apprehend Iesus Christ, who is offered of GOD the father in the Sacramentes to all the faithfull.
Againe, if Christ be giuen vsus, how should not the father with him giuegive vsus all things else? as the iRom, 8. 31.Apostle concludeth. Vse 2If God spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for vsus all to death: how shal he not with him giuegive vsus al things also? when we inioy him we inioy al things: if we want him it is nothing, though we abound in all things else. Wherefore, when the father gaue him for vsus, it is more then if he had giuen to us heauen and earth For hauing right and interest in him, we hauehave possession …of al things, his righteousnes, his sanctification, his obedience, his innocency, and whatsoeuer he hath is made ours. He that hath Christ who is the Lord of al, cannot doubt but he is made partaker of that which is his. He that hath Christ who is heir kHeb. 1. 2.of all things, may assure himselfe to be made fellow heire with him.
This is it the l1 Cor. 21. 22. 23.Apostle saith. Let no man reioyce in men: for al things are yours, whether it be Paule or Apollos, or Cephas, or the the world, or life, or death, whether they be things present, or things to come, euen all are yours, and ye Christs, and Christ Gods. When a parcel of ground is purchased and made ours, thereby the profit and commodity thereof is made ours also: so when christ by the free donation of god the father is giuen vntounto vsus, his righteousnes and obedience becommeth wholy ours togither with him. He then that hath christ, hath all thinges: he that hath not christ, hath nothing, howsoeuer he thinke himselfe to be something.