The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 14
Chap. 14. Of the second vse of a Sacrament
THe second end of a Sacrament is this, aThe 2 vse of a Sacrament is to be a seale of the Couenant.It serueth to be a seale of the Couenant betweene God and vsus, that he will be our God, and we will be his people, as Gen. 17. I am God bGen. 17, I, II.all susficient, walke before me, and be vpright. The Sacramentes are assured testimonies and confirmations of the fauour and goodwil of god, who is wel pleased toward vsus in christ his sonne. By them as by certaine pledges giuen and receiued, God of great mercy doth as it were binde himselfe to vsus, and we binde our selues to him to remaine his people & to walke in obedience before him. … was a seale of gods promise to Abraham, & a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God. But let vsus see what cwhat the couenant is, betweene God & man.this couenant is, what are the Articles of agreement betweene God and vsus, and what things each part interchangably couenanteth and contracteth each toward other. The couenant of God in respect of himselse, hath 3. parts. He promiseth, dRom, 11, 26, Ier. 33, 8, Esa. 43, 25,first of all, forgiuenesse of our sinnes. The deliuerer shall come out of Sion, and shal turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob, and this is my couenant to them, when I shall take away their sinnes. Secondly the adoption cIer. 31, 31, 32. 33of sonnes and acceptation of vsus to be his children, ioyned with the promise of his continuall fauor, louelove, grace, and protection, as Ier. 31. 2. Cor. 6. 16. 18Behold, the dayes come, (saith the Lord,) that I will make a newe couenant with the house of Israell and with the house of Iudah, not Zach. 8. 8.according to the couenant that I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egipt, the which my couenant they brake, although I was an husband vntounto them, saith the Lorde: but this shall be the couenaunt that I will make with the house of Israell, after those dates saith the Lord, I will put my Lawe in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Be hold, the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God, wherein for better assurance he hath bound himselfe to forgiue our sinnes, and promised to be our mercifull God. And to the ende there might be a paire of these indentures, interchangeably giuen each to other party; the Lord by the hand of the Apostle, hath drawne as it wer the counterpane of the former word for word, expressed as it is in the Prophet, fIIeb. 4. 10 11 12.so that we hauehave a pair of indentures of couenants, to shew the stablenes of Gods counsel. The 3, part of the couenant in respect of god is, gReuel. 21, 4. 7.the promise of the full possession of the heauenly inheritaunce and of eternall glory after this life. God shall wipe away all teares from their eies, and there shall bee no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more paine, for the first things are passed: he that ouercommeth, shal inherit al things: Again to him that hReuel. 27, 28. 26. 27. and ch. 3. 5. 12. 31.ouercommeth will I giuegive to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paraolice of God, he shall not be hurt of the second death: he shall hauehave power giuen him ouer the Nations, and rule them with a rod of iron: he shall be cloaethed with white array, and I will not put his name out of the booke of life: he shalbe a pillar in the temple of God, and shall go no more out. I will grant to him to sit with me in my throne, euen as I ouercam, & sit with my father in his throne. Thus we see, how God on his part, by writinges and euidences promiseth to giuegive to his people remission of sins, adoption of sons, and possession of heauen, he hath couenanted by word and by oth to perform these things: neither is he as man that he should lie, nor as the son of man that he shold deceiue. These are great grāts, of great blessings by our great god, to the great good and comfort of his children. For what greter blessings can ther be, then being miserable sinners, to be gratiously pardond? being … enimies, to be freely accepted as sonnes? being bondslaues and prisoners of hel, we are made heirs of heauen and saluation? Againe, the couenant on our part requireth 3. conditions. First, faith to God, lIoh. 3. 16. & 14. 1.to beleeue his promises. God so loued the worlde, that hee hath giuen his onelyonly begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish, hut hauehave euerlastiug Rom. 10. 9. 10. 11life. Again let not your hart bee troubled, ye beleeue in God, beleeue also in me. And with the heart man beleeueth vntounto righteousnes, 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 towarde our brethren: for seeing he hath shewed so great louelove toward vsus, k1. Ioh 4, 7, 9 10, 11he exacteth louelove of us again, as Io. 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 in unfest among vsus, because God sent his onelyonly begotten son into this world, that we might liue through him: beloued, if God so loued vsus, we ought also to louelove one another. Thirdly, he requireth as a necessary couenant to be kept on our part, holines and true obedience throughout the whole course lIosh. 24, 24, 25of our life and conuersation. This is repeated and vrged in many places of the word of God, when they said they would serue the L. their God and obey his voice, Ioshua made a couenant with them 2 King. 23, . 3the same day, ioyning God and the people togither. So also 2 Chro, 15, 12 13… stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the L. Luk, 1 74, 75.that they shold walk after the L. and keep his commandements and his testimonies and his statutes, withal their hart & withal their soul. Likewse, to the same purpose we read, 2, Chron. 15. They made … to seek the L. God of their fathers: and whosoeuer wil not seek the L, God of Israel, shalbe …, whether he be sinal or great, man or woman. Thus we see the conditions of the couenaunt, both what hee promiseth to doe, and what hee looketh for at our hands. Hee 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, l11. roh. 3. 23. 24.are mentiioned and expressed, This is his commandement, that we heleeue its the name of his sonne Iesus Christ, and louelove one another as he gaue commaundement: for he that keepeth his commaundements, … in him, and he in him: and hcereby we know that he adideth in vsus, euen by the spirit that he hath giuen vsus.
The vses of the seconde end of a Sacrament are, first to Vse. 1.beholde the exceeding louelove of god to ward his people vnworthy of his fauour. Can there be a greater louelove then this? Certainely such as know the great rigour of the Law, the infinit 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 condemne them, do finde nothing sweeter then to be eased of that burden, to be acquitted of that iudge, and to be freed from that condemnation. For of all burdens sinne is the heauiest, of all afslictions 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, mPsal, 32, 1, 2.May cry out with the Prophet in the reioysing of their spirit, Blessed is he, whose wickednes is lightned, and u hose sinne is couered, Blessed is the man, vntounto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitse.
Againe, let eueryevery one be carefull to keepe the former conditions of the Couenant, which are, to louelove him againe, Vse. 2.and our brethren for his sake, nLuc, 1, 74, 75and to walke in holines and righ eousnes before him all the daies of our life. Our sauiour Christ directing our louelove to our brethren, and teaching that the ftreames there of shoulde slow vntounto our enemies, she weth that if we louelove them which louelove vsus, oMath, 5, 44, 46, 57.the Publicans doe the same: and if we be friendly to our brethren onelyonly, this is no singular thing.
Behold p1. 10h. 3. 1what louelove the father hath giuen vntounto vsus, that we should be called the sonnes of god: he loued us gratiously and free'y: he loued vsus when we were enemics nvto him, and spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to death for vsus all: doe not these thinges deserue louelove againe? are we not bound to shew duty for these mercies, and louelove to our brethren for this louelove of our God? and yet many regard, neither these blessings of god, neither to walke in vprightnes of hart before him.