Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 49
CAP. XLIX.
Of the Seales of the Covenant.
Q. WEE have ſpoken of two means of working and encreaſing faith, viz. the Word and Prayer: By what means is God wont to ſeale up to our hearts the aſſurance of our reconciliation with himſelfe?
A. Two waies: 1. Inwardly by the teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt, witneſſing with our Spirits that we are Gods children.Of the witneſſe of the ſpirit. 2. And outwardly by the Sacraments, Rom. 8.16. 2 Cor. 1.32.
Q. How doth the Spirit of God inwardly witneſſe to a man his ſalvation?
A. Two waies: firſt, by imprinting holyneſſe and the ſtamp of grace on the heart thereby ſhewing us our right to the promiſes of life: [as the ſeale leaveth its impreſſion on the wax, ſo doth the Spirit. And look where grace is printed, there is the ſpirit that wrought it: and we have that ſeale to ſhew for our ſalvation.] Gal. 5.18, 22, 23, 25. Gal. 6.16. Rom. 8.13. 2 Cor. 3.3. A ſeale makes things to be autehntick and warrantable: Deeds and writings once ſealed are good in Law, and we may plead our right by the ſeale: ſo &c.
Q. How ſecondly doth the Spirit witneſſe with our Spirits?
A. By cheering, ſtrengthening, & clearing up the Conſcience to ſee, and acknowledge, and to certifie our hearts of the truth of Grace, ſo as to make us able to ſay, I have true faith, and true hatred of ſinne, &c, [The ſpirit ſaith, They that are called; are certainly ſaved. Now the conſcience enlightened doth ſay, 'Tis ſo and ſo with me. This is the anſwer of a good conſcience, & the witneſſe of two is true, Gods Spirit and our ſpirits: as conſcience awakened can tell David, thou haſt done ill in the matter of Ʋriah, ſo the conſcience enlightened and cleared can tell Peter, and make him ſay with confidence, Lord thou knoweſt, and I know that I love thee, Iohn 21.17.] Eph. 1.13. 1 Pet. 3.21. 1 Iohn 2.20, 27. 1 Cor. 2.11, 12. 1 Iohn 5.20.
Q. But put caſe our conſcience cry peace without any ſuch impreſſion, & character of grace on the heart; What then?
A. Then it is a falſe cry, it being but the ſingle teſtimony of our owne deceived & ſeveral from the true teſtimony of the Spirit of God, which ever agreeth with the Scripture. [The Spirit of God doth not croſſe the word, it doth not bleſse whom the word curſeth, nor curſe whom the word bleſſeth; and if our own hearts do ſo we know it to be a falſe teſtimony, and a deceived ſpirit.] 1 Iohn 5.6, 8. Pſal 51.9, 10.
Q. Put caſe I finde ſome works of the ſanctifying Spirit, and yet feele unquietneſse in my owne conſcience?
A If upon examination thou finde any ſinne in thy ſoule, pull it out and caſt it from thee, but if there be no ſin that hinders thy peace, then thy conſcience ought to acquit thee. [Thou art in ſafety, and in Gods favour by the ſpirit of ſanctification, whereby thou doſt cleave to thy God amidſt all fears and doubts.] Eſay 50.10. Iob 27 1, 4, 6. Iob 13 15. Thus of the inward Teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt; followes the outward.
Q. How doth God ſeale up our Redemption to us outwardly?
A. By the Sacraments, which to the worthy partakers are particular tokens and pledges of Gods favour & good-will towards us in the death of his Son. [In the word God ſpeaks generally; but▪ becomes home to each particular beleever in the Sacraments.]
Q. What is a Sacrament?
A. A Sacrament is a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith,What a Sacrament is. or it is a token of the Covenant between God & us, Gen. 17.10, 11. Rom. 4.11. A Sacrament hath two uſes. 1. Of a ſigne promiſory to repreſent. 2. Of a ſeale to exhibit, and put us in poſſeſſion of the things granted by Gods Covenant.
Q. Muſt we be in Covenant with God before we can partake of the Sacraments?
A. Yes: for elſe the outward ſignes doe not profit: Abraham was firſt in Covenant with God, and then he received the ſigne of Circumciſion. [Even as we uſe firſt to agree upon the conditions before we ſeale and deliver the deeds] Gen. 15.6, 18. with Gen. 17 7, 10, 11. with Rom. 4.10, 11. Acts 8.13, 21, 37. As in Covenant, and Contract of Marriage, there is first a conſent of the parties, and then the writings are ſealed, ſo it is in this covenant of Grace, both we and our Children muſt be in Covenant with God, before the Sacraments which are the ſeales of the Covenant can belong to us, Some are in Covenant with God, only by outward profeſſion, and ſuch people receive the ſigne, but not the thing ſignified, as Acts 5.3. 1 Cor. 10.3, 5. 1 Cor. 11.27. Rom. 2 25. others are really in Covenant with the Lord, & they receive both the ſigne, and the things thereby ſignified, as Acts 2.41. 1 Pet. 3.21 Our Children are taken into Gods Covenant, and ſo have the ſigne of Baptiſme, Howbeit when they come to age, they muſt performe the condition of their Fathers Faith, elſe they forfeit all.
Q. The Sacraments of the Old Teſtament were two. 1. Circumciſion and 2. the Paſſeover: of the New Teſtament be likewiſe two Sacraments. Baptiſme and the Lords Supper; How do they differ the one from the other? The New from the Old?
A. Not in ſubſtance, for Chriſt is the ſubſtance and end of all Sacraments; but only in the manner; the Old did lead unto, and fet forth Chriſts death which was to come, the New doe ſet forth Chriſt already come, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. 1 Cor. 5.7. Exod. 12.13.
The parts of a Sacrament.Q. How many parts be there in a Sacrament?
A. There be two parts in every Sacrament: 1. Some outward & bodily ſigne: 2. And ſome ſpiritual benefit ſignifi'd thereby
Q. What is the ſpiritual thing ſignified in every Sacram…nt?
A. Chriſt crucified, or the doing away of ſinnes, in, & for the death of Chriſt: [it is not every grace repreſented by an outward ſigne, that doth make a Sacrament, but the benefit of Chriſts paſſion is that grace which is ſet forth in every Sacrament. [Col. 2.11, 12. Marke 1.4. Matth. 26.28. 1 Cor 10.16. 1 Cor. 5.7.
Q. What followes hereof?
A. Therefore thoſe other five Sacraments of the Papiſts, viz Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, extreame unction, are falſly called Sacraments of the New Teſtament, as being neither ordained by Chriſt, nor having ſuch Sacramental ſignes and ſignifications. [A Chriſtian needs but two things to his being, viz. a new birth, and a growth in Chriſt, both which are ſet forth in the other two Sacraments; beſides, thoſe five are not common to all Chriſtians that be in Covenant with God, nor yet peculiar to the Chriſtian Churches.]
Q. Who is the Author and ordainer of all Sacraments?
The Author.A. Only the Lord God: None but God can forgive ſinnes, & beſtow ſpiritual graces, and therefore none but God can make ſignes and ſeals thereof. [As he alone can ſigne and ſeale a deed that hath the right to ſell the land: All ſignes and Sacraments of mans deviſing cannot teach or help devotion, but only delude and breed ſuperſtition. It is a fooliſh thing to make a ſignificant ſigne of that which is not in our power to give.] Mat. 28.19. 1 Cor. 11.23.
Q. What is the efficacy of Sacraments? Do they juſtifie the receiver, or work in us that grace which they ſignify, if the party him ſelf do not hinder it by ſome groſſe ſin?And Efficacy.
A. No: Sacraments are ſignes of Gods grace and favour towards us, but not the working cauſes thereof: [For then the ſigne ſhould be before the thing whereof it is a ſigne, which cannot be. Sacraments ſerve as it were to put us in poſſeſſion of the Covenant, as a ſealed deed formally delivered doth of an houſe or land that is ſold: Remiſſion of ſins, and oher bleſſings of the Covenant, are not in the Sacraments, as Heat is in the fire, or as a medicine in a box; But as a Key given in token of poſſeſſion, or a deed whereby Men are enfeoft in any Houſe or Land, are in Law ſure Pawn… of the things promiſed; ſo are the holy ſignes, given to the beleiver. Remiſſion of ſins & ſanctification of our hearts is from God alone through the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt; yet for the applying thereof unto us, there are diverſe means eſtabliſhed, as 1. Baptiſme, Act: 2.38. Mat: 3.7. Mar: 1.4. 2ly The Euchariſt, Mat. 26.28. 1 Cor. 10.16. 3ly Preaching, 2 Cor: 5.19 4ly Prayer, Act: 8.22. Ja: 5.15. 5ly The power of the Keys, Mat: 18.18. Ioh: 20.23. All theſe are Acts instituted by God,Sacramēts are not phyſicall, but moral inſtrumēts by which God beſtoweth what they repreſent: the uſe of them is in our hands the effect' in Gods; for the uſe we have his Commandement, for the effect his Conditional promiſe. The Sacraments are not bare reſemblances and memorials of things abſent, nor naked ſignes of Grace received before, but means effectual, whereby God delivereth into our hands the Grace ſignified by them. Ho…ker Pol. l. 5. S. 57. & executed by us for that purpoſe. And therefore although the dead ſoul, that hath no inward motion of faith to receive the benefit offered, nor any diſpoſition of heart anſwerable to the thing that is done outwardly, theſe means availe nothing. Gal. 5 6. Yet on Gods part offering, and on mans part duely receiving and imbracing them, the outward ſigne, & the ſpiritual benefit thereby ſignified doe ever goe together: hence it is, that in the Scripture, that which is proper to the thing ſignified, is ſometimes aſcribed to the ſigne; as Acts 22.16. Ariſe, and be Baptized, waſhing away ſinnes, with 1 Cor: 10.16. 1 Cor: 11. 24, 25. The which is well expreſſed Art. 25 of the Church of Eng. Gallica Confeſſio fidei Art 34.37. Harm. of Confeſſions.That the Sacraments be certain ſure witneſſes, & effectual ſignes of grace, and Gods good will towards us, & in ſuch only as worthily receive the ſame, they have a wholſome effect. By the Sacraments, God doth quicken, ſtrengthen, & Confirme our faith, ibid.