S E e T. III. Fe dfe signs ofGrace. log cion, that is, the Jewishditfienation, and the Gofpel difÿentjtion ofOrdinances ismade nothing, but a newcreature; and certainly if Chrift himfelfbe no more to be born after the flesh, much lefle may any vifible Ordinances which are not e- quail toCheat. Thus youfee it was the Jews fin. But secondly, Ifyou look.over all ChrJlianity, you !hallfinde this the Cathalickand This is the aniverfaffen : whereby Chriftand regeneration with powerfull godlineffe is wttol- Catholike í n, ly negleeted, anda fleflrly carnall confidence in th titles andOrdinances of Chri- ftianiry eltablifhed ; fo that allthofe expoftulations which the Prophets and Apo- flies had in thofe daies may be justly revived again, feeing thole finnes are revived: What circutucition, and facrificea, and theTenspie were to the Jews ; the fame are baptifm, theLords Supper, and frequenting our religious Affemblies : and as the Jews in the midst of all their duties, had wholly laid afide Christ and fanlhfication, to havegenerally Chriftians now. Thusas the Apo(ìle argued feverely, you that raft in circamcifion, that reft in the Law, you are fallen fromChrift, you are igno- rantof the.ifiirit, thefame may befaid to formall proteflants, you have turned all Gofpel-difpenfations into externals meetly ; and fo are Chriftians of the flrfh and not of the (pint : Ye are of Agar and not of Sarah, yeare not children of the Promise; Yoar being is notby themeet word and power of God, all power in nature, being in this refpeft but a dead womb, but only bycarnall and external! badges,Rom,9.6,7.fee how admirably the Apottledifcourfethof this in the Jews cafe, and applies it toChriftians. Oh therefore take heed of this epidemicaai di- feafe, be notdammed or eroden down in thiscrowd. 3. Todemon!rate the connerarality of thisfnne, obfrve how ingenious thefieJhly How this tin mindes ofmenhave been byarguments and opinionsto encourage a carnall confdence hash been en- inthefeexternals ; for what other pra ticall ufe can be made of chafe Popilhdo- conragedby fttines that the Sacraments doconferee grace ex opereoperato, from the verywork aáe onecps doneand application ofthem to the foul ; and this madeMe/cog/bonwills the very amnions. WordSacrament were removed out of the Church, because as people then were informed, they thought in the elements ofa Sacrament, (once inward fupernaturall force lay couched to fave them, and therefore they took these Sacraments as men would medicinal! potions,thac byan inward phyficall power producetheir eff!ls: by this means all vifible Ordinances were turned into meer idols. They attributed that to baptifm which belonged only toChrifts blond, they would give that glory to a Sacrament which belonged only to Chrift, and made asmuch of the linnen wherein Chrifts bodylay, as the body it fell In the next place, while we give this explication, you muff by way of caution A caution so take heedof two other extreams, And that is, take heed of I. Tocry down the very beingand ufe of chafeexternal! Ordinances, as being but two oche, ese- forms, and the fpirituall frame of the heart is made all in all. Thus there are reams. blafphemous Hereticks that cry down the Sacraments, theMini(try, yea, the Scri- pture itfell, yea Chrift himfelf, as being but formes, and we ought tohave corn- down of or- g biingbu as munion with God immediady. But is is elfewhere tobe (hewed, that Chri[t hitch being but appointed anexteruall formofcommunion in his Church, which confifteth in read. forms. hog, andpreaching of the Ward, e/ldminiftration and receivingof Sacraments, Praier,and Church-government,and CooAres, With a Minifry from him,all which are ofa perpetuallinstitutionfor the fubfiantials of them, and to cry down theft forms, whichGod hath appointed as means tobeget and encreafe grace, which are in the gracious ufe of them a folemn acknowledging and owning of God, is a Beelzebub errour as I may fo fay, and a false doctrine in thefirfi magnitude c we are therefore to fail between theft extreams neither restingupon Externals in re- ligion, as enough without Chrift, and regeneration, oron thecontrary abolifhing and negle&ing the ufe of them. 2. We arealfo deficient when althoughwe doe not crydown formes wholly, yet we a. Ingiving give too little to there inflitulians ofChrist. Aswe may give too much to baptikn eIníli- and the Lards Supper, fo also we may give toolittle; in former times of fupedti turions! tion
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=