Ch.6. How beautifull in Chrifts eyes. 315 with the Ordinances of God in the Church. And Ifaiah foretelleth that Kings and Queenes fhall bow downe their faces towards the earth unto the Church, and licke the duft of their feet; both their interpretations ftand well together.

Firft,this doth fhew us how to come fer. and appeare beautifull in the eyes of the Lord Jefus : which is when wee turne our feet from the eftate and wayes, and bondage of fin and Satan, and come out of the captivity into the liberty of his children, when wee claime our Inheritance of the Kingdome of heaven, seeking after it above all earthly bleffings, and walking towards it when we walke confidently ina Chriftian course, then Christadmireth our beauty. How beautifull are thy goings with fhooes, O Princes daughter! Yea, Chrift then efteemeth us as Princes children: what matter then if foolish Men account us Peafants, and our going with fhooes as ftraight in the inftep? but wee ftand not, nor fall not to their judgements, P 4

but

216 Fear of reproach should not discourage.

2 Tim.2.21

but to his who fhall judge us to eternall happineffe, or mifery at the laft Mat. 5.18. day: His word muft ftand when heaven and earth fhall fall: If he account us veffels of honour, we are fo indeed, who is it that difhonoureth us? If men should caft a veffell of gold or filver into the mire, and trample upon it, yet the veffell is ftill a veffell of honour, good, and rich, and precious; the mire may eafily be washed off from fuch veffels. Be not difcouraged then from Chriftian courfes by foolish feares of reproach: The truth is, if we goe on in fin, Chrift efteemeth of us as bafe peasants, as ugly and abominable in his fight, naked, bare, deformed, and defiled; yea, he esteemeth our goings as going barefoot, which either, firft, brawneth our feet with a thicke skin, that thereby we grow infenfible and feele nothing: or fecondly, pricketh us with unneceffary feruples and fears.

Ufe 2.

Secondly, we may from hence obferve to whom the praise of the converfion of the forwardest Christians is

due

Ch. 7. Anabaptifts confuted

due; to wit, to the hands of a cunning workman, the God of power and peace. We might be alfo called as often to returne, as the Shulamite in the last verse of the former Ghapter and yet unleffe this cunning workman put the bones of our thighes into joynt, wee shall not returne to him.

:

ufe.

217

Further, fee here the ufe of Bap- Use 3. tisme, even to Infants. The Anabaptifts object that Infants can receive no Baptifmes benefit by it, because they yet receive no understanding, no benefit by the word : As if Infants cannot receive nourishment by the Navell though they can neither take, nor chew, nor fucke meat with hand or mouth: Baptifme is the Navell by which Infants are nourished in the Church.

Fourthly, from this Navell, never Ufe4 wanting liquor; obferve, there doth never want just matter of instruction and comfort to be fetched from our Comfort baptifme against all temptations.Doth in BapSatan detaine thee from obeying thine effectuall

tifme.

218 Comforts from our Baptifme. Ch.7. effectuall calling: Remember in Baptifme from thine Infancy thou wast admitted into the family of Christ; doth hee trouble thee with feares and doubts, that thy finnes are not pardoned? behold thy baptifme is full of liquor of Chriftsblood,to juftifie thee from all thy finnes : Doth Satan tempt thee to defile thy felfe with any finne? Behold thou art washed folemnely in baptifme from all finne, and wilt thou defile thy felfe against thy baptifme? Fifthly, in the Lords Supper, fee what plenty of excellent found and fweet nourishment is offered to us, Iohn 6.55. even an heap of wheat: Christs flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed. There is al-fufficient nourishment for an hungry foule; this ferveth to quicken our appetite to this heavenly banquet.

Ufe 6.

Sixthly, observe what manner of perfons fhould bee admitted to the Lords Table, and how we should prepare our felves thereto. This heape of wheat is not to bee fet about with ftinking weeds, but with faire lillies: Cleanfe

Ch. 7. Ministers must not be dry brefts 219 Cleanfe wee our felves then from all fcandalous finnes, yea, and from all fecret finnes, to our beft endeavours, fo fhall we be fit to be fet about this heap of wheat, the Lords Table.

Seventhly, note that Minifters,to be Usey. like Roes, skipping up and downe to gather and fuckle the children of the Church, is fitter for a Church in gathering, than convenient in a Church conftituted; for then the brefts hang in their place like clusters of Grapes upon the branches of the Vine,v.7,8. But they must be brefts giving fuck,not dry nurfes; that is their duty in every eftate of the Church. Or if their people bee Heb. 5.12. growne up in Chrift to fitneffe for Itrong meat, then They to be full in a ftronger liquor than milke, as clufters of grapes, full of wines.

Eightly, fee the beauty and com- fes. mendation of three cardinall graces : First, Faith, to be

Firft, ftrong,

Secondly, precious, applying the precious promifes,and making us rich with them.

Secondly,