2. Faith is necessary, that we may not be offended at the mean and
VeR. 28.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XT. 479
despicable appearance in the sacraments. Here are excellent mysteries, veiled under the simplicity of a few outward rites that make no fair show in the flesh. Now a carnal heart is soon prejudiced. When Naaman, the Syrian, was bidden to wash in Jordan seven times, and his own fancied course was not observed, his vain conceit was, that the prophet would have struck his hand upon the leprosy, and have made some solemn prayers to his God ; or that he would have used some rites, and ceremonies, and charms about him ; but the prophet only bids him go and wash in Jordan, and be clean ; he said, 1 Kings v. 12, ' Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ? May I not wash in them and be clean ? ' Are they not as clear and pleasant streams as Jordan ? What is it to wash in Jordan ? Why, God had instituted it. Tertullian saith in his book ' De Baptismo/ Nihil adeo offendit homimmi mentes, ac simplicitas divinorum operum, <fec.; There is nothing doth so much offend the minds of men as the simplicity of God's ordinances, as (he instances) in baptism. What ! wash in water, and that this should be a re- nouncing the devil, and growing dead to the world, and a recoveiy into a state of freedom and liberty from sin, and a becoming new creatures ! and is all this done by a little washing of water ? This was it which offended the gentiles. Here Moses believed the pro- mise, though the outward rite was mean ; what were a few drops of blood upon the door-posts to keep off the wrath of God ? What a sorry charm or talisman is this to drive away a destroying angel? Still in such ordinances despicable rites are consecrated to signify the highest mysteries. Washing in water, what will that do to purge the soul from sin? Eating a piece of bread, and taking a sip or small draught of wine, mean ceremonies in show, weak, but very mysterious, and very powerful in their use to save the soul. To see life in a bit of bread, and ravishing comforts in a draught of wine, requires a very lively and active faith; and so we shall judge if we be serious and attentive to reconcile the appearance with the institution, and the elements with the blessings ; that we may look upon this mean feast as the livery and seisin of Christ, and heaven, and grace, and glory. Surely sense will never teach us this ; faith alone must do it, that is the evidence of things unseen.
3. The nature of these signs is to excite and confirm faith. There are tliree uses of signs — to represent, to put in remembrance, and to confirm ; and so signs are either significative, commemorative, or con- firming and assuring.
[1.] There are significative signs or ceremonies, to represent spiritual things. As the patriarchs dwelling in tents or booths declared plainly that they sought a country, Heb. xi. 9, compared with ver. 16. They did not look upon the world as their fixed habitation, but they sought for a home and country elsewhere, and here they were but strangers and pilgrims.
[2.] Some signs are commonitive, or commemorative, set up for a memorial of some things that were done ; as Jacob and Laban did set up a heap of stones as a witness and a memorial of the covenant made between them. Gen. xxxi. 46-48. And great potentates in the world will have their royal jests or deeds not only recorded in chronicles and
480 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXII.
histories, but usually, where they have ohtained great victories, they set up public and visible monuments of their victory and triumph, to keep u]) the remembrance of them.
[3.] There are confirming and assuring signs ; as Hezekiah, 2 Kings xx. 8, ' What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day ? ' When the prophet came to him with a promise of recovery when he was sick, he begged au assuring sign that he might be confident he should escape that sickness.
Now, since there are several sorts of signs, unto which of these shall we refer the sacraments ?
Ans. That must be determined by God's institution ; for mark, the sacraments are not natural signs, as smoke is a sign of fire, but instituted signs ; bread doth not naturally signify the body of Christ, or wine the blood of Christ, but only by institution. Now, in all instituted signs we must look to the author and the end — to the author by whom, and the end for which they are appointed. Instituted signs in re- ligion can have no author but God, therefore no creature can institute a sacrament, because they cannot give the grace that is signified there- by, nor bind God to give that grace by a sign of their own devising. But now to what end hath God instituted these signs ? whether to signify or to admonish, or to certify and assure ? I answer, In some sense for all these ends, but chiefly the latter. In regard of our under- standings they are notifying or significative signs; they are glasses wherein spiritual things are represented to us, and set forth as if they were done before our eyes ; as water in baptism signifieth the washing away of sin. Then with respect to our memories, they are commoni- tive signs, as trophies to renew the remembrance of some things past and done, as the glorious mystery of our redemption by Christ — ' Do this in remembrance of me.' The sacrament is, as it were, Christ's trophy and visible monument. Christ would have his royal deeds to be recorded, not in chronicles, but in our minds. But with respect to our wills, and so to our trust and devoting ourselves to God, which are acts of the will, they are confirming signs ; they are seals and pledges of that grace which'^God will give us in and by Christ; and so God appointed them. Accordingly it is said, Kom. iv. 11, * Abraham re- ceived the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, being yet uncircumcised.' God hath spoken of great things in the covenant of grace. Now he, knowing how apt we are to be wrought upon by visible and sensible things, he will give us some sign to assure us, and confirm us in waiting upon him, that he will do those great things for us. God is content in mercy and goodness to comply with man's infirmity ; he knows the hand of our faith is too short to reach to heaven, therefore he will stoop down to us in certain visible signs, and hereby assure our hearts that he will be as good to us as he hath promised — tliat as sure as the water in baptism is applied to us, so surely will God give us the grace signified thereby. So in the Lord's supper. And therefore faith is required, that we may humbly embrace God's offer of love, and may encourage ourselves to a patient continuance in well-doing upon these hopes. The sacraments are not only instituted to represent Christ and his benefits, or to put us in remembrance of Christ and his benefits, but to con-