Trust not in the sacraments above their place. It is a dangerous thing to put too much in any creature (God is extremely ofiended at it), as not only our adversaries the papists, but proud persons among us, that are weary of the doctrine of the church, and will not submit, in their pride, to riper judgments. They attribute too much to the sacraments, as some others do too little. They attribute a presence there. They make it an idol. They give it such reverence as they will not do to God himself, and from a false conceit. Oh, there is I know not what presence. Therefore the Lutherans must needs in a great degree be idolaters, by their consub- stantiation ; and the papists by their trausubstantiation, by theii' real pre- sence. Coster saith, and saith truly, if Christ be not there, we are the greatest|idolaters in the world (.r).
But there is a more subtle kind of attributing to the sacraments, that alway God gives grace with the sacraments, the sacraments convey grace alwa3^ As a plaster it hath a kind of power to eat out the dead flesh, 'and as p%sic hath a power to carry away the ill humours, so the conveying of gi'ace is included in the sacraments. So they tie God's grace to these things.
Indeed, there is grace hij them, though not in them. God gives grace to the humble receiver ; but otherwise, to him that comes not with an humble, believing heart. They are seals to a blank. There is no validity in them. All the good use they have is to strengthen faith ; and if there be not some- thing before to be strengthened, and confirmed, and assured, they are but seals to a blank. It is in these things according to our faith, and accord- ing to our preparation ; and then God in the holy, and humble, and faith- ful use of them blesseth his own ordinance, for the increase, and confiiming of our faith, and for the increase and strengthening of all grace.
So that there is not anything in the church, but the proud, naughty heart of man will take hurt by it, rather than submit to the pure, and powerful truth of God. It will have by-ways to have 'confidence in the flesh,' Philip, iii. 4, one way or other.
And many men, rather than they will trust to sound repentance and humi- liation for sin, they will trust to the words of absolution without it, and when they are said, go to hell with a pardon about their necks. The false heart will trust to outward things though it be damned for it. In their place they are good, if they be used only as helps in their kind. We lay more weight upon outward things, upon the sacraments, and upon the
2 CORINTHIANS CKAP. I, ^'ER. 9. 185
words of the minister than they will bear, and never care for the inward powerful work of grace. Everything of God is excellent in their order and kind, but our corrupt hearts bring an ill report upon the things.
You see then, it is a dangerous disposition to trust any too much. It is to idolise them, and to wrong God, to take the honour from God. It is to hurt ourselves, and bring ourselves under a cui'se ; and to wrong the things themselves, to bring an evil report upon the things. It is universally true. You shall never see a false, bitter heart, that will not stoop to God's plain truth (they will have by-ways of their own), but in some measure or other'they are barren of great matters, and given up to some sensible bitter- ness, to self-conceitedness, and self-confidence. They are alway punished in that kind with a spiritual kind of punishment.
We must take heed therefore of trusting too much to anything but God himself. God is jealous of our trust. He will have us trust in nothing but himself in matters of salvation. No ; not in matters of common life, not in matters politic and civil. We must not build our trust in any creature so much as to think om-selves happy by them, or to think they cannot de- ceive us. They are creatures of nothing. Therefore they are prone to deceive. They are prone to turn to nothing. Therefore we must not build upon them overmuch, no not in civil matters.
Indeed, if we see the image of God in any man, we may trust him: if we see him faithful, and loving, and good. Yet trust him as a man alway, that is, as such a one as may deceive, and yet he may be a man and a good man. So in other creatures, in the use of physic, and wars, and arms, &c. In danger we may in some subordinate consideration trust to them ; but we must use them as means, that is, as such as God hath free liberty to use to good to help us, and free liberty not to use. We must use them, but not trust to them. ' Some trust in chariots, and some in horses ; but our trust is in the Lord,' Ps. xx. 7. And, ' Trust not in princes,' Ps. cxld. 3, as the psalmist saith. Trust not in anything.
If we trust in an\i,hing, it must be subordinate to our trust in God. It must not be co-ordinate, as we say, that is, not in the same rank, much less above God. As worldlings trust in their wealth, they trust in their friends above God ; they trust not so much in heaven and happiness there, they think not themselves so happy for that as they do for earthly things. Nay, they trust against God in confidence of their friends and of their purse. A carnal man makes riches ' his stronghold ; ' he trusts them above God, and against God. We must neither trust them with God, in a co-ordinate proportion with him, nor above God, much less against God. What makes base flesh and blood deA-ihsh in that respect, to attempt cursed means, against the truth, and against good causes'?