PART III. 35. A SACRAMENT, is a separation of some visible thing from common use; and a consecration of it Sacrament: to God's service, for a sign either of our admission into the kingdom of God, to be of the number of his peculiar people, or for a commemoration of the same. In the Old Testament, the sign of admission was circumcision; in the New Testament, baptism. The commemoration of it in the Old Testament, was the eating, at a certain time which was anniversary, of the Paschal Lamb; by which they were put in mind of the night wherein they were delivered out of their bondage in Egypt; and in the New Testament, the celebrating of the Lord's Supper; by which, we are put in mind of our deliverance from the bondage of sin, by our blessed Saviour's death upon the cross. The sacraments of admission, are but once to be used, because there needs but one admission; but because we have need of being often put in mind of our deliverance, and of our allegiance, the sacraments of commemoration have need to be reiterated. And these are the principal sacraments, and as it were the solemn oaths we make of our allegiance. There be also other consecrations, that may be called sacraments, as the word implieth only consecration to God's service; but as it implies an oath, or promise of allegiance to God, there were no other in the Old Testament, but circumcision, and the passover; nor are there any other in the New Testament, but baptism and the Lord's Supper. CHAPTER XXXVI. OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND OF PROPHETS. 36. WHEN there is mention of the word of God, or PART III. of man, it doth not signify a part of speech, such as grammarians call a noun, or a verb, or any Word, what. simple voice, without a contexture with other words to make it significative; but a perfect speech or discourse, whereby the speaker affirmeth, denieth, commandeth, promiseth, threateneth, wisheth, or interrogateth. In which sense it is not vocabulum, that signifies a word; but sermo, (in Greek Móyos) that is, some speech, discourse, or saying. spoken by God, God, both are ture. Again, if we say the word of God, or of man, The words it may be understood sometimes of the speaker: as and concerning the words that God hath spoken, or that a man called God's hath spoken; in which sense, when we say, the word in ScripGospel of St. Matthew, we understand St. Matthew to be the writer of it: and sometimes of the subject; in which sense, when we read in the Bible, the words of the days of the kings of Israel, or Judah, it is meant, that the acts that were done in those days, were the subject of those words; and in the Greek, which, in the Scripture, retaineth many Hebraisms, by the word of God is oftentimes meant, not that which is spoken by God, but concerning God, and his government; that is to say, the doctrine of religion: insomuch, as it is all one, to say λoyos Osov, and theologia; which is, that doctrine which we usually call divinity, as is ma L 36. The words PART III. nifest by the places following, (Acts, xiii. 46) Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have and concerning been spoken to you, but seeing you put it from called God's you, and judge yourselves and judge yourselves unworthy of everlastword in Scrip- ing life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. That which spoken by God, God, both are ture. is here called the word of God, was the doctrine of men concerning demons, and those phantasms PART III. which they worshipped as gods. 36. The word of for the decrees Considering these two significations of the word OF GOD, as it is taken in Scripture, it is manifest in this latter sense, where it is taken for the doctrine of Christian religion, that the whole Scripture is the word of God: but in the former sense, not so. For example, though these words, I am the Lord thy God, &c. to the end of the Ten Commandments, were spoken by God to Moses; yet the preface, God spake these words and said, is to be understood for the words of him that wrote the holy history. The word of God, as it is taken for that which he hath spoken, is understood sometimes properly, sometimes metaphorically. Properly, God metaphorias the words he hath spoken to his prophets : cally used, first, metaphorically, for his wisdom, power, and eter- and power of nal decree, in making the world; in which sense, those fiats, Let there be light, Let there be a firmament, Let us make man, &c. (Gen. i.) are the word of God. And in the same sense it is said (John i. 3) All things were made by it, and without it was nothing made that was made: and (Heb. i. 3) He upholdeth all things by the word of his power; that is, by the power of his word; that is, by his power: and (Heb. xi. 3) The worlds were framed by the word of God; and many other places to the same sense: as also amongst the Latins, the name of fate, which signifieth properly the word spoken, is taken in the same sense. God. for the effect Secondly, for the effect of his word; that is to Secondly, say, for the thing itself, which by his word is of his word. affirmed, commanded, threatened, or promised; as the effect of his word. PART III. (Psalm cv. 19) where Joseph is said to have been 36. kept in prison, till his word was come; that is, Secondly, for till that was come to pass which he had foretold to Pharaoh's butler (Gen. xl. 13) concerning his being restored to his office: for there, by his word was come, is meant, the thing itself was come to pass. So also (1 Kings xviii. 36) Elijah saith to God, I have done all these thy words, instead of I have done all these things at thy word, or commandment; and (Jer. xvii. 15) Where is the word of the Lord, is put for, Where is the evil he threatened. And (Ezek. xii. 28) There shall none of my words be prolonged any more: by words are understood those things, which God promised to his people. And in the New Testament (Matth. xxiv. 35) heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away; that is, there is nothing that I have promised or foretold, that shall not come to pass. And in this sense it is, that St. John the Evangelist, and, I think, St. John only, calleth our Saviour himself as in the flesh the word of God, as (John i. 14) the word was made flesh; that is to say, the word, or promise that Christ should come into the world; who in the beginning was with God; that is to say, it was in the purpose of God the Father, to send God the Son into the world, to enlighten men in the way of eternal life; but it was not till then put in execution, and actually incarnate. So that our Saviour is there called the word, not because he was the promise, but the thing promised. They that taking occasion from this place, do commonly call him the verb of God, do but render the text more obscure. They might as well term him the |