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A34902 Advice to communicants for necessary preparation and profitable improvement of the great and comfortable ordinance of the Lords Supper that therein true spiritual communion with Christ may be obtained, and the eternal enjoyment of God sealed / by Robert Craghead ... Craghead, Robert. 1695 (1695) Wing C6791; ESTC R32371 116,968 168

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24. Whereby we must have the knowledge of our sin be convinced be humbled Yet we shal not find that every one who cometh to Christ is or must be a like measure humbled all are not in a like depth before their heads be brought above water all have not the pangs of the new Birth alike painful all are not struck down to the ground and made blind before they be comforted as Paul We find not the degree of any mans grief for sin set up as a Standard whereby all others must be measured but we find the difference between a worldly and a godly sorrowing much regarded 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Therefore we shal be wiser to search out the nature of our grief than its degrees only If it be a godly sorrowing on the account of sin and its sinfulness in provoking a holy and gracious God This we find made a ground of comfort to the people of God ver 11. That they sorrowed after a godly sort and reformation attended their sorrow 5. It 's necessary also that we take care lest our pressing for such a measure of grief be not by the secret deceitfulness of our hearts designed as a Sacrifice for our sin Idolizing it too much as if thereby sin might be expiated 6. It would be also considered that poor frail men may be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow so that some persons seek after they know not what even such a measure of sorrow as might be their own ruine 2 Cor. 2 7 You ought rather to comfort such a man lest perhaps he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 7. Where sorrowing for sin is truly godly sorrowing yet one Christian may have a higher degree than another who is also sincere a man may have true Faith true Love true Repentance and yet another exceed him in all these for both the grace and its measure are the gift of Christ Eph. 4. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ 8. Yet because the most common danger is a defect in this godly sorrowing and no sincere humbling found with many professed Christians no such grief or hatred of sin as can bear the name of sound Repentance and effectual turning to God Therefore as it is a most necessary grace we should seek to grow in it as we would have God to lift us up we must be humbled Jam. 4 10. And blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And that you may be in some measure helped to discern the soundness of your Repentance Search thy own soul for these things First If thou grievest for the first moti●ns of sin in thy heart and resists them though they go no further than thy thoughts and imaginations and though not intertainted by thy affections For the thought of foolishness is sin Prov. 24 9. But thou findest a hateing of vain thoughts Psal 119 113. This was a comfort to the man of God and so it may be to thee 2 Do you not find a sincere loathing of your selves so that hardly can any man judge thee worse than thou judgest thy self and this thou feelest without dissimulation By this ingenuous judging of your self you may take comfort for what is said 1 Cor. 11 31. For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged ye shal not be judged into condemnation godly J●b lookt upon this abhorring of himself as sound Repentance Job 42 6. For he really judged himself vile Job 40 4. 3. Dost thou not search out thy sins purposely that thou may'st mourn over them and turn from them This makes it appear that sin is hated in the soul when thou dost search for it as an enemy to be cast out when a soul is so straight with God that help is desired to find out his enemies Psal 139 23. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me It 's good when a Christian resisteth sin that 's obvious to him but it 's better when he desireth Gods help to discover secret sins that may be lurking in his heart that he may oppose every sin though this give him more matter of mourning yet being sincere he must pursue sin to the utmost 4. And doth it not endear thy heart to God when thou get'st help of this nature that thy greatest enemy triumpheth not over thee Yea for the very hope that he will subdue thy iniquity Mic. 5. Is not sin bitter to thee even when thou hast no present thoughts of Wrath to follow upon thy Sin I do not say but it 's lawful to mourn for fear of Wrath but it 's comfortable to a Christian when he can Observe that some times on the first Discovery of sin before any thought of it's woful fruit come into his mind it forthwith woundeth his heart for then it appears to be grief for Sin because it 's sin which is true Godly sorrowing we find Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevail agairst me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Here is sin Lamented as bitter when yet there is Faith in the very time that these sins shal be purged away thou has cause to be Comforted to whom sins is bitter when thou hast greatest expectations of pardon and the remembrance of thy sin melting thy heart into the greatest grief when thou considerest the tender Mercies of thy God in pardoning all thy iniquities sins against Love gives the Child of God the deepest Wounds hast thou it not to say that the thoughts of Hell and Wrath hath often left thy heart very obdured but the thoughts of Gods Love and care of thy Soul hath softned and poured it out in mourning that even thou shouldest provoke him to anger who is so Gracious to thee 6. Canst thou not give some Instances of particular sins that are now in a great measure Subdued and thy heart departed from them by nothing that thou canst know of but by the Grace of God such sins as thou wast once a very slave unto Canst thou not now say that by the grace of God thy feet are kept from falling in a great measure Psal 18. 36. Thy turning from sin is the surest evidence of Repentance Psal 119. 59. 5. We are obliged also to try our Obedeince to God First Because Christ will not own us for his friends if we be not found Obedient to him John 15. 14. Ye are my friends if ye de whatsoever I command you Therefore as we would enjoy the happiness and comfort of this Friendship we must study obedience as we would have his Countenance lifted up upon us at his Table and be used as his Friends indeed we must endeavour to have it clear that we obey him from the heart Rom. 6. 17. 2. By our obodience we testifie whose servants we are
necessities and weakness and the need they have that His Gracious Power be forth-coming to them He hath them still before His Face or Eyes all which are strengthening for this Holy walk and keeping up Communion with God yea this walking before Him in a Believing manner is the way to bring us nearest unto Perfection walk before me and be thou perfect and this should be the Study of every Believer to be always making Progress toward Perfection the very endeavouring of it is also a great help to this Holy walk 4. We are to walk after God Deut. 13. 4. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him This walking after Him is that we may not mistake our selves by forgeting our due distance but understand that no Dignity no Priviledge no Intimacy granted should make us forget what He is and what we are it 's the Honour of His dearest Children to be His Followers Eph. 5. 1. 2dly We are hereby instructed that walking after Him is to fear Him and keep His Commands this must be in every step of our walk no pretence of a good Design no Invention of our own without His Command will agree with this walk 3. When the Believer is admitted into true Fellowship with God yet he is to follow on for greater nearness and at the nearest in this Life is to follow for more and the more near there is still the more of these Infinit Excellencies Discovered that maketh the Believer's Communion with God still a following after Him Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after 5. We must walk as Christ walked 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked we must not shut our eyes upon the Holiness of this walk required in this Scripture and must not throw it by saying it's impossible for us to Imitate Christ O that prejudice against the holiness of this walk did not more obstruct our Imitation than that Christ's Practice was in many things Unimitable for though it be true that no man is foolishly to presume an Imitation in all things or to attempt pure impossibilities yet it 's no less true that we are Oblidged to learn by Christ's Practice and Example wherein He is imitable For Matth. 11. 29. He requires us to Learn of Him for saith He I am meek and lowly in heart The Command is to learn by His Example there is the greater cause to Regard this because no man can Love Him and not desire to be like Him so far as is imitable in hope to be more like Him ere long when He shal appear 1 John 3. 2. Consider then O Christian His d●●●gence still going about doing good His not seeking His own Glory as a man His patience both towards His friends and foes His Humilitie and Meekness His Submission to His Father's Will His Diligence in Prayer sometimes continuing all Night Praying as Luke 6. 12. How much should it sweeten any Duty that Christ Practised it before us get this necessary Imitation once upon your Conscience as a Duty John 13. 15 Do as I have given you Example here is a Pattern that cannot deceive as the best of sinful men may do Therefore follow no man further than he is a Follower of Christ 1 Corinthians 11. 1. 6. Walk worthy of God 1 Thess 2. 12. That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto His Kingdom and Glory These also are the Words of God and must be regarded whatever difficulty appear in them the Believer must Study a suitableness to the Relation God has honoured him with 1 John 3. 2. Now are we the sons of God Believers must represent this Relation by the shining of their Father's Image upon them There are some of whom He is not ashamed to be called their God Heb. 11. 16. Walk suitable to your Engagements many eyes are upon you and your Conversation will be sure either to do good or hurt to others let no man Converse with you but so as he may have occasion for some good to his Soul let never poor Creature have cause of complaint that you hardned them in their sin and pushed them on to Hell walk suitable to thy hope of that Kingdom and Glory whereunto thou art called walk as it becomes an Heir of that Kingdom neither cast down nor lifted up with any thing that a little time shal consume labour to walk carefuly as an expectant of Heaven hoping shortly to be in it with thy best Company and that thou mayest get these things in some measure cheerfully performed First Seek to be Confirmed that thy fellowship with God is begun 2. Adore the Mercy that ever brought thee so near Him 3. Mind often what is revealed of the Glorious eternal Communion to come 4. See that Love constrain thee to keep still near God 5. Watch and oppose whatever allureth thy heart from this fellowship 6. Yet Commit the keeping of thy Soul into the hands of thy Redeemer 7. Trust Him with every thing thou hast to do 8. Seek to delight in Him as thy exceeding Joy in all Revolutions Publick or Privat 9. Meditate on thy Mercies as well as either thy sin or wants 10. Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby he dwelleth in thee and Sealeth thee 11. Lay out thy Graces or Gifts for the Master's use and so they will grow 12. Labour to know better what a Conversation in Heaven is that thou mayest be daily drawing out of Heaven that which will help thee to it that which will sweeten all the severities of the way to thy Home and these First Fruits that will secure it to be thy Home and make thee desire that better Countrey and while thou art here draw out of Christ's fulness with Joy abide in Him who purchased that Inheritance and hath prepared it for thee and is the way to it and shall receive thee to Himself when thy walk is over and place thee with Himself in His Father's Kingdom whence thou shalt go no more out nor ever desire to be out FINIS