Acceptableness Soundness and Sincerity And he that examines himself without Reserves out of a Christian Simplicity and with an Intent to become more like God and more like that Saviour whose Death is remembred in this Eucharist and more like the Friends of the Bridegroom the holy Apostles acts like a Person for whom is prepared a Feast of fat Things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat Things full of Marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined as it is said Isa. 25. 6. 3. With this Self-Examination must be joyned Earnest Prayers to the Father of Lights that he who sees in secret would give us the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding whereby we may see the Errours that creep in the Dark and are not so palpable as others are And he that hath Courage to tell his God Lord thou knowest my Heart and triest my Reins and thy piercing Eye is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intentions of my Inward Man Thou knowest I do not wilfully hide any thing from my self and I am so far from harbouring any secret Lust or Vanity or Corruption that it is the ardent Desire of my Soul that thou wouldst discover to me what Impurity what Errour what Fault lies lurking in my Breast I am not afraid blessed be thy Name to know the worst of my self Let down I pray thee some of thy gracious Beams into my Heart whereby I may see the Defects which by reason of my Blindness I cannot as yet discover whatever it be O Lord though it be incorporated with my Profit or Pleasure or with my very Heart I am resolved to tear it from my Soul Let me but see it and with that Sight give me Strength and Spiritual Courage and it shall not stay in that House which thou hast pleased to chuse for thy Habitation He that thus dares address himself to God in his Self-Examination discovers the Sincerity of his Soul The preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I IF it be necessary to examine our selves before we eat and drink in this holy Sacrament then certainly the Churches heretofore were in an Errour that gave the holy Communion to Children They did it already in St. Cyprian's Time Innocent I. Pope of Rome established it It continued down to St. Austin's Days and the Custom was as soon as the Children were baptized to give them the holy Communion Under Charles the Great about the Year 800. after Christ they did not only admit Infants to Communicate in the Church after Baptism but kept part of the Eucharist at 〈◊〉 to give it to dying Children To this purpose â—â—segisu of Leigâ— tells us of a Canon made about that â—â—e viz. That the Presbyter or Priest should always have â—â—charist or Sacrament ready that in case a Person fell sick or a Child should be taken ill suddenly they might receive and not die without the Communion Among the Aethiopian Christians the Custom continues at this Day and they give the Sacrament to Infants as soon as they are baptized The Christians in Moscovy give it to Children of Seven Years of Age because they think that about that time Children begin to commit Actual Sins And Hospinian tells us of a Custom in Lorrain which continued yet in the last Century amongst some Papists as a Relick of that ancient Practice of Communicating Infants The Priest when he had baptized the Infant would fetch from the Altar a Consecrated Wafer and having taken it betwixt his two Fingers shew it to the People when he had done put it up again in the Box and then wash his two Fingers with Wine and put some Drops of that Wine in the Infant 's Mouth But as ancient and as common as this Custom was to give Infants the holy Communion yet the Church of Rome it self was at last ashamed of it and abolished it by a Canon in the Council of Trent That which moved some of the Primitive Churches to begin this Custom was that Saying of Christ Joh. 6. 53. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you This made them think it absolutely necessary to Salvation and that Children dying in their Infancy might not perish they gave them the Sacrament But their Mistake lay here That they took the Spiritual Eating of Christ's Flesh and Drinking his Blood by a lively Faith spoken of in that Chapter for Sacramental Eating and Drinking or Eating and Drinking in the holy Sacrament 'T is evident that Christ instituted this Sacrament with an Intent we should use it in remembrance of him which Children are not capable of much less of Self-Examination And therefore even under the Law though Infants were circumcised yet they were not admitted to eat of the Passover till they came to the Use of their Reason Not to mention that this Sacrament being designed also for Reformation of our Lives which Infants have no Occasion for at least no Sense of during that State of Innocence they can receive no prejudice by not Receiving the holy Communion seeing there is not that Necessity for it in them in point of Amendment of Life that there is in the Adult II. Yet from the Necessity of Self-Examination before this Sacrament we may very rationally infer that as soon as young People are able to examine themselves they ought to come to the holy Communion There is an Emphasis in the Apostle's Words mentioned before But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat and drink Which imports not only that a Person who hath examined himself may come but withal that when he is capable of examining himself he ought to do it and so come to this holy Ordinance I reckon that as soon as young Men and Women are able to understand what Sin and what Holiness is what the Design of Christ's Death is and what Heaven and Salvation means they are capable also of Self-Examination and consequently of coming to the holy Communion And if the Creator be fit to be remembred in the Days of our Youth the Redeemer of Men can be no improper Object of that Remembrance It must be admitted indeed that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle in the Precept of Self-Examination is taken from Metallaries and Lapidists or Jewellers that make a very strict Examination whether the Precious Stone be truly Oriental or no and whether there be no Flaw in it And though it being a Word of such Import implies a very accurate Search into our Ways and nice Care to be found worthy which Young Men of Fourteen or Fifteen or Sixteen may be supposed not so very capable of performing yet they are able to discern such Sins as they find forbidden in their Catechism and have been taught to avoid by their Parents from whom they have learned their Duty to God and Man And as the Sins of that early Age cannot be supposed to be very numerous and a great many of those they have
despised by thee than to be made the filth and off-scouring of all things Give me a just esteem of thy favour let me prefer it before all the Contents of this present World Let me feel that thy loving kindness is better than life this life will sade away but thy Mercy endureth for ever Let Goodness and Mercy follow me all the days of my life and make me dwell in thy House for ever Amen CHAP. II. Of the Mystery of Christ's Instituting this Sacrament in that very Night in which he was betray'd The CONTENTS The Treachery of Judas His Character and how That is imitated by Nominal Christians at this day Christ betray'd to wicked Men and to Devils betray'd partly for filthy Lucre partly for his unchangeable integrity The same is still done by Hypocrites in Religion This Sacrament instituted that very Night when he was betrayed for three Reasons The different appearances of Sin when Surveyed slightly and when considered in its designs and Tendencies While we detest the Treason of Judas we are to take heed we do not become guilty of the same Crime The Prayer 1. THough in the first Chapter I have already hinted the reason why Christ made use of the Night to institute this Holy Sacrament yet the Evangelists laying an Emphasis or weight upon his instituting of it that night in which he was betray'd it 's fit we should search into the Mystery of it But before we can do this some Circumstances of that Treason must be considered which will give light to Christ's design in pitching upon that time and no other The Person that did venture on this height of Impiety was Judas Iscariot a a Man who by this Treason hath indeed left an Everlasting Name behind him but such an one as all Ages must detest and talk of with greater Indignation than the Heathens did of Herostratus who to make himself illustrious by doing mischief burnt the famous Temple of Diana By this Man the Ever-blessed JESUS was betrayed and if you will allow me to give a true Character of him some of us in this Glass may see their own treachery and deformity 1. He was betray'd by one who made profession of Religion but was a Hypocrite i.e. his Actions contradicted his Profession professing one thing he did another and seeming to be good he proved a Devil Hypocrisie at this day makes Men Traitors to Christ even their coming to the Temple of the Lord and adhering to their known Sins their frequenting the Ordinances of God and being unconcerned at his Promises and Threatnings their believing the Articles of Religion and acting contrary to the design of them their sinding fault with those sins in others which they have no aversion from in themselve their speaking honourably of God with their Lips and dispensing with affronts put upon him in their practices and what can we call this but Judas-like to betray the Son of Man with a Kiss to say Hail-Master and deliver him to be Crucified to cry Hosanna and by and by Away with him at once to embrace and to decide him to hug and to contemn him to how the knee to him and mock him and in imitation to the rude Soldiery to cloath him with Purple and to strike and buffet him 2. He was betray'd by one who by no argument of love or mercy could be wrought into a sincere reformation He had seen the Miracles of his Master himself by his Masters influence did wonders and he saw Divinity shine in him nor was Christ wanting in warning Teaching Instructing Entreating and admonishing of him yet nothing could prevail with him to purge out the Leven of Malice and wickedness and is not Christ betray'd this way by thousands at this day He that despises you saith he to his Servants and Instruments despises me and then if his calling to Men by his Ministers by signal providences by Mercies by Afflictions by their Consciences by their Infirmities and Sicknesses Weaknesses and approaching Death will not make them sensible of their Duty if in despite of his endeavours to keep them from being undone they scorne both his Yoak and his Love what greater treason can they be guilty of especially where they make his mercy a shelter for their sin are therefore evil because he is good and are tempted by his Patience to be refractory and obstinate II. He was betray'd both to wicked Men and Devils 1. To Wicked Men such as the Scribes and Elders of the Jews his sworn Enemies and this way he is still betray'd for though there be no Scribes no Pharises at this day yet there are Atheistical and sensual Men who seeing Christ's Religion made a Clock for ill Designs and bad Practices take occasion from thence to speak evil of it as David having professed much zeal to God and falling afterwards into very monstrous sins made the Enemies of the Lord Blaspheme and laugh at the advantages the Jews boasted of above the Doctrines and Principles of their Neighbour-Idolaters Indeed to see Men wicked and vain under a shew of Piety and while they profess to be followers of Jesus live directly contrary to the example and precepts of the Holy Jesus makes that pretended Devotion ridiculous and instead of converting Men of loose Principles drives them farther off and tempts them to think all Religion to be nothing but a Cheat And though this Inference is unjust and absurd yet still these dangerous Inferences will be laid at their door who either contradicted the Principles of their Religion by their actions or made it a Stalking horse to ill Designs and Purposes 2. He was betray'd to Devils too who seeing him in the hands of bloody and barbarous Men left and forsaken as it were by Heaven and that Divinity which dwelt there took the greater boldness to set upon him by temptations and as these foes watch opportunities and then molest most when Men are least able to controul their insolence so seeing the Saviour of the World thus seemingly forsaken we may suppose they assaulted him with greater fierceness partly because his design had been to destroy their Kingdom and partly because he had so often dispossessed them of their Habitations It is therefore the Opinion of the Learned Men that in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ fell into trembling fits the Devil appeared to him in a visible and most dismal shape which occasions an Angels descent from above to comfort him but whether it were so or no the Fiend seeing him betray'd and deliver'd into the hands of his own slaves without all peradventure triumph'd in his misery and insulted over him with greater scorn and in imitation of David's Enemies cry'd Aha So would he have it so doth the Hypocrite betray Christ to the Devil who hearing the painted Christian talk of Mortification and contempt of the World the two fundamental points of his Masters Religion and seeing him act point blank against them doth not only deride and despise Religion but casts
ruder than the rest having his Ear cut off by his miraculous touch is restored to his former soundness Herod seeks to kill him and at the same time he purges his Country from Devils and Diseases This sure could not be done but with an intent to shew us an example and except we do as he did how can we be said to be his followees It 's from this great Example that the Apostle infers a Duty Rom. 12. 21. Be not overcome with evil but overcome the evil with good and we all know who it was that told us that in vain we call our selves Children of God except we do good to them that hate us Matth. 5. 44 45. The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. VVe see here in what a different shape Sin appears from what it did before if the nature tendency and design of it be rightly considered That which before seem'd but a little Cloud or Twilight upon such a prospect will appear Egyptian Darkness Who of us makes any thing of Hypocrisie yet have we proved before that it is a betraying of the Son of God especially if it be reigning and allow'd of So it is with other sins The Jews Malach. 3. 8. thought their keeping back their Tythes and depriving the Priests and Ministers of the Lord of their due to be a trivial thing yet God speaks to them in Thunder and calls it robbing of the Almighty Will a Man rob God Yet ye have robb'd me Wherein have we robb'd thee In Tythes and Offerings So they made nothing of offering the Lame and the Blind but God calls it profanation of his Name Mal. 1. 12. A wise Man therefore and he that would not cheat himself in matters of Salvation must consider what verdict God gives of such sins as the World makes little of and in so doing will find how unsafe it is to venture on such trespasses and what dangerous things they are Indeed he that examines and ponders what names God gives to some sins in Scripture how he calls Covetousness Idolatry Ephes. 5. 5. Disobedience Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. Unbelief under the means of Grace trampling on and treading under foot the Son of God Heb. 10. 29. Living in a known sin being of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. Sensuality Enmity to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3. 18. Apostacy Crucifying of Christ afresh Heb. 6. 6. Love of the World Adultery c. Jam. 4. 4 must needs have other apprehensions of such sins than the duller or more vitious sort of Mankind hath and until we do so it 's a sign we have no mind to be sincere Converts till we look upon our Sins through the Glass of Scripture till we give our Sins those Names which He that cannot err doth give them till we begin to call them what they are indeed and our hearts are concern'd and troubled about that which such names import our Repentance is but lame and partial and we obstruct our way to mercy and forgiveness and prepare for being miserable in the midst of flattering hopes and expectations II As we do abhor and detest the Treason of Judas so let 's take heed we become not guilty of it our selves We are not in a capacity of acting that very Treason that the ill-natured Disciple did because Christ is not now on Earth and the circumstances of Time and Place and Government do differ yet how that Treason may be acted over again by a behaviour and conversation agreeable to that of Judas hath been already shew'd and whatever we do let 's not fall into the snare into which that unhappy Man did fall His end his despair the terrors of his mind the torments of his conscience the contempt and scorn of God and Men he rusht into are sufficient discouragements from that Hypocrisie which drove him on to those Precipices To maintain invincible Loyalty to our Great Master is not only our Duty but our Interest To promote whatever makes for his Honour and Glory is that which becomes us not only as we are his Subjects but as we are redeemed with his Blood So great a Mercy ought to crush every rebellious thought in our Minds Never had people a more gracious King a King which doth not only divide his Estate among his Subjects but is resolved to advance them to the highest Dignities they are capable of And what if sometimes he doth afflict us That doth not speak him a Tyrant but a Father or Physician rather who lets us Blood to prevent Diseases and launces our Wounds that they may not fester and kill us If he lays Burthens upon us it is not to oppress our Souls but our Sins and if he make us go through the Fire it is not that the Flame may consume us but that the Smoke may kill the Caterpillars and Locusts that eat the wholsom Herbs of our Graces It is not that he delights in our Groans but that he is desirous of our Welfare and when he scourges us it is necessity and our own good that puts him upon using that method not a fondness to exercise his Power and Authority The PRAYER O Blessed JESUS When I look upon thee and behold thy Beauty and Glory I wonder how I have been able to conspire against thee with thine Enemies How have I been led away by false appearances and listned to false rumours which sinful Men have spread abroad concerning thee Thou hast been represented to me as an Enemy to my mirth and ease and plenty and temporal advantages and I have believed it and run blindly with the multitude to crucifie thee I see how against Reason Conscience Interest and a thousand Obligations I have acted O forget the Injuries I have offered thee O remember no more the Treasons I have been guilty of Never never will I wittingly or wilfully betray thee again Let all Guile and Hypocrisie and Double-dealings be put away from me Make me an Israelite indeed Let sincerity and integrity ever preserve me Make me willing to forego all interests so I may but have an interest in the love of Complaency Let all enmity all dissention all hostility betwixt us cease I agree not only to a Truce but to an Eternal Peace I know Lord the danger of breaking the Peace lies on my side who am naturally treacherous fickle and inconstant but thy Grace can cure that inconstancy Lord stretch forth thy mighty Arm and hold me up that I may never depart from thee may always love to be with thee always delight in thy presence always rejoice in thy love and always seek thy honour and glory Amen Amen CHAP. III. Of the Place where the Lord's Supper is to be eaten the Church and of Private Communion The CONTENTS The Publick Church the fittest Place to receive the Lord's Supper in This proved from the Practice of the Apostles and the succeeding Christians The same proved from Reason and the end for which Christ died Private Communions first began in times of
Axes no noise of War no Armies of Aliens to fright us from the Publick Ordinances that we can meet and remember our Crucified Master without fear without disturbance without danger and that instead of being discountenanced in the Service we have all the encouragement that Authority can give and our Magistrates are nursing Fathers which not only allow of our frequenting the House of God but also compel us to come in How did the excellent David bemoan himself when through the Malice of Saul his Antagonist he was forced away from the Publick Offices of the Church How much happier did he think Swallows and Sparrows to be than himself which had liberty to build their Nests about the roof of the Temple and there to lay their Young Psal 84. 1 2 3. While he must be content with wishes and breathings after the Courts of the Lord and strangers cast it in his Teeth of often Where is now thy God! Psal. 42. 2 3. We that have all the external advantages of Religion and are even cloy'd with the plenty of Spiritual Provision cannot imagine the lamentable condition that persecuted Christians are in who are forced to serve the Lord with fear and to attend his Ordinances with trembling who are not permitted to sing the Songs of Zion in a strange Land and therefore must hang their Harps upon the Willows sit weeping by the Rivers of Babylon and hear the Enemy roar in the midst of the Congregations of the Lord. Yet if the liberty we enjoy makes us wanton and the plenty God gives us tempts us to licentiousness if instead of growing better it makes us worse and the Glory of our Temple proves an occasion of dishonouring that God who dwells in them if our going up to Mount Zion makes us proud and the means of Grace whereof we have such store are improved into quarrels and dissentions if instead of Glorifying God for this affluence we fall out among our selves and instead of letting our Light shine before Men espouse the works of Darkness if instead of being obedient to the Faith we disgrace it by our infidelity and instead of the power of Godliness content our selves with the Form of it if the Manna we have doth not make us Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness and the great Truths God hath vouchsafed us do not make our Lives great and exemplary we have reason to fear God will remove our Candlesticks from us and send a Famine of the Word God did so to Jerusalem and did so to the Eastern Churches and we being like them may justly expect the same Judgments II. The Church is the House of God keep therefore thy foot when thou goest to the House of God Eccles. 5. 1. As Men that walk in danger look to their steps and take care where they set their Foot so he that enters into the House of Prayer had need enter with great cautiousness and watchfulness for the comes before a God who sees his Thoughts takes notice of his Designs and knows the secret recesses of his Soul observes his Looks and Postures and Behaviour and will at last call him to an account for his carelesness and irreverence Were these things seriously thought of how could the generality of us come into this House with no greater awe and with as loose Affections as if they were going to a Play How durst we stare about in Prayer How could we let our Thoughts rove and wander while we seem to be engaged in Devotion How could we hear with that indifferency How could we apply our selves to the Duties required of us with that coldness which is so visible in most Congregations How could we turn our Services into mere Formalities and stand before the great God unconcerned and return from his House without a relish of the Mysteries of Godliness To see what decency and gravity Men observe in the Presence of a Prince and to think how little regard we have to the Presence of a Glorious God in the House which he is pleased to call his Tabernacle and Dwelling-place is enough to make the Holy Angels conclude that in the midst of his Temple we are Infidels to see how supinely some sit at their Prayers as if they were praying to a Stock or Stone to see how others compose themselves to sleep as if the God they come to worship with Baal were asleep too and they came to honour him with that posture to see how some come to shew their Bravery here and to be seen and taken notice of and to be admired by Spectators to see how others strive for Places for Superiority and the chief Seats in these Synagogues and there vent their Pride their Anger and their Malice where they ought to express their greatest Humility and Charity to see how others talk here of their worldly Concerns or if they do not talk of them act and behave themselves as if they thought of nothing else where they are to mind only the great concerns of their immortal Souls to see all this what can we infer but that Men have no Sense of the Tremendous Majesty on High No sense of the Mysteries the very Angels desire to look into These things My Brethren ought not so to be When therefore thou goest to the Temple of the Lord remember the Magnificence of that God at whose Footstool thou goest to worship When thou enter'st in at the door of this House leave there thy Worldly thoughts and Carnal desires and come fill'd with the Spirit into the Tabernacle of the Lord Sit and Stand and Kneel there as before the Searcher of all Hearts resolve to come away from thence edified and with greater store of Spiritual Blessings than thou hadst before In praying fix thy Thoughts upon Him who heareth Prayer and if thou dost thou canst not but appear in such a posture as doth best express thy inward sense of his Greatness and Holiness In hearing apply the general Admonitions and Exhortations and Reproofs to thine own Soul In Reading make some spiritual reflection on the Examples Precepts Promises that are before thee In singing mind the Matter more than the Tune and let thy Heart bear part in the Exercise In receiving the Supper of the Lord let not the outward humble posture be all the Service thou performest but fix the eyes of thy Understanding upon the Cross and there contemplate the Mercy that flows from it and from thence take Fire and Courage to abound in love to God and Man At thy going in beg of God to prepare thy Heart At thy coming out beg that thou may'st not lose the things that have been wrought in thee and this is to keep thy foot when thou goest into the House of God The PRAYER O Thou in whose Temple every Man speaks of thine Honour whose Glory no mortal Man can sufficiently express whose Goodness no Tongue is able to display whose Holiness transcends all the Perfections we see here below Overawe my Spirit when I go
with the multitude to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise O let me consider it is the All-seeing God in whose Presence I stand and that the Holy Angels are sent to observe my Devotion Give me sober Thoughts holy Affections devout postures steddiness of Mind ardent Desires modest Looks a grave Behaviour especially when I am going to contemplate the precious Sacrifice offered by the Son of God for the Sins of the World let all that is within me turn into holy breathings represent that comfortable Object in lively Characters to my Understanding that I may think nothing unworthy of my Saviour banish from me all undecent Thoughts or if thou dost not think fit to free me from Temptations encourage me however to resist them vigorously that I may discover my Zeal for thy Glory by my abhorrency of all Imaginations that exalt themselves against the Obedience of Christ Jesus Amen CHAP. IV. Of Eating the Lord's Supper The Nature of it and how it is to be Eaten The CONTENTS A great difference betwixt coming to the Lord's Supper and Eating the Lord's Supper Several Reasons why Men come though they do not Eat as they ought to do What Eating the Lord's Supper is viz. To Eat it with a relish of the Benefits of Christ's Death with longings to be conformable to Christ in his Graces and to Eat it with unfeigned Resolutions to resist Temptations Much depends upon the manner of any Religious Performance Conversation with God with our selves and with the Holy Angels a great means to Eat as we ought to Eat The Prayer I. THat there are many who come to the Lord's Supper and yet Eat not the Lord's Supper as they ought to do is evident from Experience and will appear more fully in the sequel of this Discourse when we shall tell you what it is to Eat and Drink unworthily When some of the looser sort of the Corinthian Christians 1 Cor. 11. 20. came drunk to this Sacrament it 's certain they only eat the Bread of the Lord but not the Bread the Lord as the Fathers speak and if Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. came to this Feast as I am apt to believe he did for in those days they that were baptized were soon after admitted to the Lord's Supper as appears from Act. 2. 41 42. this must necessarily have been his case and who can doubt of this Truth that in the Age we live in sees so many come to this Royal Supper and go away unreformed untouch'd and unconcerned than which there cannot be a greater sign that they do not eat the Supper of the Lord though they approach and feed upon the External Elements And Men may very easily know it by such Marks as these 1. If they come without any sense of the designs Christ had in Instituting this Sacrament one of which certainly was to engage us to the generous contempt of the World in imitation of him who for the Glory set before him not only undervalued the Pomp and Grandeur of the World but endured the Cross and despised the shame as we are told Heb. 12. 2. And when we see Men and women approach the Table of the Lord with all the Gaudes and Gayeties their vain desires prompt them to like Ranters rather than Penitents more like soft Sybarites than frighted Disciples dressed to allure Mens eyes more than to invite the Crucified Jesus into their Souls like players rather than like Christians And when we see how the very next day after this Feast if they stay so long they quarrel fight contend and fall out about the trifles of the World run to Theatres and Play-houses and with as great greediness as ever pursue the Riches and Glories and Fashions of the World how can we imagine that such Persons came with the sense of the aforementioned design of Christ in instituting this Sacred Feast 2. If they come without any sense of the love of God of which there is so curious a Picture drawn in this Sacrament as is enough to make even the most hard hearted Heathen weep And what sense of this Love can we suppose to have been in Men when after their Receiving they do not so much as look into a Bible to see what Precepts and Commands of Christ they mean for the future to be more observant of Is it possible such Men had sense of the Love of God upon their Spirits that day they receiv'd the Holy Elements when the next day they offend him as boldly as ever and hug the same sins they entertained several years before and are now as little concerned to please God as they were some Months ago and consequently such Persons come to the Lord's Supper yet do not eat as they ought to do for none eat it truly but such as eat with this sense and where this sense is it will make the Soul cautious of offending God II. Yet such Guests are very common at this Table which would make a wise Man wonder why they will come at all when their coming signifies so little and as will appear afterward doth them more harm than good Yet the Reasons may easily be guess'd at For 1. Conviction brings them to it They are convinced that coming is a commanded Duty not a thing indifferent and that they may not seem dispisers and contemners of so great a Law they come though they put strange Fire in their Censers Conviction hath great power even upon unregenerate Men It made Felix tremble Acts 24 25. and Judas throw down the Thirty Pieces of Silver the reward of his Treason in the Temple Matth. 27. 4. and Simon embrace Christian Baptism Act. 8. 13. And where a Man is teazed and haunted by his Conscience he 'll do something to stop his mouth and though he doth it but slovenly yet he 'll bribe Conscience with this trifle as we do Children that cry for a Jewel with a Rattle and in this manner Conviction Works upon some Men and Women and that force puts several upon coming to the Lord's Table 2. Their Office and Employment obliges them to receive and that makes not a few appear at this Table The Law of the Land excluding Men from publick Offices and Charges that receive not the Communion we may very justly believe that abundance come to satisfie the Statute more than their Conscience and fear of losing or missing of the Office they are ambitious of hath a stronger influence upon them than the fear of losing God's Favour not but that a man may Eat the Lord's Supper to his great comfort and edification because an Act of Parliament commands it at his entrance upon an Office for a man who fears God may make use of any occasion to receive and consequently may make his present Office an opportunity of coming to the Sacrament But I speak my just fears that many receive on this account whom neither Love to God nor to their own Souls could have obliged to come had it
Face and live for ever to intercede for us and though other significations may be ascribed to that Rite yet Christ being the end of the Law we must refer all principally to him and as the Bread in their Offerings and sacred Ceremonies was variously ordered so it had various significations as the Fathers have observed Bread or Corn while it was yet in the Ear represented Christ vailed and seen darkly under the Law Bread or Corn rather in its Flower Christ as he was preached by the Prophets Bread formed and perfected Christ as he was clad in Flesh Bread baken in an Oven Christ being in the Virgin 's Womb Bread fry'd in the Pan Christ in his Torments and Agonies Bread toasted Christ being Crucified I will not warrant all these Applications from Scripture however being pious and according to the Analogy of Faith they ought not to be superciliously rejected 2. Bread is the Sign of Friendship It was so not only among the Jews but the ancient Pythagoreans too whose Symbol it was Take heed of breaking the Loaf i. e. Friendship and that which makes it an Emblem of Amity and Love is because many Corns go together to make one Loaf and the several parts are closely compacted do perfectly agree and are united and incorporated one with the other Christ therefore made use of Bread not only to tell us that by eating of this Bread we are made the Friends of Christ and Christ is made our Friend if we eat as becomes the Gospel of Christ but to hint to us how we that call our selves Christians should love one another how dear we ought to be one to another and how like Members of the Mystical Body of Christ we ought to be affected with one anothers Misery as in the Natural Body if one Member be afflicted all the rest sympathize with it and if one suffers all feel the Smart and Anguish 3. This was to excite our Hunger after Christ as the sight of Bread raises the Appetite of an hungry Man If Christ be the Bread which came down from Heaven as he saith himself John 6. 51. he must needs be the best the sweetest the purest the cleanest the wholsomest the savouriest and the most nourishing Bread and to a Soul sensible of her own Vileness or Danger the most delicious Object such Souls he frequently calls as knowing that their Inclinations Desires and Breathings to be satisfied with his Favour must needs be vigorous and impatient of Repulses For what makes the Covetous long after Gold or the Seaman in a Storm after his desired Haven the one can satisfie the greedy Man's Necessities the other free the Mariner from Fears and Dangers Christ alone can satisfie the Necessities of a wounded Soul and he is the only Port in which a Soul that 's weary of Sin can find Rest and Ease and Safety from Danger Where Men look upon these earnest Desires as Excesses of Devotion or Effects of a Distempered Brain 't is a sign they were never sensible of the Terror of Sin nor did the Roaring Lyon ever fright their Souls by Suggestions of Despair nor did they ever see themselves undone and miserable else their Hearts and their Flesh would cry out for the living God Ask a Man that 's sinking in the Sea what makes him cry for a Deliverer Ask him that 's fallen among Thieves what makes him long after some good Christian to rescue him Did Men feel the Load of Sin and were their Souls sensible of what they say in the Communion Service that the Burthen is intolerable they would need no Prompter to Cry with David O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is Psal. 63. 1. 4. Christ used Bread here that whenever we look upon it we might remember our Duty of Dealing our Bread to the Hungry By this Phrase our Kindness and Liberality to the Poor is expressed in Scripture Es. 58. 7. Indeed if we reflect in this Sacrament that we our selves are Beggars and expect Alms from our gracious Master we have great reason to do by the Poor and Needy as we would have God do by our miserable Souls when we come to this Table how justly might he say to us as Christ to the Woman of Canaan It 's not meet to take the Childrens Bread and give it unto Dogs for how often have we with the Dog returned to the Vomit but he deals not with us after our Sins He bids us open our Mouths wide and he will fill them not with Quailes and Manna but with that which outlasts both these and then how natural is the Inference Hath my God fed me a poor Worm this Day with the richest Bread and shall I let his poor Members starve Hath he in compassion to my starved Soul enriched it with his Love this day and shall not I express my Love to those who are in want of common and ordinary Food The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. THIS puts us in mind of the Apostles saying 1 Cor. 1. 27. God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the Wise and hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound those that are mighty Behold when Christ institutes the Ordinances of the Eucharist the greatest Feast the richest Banquet that ever was seen or frequented by Mortal Men he ransacks not the Sea for Rarities nor bids his Servants kill and slay the Fowls of the Air or the Cattle upon a Thousand Hills but Bread plain common ordinary Bread he causes to be set upon the Table and by that expresses the sublimeâ—t Mystery of our Religion God is not for outward Pomp nor did he ever matter external Magnificence but by plain and simple Things he hath done the greatest Miracles These were not wrought by Men clad in royal Robes but by Persons who wore hairy Garments and had Leathern Girdles about their Loins by Men that wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins in Caves and Dens of the Earth of whom the World was not worthy by Men whom the World looked upon as mad and had seldom any Recourse to but when Necessity forced them and they knew not how to make shift without them By the most contemptible Things he hath wrought the greatest Deliverances Indeed Nothing declares his Power or Majesty so much as when he makes use of the meanest Things to effect those which are greatest By Lice and Frogs and Caterpillars he destroys the Land of Egypt and by Three Hundred undisciplin'd Men he defeats the vast Army of Midianites When he brings the First-Begotten into the World and bids all the Angels of Heaven worship him all this State and Grandeur is performed in a Stable in a Manger in a Cradle And as God by the plainest and simplest Things loves to bring Things of the greatest Consequence to pass so he is for the plainest Devotion too The Pharisee's Sounding a Trumpet when he
Cup and drinks like a thirsty Man with a thirst after Righteousness drinks Salvation drinks everlasting Mercy drinks to the content and satisfaction of his Soul and out of his belly shall flow fountains of living waters i. e streams of Grace and Goodness shall flow from his Heart to the watering and enriching of those that are round about him John 7. 38. And this must needs make it a Cup of Consolation for what greater comfort can there be than to drink the rich draught of Pardon of Peace and Mercy and Joy in the Holy Ghost as every Soul is supposed to do that comes to this Ordinance with unfeigned Resolutions to have her conversation in Heaven 4. A Cup he took to put us in mind how necessary God's Goodness Favour and Providence is to us for this was expressed in the Law by making God the Portion of their Cup as we see Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup a phrase much used among the Jews of the devouter sort when they would declare not only their interest in God's special Providence but the necessity of having a Right and Title to it A Cup is a necessary Utensil in a Family and there is scarce any person so poor and needy as to want a Cup so hereby they expressed both the absolute necessity of having a special interest in God's Love and the possibility the poorest body was in to arrive to this Priviledge A Man may be happy without Lands and Houses and happy without an Estate without Father and Mother without Children without a Prince's Favour but he cannot be happy without an interest in God's Gracious inclinations and Complacency Even an Idolatrous Laban Gen. 31. 30. was in some measure sensible of this Truth for when Rachel had stollen her Father's Images he seem'd to be much concern'd for them If thou wouldst needs be gone wherefore hast thou stollen my gods As if he had said I could have been content with thy taking away my Daughters my Grand-children my Cattle and my Sheep but to steal my gods than which nothing is more dear or more necessary to me this I cannot brook A Cup therefore Christ made use of in this Sacrament to tell us of what concernment it is to have God for our Friend and if he be our Portion we need no more if he be the portion of our Cup we have Wealth and Bliss enough and may defie all the Powers of Hell who in this case may assault but cannot prevail against us Indeed if Christ be ours and will vouchsafe to intercede for us we are more than Conquerors O Jesu Thou art our All our Crown our Glory if thou be for us we need not fear who is against us Let thy Wounds be ours and our wounded Spirits will be at rest O tell us that thine Agonies are ours and we will triumph over death and sing O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 5. A Cup he took to bid us mind what he had so often told the Pharisees and to hint to us that whenever we see this Cup in the Sacrament we ought to ask our Hearts whether we make clean the inside of the Cup and Platter as the expression is Matth. 23. 27. i. e. Whether we purifie our inward Man our Souls and Spirits from those covetous disorderly unclean Desires Thoughts and Imaginations which are so apt to harbor there True Religion is no outside business but must be rooted in us and a Sense of the Love of God must be riveted into our Spirits that there God may become truly amiable to us and what we feel within may force as it were the outward Man into a suitable Fruitfulness Most Mens Religion like their Cloaths adorns only the ovtward Man and saying their Prayers going to Church and doing such little things as are no trouble to their Lusts or sinful Appetite are the principal Ingredients of their Divinity but this is not the Light which Christ's Religion gives for that strikes the Understanding works upon the Will and puts all that is within us into Fermentation This cleanses the Heart from filthiness the Thoughts from vanity the Mind from prejudice the Affections from love of the World from malice hatred and supercilious contempt of our Neighbors and the desires from revenge and greediness after the Shells and Husks of outward Comforts so that true Religion is a new Principle which produces a new Creature and newness of Life 2 Cor. 5 17. 6. And why may not we piously believe that his making use of a Cup was also to encourage our Charity and Hospitality expressed sometimes by giving a Cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10. 42. He that knows any thing of this Holy Sacrament knows it is a Feast of Charity a Feast at which we remember our Spiritual Poverty and lying at the Gate of Heaven fuller of Sores than the famous Beggar before the Palace of Dives and can the undeserved unexpected and inexpressible Charity of God to our Souls shine in our Faces and not warm our Hearts and Bowels into compassion and commiseration to the poor and needy such especially as are of the Houshold of Faith If we are so low in the world and Providence hath put us in so mean a condition that we can give no more than a Cup of cold water and do but run to the next Well or River and fill the Cup and bring it to a distress'd and fainting Christian a good Man and a Disciple of our Lord even that shall be interpreted favourably and God will find out a recompence for it a recompence which shall make the Giver sensible that it was for that Cup he gave that he receives that Mercy provided still that this Charity proceeds from a sense of the Love of God and tenderness to the necessities of the Humble Man This consideration one would think should be baulked by none that comes to the Lord's Table where the Lame and Blind and Maim'd are entertain'd for such abasing Thoughts of our selves we are to entertain here and if so How easie how natural is the Inference If so miserable a Creature as I am feasted here and God gives Bread of Life to my hungry Soul How can I express my Gratitude better than by casting my Bread upon the Water especially when I am promis'd to find it again after many days floating on the Rivers of Pleasure which are at the Right Hand of God for evermore VII Both the Evangelists and St. Paul taking notice that Christ took this Cup after he had done with the Cup in the celebration of the Passover we must not pass it by without making some Remarks upon it And 1. It was to teach us Order in our Duties and to avoid confusion in our Holy performances God is the God of Order and 't is fit his Servants should resemble him in this particular Greater Duties must ever be
preferr'd before the lesser and Mercy many times comes to be a greater Duty than Sacrifice Ordinarily a Duty of God's Worship we have resolved upon ought to be preferr'd before a Duty of Civility and a customary visit is not to dash or hinder our intended Devotion God must first be pleas'd and then Man in things lawful and convenient yet Charity is of so great a value in the sight of God that many times he bids us prefer that before Devotion When my Neighbors House is on fire I am bound to run and endeavour to quench that though the hour is come that I use to enter into my Closet to pray to my Father in secret and my sick Neighbor wanting my help and assistance I may justly prefer a charitable Visit before my accustomed Suplications Nor is this all the Order that is to be observ'd in Duties The business of our calling must be begun with Prayer and concluded with Thanksgiving and he that when first he awakes in the Morning lets his first Thoughts be of God and when he is up and dress'd applies himself to singing of a Psalm or to meditating in the Law of God by reading a Chapter in the Bible with attention then kneels down to Prayer either by himself or with his Family and afterwards goes to his lawful employment and in the midst of that imployment forgets not that God sees and hears him but runs up often with his Thoughts to Heaven takes notice of God's Providences and before he goes into company arms himself with Holy Ejaculations against Sin and Infection and at night reviews what he hath been doing in the day-time such a person acts orderly and draws a Blessing down upon the work of his hands not to mention the Peace he thereby procures to his Mind and Conscience 2. He took this Cup after the Paschal Cup to shew that after the Jewish Oeconomy another and much nobler Dispensation was to follow a Dispensation not of Shadows and Types and Images but of Truth of Reality and Accomplishment a Dispensation not requiring Sacrifices of Lambs and Bullocks but such as press'd Spiritual Sacrifices and Oblations a Dispensation not of Bondage and Slavery but of Freedom and Liberty a Dispensation which should be large and diffussve not confining its Priviledges and Influences to a single Nation but spread them abroad to the comfort of all the Inhabitants of the World None drank of the Cup of the Passover but persons circumcised but the Cup Christ takes here all Nations both circumcised and uncircumcised were permitted to participate of all Penitents what Kindred People Tongue or Nation soever they were of 3. He took this Cup after the Paschal Cup to shew there was greater Virtue and Excellency in this last than there was in the first After me comes a Man saith the Baptist John 1. 30. that is preferr'd before me for he was before me So it may be said of the Paschal Cup after that came a Cup which was far more Excellent and Glorious and Beneficial than the other Christ came after Moses after the Law after the Prophets yet went beyond them all in Light in Knowledge in Virtue in Goodness and in bringing glad Tidings And so the Passover tho' it was before the Lord's Supper yet doth this Supper of the Lord transcend the other by many degrees and both represents and confers sublimer Mercies than the roasted Lamb could do for here the Blessed Trinity manifests it self in greater charms than it did in the Baptism of the Lord Jesus in which St. John saw the Heavens open and the Holy Ghost descending on the Son of God in the shape of a Dove and the Father compleating the stupendious Scene with an Acclamation This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased For in this Sacrament the Holy Ghost falls on the Souls of sincere Believers as Rain on the Mowen Grass and as the Showers that water the Earth The everlasting Father not only tells us which is the Beloved Son but by setting his Sons death before us shews that he loved us in a manner better than his Son in giving that Son to dye for us than which nothing can be more kind nothing more surprizing the Son himself invites us and offers to wash us from our sins with his own Blood and assures us That being sprinkled with his Blood we are fafe and secure against all the Curses of the Law and the Thunders of Mount Sina These things were Mysteries and Paradoxes in the Passover but this Sacrament which came after it opens the door and lets us in to see this Glorious Representation and consequently is a Richer Greater Holier Sublimer and more Heavenly Ordinance than the Passover The Preeeding Considerations reduced to Practice I. AMong the Heathen Poets there is much talk of Circe's Cup which transform'd Men into Brutes and Swine a Fable whereby they represented how sensual pleasure transform'd Men into Creatures void of Reason and Discretion But the Cup we speak of hath contrary effects and Fire and Water are not more opposite than the operations of these two For this Sacramental Cup transforms Brutes into Men again and changes Beasts into the Image of the Son of God Sinner make but a trial of it thou I mean that hast not had so much understanding as the Swallow and the Turtle and the Crane for they know their appointed times whereas thou hast not known the time of thy return thou that hast rusht into Sin as the Horse rushes into the Battle thou that hast wallowed in the Mire with the Swine and acted like a Creature made of Earth and Dung. Take courage prepare thy self for drinking of this Cup purifie thy Soul for profane Hands must not touch it confess thine iniquity make War with thy Lusts Fight with thy carnal Desires and drink of this Cup and thou wilt find how thy Reason will clear up how thy Understanding will be enlighten'd how thy beastly Qualities will die The Blood in this Cup hath such Virtue in it that it will transform thee by the renewing of the Mind and make thee prove what is the Holy Perfect and acceptable Will of God It 's true the bare drinking will not do it but drinking it with Contrition with contemplation of the Person whose Blood is in the Cup with consideration of the Cause viz. the Sins that spilt it with thankfulness for the infinite Mercy of him that thus freely parted with it and with resolutions to love him that did not think his own Blood too dear to let it flow for the good of his enemies Petrus de Natalibus tells us of a Woman who having labour'd many years under very great infirmities of Body was brought exceeding weak but drinking one day accidentally out of the Cup that a Holy Man Scion by Name did use to drink of she was restored to perfect health Though we cannot promise that this Sacramental Cup will work such a Miracle of the Diseases of the Body
not tie themselves to that practise particularly that of Troas where the Communion was celebrated every Lords Day only as St. Luke informs us Act. 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preach'd unto them and this custom the Apostles seem to have establish'd in most Churches because it was follow'd almost in all places not only while they lived but after they had left the world and continued for several Centuries till Zeal and Fervor in the House of God decayed and because none of the Ancients hath so fully described this custom as Justin Martyr who lived in the second Century or 150 years after Christ it will not be amiss to set down his words which are On the day called Sunday all who are either in the City or Country come together in one place and the comentaries or Writings either of the Apostles or Prophets as time will permit are read to the Congregation The Reader having done the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 President or the Chief Minister of the Church makes an Oration in which he instructs the hearers and exhorts them to a sincere imitation of the excellent things that have been delivered to them Upon this we all rise and apply our selves to Prayer This done Bread and Wine and Water are brought forth and the President as far as he is able offers to Almighty God Prayers and Praises at which the People joyfully say Amen Whereupon distribution is made of the consecrated things to all that are present If any be absent the Deacons carry them to their Houses Those who are of the richer sort contribute Alms every one according to his ability and what is thus gathered is deposited in the President 's hand and out of that he re lieves Orphans and Widows and such as by reason of sickness or some other distresses have need of it such also as are in bonds and poor Strangers that come to him in a word he is a Steward to all that are in want And on Sunday particularly we meet thus because it is the first day in which God out of darkness and matter which he had created before framed this visible World and Jesus Christ our Redeemer rose that day from the Dead for the day before Saturday he was Crucified and after that which is Sunday he appear'd to his Disciples and bid them do what we have here related To this purpose speaks Tertullian who lived about Fifty years after him and of this Lords Day it 's probable Pliny the Heathen Governor spoke when giving Trajan the Emperor an account of the life and manners of the Christians he tells them that they used to meet Stato die on a set day In a word for Believers to receive the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day was counted in those Ages as necessary as publick Prayer and hearing the Word of God explained In Epiphanius's time it was customary in some places to receive the Holy Communion thrice a week and they looked upon that practise as derived from an Apostolical Tradition viz. Wednesdays Fridays and Sundays In some Churches as Socrates informs us they had a Sacrament constantly on the Sabbath-day or Saturday but that was much disliked by the Churches of Rome and Alexandria St. Basil makes mention of a Custom in his time which was to Communicate four times a week Wednesdays Fridays Saturdays and Sundays Afterwards some received the Holy Communion once in three weeks At last as all things in progress of time deviate from the first Institution the Christians came to Receiving of it thrice in a year which they thought was the least a Man who profess'd himself a Christian could do which occasioned that Canon in the Council of Turin that a Lay-man who did not Communicate thrice a year should be Excommunicated or which is the same not be counted a Christian from which Historical reflections it 's evident that in the purer Ages of the Church frequent Communion was counted a very necessary Duty II. What was necessary then cannot must not be counted needless now and the reasons that enforce the necessity of it at this Day are these following 1. It must be granted that this frequent Communicating is a very great preservative against Sin The Heathens talk'd much of their Amulets and preservatives against the Arts of Sorcerers and Magicians but this without any Superstition may more truly be called a preservative against the Witchcraft of Sin and offending God Nothing is more rational for in this Sacrament the demerit of Sin is represented in very sad Characters In the Wounded and Mangled Body of our Great Master in the Anguish His Soul was in upon the account of our Sins we behold what odious and monstrous things they are how abominable to God's purer Eyes how contrary to His Holiness and what a separation they make betwixt the Creator and the Creature how they move Him to forsake us to withdraw His Gracious Presence from us What fears what tremblings what shame what ignominy what sorrow and what grief they cause All this certainly is to be seen in the floods of Misery which fell upon our Mediator who undertook our Cause bore our Sins upon the Cross and was made Sin for us put his Shoulder under our Griefs and carried our Sorrows was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities And having taken that tremendous burden upon himself see how he was rejected despised forsaken trampled on what horror what fears what darkness fell upon Him which is an Item not only of what our Sins have deserved but of what we shall feel everlastingly if we embrace not this Mediator as our Sovereign Lord or are not resolved to tread in his steps for when he cry'd My God why hast thou forsaken me it was not for his own sake that he fell into this exclamation but for ours to shew that the Sinner who after this would not repent should be forsaken of God for ever And can I see in this great Example how God will deal with me if I neglect the calls of Grace and Mercy And can I be so brutish and hug those Sins which upon my account were so severely lashed in him that was my Surety who stept in and took the Blow that would have lighted upon me All the Goodness Holiness and Divinity that was in this Saviour of Mankind could not make the Sins he bore look lovely in the Eyes of God and though he was the Son of God yet our Sins being laid upon him as they were on the Sacrifice under the Law God's Justice and Purity would not dispense with looking upon them with a favourable Eye and though he was the dearly beloved of his Eternal Father yet God punished those Sins in him in a very terrible manner to let us know that if we accept not of the remedy Christ offers us do not make his Cross a motive to Conversion they shall be thus punished in our
and Lye and Cheat no more and yet forgets the Oath of God that is upon his Soul and dares fall to his old Sins again that Man's last Estate is worse than the first and he slights him by whom he must be saved despises him who alone can make him happy refuses that Blood which alone can cleanse him undervalues the only Champion that can secure him against the Rage of the roaring Lion loses and rejects the Prop which alone can support him against the wrath of an offended God and affronts that Friend which alone can help and comfort him in the day of Vengeance II. This Sacrament being a standing Ordinance and a notable means of Grace as much as Prayer and hearing the Word of God it must necessarily follow that Men who look for Grace and Salvation must make as great Conscience of this as of any other and if they account it a Sin to neglect Prayer and hearing the Word they must look upon it as sinful too to neglect this Ordinance If this be a means of Salvation as well as the rest he that hopes to be saved must seriously make use of this means else he can have but little hopes of arriving to the end without the means Surely this Sacrament is a means whereby you and I must come to love the Lord Jesus Christ a Duty of that consequence that he that love him not in sincerity lies under a severe threatning and is liable to a dreadful Curse 1 Cor. 16. 22. But how shall we ever love him to any purpose except we use the means whereby that Love must be raised and kindled in our Breast Doth any Man hope to thrive in the World that will not bestir himself become active in his profession and apply himself to Labour Does any Man hope ot arrive to Learning and Scholarship without Books or Reading Does any Person hope to keep himself warm in Winter that puts on no Cloaths Or was ever any so foolish as to hope to come to his Journies end if he sits still in a Tavern or Alehouse by the way If this Sacrament be a means of obtaining Happiness will that Happiness fall to our share without using the proper means If thou refusest to come to this Ordinance how can God be kind to thee how can he visit thee with the Favour he bears to his own People How can he wash thee with the Blood of the Lamb How can he make thee Blessed and a companion of Seraphim and give thee a right to the Treasury of Christ's merits when thou neglectest the means whereby these Mercies must be consigned and applied to thy Soul And therefore III. How wretched how sad must be the case of that Soul which neglects to shew forth the Lord's Death in this Ordinance when the Lord shall come to Judgment When the Son of God shall appear in all his Glory and the Sinner who neglected this Holy Sacrament shall be brought before him it will not be an ordinary fright the wretch will be in especially when the King of Glory shall accost and ask him How canst thou hope to share in my Glory that didst not think my Death worth remembring in the Congregation of my Saints How canst thou hope to participate of my Happiness that wouldst not weep at my bitter Passion How canst thou hope to be advanced to my Throne who wast ashamed to look upon me hanging on the Cross How canst thou hope to enter into thy Master's Joy that would'st not by lively representations of my suffering in the Sacrament I ordained be melted in Tears How canst thou hope for a seat in the Eternal Mansions where no defiled thing must enter that wouldst not cleanse thy self from filthiness Or how couldst thou hope to be cleansed that wouldst not make use of my Blood to wash thy self Here none can be happy that were not Holy upon Earth and how couldst thou expect to be Holy that didst neglect the means which was intended to enrich thy Soul with Holiness Such an Address of such a Majestick Person and to an offender too that knows and cannot but know that all this is true must necessarily strike the Malefactor dumb fill him with horror and make him cry out though too late O that my Head were Water c. Expostulations of displeased Princes with their Servants that have acted contrary to their Will in things of far less moment have cast them into Grief and Swoons and fatal diseases and we must needs conclude that in the case we speak of as the Person offended is greater than the most puissant Prince in the World and the neglect greater than if a Man had neglected to provide for the security of a Temporal Kingdom so the Expostulations will be more terrible and the Sinner's Heart to whom they shall be spoken in far greater consternation IV. This shews with what temper and disposition we ought to come to this Holy Table even with the same temper we would or desire to be in if within a few hours we were sure to be summoned to Judgment Were any of you to appear to Morrow Morning before the Bar of God and had you all imaginable assurance of it that by such a time you must certainly attend there would you lie or swear or dissemble or break out into a passion or pray carelesly or be backward to do good or be averse from Holy thoughts and discourses c. I trow not and as you would not appear before the Judge with an unmortified temper of Mind so neither can it be adviseable to appear before him at this Table with such a disposition As the appearing before his Judgment Seat would make you call your most serious Thoughts together and make you loath the charms the inticements and the alluring temptations and suggestions of the Flesh and of the World so your appearing at this Table requires the same inclinations for as in the day of Judgment the King will come forth and behold the persons cited into that Court to see whether they are qualified for Heaven and Happiness so in this Feast he comes to look upon the Guests and to see who comes with a worldly and carnal disposition and takes as much notice of the frame and temper of your Hearts as he will do in the last day Here thy great Master comes and takes a view of thy Thoughts Words Desires Affections and Actions whether they proceed from a principle of Love and Submission Happy the Soul that sits down at this Table with a sense of her duty and the greatness and goodness of the Master of the Feast for such a Soul anticipates her future bliss and feels in some measure the sweetness and comfort of the joyful Absolution which shall be pronounced upon her with greater solemnity in the last day even this Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom c. The PRAYER O Thou Eternal Wisdom who alone knowest what is best for me who hast established this
you to destruction both of Body and Soul But though this be a kind of general Excommunication yet except the particular Persons be taken notice of and branded by the Church a private Chrstian must judge charitably of those that come and if he do so their Impiety cannot hinder him from being a worthy Partaker of the Sacrament I have been the longer upon this Point because I have known it to be a great Scruple that hath hinder'd many from coming to the Lord's Table being possessed with Fear that if they should meet with such Persons there they should eat and drink unworthily 12. Eating and Drinking at this Table with some scruples upon the Mind doth not necessarily make a Man an unworthy Receiver By a scrupulous Conscience I do not mean an erroneous nor a doubtful Conscience the former being when a Person thinks that his Duty which is directly against the Word and Will of God as it was with the Jews Joh. 16. 2. The other when a Person doubts whether such and such Actions be lawful or unlawful as it was with those Christians Rom. 14. 23. But a scrupulous Conscience proceeds from fear and fear caus'd by slight and weak Arguments whereby a Person is satisfied that such a Thing or Action is his Duty but Melancholy or the Devil or Converse with scrupulous Persons inject some Thoughts which makes a Person fluctuate or waver in his performance For example a Man conscious of his own wants knows that coming to the Lord's Table is his Duty and accordingly he comes yet comes with fears in his Mind fears caus'd either by what he hath read or by what he hath heard or by what he hath seen in others fears that suggest to him that he should not have come because he hath not every thing that he observes in other good Christians Now I say that eating and drinking with such scruples upon his Mind doth not make him an unworthy Receiver 1. Because notwithstanding these scruples he may be sincere in his Faith and Love he may sincerely desire and be sincerely willing to keep himself unspotted from the World and to embrace the Wisdom which is from above first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated He may for all this deliberately chuse Holiness as the better part and his Faith may be carried out to embrace Christ as his Mediator and Governor and he may actuate his Love so that he shall be afraid of the appearances of Evil and if it be thus with him notwithstanding his little scruple he may be and will certainly be a welcome Guest at this Holy Table for God judges of us by the sincerity of our Hearts not by every little accidental fear that may surprize us and to discompose a timorous Mind And therefore 2. Such scruples may lawfully be rejected opposed and banish'd out of our Minds without danger Nay they ought to be resisted and a Christian in this case is obliged not to harbour them and to be resolute in stopping his Ears against them especially where he finds so good a foundation in himself as I mentioned in the foregoing Paragraph To give regard to them is the way to multiply them and to ruminate upon them is to let in or to open the Door to greater perplexities Nor is this to act against Conscience but according to the true Rules of Conscience for a Scruple is a needless Fear and without just ground which Fear can bring no obligation upon the Party thus assaulted And it is observed by experience where Persons use a kind of Violence to expel such Scruples they strengthen their Faith and their Conscience fit themselves for greater Duties and become more expedient in their Journey to the City of the living God 13. Want of great Knowledge doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver It 's confessed that some knowledge is necessary in order to a worthy Receiving for this is Eternal Life that they know thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Joh. 17. 3. But the knowledge requisite lies within a small compass and he that knows no more than the six Fundamental Principles laid down by St. Paul Heb. 6. 1 2. knows enough in order to a comfortable Communion Those Principles are 1. Repentance from dead Works That Repentance from our known Sins is absolutely necessary 2. Faith towards God That God must be believ'd according to the Revelations he hath vouchsafed to Mankind in his Word and that the things contain'd in that Book are infallibly true 3. The Doctrine of Baptism That we are Baptiz'd in the Name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and thereby have given our selves up to his Service 4. Laying on of hands That the Holy Ghost whereof that laying on of hands in Confirmation is an external Sign is certainly dispensed and bestowed in some measure on all those that are Baptiz'd whereby they are enabled to fight against Sin the World the Flesh and the Devil 5. Resurrection of the Dead That there shall be a Resurrection of Men's Bodies wherein they shall be reunited to their Souls and appear before God's dreadful Tribunal to give an account of their Lives and Actions 6. Eternal Judgment That in the last Day the controversie of Men's Happiness or Unhappiness shall be decided and Men shall be either sent into Eternal Life or into Eternal Fire He that knows there Six Principles and believes them and is resolv'd to act accordingly hath knowledge enough to fit him for a worthy participation of this Ordinance for these are sufficient Motives to remember the Death of the Son of God with holy Resolutions to follow him that we may be partakers of his everlasting Bliss But that a Man must needs be a competent Scholar and understand the whole Mystery of Godliness and be able to give an account of the nicer Points of Divinity and to answer the harder Questions about the manner and nature of those Things which God hath revealed This is not necessary Ignorance of the abstruser Problems of Theology doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver For 1. So much Knowledge is only necessary as serves to make us Practical Christians and a small stock of Knowledge will do that and he that knows that Mankind was lost by Adam's â—all and stands in need of a Saviour to reconcile them to God and that Christ Jesus the Son of God who being in the Form of God assumed our Nature and died for us is that Saviour who is both able and willing to reconcile us to an offended God upon the reasonable terms of turning from a sensual and sinful Life and making his Life and Precepts the Rule of our Conversation whereupon we shall be pardoned and obtain Eternal Life He that knows these few particulars and how easily are they learned and imbibed knows enough to make him a Practical Christian if he will but act according to these Principles and this unfeigned willingness makes him a worthy
Midnight at other times working day and night for the support of themselves and Companions which we must suppose was not consisting with great prolixity in set Meditations The PRAYER O My God and Saviour I am very sensible that I have great Obligations to love thee upon the account of my Creation Preservation and daily Blessings I receive from thy liberal Hand But that which even forces me works upon me powerfully and as it were pushes me forward and compels me to love thee is the bitter Cup of thy Sufferings which for my sake thou didst drink off and the mighty work of Redemption which renders thee altogether lovely to my Soul That admirable and incomparable Testimony of thy Love is a stronger attractive makes a greater impulse and it a sweeter and a softer Cord to bind any Heart to thy Service To effect this Work thou hast taken more than ordinary pains When thou didst first create me it cost thee no more than a Word speaking but to reinstate me in that Bliss I had lost and forfeited thou wast at the greatest expence and charge imaginable Of the Sovereign Lord of the World thou becamest a Servant of Rich extremely Poor of the Eternal Word a Man and of the Son of God the Son of Man so that though I was made of nothing yet I was not Redeem'd by nothing Thou spentest but Six days to Create and frame the World but Three and thirty Years were spent to accomplish my Ransom and Restitution to God's Favour and O what trouble what misery was this thy Life fill'd withal Thou didst humble thy self to Flesh to Death to the Death of the Cross and to effect this Glorious Work wast content to be clad in Flesh to be punish'd with Death and to be disgraced by the Cross for this miserable Worm Thou didst do much and suffer much that I might love thee much and because the Facility of my Creation did not move me much thou therefore wast content to be at an excessive trouble in my Redemption thereby to charm my Soul the more and to plant in me greater Resentments of thy Charity To this end thy Side was opened with a Lance that all Men might look into thy Wounds and into thy very Heart and see how it bled for Love To this end thy Sacred Head did bend to the East thy Feet were extended to the West and thine Arms spread ' to the North and South to let People in all parts of the World see how much thou lovedst them and thereby to draw their Hearts and unite them to thy self for ever O let not mine be cold under this wonderful sight and while I see my God buffeted my God crown'd with Thorns my God struck on the Face and my God giving up the Ghost let all that is within me be touch'd and quickned and enliven'd and encouraged to cleave and to cling to thee for ever Amen Amen CHAP. XXIII Of Self-Examination the Second Act of Preparation for this Holy Sacrament The CONTENTS A wonderful thing that this Sacrament works no greater Effects One great Reason of it Want of Self-Examination The Necessity of Self-Examination proved by three Reasons How it must be managed The Rule of it the Word of God A Catalogue of Sins and Duties These to be considered with respect to our Temper and Inclination The great Objection about the Intricacy Difficulty and Tediousness of this Task answered and a Way laid down whereby it may be made facile and easie and delightful Some Rules to be observed in the Practice of this Self-Examination that it may become effectual The Errour of some Churches in the Primitive Times who gave this Sacrament to Children and Infants As soon as Persons are able to examine themselves they are bound to come to this Sacrament Another Man 's examining of us is not enough without Self-Examination The Prayer I. ONE of the most wonderful things in the Christian World is that such a Sacrament as that of the Eucharist should be instituted by the Great Saviour of Mankind A Sacrament wherein the most stupendous Blessings are offered to Men and that Men should receive it so often and no greater Effects should appear upon their Lives and Tempers after their Participation of it Which is as much as to say that Fire gives no Heat and the Sun no Light Health affords no Cure Abundance keeps Men poor and the most wholsome Meat produces no Nourishment That which makes the thing the more strange and astonishing is this That God makes nothing no not the least Drop of Rain nor the least Grain of Sand but for some excellent End and therefore must be supposed to have ordained this Sacrament for the most noble Ends imaginable And if the Effects he designs by this Ordinance be such as our Liturgy tells us For then we spiritually eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we are one with Christ and Christ with us If these be the designed and intended Effects of this Ordinance as certainly they are it must be Matter of Astonishment to see so little of these Effects produced in the many Communicants that appear at this holy Table And what can we ascribe these Defects to but to Men's Indisposition In Natural Things Philosophers tell us the Causes of Things how excellent soever are determined in their Effects by the Disposition of their Subjects For which Reason we see that the Sun melts Wax and hardens Clay makes some things pure and white and others black and the same Meat being eaten by different Persons causes Health in one and Sickness in another And no doubt the same Rule will hold in Grace too and therefore that this Sacrament works not those admirable Effects intended by Christ in abundance of Persons must be for want of a suitable Preparation Vessels hold more or less Water according to their Capacity if the Vessel be little it will hold but little And according to the Disposition of our Souls so we receive much or less or nothing at all in this Sacrament And one of these excellent previous Dispositions is Self-Examination expresly enjoyn'd by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. II. Though it be in a manner needless after I have laid down the Apostle's Command to prove the Necessity of this Self-Examination yet for a â—uller Satisfaction of the Reader I shall enquire into the Reasons of the Necessity which are these following 1. All great Actions require Deliberation This is a Maxim all Mankind agrees in 'T is a common Principle And we count that Man a Fool that attempts an Action of great Concernment without it And Christ himself hath taught us to do so Luk. 14. 28 29. For Which of you saith he intending to build a Tower sits not down first and counts the Cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest happily after
overcome the Evil with Good Rom. 12. 21. 54. To bear with the infirmities of the Weak Rom. 15. 1. 55. To avoid familiarity with Sectaries and such as disturb the Peace of the Church Rom. 16. 17 18. 56. To practise the Rules of that Charity which are set down 1 Gor. 13. 4 5 6 7. 57. To bring forth those Fruits of the Spirit which we find specified Gal. 5. 22 23. 58. To learn to be wise unto Salvation 1 Cor. 3. 18. 59. If a Man be overtaken in a fault to restore him in the Spirit of Meekness Gal. 6. 1. 60. To redeem the Time we have lost by our greater diligence in God's Service Eph. 5. 6. 61. To resist Temptations to Sin with all our might Eph. 6. 13 14 15. 62. To study Modesty and Decency in all our Actions 1 Thess. 4. 3 4 5. 63. To esteem the faithful Teachers of the Word very highly for their Works sake 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 64. To comfort the feeble-minded to support the weak to be patient towards all Men 1 Thess. 5. 14. 65. To rejoyce in the Lord always Phil. 4. 4. 66. To use and shew Moderation to all Men Phil. 4. 5. 67. To give Thanks in every thing and to give God the Glory whether we Eat or Drink or whatever we do 1 Cor. 10. 31. 1 Thess. 5. 18. 68. To abstain from appearances of Evil 1. Thess. 5. 22. 69. To prove and try things by the Word of God and to hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. 70. To be conteut with Food and Rayment if God doth not think fit to give us more 1 Tim. 6. 6 7 8. 71. To be steady and constant in our Duties without fainting Rev. 2. 20. 72. To study great sincerity and simplicity in our Actions 2 Cor. 1. 12. 73. To be rich in good Works where God â—aâ—h blessed us with Riches in this World 1 Tim. 6. 17 18. 74. To use great Temperance in Eating and Drinking 1 Cor. 9. 25. 75. To use great modesty in our Apparel 1 Tim. 2. 9. 76. To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions Jam. 1. 27. 77. To bridle our Tongues Jam. 1. 26. 78. To be easie intreated to that which is good Jam. 3. 17. 79. To say of things we intend to do If the Lord will and we shall live Jam. 4. 15. 80. To call for the Elders or Ministers of the Church when we are sick and to let them pray over us Jam. 5. 14. 81. If we are chearful to sing Psalms Jam. 5. 13. 82 If we have done any thing prejudicial to our Neighbours to confess our faults to them Jam. 5. 16. 83. To endeavour to convert others to the love of God Luke 32. 32. 84. To have our Conversation in Heaven and to look more at the things which are not seen than at those which are seen Phil. 3. 20. 2 Cor. 4. 18. 85. To be sober and vigilant over our Actions 1 Pet. 5. 8. 86. To grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. 87. To use Hospitality and to be kind and obliging to Strangers Heb. 13. 2. 88. To lay down even our Lives for our Brethren if it be for the good of the Church 1 Joh. 3. 16. 89. To use the World as if we used it not 1 Cor. 7. 31. 90. To give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 7. 10. 91. To imitate the good Examples we see before us Heb. 13. 7. Phil. 3. 17. 92. To be courteous and affable in our Discourses and Behaviour 1 Pet. 3. 8. 93. To repent of the Sins we have fallen into and to forsake them 2 Cor. 12. 21. These are the Duties we find Commanded in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and by looking over these two Catalogues we may soon perceive what we have been doing against God our Neighbor and our selves and wherein we have been defective But then 3. This Self-Examination will not be compleat except we consider these Sins and Duties with respect to our present temper and inclination and therefore 1. As to the Sins which upon a survey of the Catalogue we find our selves guilty of or prone to our hearts must be ask'd whether we have an aversion from them whether we are resolved to shew our dislike and hatred to them for the future whether we do think it worth our pains to exercise our selves in the mortification of them whether our real purpose is whenever we are tempted to any of them to oppose the Temptation and to keep our selves unspotted from the insection whether the bent of our Soul is wittingly and wilfully to allow our selves in the Commission of them no more whether we do in good earnest intend to enquire and take advice and to use the proper remedies to be rid of them whether we are resolv'd to shun the apparent occasions of them and whether in case we do through incogitancy run into any of these errors to get up again presently and endeavour to bring our selves to an habit of cautiousness of offending God and whether we will pray much and work hard to shake these Vipers from our bosoms 2. As to the Duties which upon a view of the aforesaid list we find we have neglected enquiry must be made whether we see and taste the sweetness of them whether we do heartily believe that the perfection of our nature consists in them whether we do earnestly resolve whatever comes of it to be possessors of them whether they ingross the desires of our hearts whether we have any ardent longings after these Spiritual accomplishments whether we prefer an holy fruitsulness in these Virtues before Temporal felicities whether we have a sense of the great necessity beauty and excellency of them whether we do not content our selves with bare wishes after them but are fully purposed to take the way whereby we may obtain them whether we are resolved to improve the single and accidental Acts into a lasting habit and disposition and whether we will be earnest with God for the assistance of his holy Spirit that they may take root in us and solicit the Grace of God to prosper our endeavours whether we think them worth having and will act like persons that do think so whether if we have done them imperfectly the purpose of our Souls is to perform them with greater sincerity whether if foiled at any time in the pursuit of them we mean to take fresh courage and to fall on again till we arrive to a facility in the practice and if gentler means will not prevail whether we will use the severer and more rigorous ways of mortification and offer even violence to our desires rather than go without them If our hearts can and dare answer in the affirmative and say Yea to these Queries we are safe and may believe God hath mighty blessings in store for us and will bestow them upon us in the use of this Holy
thou dost hate them I desire to do all things in thy Name and by thy Assistance I would willingly come to that Sincerity thou so much delightest in Oh! Guide my Steps and if I take false Measures put me in the right Way again Oh! Let me not swerve from thy Commandments Let my Confusion be continually before me that I may humble my self under thy mighty Hand and may be exalted in due time through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. XXIV Of judging our selves the Third Preparative Duty in order to our worthy Receiving of the Blessed Sacrament The CONTENTS Judging our selves contains three Acts Confession of Sin Self-Condemnation and inflicting Judgments on our Selves The Nature of these Acts explained This judging our selves proved to be pleasing to God What it is that makes it so Confession of Sins if rightly performed is a great Work Men are loth to confess those Sins which they are loth to leave Carnal Men wonder at the great stir that some Penitents make In inflicting Judgments on our selves the Word of God must be made our Rule The Prayer I. I Mention this Judging of our selves as a Duty preparatory for the Holy Sacrament because it is certain that St. Paul makes it so 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged God's judging of us or proceeding to Judgment against us hath in all Ages appeared very terrible to good Men because it speaks his Anger and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. And therefore David doth so often deprecate God's Judgment particularly Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant for in thy sight no man living shall be justified And Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembles for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments And Psal. 66. 3. How terrible art thou in thy Works or Judgments And though Psal. 26. 1. he prays Judge me O God yet by that he means no more than that God would plead his Cause and vindicate his Innocence which was abused bespatter'd and oppress'd by his Enemies God's judging of us differs very much from judging our selves and when we are exhorted to judge our selves it is not to oblige us to beg of God to send Judgments upon us but it is to do something whereby the Judgment of God we have deserved may be prevented and averted and upon attending to the scope and drift of the Apostle in that Advice we shall find that it consists partly in accusing our selves and confessing our faults partly in condemning our selves for the faults we have committed and partly in exercising acts of Justice and executing Judgment upon our selves of which we are to speak in order II. The First Act of judging our selves is confessing our Sins and accusing our selves and Act very proper after Self-Examination confessing I mean such Sins as upon strict examination we find our selves to have been guilty of without being afraid of giving our selves Names too harsh and too reproachful It 's true no Man is obliged to accuse himself of Sins he was never guilty of and to charge our selves with the guilt of Fornication or Adultery or Murther or Blasphemy or Theft c. which through the restraining Grace of God we never thought of and have been strangers to is to tell God a lye except we understand those Sins in a Spiritual Sense and in this case a Man or Woman may say they have been guilty of Adultery by departing wickedly from their God whom they were solemnly Marry'd and joyn'd to in Baptism and the Supper of the Lord and by doting upon a miserable transitory World which St. James calls Spiritual Adultery Jam. 4. 4. And upon this account a Man may say he hath been guilty of Blasphemy in dishonouring the Gospel by his vain and wicked Life whereby he he hath given occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme him and speak evil of Religion and after the same manner he may justly accuse himself of Murder if he have often stabb'd his Neighbour's Reputation by Slanders Reproaches and evil surmises against him and disparaging of him to those from whom he expected signal kindnesses But set aside this Spiritual Sense a Man is not obliged by any Law of God to confess that he hath been formally guilty of sins he never committed to his best remembrance but in those he hath actually run into either wilfully or by surprize he ought to be his own severe accuser especially to God whom he hath thereby grievously offended and he truly judges himself that upon a deep search of his Heart finding what Precepts of the Gospel he hath wittingly acted against cries out Lord I have been that rotten Sheep of thy Flock which by my ill example hath infected other I have been that Viper thou hast put into thy Bosom and which hath threatned death to those Bowels that gave it life and been a Rebel by my monstrous ingratitude to my Father which is in Heaven I have been that Prodigal that hath run away from his Father's House and travell'd into a far Country as far as Hell it self I have been that Fool that mad Man that hath said to his Soul Thou hast Goods laid up for many years eat and drink and be merry I have been that Satan that Adversary that have savoured the things that be of Men more than the things which be of God! I have been that bewitch'd Creature that have begun in the Spirit and thought to end in the Flesh I have been that Judas that have betray'd the Son of Man with a kiss I have been that brutish Man that by my careless life have as good as said The Lord sees not neither will the God of Jacob regard is O that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and bewail my folly in some Wilderness But in this Confession or Self-accusation some necessary Rules must be observed 1. A Man must not content himself with general Confessions but in the Accusation descend to particular Errors and Neglects of his Life General Confessions do well in Publick Liturgies and Offices of the Church in which a whole Congregation is to joyn but in private the case very much alters The Church according to the old saying non junicat de occultis judges not of secret things and knows not what particular Sins every Man is guilty of and one may have stain'd his Soul with certain Sins which another hath not and thereâ—ore wisely prescribes only general acknowledgments of Offences that the whole Assembly may comply with the Duty but in private every Man knows or may know where the Shooe doth most pinch him and therefore here particular Confessions are necessary He that in private contents himself with General Confessions shews no great desire to be better and notwithstanding his Confessions may allow himself in abundance of Sins and miscarry and perish for all his general Confessions But he that in his
Father and to look upon him as his God as his Lord and as his reconciled Father and this willingness is the Plant God loves to water with Celestial Dew Indeed it is a Plant of his own planting and an effect of his writing his Law in the inward Parts and upon that it follows I will forgive their iniquity and remember their Sins no more Jer. 31. 33 34. But this doth properly belong to the fourth preparatory Duty which is Self-resignation whereof more in the following Chapter The Preceding Considerations reduced to farther Practice I. COnfession of Sins is no such trivial slight and easie thing as Men commonly make of it The Confession that a great many Men make to God in Publick especially while their Thoughts are wandring their Eyes staring upon sensual Objects their Souls feeling no compunction no remorse no grief and their minds without any lively apprehension of God's Holiness and their own Vileness such Confessions instead of obtaining God's pardon and forgiveness are preparatives and attractives of his Indignation Alas Sinner that 's no Confession where thy Lips only speak thy Sorrow and Offences and thy Heart still goes after Covetousness In this case thou dost but speak into the Air whilst thou confessest not with shame and confusion of Face and with purposes strong and Masculine strong as Mount Sion to offend thy God wilfully no more such Confessions reach not the Throne of Grace and Mercy but like Smoke are dispers'd in the ascent and cause no delight but in the powers of Darkness who are glad to see thee play with Religion and jest with Devotion II. It is a certain Rule where Men are loth to forsake their Sins they will be loth to confess them too There are divers Actions of Human Life which being very pleasing to the Flesh and suited to the humour of the Age and such as preserve our Credit and Reputation with Men which we overlook take to be no Sins indeed are loth to be depriv'd of them and therefore do not so much as mention them in our Confessions Search thy Heart Christian and take a serious view of thy Dress thy Habit thy Looks thy Behaviour thy Speeches and thy Conversation and see whether thou hast not reason to suspect many things of being contrary to the stricter Rules of the Gospel yet thou art loth to know them loth to own them loth to confess them as Sins and all because thou hast no mind to part with them Thy wanton looks and glances thy lascivious gestures and postures and dresses thy striving for places and discontent at other Men's omitting to give thee the Honour thou fanciest to be due to thee thy despising and scorning thy Neighbour in thy Heart thy touchiness at Trifles thy secret Injustice thy careless and unprofitable Talk thy gaudy Attire which feeds thy Pride thy delight in imitating the looser and more wanton sort of People thy mispending thy Time in dangerous Sights and Recreations thy neglect of reading the Word and praying with thy Family thy easie exceptions at thy Neighbour's Actions thy wilful misconstructions of Men's words thy hidden things of dishonesty thy doing evil that good may come out of it thy extenuations of Sin thy putting favourable names upon what thou art loth to leave c. What Man of sense and who reads the Word of God but must suspect that these things and such like are disagreeable to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And yet because thou wouldst fain preserve and keep all these or some of these or others that are not unlike these thou art willingly ignorant of their sinfulness or wilfully forgettest them or dost carelesly pass them by and confessest only such Sins as thou canst not well avoid acknowledging Thou thinkest if once thou confessest these things to be Sins thou must be forc'd to leave them for indeed it is perfect impudence to tell God that I sin against him in such things and yet to go on in committing of them And therefore the only advice that can be given in this case is this Look upon Heaven as worth doing any thing to gain it and thou wilt not be afraid either of knowing thy particular Sins or of confessing of them or of bending the force and powers of thy Soul against their insinuations III. We may easily guess at the reason why a carnal Man wonders at the stir a Penitent keeps to be reconciled to God He sees not he knows not what Poison there is in Sin A Person who never troubled his Head much about Religion seeing a Man or Woman take on for their Offences accuse themselves condemn themselves and inflict Judgments of Fasting of Mortification and of Self-denial upon themselves no doubt will admire what ails the Fool to keep such a whining and howling and put himself to such needless troubles to recover the favour of God which he fancies is to be had at as easie a rate as Children's Smiles and Infants Tears Indeed if the love of God may be had with a wish and a Man could no sooner send for it but have it or were it a thing we could command to attend us at a minute's warning prostrations and lyings on the Ground and Sackcloth and Alms-giving in larger proportions and all the rigorous Ceremonies of Repentance would be Phantastical and a mere distemper of the Brain but when the Men whom God favoured much vouchsafed his Inspirations to and who conversed with the fountain of Wisdom with him that is the Way and the Life did all this and much more and recommended the same Acts of Mortification to their Successors and God himself expresses the welcome Dress of Repentance as to the External part in such things as these Jer. 6. 26. Jer. 7. 29. There we must give Men leave to laugh to wonder and to think us distemper'd for doing so Stange Men should not see the necessity of denying their Bodies in that ease and latitude they are so apt to take in order to a better Life when is evident that the Flesh in the Circumstances it is under naturally is in a continual fermentation of evil desires and covets altogether sensual satisfactions without considering whether they are agreeable to Reason or no and like Salomon's Horse-leech cries still Give Give And if a Man give his Eyes or Taste the pleasure they desire to day to morrow they shall still crave more so that if a severe Mortification do not stop and cast them off especially if he intends to be saved he will continue a carnal Man to his dying day It hath been the practice of all the Primitive Saints to inflict seasonable Judgments on themselves not one but the greatest part have taken that way and the reason is clear for we must become Saints by the Spirit of the Cross which is evidently a Spirit of Mortification both of Soul and Body The design of Holiness is to make us conformable to the temper of our Saviour and if his Spirit be
been guilty of before that Age were committed out of Ignorance so the Examination is more easily performed and as their Age and Religion advances so they will know more Their early Self-Examination makes way for early Gravity and helps to ripen their Understandings and is the only Way to prevent their falling into the Vices of the Age and if any thing next to the Grace of God can be a Charm against Infection from a debauch'd and irreligious World this is most likely to be it I mean this Self-Examination joyned with the holy Sacrament for which it is intended as a proper Preparative III. It is not enough that another Person hath examined us or doth examine us but we our selves must take pains in it Ministers and Parents and Friends by examining of us may be able to give us very good Directions and excellent Instructions how we are to order our Conversation but to all this must be added our own Labour and Diligence to see whether we observe those Directions whether they are acceptable to us how we relish them and whether we intend to act accordingly Up then Christian and try thy Ways Be not afraid of Labour Labour and Food saith Philo have the same Vertue for as upon Food a Man's whole Life depends so upon Labour also depends all that a Man can call good Therefore as they that will prolong Life do not neglect their Food so he that desires any real or solid Good must not be afraid of Labour As Meat is very troublesome and burthensome to a weak Stomach that hath but little Natural Heat so to him that hath but little Love to Christ this Labour of Self-Examination will be burthensome But Christian as thou hast the greatest reason to love the Lord Jesus so if thou lovest him to any purpose both this and other Labours will appear very easie for Love will make them so See therefore and enquire how Concerns stand betwixt God and thine own Soul Shall thy Reason lie useless Shall that excellent Faculty be employed in searching into the Accounts of thy Shop and not into the State of thy better Part Is it not worth knowing whether thou art of God or a Child of the Devil And whether thou hadst rather grovel in the Dust like a Muck-worm or elevate thy thy Soul and fix it upon Objects which Angels desire to pry into Hath God given thee Power to examine thy self and wilt thou neglect that Power Though thou canst not Read nor Write yet thou canst think and think whether thy Life be according to the Holy Rules which are observed by other conscientious Christians Through this examination thou mayst come to see what God hath done for thy Soul and if he hath planted there an abhorrency of that which is evil and a strong affection to that which is good how joyfully mayst thou come to this Holy Table and expect that God will pour Water upon him that is Thirsty and Floods upon the dry Ground and that thou shalt spring up as among the Grass and as the Willows by the Water-courses Isai. 44. 3. 3. He that comes to be acquainted with himself at the same time comes to be acquainted with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. This is true Policy and as he is the greatest Politician in Temporals that sees afar off and considers the events of things and upon what causes they depend and gives counsel accordingly so he is the greast Politician in Spirituals that studies himself acquaints himself with his own heart for such a person looks further than his present profit and sensible how this self-acquaintance will be valued one day counsels himself to be expert in that Wisdom For it is certain that in the last day not the great Scholarship of Men not their improving of Arts and Sciences not their skill in various Languages not their Ability to Discourse well not their volubility of Tongue not their Rhetorical and Eloquent Speaking not their profound Philosophy nor their Diving into the secrets of Nature will be much admired These things did well for this World and might be serviceable to various Sorts and Degrees of Men But if Persons with all these Accomplishments about them overlook'd their own Hearts cherished Weeds and Vices there and would take no notice of them their Parts and Learning will not stand them in great stead in that Day of Retribution The poor Christian that ransack'd his Soul often turned over the Leaves of his Conscience that spiritual Book on purpose to see his own Spots and Stains and wash himself clean out of an holy Emulation of the Purity of the Lord Jesus he will be counted at last the most prudent Man that had the quickest Eye and a Sight sharper than an Eagle for as this gives him a Title to all that Christ hath purchased and the rich Blessings laid up for him in this holy Sacrament so in the last Day it gives him full Possession of all the Trophies of Christ's Victory The PRAYER O God! Thou seest the secret Recesses of my Soul Though I may hide my self from my self yet I cannot hide my self from thee whose Sight is not darkned by the Night nor stopped by an Object intervening nor hindred by Walls of Brass nor weaken'd with the greatness of the Distance O Lord Thou hast commanded me to examine my self and to search into the Sins and Errours of my Life What Foes I have and how many there be that rise against me that would swallow up my Soul and devour it that I may secure my self against their Rage by taking Sanctuary at the Death of my ever blessed Redeemer the Lord Jesus O Lord I am very apt to do thy Work negligently I am apt to do it by halves and superficially and without any regard to its weight and moment Thou that knowest my Dulness my Backwardness and my Hypocrisie deliver me I beseech thee from my self and make me Partaker of that Light whereby thou meanest to discover the Sins of Men in the last Day when they come to appear before thy Tribunal By that Light they will see every Deformity every Enormity every Exorbitance of their Outward and Inward Man That will discover to them what they have long ago forgotten and manifest to them what for many Years they have not thought of That will shew them every Errour of their Lives to their Confusion and Amazement That will make them see their Faults so evidently and so distinctly that they will not be able to deny them but be forced to render themselves Prisoners to thy Justice That will undeceive them in their fond Opinions of their Sins and pull away the Varnish they have put upon them and make them appear in their native Hue and Blackness Oh vouchsafe me that Light in some measure now that I may not deceive mine own Soul Make me Partaker withal of the Zeal of thy Justice and of that Hatred thou bearest against Sin that I may hate my Sins as