Son go work to day in my Vineyard here are neither wages promised nor anger threatned and yet hee went It was neither hope of wages nor feare of punishment that carried him but meerely a sonlike love and the dutifull affection he owed to his Father that wrought upon his heart and constrained him to goe though at first he refused it And such is true obedience unto God Love unto God is the weight that sets the wheeles on going Iohn 14. If ye love me keepe my commandements 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements Try we our obedience by this What is it that moves to obedience If thou canst plainely say as the servant Exod. 21. 5. I love my Master I will not goe out free so I love my God I will not sweare c. I love my God therfore I will yeeld him all carefull obedience If love be the weight and the oile that makes the wheeles run thine obedience is such as it ought to bee But this discovers a great deale of false obedience Some men yeeld obedience for the love of themselves the love of their credit Such was the Pharisees obedience in their almes prayers and fastings onely to purchase credit with men Such is a civill mans obedience whose obedience is only to such commandements and onely to such branches of those commandements the breach whereof would blemish his reputation and blurre his credit in the world Some yeeld obedience and worke in the Vineyard for their penny such as doe all they doe with a conceipt of binding God to them and bringing him into their debt Some againe yeeld some obedience neither for love nor wages but for meere feare for feare either of the penall lawes of men which fence any commandement of God or for feare of a greater measure of wrath in Hell None of all these is filiall obedience rising from love These are obedient workemen obedient slaves that dread the whip but not obedient children It is love to the Father not wages from the Father that is the ground of a childes obedience The sonne of a poore man that hath not a penny to give or leave him yeelds his father obedience as cheerfully as the sonne of a rich man that lookes for a great inheritance If there were no heaven Gods children would obey him and though no hell yet would they doe their duty So powerfully doth the love of their Father constraine them 2 Secondly the end of obedience that is obedience indeed is the honour and glory of God 1 Cor. 10. Whatsoever ye doe let all be done to the glory of God Iohn 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit The maine end that true obedience propounds is the glory of him that commands When Christs people give him obedience it is the setting of the crowne upon his head what makes him more a King than obedience Cant. 3. 11. Behold King Salomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him Now this is the main end of right obedience that the Crown may be set on Christs head that it may bring him in the honour of the King the crowned King of the Church Phil. 1. 11. Filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are unto the glory and praise of God Let every man examine his owne heart what his end is in his obedience If wee have any other maine end but Gods glory it makes it obedience to our end and not to God How many yeeld that obedience they do not to set the Crowne on Christs head but to set the crown upon their owne heads So doe hypocrites that seeke their owne praise and credit or profit so doe all specially that doe any thing with a conceit of meriting at Gods hand Such obedience as hath squint respects at base and by ends is in Gods sight as base as the ends it lookes at 3 Thirdly the properties of obedience And they are these 1 First true obedience to God must bee universall And that in a three-fold respect 1 In regard of the subject or person that yeelds obedience he must do it with the strength of his whole man and all the faculties thereof Ps 119. 4. To bee kept exceedingly Psal 103. 1. All that is within me And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. 2 In regard of the object and of the commandements to be obeyed They must be all obeyed Deut. 6. 25. Psal 119. 128. The obedience to bee given to God is a filiall obedience 1 Pet. 1. 14. Now filiall obedience must be universall Col. 3. 20. Children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. It is not well pleasing to God when children will obey their parents only in what they thinke good That is to yeeld obedience upon courtesie and not upon duty See what a filiall obedience the sons of Ionadab gave their father Ier. 35. 8 10. In all that he hath charged us According to all our father commanded It was but an homely businesse that Kish sent Saul about all considered Kish a man of great substance A mighty man of power 1 Sam. 9. 1. And Saul his son a choise young man and a goodly not a goodlier man amongst all the children of Israel and yet his father sends him with one of his servants to seeke the Asses And though it were but a meane service yet Saul yeelds him obedience Our obedience to God must be a child-like obedience a childe-like obedience is universall to all commandements without exceptions dispensations and reservations Here Saul failed 1 Sam. 15. 3 In regard of all time Obedience must not be for some times nor for a time Not for sometimes to bee sometimes on and sometimes off but it must be a constant setled even course of obedience that God lookes for Some men have their fits of goodnesse and have their good daies as men in an ague but are fickle and loose hearted hold not their hearts close to God and good duties Thus is that obedience which the Scripture calls walking with God Some take a turne or two with him go with him three or foure steps but that is not walking with him Walking with God implies a setled even course of obedience to him Neither must obedience be for a time but it must be continuall to our lives end Luk. 1. 75. All the dayes of our lives 2 King 17. 37. He shall observe to doe for ever more Phil. 2. 8. Christ became obedient unto death that is as Beza expounds it Vnto his dying day not onely obedient in his death but Christs obedience as it begun at his incarnation so it continued to his dying day on the crosse 2 Secondly true obedience is prompt and present ready and speedy without shucking and hucking without delayes and consults Psal 119. 60. I made hast and delayed not Mar. 1. 18. And immediately they forsooke their nets and followed him Zech. 5. 9. They
we not be glad to see Christ to have him look graciously upon us to have communion with him to have him invite himselfe to us to have him be a guest in our hearts Would we not be glad to have it thus with us Surely there is little comfort in the Sacrament when it is not thus with us Word and Sacrament both are but dead and dull services when Christ is not seene in them when we heare not his voice see not his face in them Therefore when we are to come to the Sacrament looke to that and provide for it before-hand that when we are come we may see Christ have him see and owne us But how may that be done Set thine heart first strongly to desire to see Christ and then though thou may have discouragements that there is a multitude and a crowd of duties to be done and that thy stature and strength is very little and therefore no great hope that thou shouldest get the sight of Christ in the Ordinance yet for all that hold on thy desires to see Christ and run before and get up and though it cannot be done without much adoe yet climbe up into the Sycamore Tree and thou shalt see Christ and have communion with him from the top of that Tree I but what is that Sycamore Tree what is this running before what is this climbing up It is out of a desire to see and enjoy Christ in his Ordinance an industrious paines-taking in private duties of preparation examination excitation and renewing of faith and repentance and striving in prayer with God This is running before this is climbing up into the Sycamore Tree And whosoever takes paines before-hand in the fore-named and forehandled duties of preparation he runs before he climbes up into the Sycamore shall speed as happily as Zacheus did shal from the top of that Sycamore so painfully climbed see Christ and enjoy fellowship with him All that come to the Sacrament say they desire to see Christ and injoy him there and yet to how many doth Christ say in effect at the Sacrament as the Lord speakes to Ezekiel Ezek. 12. 18. Son of man eat thy bread with quaking and drink thy water with trembling So Son of man eat thy Sacramentall bread with quaking and drinke the Sacramentall wine with trembling Go get your wayes home with a drooping and an heavie heart But why should they so do because they see not Christ nor Christ looks not at them vouchsafes no fellowship with them in his Ordinance Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart sayes he Eccles 9. 7. for God now accepts thy workes but contrarily may it be said to many Go thy way eat thy bread at the Sacrament with sorrow and drink thy wine at the Sacrament with an heavie heart for God accepts not thy work nor thy service herein Christ doth not looke upon thee doth not invite himselfe to thee And what may the reason of it be Men say they desire to see and injoy Christ in the Sacrament but they doe not run before they doe not take paines to climbe up into the Sycamore Tree Their desires are idle lazie slothfull there is no industrious preparation no industrious examination no industrious renewing faith and repentance there is no industrious praying and painfull seeking of God before hand And hence is our mischiefe and miscarriage we run not we climbe not and therefore we see not So long as Zacheus kept on the ground he saw not Christ nor could see him but when he had run before and climbed then he doth more than see him Our desires keepe on the ground we spend no time wee take no paines the week and the day before and therefore we misse the comfortable sight of Christ in the Sacrament But let our desires be once running and climbing desires let them once get up in the Sycamore Tree and they shall finde fruit worth the running and the climbing for Pro. 27. 18. Whoso keepes the Fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof so he that climbs the Fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof We must not thinke that these Figs will drop into our mouthes they must climbe for them that will have them and climbing is painfull They that will take Zacheus's paines shall reape Zacheus's gaines A little faith a faith of as small a stature as Zacheus if it be industrious and will take paines before-hand will helpe a man to great benefit and comfort from Christ in his Ordinance Though industrious preparation examination prayer c. be teadious and wearisome to sloathfull flesh and that pretends a presse and a crowd of earthly businesses that must be lookt to and a crowd of duties to be done that will keepe a man off from a possibility of seeing Christ yet all the wearisomenesse notwithstanding and presse of secular businesse notwithstanding hold thy selfe closely to this worke there will come that comfort and that sweet in the Sacrament that will pay for all Though it were troublesome to run before though it were a matter of trouble and difficulty to climbe and clamber into the Sycamore Tree yet findes Zacheus that precious fruit therein that richly payd him for all his paines Now besides all this paines in our own personall preparation we must also know that we must have a care to prepare others as wee stand charged with them in their severall relations to us Ministers must not onely prepare themselves but must do their best to prepare their people As Iosiah speakes to them 2 Chron. 35. 6. Sanctifie your selves and prepare your brethren so it may be said to Ministers sanctifie your selves and prepare your people so to Parents sanctifie your selves and prepare your children so to Masters and Governours sanctifie your selves and prepare your servants and your Families See Exod. 12. 26 27. It shall come to passe that when your children shall say What mean you by this service that ye shall say It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover c. And Vers 48. When a stranger shall sojourne with thee and will keepe the Passeover to the Lord let all his males bee circumcised c. Such whom it concerned must looke that he were prepared before he came Thou therfore that hast others under thy charg have a care to prepare them instruct them direct them call upon them to have a care to come in due Order If thou know'st any sin or evill in them admonish them and advise them to repentance for it and to a resolution to a reformation of it before they come to the Sacrament And thus much for preparation to the Sacrament Ob. But when I have done all that I can I must say I am an unprofitable servant When ye have done all those things which are commanded you sayes our Saviour say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do The Lord then be mercifull unto me for if when I have done all
Hezekiah in that case Is 38. 1. Set thine house in order for thou must dye So set thy Soule in order for thou must pray heare the Word receive the Sacrament Let all things bee done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. That is a Cannon and a Commandement for outward order and God that will have men so Canonicall for His outward order how much more requires He that men be as regular for inward order Let all things be done holily and in Spirituall order Let not onely the Word be heard Gods Name be called upon the Sacrament received but let it bee done after the due order with an heart and a spirit so spiritually ordered as God commandes So that God commanding inward order as well as an outward Ordinance and His Law being Copulative such must our obedience be or else we make a breach in His Law in uncoupling what he hath coupled together What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder what GOD hath coupled together let no man uncouple He hath coupled together the second Commandement enjoyning His Ordinance and the third enjoyning the inward manner and order of the use of His Ordinance And therefore to use His Ordinance without that order is a breach of what He hath coupled And if we make a breach in His Law what wonder if He make a breach in our service in our comfort 2 That same Levit. 22. 21. perfect shall it be to be accepted God expects Non est Actio bona simpliciter nisi omnes bonitates concurrant quia quilibet singularis defectus causat malum bonum autem causatur ex Integra causa Tho. Aquin. 1a 2ae qu. 18. Art 4. Bonum causatur ex Integra causa malum autem ex singularibus defectibus Id. ibi qu. 19. art 6. perfection perfection of parts where man expects acceptance Now as unto that which is good so unto that wh ch is perfect there must bee an entire concurrence of all requisites The defect or want of any one thing required may cause an imperfection but to the constitution of perfection there must be a meeting of all things required It will appeare in the case specified Lev. 22. 21. The sacrifices of Beeves or Sheepe there mentioned must be perfect Now if the beast had wanted but any one part an eye an eare an horne an hoofe any one of these defects had caused an imperfection and the sacrifice had beene imperfect and so no acceptance of it But now to have made it perfect to bee accepted it must have all and every one of the parts every member of the body in its number and proportion Now the equity holds in all dutyes of worship To what end is our worship if not accepted if we will have it accepted wee must have it perfect there must be all these things in it that God requires Now God requires in worship not only that wee use his Ordinance but his order as outward so inward Now when there is this perfection that God requires then may a blessing and acceptance bee expected But if that order that Spirituall order which God calls for be wanting if wanting in any one part of it there the duty is imperfect there no acceptance can be looked for but rather a breach We may see it exemplified in the Law of the peace offerings Levit. 7. First see the Ordinance of God vers 11 12 13. There is the substance of the sacrifice prescribed Then the order is prescribed That they be eaten in due time v. 16. It shal be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice That the flesh be cleane v. 19. And the flesh that touches any uncleane thing shall not be eaten That the persons that doe eate it must be cleane verse 19. And as for the flesh all that be cleane shall eate thereof that is all that eate therof must be cleane as appeares by that which followes verse 20. So Atque haec munera pure à puris pura percipi oportuit ex pâ—aescripto Dei Iun. Analis in Levit. 7. then as here is the Ordinance prescribed so the order of eating that they be eaten purely that pure things be eaten that they be eaten of pure persons Their peace offerings thus eaten were accepted because here was perfection from the concurrence and integrity of the causes constituting perfection But now if any one of these things were missing in point of order it made them imperfect and so unacceptable If not purely in regard of time though pure flesh and eaten by pure persons yet no blessing no acceptance but a breach verse 18. It shall not be accepted it shall be an abomination and the soule that eateth of it shall be are his iniquity If not pure flesh eaten though in due time and so purely though by pure persons yet not accepted If not eaten by pure persons though in due time and though pure things yet not onely no acceptance and blessing but an uncomfortable breach even that soule shall bee cut off from his people verse 20 21. So then perfection being required unto acceptance and an universall concurrence of all things commanded by God required unto perfection and order being required of God as well as his Ordinance therefore it is not enough to seeke God in an Ordinance but he must bee sought after that due order which hee hath prescribed or else we may not onely meete with no blessing but with an heavy checke and such a breach as may send us away from Gods Ordinances with a drooping and a mourning heart This serves first to let us see what the reason is that many times after our Vse 1 seeking GOD in His Ordinances it fares so ill with us as it doth God hath promised to make us joyfull in and so to send us joyfull away from his house of prayer Isa 56. And he makes his people not onely to feele joy and gladnesse but he makes them heare it Psal 51. 8. He infuses it by hearing the Word and promises opened He promises to make us rise from His Table full of quikning comfort joy refreshment and ravishment of spirit Take eate this is my body my body which shall feede you quicken refresh and comfort you Now it may be thou hast come many a Lords-Day to the house of God to the Table of the Lord and hast met with no such blessing hast found no such cheering no such comfortable refreshment Nay thou hast rather met with a blowe and a breach thou hast gone away with a dead a sad a drooping an uncomfortable spirit Thou hast seene it may bee some such spirituall token of Gods displeasure as might make thee call the Church the Table of the Lord Perez-uzzah or Perez-nephesh the breach of thy soule And what thinkest thou may the reason be Is Gods hand shortned Is His fidelity weakend Are His Ordinances deforced or enfeebled No by no meanes God is as powerfull and as faithfull as ever His Ordinances as energeticall
not his services but his sins being remembred a man shall not onely misse of acceptance but meet with a breach and a curse see Hos 8. 13. They sacrifice flesh for the Sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it but the Lord accepteth them not But why did not God accept them the next words shew the reason now will he remember their iniquity no marvell he remembers not their Sacrifices when he remembers their iniquity And yet this is not all he will not onely not accept but he will visite their sins When iniquity comes up in remembrance God will visite their sin And when will he visit now will he remember their iniquity and visit their sin Now will he remember their iniquity now even just now as they be sacrificing and now will he visit their sins even then plague smite them spiritually when in their Sacrifices God remembers wicked mens sinnes at all times especially when they come to him in holy duties even then whē they come to the Sacrament he remembers them then freshly remembers them then When GOD sees a wicked man come with his sins to the Sacrament he doth as it were on this manner speake in heaven Behold here is a man come to the Sacrament without repentance he thinks to do me a goodly piece of service but by no meanes do I accept him nay I abhor him and am angry at his comming I remember that at such a time he was drunk I remember that hee is an adulterer a covetous worldling I remember at such a time how he griped pinched and defrauded his brother I remember hee is a common neglecter of the duties of my worship and now without repentance for these sins he is come to my Table therefore now all these his sins come up a fresh in my remembrance and he shall be so farre from being accepted that I wil now at this very time of his receiving smite him with my wrath my curse be upon him and his receiving instead of a blessing let Satan enter into him and carry him on stil to all ungodlines It is a heavie judgment to have God remember and avenge our sins in the Sacrament Thus God doth with impenitent persons because they bring their sinnes thither with them Sins brought along to the spirituall banquet of the Sacrament they will doe by men as Esther did by Haman at the banquet of wine Esther 7. 2 6. whilest he is at the banquet of Wine she petitions against him and she accuses him the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman and Vers 7. the Kings wrath is up at the banquet of wine and he presently gives sentence against him So all the sinnes that a man repents him not of when hee comes to the Sacrament to come with him and they being present doe pick out that very time to accuse him and to say This man is a drunkard and uncleane person a common swearer an adversary an enemy to religion even thus at the Banquet of Wine sin unrepented of puts in accusations against men And therefore no wonder that Gods wrath is kindled against such even at the banquet of Wine when they bring along those with them that accuse them and clamour against them at that very time So that these things considered let us be awakened and stirred up in the feare of God to looke to it that wee presume not to come to Gods Table in our sins and impenitency unlesse we have mourned for our sins the Sacramentall bread will be unto us as bread of mourners Hos 9. 4. uncleane bread that will defile us unlesse wee doe by repentance wash away our filthinesse we shall pollute Gods Ordinance and bring accusers with us that will put God in remembrance to curse us And were it not better for us before we come to remember our sins our selves and to be humbled for them and renounce them Christs body was laid in a new Sepulchre where never any had beene laid and he wil give his body to none but such as come with a new heart This new wine must not be put into old vessels but new Wine must be put into new vessels Be new vessels therefore by repentance that the new wine of the comforts of Gods spirit may be powred Rogo vos fratres num est aliquis qui in arca sordibus plena velit mittere vestem suam Et si in arca sordibus plena non mittitur vestis pretiosa qua fronte in anima quae peccatorum sordibus inquinatur Christi Eucharistia suscipitur Non puto esse aliquem hominem qui in arca sua ubi pretiosas vestes habet repositas acquiescat aut carbonem vivum aut qualem cunque scintillam includere Quare hoc fratres quia timet ne comburantur vestimenta quibus in festivitate induitur Rogo vos fratres qui in arca sua non vult scintillam ignis includere quare in anima sua flammam iracundiae non timet accendere Aug. ser de Temp. 252. into us at the Sacrament I will close this point with S. Augustines words If a man will not put a faire and precious garment into a foule Chest with what face can he take the Sacrament of the Eucharist into a filthy soule There is no man that will put live coales into the chest where he puts his best apparell Why so brethren because hee feares his garments may be burned with which he cloathes himselfe on Festivals I beseech you brethren he that will not put fire into his chest why is he not afraid to kindle the flame of wrath in his owne soule Chap. 7. Of the Necessity of Charity and Love in him that will bee an Orderly Communicant NOw followes the fourth thing required in habituall preparation to the Sacrament and that is charity and love towards our brethren This is a thing necessarily required This is a truth confessed on all hands that men should be in charity that come to the Sacrament And many that have no great care nor make any great conscience of comming with knowledge faith or repentance yet will seeme to make some scruple of comming without charity Yea though many will not abstaine for their drunkennesse oathes c. yet if there be a breach and a falling out betweene them and others they will by no meanes meddle though without breach of charity a man may judge of them that they are reasonably well contented that they have so faire an excuse to stop the mouthes of their consciences that are ready to checke them and quarrell with them for their neglect of GODS Ordinance For if out of conscience they scruple comming to the Sacrament without charity why then scruple they not living without it But yet this showes that men generally acknowledge that love is a necessary preparative to the Sacrament It is that which indeed is necessary in all our services of God and dutyes of his worship It is required in all that will pray aright 1 Tim.
his mouth for thy love is better than wine Communion with Christ and the expressions of his favour and love these are the things should be desired and looked after What is the receiving of bread and wine if a man meet not with expressions of Christs love if Christ kisse him not with the kisses of his mouth What may be the meanes to get Christ to kisse a man in the Sacrament That same Psal 2. Kisse the Son namely with a kisse of obedience and subjection for so kissing sometime betokned Gen. 41. 40. let us give him the kisse of obedience and subjection and he will give us the kisse of his love 〈…〉 other times so especially in the use of the Sacrament By both these things then we see how needfull it is for a Communicant to be prepared with obedience And by this also we see how many deceive themselves in their comming to the Sacrament who minde nothing lesse than an obedient walking in a godly course to fit them for the Sacrament How many that give no regard at all to Gods word that indeed slight it and obedience to it and yet would seeme to make an high account of the Sacrament Make men what account they will of the Sacrament yet if they slight the Word and obedience to it they shall finde as little comfort or benefit in the Sacrament as they give respect and obedience to the Word See how the Lord speakes Psal 50. 16 17. What hast thou to doe that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou castest my words behind thee So God will also say what hast thou to doe to take the Seale of the covenant into thy mouth the Sacrament into thy mouth seeing thou castest my words behinde thee and refusest to CHAP. 9 yeeld obedience thereunto What Quid est autem dementius quà m Sacramentis Domini communicare verbis Domini non communicare Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 2. cap. 55. likelihood that God will vouchsafe communion with that man in the Sacrament that regards not to have any communion with him in his word It is a madnesse to pretend a desire of communion with God in the Sacrament and to refuse communion with him in his Word for so they do that yeeld not obedience to Gods Word There is communion with God in obedience Ier. 7. 23. Obey my voice and I will be your God and you shall bee my people And therefore a refusall of communion with God in refusing obedience and respect to his Word And certainly he can have no communion with God in one Ordinance that refuses to have communion with him in another Chap. 9. Of the solemne sequestring and setting a mans selfe apart before the Sacrament THus we see how a Communicant is habitually prepared and wherin his habituall preparation stands It followes now to speake of that actuall preparation which is required in every one that would bee a worthy and a welcome guest at the Lords Table and would come after that due Order that is required for though a man have all these forenamed qualifications yet he must not here set up his rest but there is yet a further worke to be done as wee partly before saw in the fourth Chapter This actuall preparation stands in the fitting of himselfe in speciall manner for that worke and service of receiving by doing those things and performing such duties which are requisite not onely for a good Christian but for a good and profitable Communicant Knowledge Faith Repentance Charity and Obedience are required in every one that will bee a good Christian A good Christian a man must be before he can be a good Communicant but yet a good Christian is not enough in the generall there must be something in speciall done in reference to this duty Indeed some Papists thinke that actuall devotion is not necessary to the receiving of the Sacrament because as the Sacrament was of ancient given to children so now it may be given to mad-men and frantick persons who have no actuall devotion at all But it suffices that this conceit is disallowed of their owne men for to give persons without actuall devotion no more right to the Sacrament then to children and mad-men is to give them no right at all There is no question but they may come as orderly to the Sacrament as children and mad-men may doe But whosoever it is that will come orderly must have actuall devotion and actuall preparation yea though he be already habitually prepared The five wise Virgins took oile in their Vessels with their lamps Mat. 25. 4. and their lampes were burning but yet when they heare the Bridegroome was comming they presently arise and trim their lampes and so prepare to goe and meet him They prepared to meet him when they tooke their lampes and when they lighted them and when they tooke oile in their vessels all this was preparation to meet the Bridegroome but when they heare the Bridegroom was comming then they fall to a fresh preparation in trimming their lampes to make them burne brighter and cleerer So it is in this case habituall preparation is like the taking and lighting the lampes and carrying oile in the vessels actuall preparation is like the fresh trimming of them when they burnt dimly The geting of knowledge faith repentance love and obedience this is the taking and the lighting of the lampes and taking oile in the Vessels but the renewing exciting of these and the doing of other things in actuall preparation is the trimming of the lampes A Musitian hath skill and cunning on his instrument but yet if his Instrument be out of tune and his hands cold and his fingers num he will first tune his Instrument and warme and rub his hands and fingers to make them active and nimble to play on his Instrument An Artificer hath the skill of his trade and knowes the mystery of it thorowly well but yet when he goes to build a house or doe some such worke hee first grindes whets and sharpens his tooles If a Musitian shall play upon an untuned Instrument or with his benummed fingers he will make but harsh and unpleasing musick If the Carpenter though ever so expert in his faculty shall worke with blunt and gapt tooles hee will make but bungling and clouterly worke of it And though a man may have knowledge faith c. yet if he rest contented with that habituall preparation and doe not besides actually prepare and fit himselfe hee is like to meet with little comfort and content in the duty in regard of the cold and dead manner of performance he will but fumble and bungle in the worke So that besides this habituall there is an actuall preparation necessary Now this actual preparation stands in these things 1 In a solemne sequestration of a mans selfe 2 In examination 3 In renewing quickning these former graces in us 4 In raising and stirring up in our selves strong desires after Christ 5
dares be tried by God himselfe Oh with what sweet confidence might we put our selves upon Gods owne triall when we come to the Sacrament if we our selves had had our selves upon triall first But how dreadfull will Gods examination be to such who neither use nor list nor care before they come to the Sacrament to examine themselves Chap. 11. Of the examination of Faith THat this duty of examination must be done we have seene Let us now consider what it is on which we must examine our selves And the things upon which we must examine our selves are these three 1 The â—â—â—th of our graces 2 The growth of them 3 Our wants The graces that must bee tried and examined must bee specially those before named required to bee habitually in a Communicant Faith Repentance Love and Obedience The truth growth and wants of them all must bee examined A man should examine grace as he doth gold Gold may be counterfeit may shew faire and yet be base mettall in such a case a man examines it by the Touchstone and bringeth it to the Test gold may CHAP. 11 be true and good but may faile in the weight it may be good gold but too light in such a case a man brings it to the scales and to the weight and so either weight or want is discovered So must grace bee examined There is a great deale of counterfeit grace in the world All is not gold that glisters and all is not grace that makes a shew There is a great deale of copper grace copper faith repentance c. in the world What did Moses for a time but the Aegyptian Sorcerers did the same Moses turnes the waters into bloud so doe they Exod. 7. 22. Moses brings Frogs upon the Land so doe they Exod. 8. 6. 7. And their bloud and Frogs seemed as true bloud and Frogs as those brought by Moses Those things they did seemed as great miracles as what Moses did yet Moses wrought realities all theirs were but juglings and sorceries There is nothing that a true Christian can have or doe but an hypocrite may have and doe for the outward semblance as much as he Therefore since a mans graces may be counterfeit they must be brought to the touchstone and be examined there for their truth Againe there is much true grace that is grace indeed faith and repentance indeed which yet have not that growth that their time and meanes they have beene under requires and so want of their weight How often doth CHRIST rebuke his Disciples with this O ye of little faith Therefore in such a case a man must bring his graces to bee examined by the ballance of the Sanctuary which may make knowne to every man what is the weight and what is the want of his graces 1 First then try and examine the truth of Grace whether these graces be truly in us or no. The first grace to be tryed is the grace of faith That which the Apostle puts Christians upon at all times is specially of use before the Sacrament 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your owne selves The Corinthians were very busie about examining S. Paul and his ministery verse 3. Since ye seeke a proofe of CHRIST speaking in me and so we are very ready to be busie in the examination of other men and their faith but sayes Saint Paul examine your selves so it is good for us at all times but specially before the Sacrament to examine our owne faith As Philip before he administred the Sacrament of baptisme to the Eunuch Acts 8. 37. did examine him of his faith so should every man before the receiving of the Sacrament of the Supper examine himselfe of his faith These reasons that pinch us to examination of our faith at all times have strength in them to doe it specially at this time as First without this tryall and examination a man may be cheated gulled and cosened in the poynt of faith It is good therefore to try before we trust Iob 34. 3. The eare tryes words as the mouth tastes meate To the eye many meates seeme pleasant and dainty but the mouth tasting them knowes justly what they be So the eare heares words We should get a good spirituall eare that we may be able judiciously to discerne the faire and flattering words of Satan and our owne hearts These will give a man as good words as may be Doe not say they disquiet thine heart with needlesse feares cheere up thine heart man thou needest not question the truth of thy faith These are good words But now as the mouth tastes meate and by tasting takes a tryall of it so must we labour to have such an eare as may try these words whether they be true or not A good musitian had neede to have a good eare and a good Christian hath neede of a good care too by which he may be able to judge of the false and flattering musicke the Divell and his owne heart make him Try the spirits 1 Ioh. 4. 1. As forreyne spirits without so it is good to try the secret spirits within us For there be two spirits the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan and Satans spirit doth often counterfeit the voice of Gods Spirit and tels us that we have faith excellent measures of faith when there is no such matter therefore try the spirits That was a vile thing in the people Acts 12. after Herods Oration to cry out The voice of God It is much more vile in us when Satan and our owne heart shall flatter us with false conceits of faith to cry out The voice of God and the voice of the Spirit Try therefore before you trust 2 Secondly it is a very hopefull and comfortable evidence of the truth of faith when it is willing to be tried and desirous to be examined It is a suspicion that that mans gold is not good that is unwilling to have it toucht that a mans cause is naught when he is unwilling to have it tried that a man is no Scholler that shuns examination It is a signe that a mans gold is good that is willing and desirous to have it brought to the touch A good cause desires a faire triall A good Scholler that hath it in him is willing to undergoe examination which a dunce and a non-proficient hath no liking to A faith that is a true faith will be willing to undergoe any triall and examination 3 Thirdly the triall and examination of faith is the strengthning and increasing of it Faith examined and tried proves a faith increased and strengthned Some things sometimes prove the worse and suffer losse by triall but the more faith is tried the more faith is increased Gold is not the worse but the better the purer for triall As the fiery triall of faith betters it and makes it the more pretious and makes it to be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. So doth selfe-triall make it more pretious and more glorious Examination and triall of a good Scholler hurts him not either in his learning or his credit nay it advances him much in both his very examination rubs up his learning it brings much to minde that would have been forgotten yea it puts much learning into a Scholler and besides it conduces much to his praise and honour it sends him away with the credit of an approved learned man It is so in the examination of faith In trying faith there is an exercise of faith and by exercise it is but increased and manifested 4 Fourthly who knowes but his faith may come to a fiery triall 1 Pet. 1. 7. and 4. 12. Bilney first tried his finger by himselfe in the Candle before he tried his whole body in the fire at the stake How shall our faith abide the fiery triall by others if it have never beene put to this triall by our selves When fiery trials come how many mens faith which was thought more precious than gold proves more vile than drosse And what is the reason Therefore failes their faith in fiery trials because it was never put to nor would abide selfe-triall Ier. 12. 5. If thou hast run with the Footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou match thy selfe with Horses How shall that faith try a match with Horse-men that never tried a match with Foot-men How shall he abide a fiery triall that hath ever shunned and beene shy of a closet triall How wilt thou abide to be tried at a barre at a stake that art loath to be tried in thy chamber in thy closet Examine your selves upon your beds Psal 4. He will never abide to be examined at a barre that will not abide to examine himselfe upon his bed Yea selfe-triall is it that prepares and fits and traines up a man to doe service in the fiery triall David could not goe in Sauls armour because he was not accustomed to it he is likely to undergoe a fiery triall of his faith that hath accustomed himselfe to the duty of selfe-triall Abraham was likely to doe good on it when hee carries not forth a company of raw fellowes from the plough but armes his trained servants Genesis 14. 14. They will never be fit for fighting that have not beene used to training Selfe-triall is training the fiery-triall is fighting They are like and fit to fight that have beene trained up to it 5 Fifthly is our faith so low prized by us and of so little esteeme with us that we care not of all other things we have how it proves Men will not have Oxen but will put them to triall Luke 14. 19. I have bought five yoke of Oxen and am going to prove them Men will try whether their Oxen be good and usefull and care we not what our faith proves usefull or useless what a monstrous wretchednesse of spirit is this Therefore as at all other times so specially be carefull to examine your faith when to come to the Sacrament How often have men tried it that their comming to the Sacrament hath beene fruitlesse their owne hearts seriously dealt withal will witnes to them that their receiving hath beene to little or no purpose And what hath beene the cause of it but because there was no examination of faith How can they receive any benefit by the Sacrament that go at an adventure not knowing whether they bring that with them that must make the Sacrament effectuall to them Quest How then may a man so try and examine his faith as that he may know the truth thereof that it is true faith Answ The Apostles phrase of faith unfained twice used by him to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 2 Tim. 1. 5. Faith without hypocrisie as the word is implies that there is a faith feined an hypocriticall faith Therefore it is not a needlesse question to make inquiry how truth of faith may bee discerned Our times are happy in the abundance of helpes they have in this kinde and this point being so largely and fully handled in many learned Treatises that are extant and in every mans hand I will give but a touch upon it and so passe on True faith then may be knowne by the effects and fruits of it Every Tree is knowne by the fruits When the Spies returned from searching the Land of Canaan they brought with them a cluster of Grapes and Pomgranates and Figs Num. 13. 23. And they report and evidence it to be a good land by these fruits Vers 27. It flowes with milke and honey and this is the fruit of it holding forth and shewing those fruits they brought thence By the fruits of it it appeared that it was a good Land And so the way to search and finde out the goodnesse of our faith is to bring forth of the Figs Pomgranates and clusters that by shewing them to our consciences wee may bee able to say Surely our faith is a good and a true faith and these be the fruites of it Now the fruits and effects by which faith may be examined are three 1 Such as respect God and Christ. 2 Such as respect our selves 3 Such as respect our brethren 1 First the effects of faith as it respects God are these 1 First Obedience to God and his word and fruitfulnesse in all good workes True faith is no droane no loiterer but it is an active and a working grace Gal. 5. 6. Faith which works 1 Thess 1. 3. Your worke of faith 2 Thess 1. 11. The worke of faith with power A workeman may be tried by his worke What is the worke of faith It workes with power It makes a man with power to yeeld GOD obedience and to endeavour the doing of Gods will to the which no man hath any power at all Hence called the obedience of faith Heb. 11. 8. Rom. 16. 26. Because faith workes obedience and no man can give God the obedience of his heart that hath not faith in his heart On the contrary unbeleeving and disobedient persons are joyned together Tit. 1. 15 16. They who are called unbeleeving Vers 15. are called disobedient Vers 16. It is an hard duty to forgive an offending brother upon his repentance a difficult point of obedience But yet it must be done Luke 17. 4. If thy brother turne againe unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him But how shall we be able to doe it See Vers 5. And the Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our faith Faith then where it is inables to duties of obedience facilitates hard works The children of Abraham do the workes of Abraham Iohn 8. and Abrahams workes were workes of obedience We must be Abrahams children before we can doe the workes of Abraham And Gal. 3. 7. They which are of faith are the children of Abrahā They that have the faith of Abraham doe his workes Now then hereby let a man examine his faith
1 Thess 4. 3. For this is the will of God even your sanctification So 1 Thes 5. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 15. The ground therefore of all obedience must be the will and Commandement that if a man bee asked a reason of his obedience why he doth this or that he may be able to say I see it is Gods will and commandement it should be done and because it is his will therefore I doe it This was the ground of Davids obedience Psal 119. 4. 5. Thou hast commanded us to keepe thy precepts diligently Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes His desires were exceeding strong to give God obedience in keeping his statutes and the ground of it was Thou hast commanded That onely and properly is obedience which is done Intuitu voluntatis by looking at Gods will by having a respect or an eye to Gods commandement Psal 119. 6. and doing it because it is his will Looke as it is in the case of faith so is it in the case of obedience Then a man beleeves when the ground of his faith is onely the Word of God he beleeves onely because it is the Word and will of God he should beleeve If a man beleeve such a truth because he hath good arguments and reasons for it by which he is led to beleeve it this is science but not faith Thus is it in obedience to doe things commanded upon other grounds then the commandement is not obedience Suppose a man doe the same same thing that God commands and yet know not that God commands it this is no obedience or if a man do know that it is commanded but doth it not because it is commanded neither is this obedience to God for as where there is no Law there is no transgression so where there is no knowledge of a Law there is no obedience In all true obedience there must be a knowledge of and an eye to the will of God Rom. 12. 2. Proving what is the will of God that is searching and trying and so allowing the good and acceptable will of the Lord Ephes 5. 17. Vnderstanding what the will of the Lord is Both which places imply thus much that that onely is obedience indeed which is done upon the knowledge and conscience of being Gods will To doe that which is Gods will and not to doe it because it is his will is not obedience By this may a man try his obedience If thine heart can sincerely witnesse that the ground of thy obedience and all thine actions therein is Gods will that thou seest it is his will to have it done and because it is his will thou doest it such obedience is upon the right ground But by this may the unsoundnesse of many a mans obedience be discovered Some men come duly to publike duties of Gods worship and service but what is the ground Is it the will of God or the law of Man or the talke of the World that brings them thereunto Many a man is diligent in his calling followes it close and it is a thing commanded of God so to do But if a man doe it not because God wils it but because desire of gaine carries him on or necessity of maintenance forces him thereto this is no obedience to God but obedience to his covetousnesse or obedience to his necessities which call upon him for diligence and painfulnesse 2 Second ground of obedience The grace of faith True obedience must spring and flow from faith S. Paul speakes Rom. 16. 26. Of the obedience of faith that is that obedience which in beleeving we give to God But yet in a larger sense all obedience may be called the obedience of faith because by it we give God that obedience we give him Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God Faith quickens and enables to obedience so as without it wee can give God no obedience Therefore Rom. 3. 3â— Faith stablishes the Law because it is faith that helpes a man to performe all the obedience he performes to it Faith is the ground of obedience thus 1 First a man must first beleeve what the will of God is before hee will goe about to yeeld it any obedience 2 Secondly all obedience flowes from a mans laying hold on the covenant of grace In that covenant God articles with us and binds himselfe to enable to obedience Ezek. 36. 27. Now this covenant must be laid hold on for ability and strength to obedience before a man can obey God It is true in obedience to every Commandement which is spoken of the fourth Isay 56. 4. That keepe my Sabbath and take hold of my Covenant In the Covenant there is promised strength unto obedience and this covenant being taken hold on strength to obedience is given Now that which layes hold upon the covenant is faith which from the covenant fetches ability to obedience 3 Thirdly CHRIST is the principle of all spirituall life and activity Iohn 15. 5. Phil 4. 13. Christ must first dwell in a man before hee hath strength in the inner man Ephes 3. 16 17. Now all vertue to be fetcht from Christ must be drawne out of him by faith And he by faith dwels in us Ephes 3. 17. No obedience till we have Christ effectually working in us and quickning us by his spirit and no Christ but by faith By this then a man may try the truth of his obedience If it be fruit comming from a root of faith it is good fruit I beleeved therefore I spake Psal 116. So if thou canst say I beleeve therefore I pray and doe God service Iohn 9. 38. He said Lord I beleeve and he worshipped him I beleeve therefore I sanctifie the Lords-day I beleeve and therefore I doe duties of obedience then is thine obedience true fruit of Paradise because it growes upon the tree of life But if thine obedience arise from a root only of morality it is but hedge fruit 3 Third ground of obedience is the true love of God and Christ Indeed obedience must not bee upon constraint but in one sense it is by constraint yet by the constraint of Love 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constrains us Love hath such an active power that it constraines us to obedience not only that love which Christ beares to us but which wee beare to him Obedience to God must be filiall obedience 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient children Now the obedience of a son to his Father flowes from love The love of his Father sets him on worke to do what his father commands The good son in the Vineyard Mat. 21. When his Father bid him go work in his Vineyard he at first said I will not but afterwards he repented and went and wrought in the Vineyard Now what was it that made him obey his Father his Father promised no wages if hee would go worke nor threatned him any evill if hee did not worke but there was only a bare command Mat. 21. 28.
praying and praying hard and then when he is at prayer before Ananias his comming then God gives this Commission Go Ananias go thy wayes to Saul and let him be filled with the Holy Ghost for behold he prayes So if men before the Sacrament would spend time in prayer and be earnest in seeking God God would give a Commission and a charge unto his Ordinance Go and be effectuall and powerfull to such a man be a meanes to fill him with the Holy Ghost for behold he prayes and hath before his comming to my Table spent much time in prayer It was at the Sacrament of Christs baptisme that Christs prayer opened Heaven and brought downe the Holy Ghost Luke 3. 21 22. And there is no question but our prayers at the Lords Supper would the more easily and readily open heaven and bring downe the Holy Ghost if we did but begin the work at home in private prayer by our selves Vpon these considerations therefore let us bee stirred up to bestow much time in private prayer by our selves before our comming to the Sacrament Doe in this case as the Prophet speaks in that Zech. 12. 12 13 14. Every family apart their wives apart We must not only pray when we are met in publike and joyne with the Minister but we must pray in our Families pray in our Closets every Family apart the Husband apart the Wife apart the Children apart the Servants apart every soule apart by himselfe And have a speciall care in prayer to put up to God such Petitions as are suitable to the businesse of the Sacraments yea not onely is God to be sought by frequent and fervent prayer but when we finde our hearts more dull and untoward to the worke it is not amisse to quicken and put more life into our prayers by fasting It may be thou hast such hardnesse and deadnesse in thine heart as can not be cast out but by fasting and prayer Holy fasting proves an excellent preparative to holy feasting Fasting prayers wil bring feasting joyes Thus is God in speciall manner to be sought by prayer But how this is done is pittifull to consider Many know not what praying meanes He that cannot pray can never receive the Sacrament as hee ought to doe How rarely is God sought apart in the closet Or if any prayer be used what is it but mens customary formalities that they use at all other times which no more concernes the Sacrament than the riding of a journey or going to plough or any other common occasion There is no putting up of Petitions agreeable to the occasion no begging of those particular blessings that are to be had in the use of the Ordinance Not one of an hundred thinkes on these things Vrge men to prayer in this kinde and may they not answer as David to Saul when in his armour 1 Sam. 17. 39. I cannot goe with these for I have not beene accustomed to them So they cannot pray and seeke God when they are to come to the Sacrament because they are not accustomed to these duties at other times How can they pray before they come to the Sacrament that pray not at other times And thus we now see how we are to prepare our selves before we come to the Sacrament Now therefore be we exhorted to take paines and to be industrious in the doing of these duties of preparation up and be doing and the Lord will be with you And for our better encouragement to be painfull and industrious in seeking God in these duties of preparation know this That God will never be wanting to true and industrious desires and endeavours God will give good and happy successe sweet and gracious answers to all such as seek him industriously in those wayes and meanes that he appoints Luk. 19. 1 5. Zacheus had a great desire to see Christ but yet had great discouragements The crowd was great and he a little man But his discouragements dampe not his desires but his desires make him industrious against his discouragements He runs before climbes up into the Sycamore or wilde Fig-tree gets him a place there from whence he might see Christ over the heads of the multitude And what comes of all this Was it labour lost Was it paines taken to no purpose No. It proved paines wondrous well worth the while for do but see what followed upon it 1 First as soone as Christ comes neere him he lookes up to and sees him It had beene small comfort to have seene Christ if Christ had not seene him They that set themselves to seeke Christ shall not onely see Christ but shall be seene of Christ How many of the multitude see Christ crowd and touch Christ and yet are not once minded nor regarded by Christ But Zacheus who is thus painfully industrious to see Christ both sees and is seene 2 Secondly Hee not onely sees Christ and is seene of him but hee heares Christ and heares him call him by his name and in particular to speak to him For Christ to speake to him and to speake to him by name being a man he had never seene before how must this needs affect and ravish his heart 3 Thirdly hee invites himselfe home to his house to be his guest to eat and drinke with him If he had but barely seene Christ it had beene some content he had not altogether lost his end But that 's not all Christ lookes up to him casts up a gracious looke towards him Oh what a sweet comfort is it to have Christ looke graciously towards one And yet that 's not all neither but Christ speakes to him by name Zacheus As if hee had said Though thou knowest not me nor I ever saw thee before yet that thou mayest know that I take speciall notice of thee and beare a speciall favour to thee Loe I call thee by thy Name The good Shepherd knowes his Sheepe and cals them by name Iohn 10. Know therefore that I call thee by name and call thee by name as one of my Sheepe This was sweet If Christ had said no more but this Well done Zacheus thou out of a desire to see me hast taken paines now see me look upon me thy fill that had beene sweet but here is more yet Zacheus come downe I will go to thine house to thy Table with thee thou shalt be my Host and I will be thy guest Since thou hast taken so much paines to run and climbe and hast by thy paines overcome all discouragements Come come downe Zacheus thou shalt entertaine me have me for thy guest and have sweet fellowship and communion with me So sweetly so aboundantly were Zacheus's painfull endeavours recompensed Oh what sweet and precious figs doth Zacheus gather in this wilde fig-tree Who would not run and climbe and clamber with all his might into such a Tree to pick such excellent fruit When we therefore are to come to the Sacrament do we the like When we come to the Sacrament would
that is commanded me and when I have done that which is my duty to doe I must say I am an unprofitable servant then how much more must I say it that am far short of doing all that in this particular I am commanded to do and have not done that which is my duty to do I doubt therefore that I may not come to the Sacrament because I cannot finde my selfe thus prepared I were better keepe away than come unlesse I were thus prepared I have done what I possibly can do but alas how short am I of what is required Answ 1. First have recourse here to that which before was said in the last point of the second Chapter Labour and endeavour to be as exactly prepared as possibly thou canst but if thou canst not attaine to that measure and degree of preparation thou desirest yet if thy heart witnesse to thee that what is wanting in thy preparation is not from sloth idlenesse and lothnesse to take paines but it is the highest degree that with all thy paines thou art able to attaine unto I say unto thee in this case as Saul spake to David in that 1 Sam. 17. 37. Goe and the Lord be with thee Go to the Sacrament and feare not but that the Lord will be with thee 2 Secondly if indeed thou hast no faith no repentance at all wrought or renewed in thee I would in any case advise thee to forbeare for why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe as Salomon speakes in that case Eccl. 7. 16. But now deale uprightly as in Gods presence and take heed as well of bearing false witnesse against thy self as against thy neighbour It is a sin to beare false witnesse against thy selfe as well as to foredoe thy selfe and therefore make conscience of it deale sincerely therefore Darest thou confidently and upon unquestionable grounds affirme it that thou hast no faith no repentance I much feare me sayest thou that I have not That is not the point what thou fearest but what thou assuredly knowest A man may have much faith that feares hee hath none yea there may bee greatest faith where there be greatest feares Thou upon serious examination of thine owne condition not upon an ignorant selfe-love darest not for a world resolutely and peremptorily say thou hast no faith no grace no part in Christ then take heed how thou upon thy feares forbeare Gods Ordinance 3 Thirdly if thou have done thine utmost in the sincerity of thy spirit to fit thy selfe for the duty and thine heart charges thee neither with any grosse guilt in thy life nor with any slothfull formality in thy preparation though thou canst not finde thy selfe so fitted as thou wouldest yet go to the Ordinance if it be upon conscience of giving God obedience Christ commands the use of the Sacrament Doe this in remembrance of me Now though thine owne feares discourage and dis-hearten thee and when thou lookest at thy selfe thou fearest to go yet if when thou lookest at Gods commandement and in the conscience of it fearest to stay away here in this conflict of feares let this last feare get the victory and be more afraid to stay from the Sacrament in regard of Gods commandement then to come to the Sacrament in regard of thy discouragement Gods commandement sayes Go thine own discouragements sayes Goe not Give obedience rather to Gods commandement than to thine owne feares Obedience yeelded to God out of pure conscience to his commandement yeelded I say against discouragements and feares may be no whit inferiour unto nor lesse acceptable then a preparation in a more exact and excellent degree then yet thou hast Such obedience is most excellent and most acceptable for that is the most excellent obedience when there is nothing else to toll and draw us on but only Gods commandement When a man finds himselfe in such a frame of spirit as that he questions not but to meet with comfort and a good answer at the Sacrament then possibly not Gods commandement but that comfort may rather seeme to draw him to the duty But now when a man hath some discouragements in regard of the feares of the indisposition of his spirit and yet in regard of Gods commandement dares not absent himself dares not but go it is cleere that such obedience is pure obedience because there is nothing to draw him on but Gods commandement and that hee doth the duty upon this ground Because God will have him do it that he doth it more for Gods sake than his own Excellent is that Exo. 14. 15. The Lord said unto Moses speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Forwards Why there was great danger before them they go upon a manifest danger the Sea is before them As good go backward to the Aegyptians or as good stand still and let the Aegyptians come and put them to the sword as to goe forward It is but death to stand still but death to go backward and it is no better than death to goe forward What safety can be expected by going into the Sea Well for all this speake to the children of Israel that they go forward Now to go forward because God commands it when nothing but present danger in sight was an argument of pure obedience it was not safety but conscience of obedience to Gods commandement that carried them forwards A man in the truth and sincerity of his spirit hath done his utmost in his preparation and yet his heart misgives him that he shall sin to go to the Sacrament and that he shall run himselfe upon a manifest danger speake unto such a man that he go forward because God commands him to doe him this service and his going forward in obedience being pure obedience it shall returne him at last as great comfort as if he had beene so prepared as his desire was to have beene Object I but my heart is full of feares and doubts I feare and tremble to come to Gods Ordinance in my feares Answ Yet come Feares in comming are no barre to comfort Thou mayest come in feare and yet goe away with much comfort See Mark 5. 33. The Woman fearing and trembling came and fell downe before him And what sayes Christ to her Vers 34. Daughter go in peace She comes to Christ with feare she goes away in peace she came trembling she goes away rejoycing If her feare and trembling had kept her from Christ she had missed of that sweet and comfortable answer Daughter go in peace We know not what comfort we deprive our selves of when we suffer our feares and jealousies to prevaile so farre with us as to keepe us from Christ in his Ordinances Object But my feare is that I shall not meet with Christ nor finde him in his Ordinance and therefore what should I do there Answ A man may then meet with Christ and find him when he least of all hopes to finde him Mary meets with Christ Iohn 20. 15. and supposes
enlarged in more speciall manner to blesse God for Christs Death and the sweet comforts received in the use of the Sacrament Fifthly and lastly this holy Sacramentall disposition stands in an exercise of love and mercy In an exercise of love when wee looke upon our fellow members communicating with us we should cleave to them in CHAP. 20 one spirit as unto members of the same body 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one bread and one body for wee are all partakers of that one bread So that in partaking of that one bread we are one bread and one body Many cornes goe to the making of one loafe but yet they will not be knod into one loafe unlesse by the mixture of some moysture they bee wrought and fastned together Love exacted stirred up is that moysture that unites us many severall graines into one bread So 1 Cor. 12. 13. We drinke into one spirit that is into one soule In an exercise also of mercy and compassion to the poore members of Indigne manducant qui corpus sanguinem Christi in Sacramēto manducunt bibunt membra autem ejus Evangelio non agnoscunt Aug. cont lit Tetil l. 2. c. 55. Christ shewing mercy to them in contributing to their necessities And here specially at the Sacrament shold that ground work with us 2 Cor. 8. 9. And thus we see what the concomitant duties are and such as accompany the Action Chap. 21. Subsequent duties and such as must follow the Sacrament received CHAP. 21 VVEE are now come to the third and last sort of Duties in which the due order of receiving the Sacrament stands and they are subsequent duties such as follow after the Sacrament received There ought to be a speciall care of duties after the Sacrament as well as before and in receiving for though a man may come conveniently prepared and may in a good measure be holily conversant in the duty of receiving yet if a man be carelesse and looke not to himselfe after the duty is done he may marre all A man may come to his meate prepared with a good stommach may eate it with a good appetite and feed hungrily and heartily and yet as soone as he hath eaten may doe that which may spoile all If a man before his meate bee well out of his mouth fall to sleepe or to serious study or to violent exercise or specially if he shall after meate eate some unwholesome food or take some poyson these must needs hinder digestion and concoction these must needs make him the worse after his meat though he come to it prepared with a good appetite and fed upon it with a good stomach Physitions before they give physicke prepare the body for it and give it when the body is in a convenient disposition for it but that is not all They have also a speciall care to order and dyet a man after he hath taken his physicke For though a mans body may be well prepared before taking physicke and be well disposed in taking it yet if a man be not afterwards carefull of taking cold be not carefull what and when he eates his physicke will not kindly worke nor doe him any good Carelesnesse in dyet in taking cold afterwards may Qui pharmacum sumunt solent eo die ab omnibus abstinere quibus pharmaci vis operatio impediri potest Gualth in 1 Cor. 11. 27. dead and kill the force of the physicke so as it may not onely doe a man no good but much hurt though the physicke were very good and proper for his body and disease A great care therefore ought to be had of a due and a right ordering our selves after the Sacrament And this care thus to order our selves stands in these two things First In a mans examining himselfe after he is come from the Sacrament Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate and so let him drinke So also let a man eate and drinke and so let him examine himselfe A man is seriously and faithfully after he hath beene at the Lords Table to consider between God and his owne soule what entertainment and welcome GOD hath given him whether God hath dealt with him at this Supper as Mary delt with CHRIST at that Supper Iohn 12. 2 3. whether the LORD hath powred any precious oyntment upon him or not what comfort and increase of faith and grace he hath received what quickning what refreshment what friendship and communion with CHRIST what vertue hee hath found to flow out of Christ into his owne soule Now upon such examination a man shall finde that it hath been well with him at the Sacrament or it hath not he hath had a good day of it or no good day And accordingly as he findes so he is to proceed First then if a man have found no joy comfort enlargement no communion with nor answer from CHRIST but upon examination findes that he hath beene unfruitfull and that his heart was full of deadnesse hardenesse and dulnesse of spirit then two things are to bee done First Suspect thy selfe that some miscarriage hath beene in thee either in thy preparation to or in thy performance of the duty Labour therfore to finde out where the faile was and what it was that hindred the efficacy of the Sacrament that caused God to keep his hand close that caused him to deny to anoynt thee with fresh oyle And having found out what hindred and deaded the Sacrament judge thy selfe for that and be seriously humbled for it And this being thus done so that after our receiving we can but be sensible of our owne senselesnesse of heart in that holy duty and can mourne for it and complaine to God of it and of our selves we neede not be overmuch dismaied and cast downe because this is one fruit of the life of Christ which was undoubtedly received in the Sacrament Though thou hast not that thou wouldest have had yet thou hast that which was worth the going for Construe this very thing as a fruite of going to the Sacrament and be thankefull for that Secondly Endeavour by after paines in prayer and humiliation to quicken and awaken the efficacy of the Sacrament for this wee must know as a point of great use and comfort that Sacraments doe not alwaies worke for the present but the efficacy may come afterwards It is in this case as in that 1 Sam. 10. 1. 6 9. Samuel anoynted Saul and said The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee c. And it was so that when had turned his back to goe from Samuel God gave him another heart The Spirit of God came not upon him in the Anoynting but afterwards when hee was departed from Samuel The Actions of God are of eternall efficacy though he put forth that efficacy in such times and seasons as he sees good Though the Sacrament worke not for the present in the administration yet if wee bee after touched with a
sense of our unworthinesse and thereupon awaken our selves to quicken the Ordinance to our selves the Sacrament shall be ready afterwards to empty it selfe with blessings upon our soules and shall prove effectuall and comfortable unto thee The first Sacrament of the Supper the Disciples received it is not like they found the efficacy of it for the present for they then knew nor understood nothing of CHRISTS death neither could it sinke into their heads that he should dye but yet afterwards when they came more cleerely to understand the mysteries of Redemption and the whole doctrine of Christ no question but they reaped the benefit of that Ordinance which then they fully understood not Physicke doth not alwayes worke when it is taken but many times a good while some dayes after It is with the Sacrament as it is with the word Many a man heares the word and minds it but for the present it hath no work at all It is possible that seven yeares twenty yeares after it may worke a Sermon preached seven yeares before may prove the meanes of a mans conversion seaven yeares after wee have an example in that kinde Iohn 10. 41 42. And many resorted unto him and said Iohn did no miracle but all things that spake of this man were true and many beleeved on him there Iohn had preacht of Christ before they did not there upon beleeve in Christ when hee preacht Iohn was dead and gone but now when Christ comes amongst them they upon Iohns former Sermons preacht a great while before doe now beleeve Iohn was dead but his word was not dead that now workes when he lyes in his grave Thus also may it be with the Sacrament it doth not alwayes presently worke it may and doth work some longer time afterwards when a Communicant humbled for his unprofitablenesse in the duely endeavours by after-diligence and Humiliation to quicken and put life into it And if such a course may quicken a Sacrament some time after then why not much more on the same day What hinders but it may bee in the case of the Sacrament of the Supper as in the Sacrament of Baptisme The efficacy and force of Baptisme doth not presently appeare no not presently upon the yeeres of discretion Many an one lives vitiously in sinfull course a swearer adulterer c. but yet afterwards if God give once a man the heart to bee toucht with the sense of his owne unworthinesse and hee beginnes to bestirre himselfe to secke GOD by faith and Repentance the Lord quickens a mans Baptisme and makes it as powerfull and efficacious as if that very day administred So in this case possibly a man that hath beene at the Lords Table and hath more then once beene an unworthy receiver but yet if a man shall come once to bee humbled of that unworthinesse God will make sacraments so oft unprofitably received to become efficacious unto him For though hee were unprepared to receive yet God was not unprepared to dispense the benefit of them Therefore if wee have miscarried in our preparations and dispositions so as we have found no benefit no comfort yet here is a remedy and an help take this course by after-diligence and after-Humiliation to fetch life into that Ordinance in which thou wert dead and which was dead unto thee in the Administration It is a frequent and foule fault amongst many that so soone as the Sacrament is done and the duty ended in publike they never once looke after it more They leave the Sacramentall disposition and devotion in the Church there they shake hands with it and bring not a whit of it home with them When the Sacrament is done all is done with them and as they come to it so they goe from it without any examination at all It is never once more thought upon And thereupon no Humiliation for deadnesse hardnesse and indisposition in the duty and no care to make up that by after diligence wherein they were wanting in the present performance 2 Secondly If upon this examination we finde that we were refreshed had our hearts enlarged had vertue from and communion with Christ and that GOD was very good to us then doe these two things 1 First Blesse God with all thy soule for his mercy shewed unto thee acknowledge with all thankefulnesse Gods gracious dealing with thee in the communication and manifestation of himselfe to thee in his Ordinance 2 Secondly Be carefull and watchfull to keepe up and maintaine that holy and gracious frame of heart in thee which thou acquirest in and bringest from the Sacrament with thee A man when he findes enlargement and a gracious disposition of spirit in the Ordinance should be of Peters mind when in the Mount with our Saviour in his transfiguration Master It is good being here It is good to be here as long as may bee when therefore in the Sacrament wee have gotten holy affections by degrees wound up to some spirituall height have gotten them up to more than an ordinary and common pitch our care should be to keep and maintaine so long as we can what we have gotten at the Sacrament to keepe the sweete meates wee bring from this banquet It is true indeed that wee cannot hold them up in that height and pitch to which we have wrought our hearts in holy duties and in the heate of holy exercises but yet wee should endeavour it what we can and so long as is possible by after private duties of prayer meditation good conference and the like That as David prayes for the people in that case 1 Chron. 29. 18. when he saw them in a floate of good affections their hearts sweetely and graciously enlarged O Lord saies he keepe this for ever in the Imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare or stablish their heart unto thee As if he had said Lord thou seest what a good frame of heart is in them at this present oh that thou wouldest keepe and maintaine this frame of heart in them ever So when we finde a good frame of heart wrought in us at the Sacrament wee should pray and endeavour that this frame of heart might bee still upheld and continued in us See an excellent example of this after a Sacrament 2 Chron. 30. 21 22. They finde their hearts comfortably and sweetly enlarged in the use of Gods Ordinance and loath they are to let this frame of heart sinke in them faine would they keepe it up still and therefore see ver 23. what they doe And the whole assembly tooke counsell to keep other seaven dayes and they kept other seaven dayes with gladnesse This was done to keep up still this gladnesse of heart which they had in keeping the first seven daies And this by way of proportion serves to teach us what a speciall care we should have after the receiving of the Sacrament to looke wisely to our selves to keepe alive as long as may be that holy fire that
was kindled in our hearts in the use of the Sacrament It is a grosse miscarriage a shrewd faile in men who after good and faire enlargements at the Sacrament have no care to keepe their hearts in good frame by prayer meditation or good conference but as soone as they come from the Sacrament doe fall to worldly and earthly conference or vaine and idle discourse and so all on a sudden quench dash and dampe all undoe all they have been so long a doing in their preparations and performances Such abrupt chopping off and jumping off from holy duties is a dangerous quenching of the Spirit Such a quenching of the Spirit as tends much to the hardening of the heart Yron red hot put into water and suddenly quencht it makes it the harder It is a very dangerous thing to the body when it is hot and in a sweat suddenly to cole it by casting off a mans clothes or leaping into the cold water Such a thing is as much as a mans life is worth Such sudden coolings and dampings of spirituall heats got in holy duties cannot be without much danger to the soule What a poore thing is it that when at the Sacrament a man hath gotten an excellent fire kindled and flaming in his heart that an houre or two after hee should not have so much as a coale or a sparke of that fire remaining And so much for the first thing to be done after Receiving namely the examining of our selves 2 The second thing to be done followes And that is A speciall and a wondrous great care to keepe touch with GOD to expresse the power and efficacy of Gods Ordinance in making our good and keeping our vowes and covenants we have made at the Sacrament our owne hearts are very false fickle and slippery there is therefore the more neede to looke narrowly to them They never long more to breake loose then when they are fresh bound with new cords The divell also is exceeding malicious Hee is never more busie more violent to tempt and bring men to sin then when they come new from the Sacrament Hee knowes that is the way to make their sinnes out of measure sinfull Hee is exceeding desirous to goe in and goe downe after a Sacramentall sop No sooner was CHRIST Baptized Luk. 3. but Luk. 4. presently after the Sacrament received hee sets fiercely and with all his skill and strength upon him in his tentations Looke how Senacherib did with Hezekiah so doth Satan with us When Hezekiah had reformed the Church setled the worship of GOD and had put all in good order 2 Chron. 31. then Chapt. 32. 1. After these things and the establishment thereof Senacherib came with his army into the land So when a man hath beene at the Sacrament and hath renued his Covenants with GOD and stablished his resolutions of better obedience After those things the Divell will come with all his forces and seeke to make a man breake his vowes and neglect his Covenants Therefore proportionable and answerable to the loosenesse of our hearts and to the malice of Satan should our care be to keepe our covenants and our vowes and to expresse and manifest the power and vertue of Gods Ordinance in the holinesse and obedience of our lives Now should our care be to shew what benefit wee have received by the Sacrament in walking closely with GOD in the forsaking all former sinnes and performing all duties of obedience formerly neglected Elias after he was fed by GOD went in the strength of that food forty daies and fortie nights 1 King 19. 8. So should we walke in the strength of our Sacramentall foode many daies and nights and shew that indeed we have received strength by and from it by keeping our covenants with GOD of holinesse and obedience See how Wisdome speakes Prov. 9. 5 6. Shee kills her beasts she mingles her wine shee furnishes her Table shee invites her guests Come saies she eate of my bread and drinke of the drinke which I have mingled But marke what it is that shee requires of her guests after she hath fed them and feasted them at her Table Forsake the foolish and live and goe in the way of understanding Now that I have fed and feasted you at my Table live now no more as yee were wont to doe now choose new company and new courses now become new men and goe and walke in new waies It is the very thing that GOD lookes for at our hands after we have been at the Sacrament So should it be with a man after his communion with GOD in the Sacrament as it was with Iacob after his communion with GOD in Bethel Genes 29. 1. Then Iacob lift up his feet and came into the land of the people of the East Hee lift up his feet he went with strength with spirit with cheerfulnesse and Then he went that is after he had had that sweet fellowship with GOD in Bethel hee was so cheered and refreshed with that spirituall baite that in the strength and force of that he went on livelily and cheerily in his journey So when we have had fellowship with GOD in the Sacrament in the strength of that heavenly baite at the Sacrament wee should lift up our feete and goe on cheerily livelily lustily in our journey towards Heaven After Christ had beene at Iordan at the Sacrament he goes forth furnished with strength from Gods Ordinance to encounter the Divell Then Iesus returned from Iordan full of the HOLY GHOST to be tempted of the Divell Mat. 4. 1. Luk. 4. 1. Hee went from the Sacrament full of the HOLY GHOST and full of power against the filthy ghost So should wee rise from the Sacrament full of the Holy Ghost Tanquam Leones igitur ignem spirantes ab illa mensa recedamus facti diabolo terribiles caput nostrū mente revolvētes charitatem quam nobis exhibuit Chry. ad pop Hom. 61. full of power and spirituall strength and like Lyons breathing fire as Chrysostome speakes so as wee might be terrible to Satan and powerfull against our lusts and corruptions to mortifie and subdue them for this is one maine end and use of the Sacrament for which we come to eat that we may get from CHRIST in it power to mortifie our lusts and corruptions and to be enabled to walke in better obedience then wee have done Therefore that we may shew that wee have made good the end of the Sacrament wee must mortifie lusts and performe duties of obedience with more power than ever That which Paul speaks Ephes 4. 28. Let him that stole steale no more c. It must specially be remembred after the Sacrament Let him that swore sweare no more that used to lye lye no more to be drunke be drunke no more to be uncleane be uncleane no more c. This we come for to the Sacrament and this vow wee at the Sacrament It is the note of a man that shall goe