For Christ to be a memoriall of his death First end is in regard of Christ Second end is in regard of us First the end in regard of Christ is For to be a memoriall of his death w 1 Cor. 11. 25. Secondly the ends in respect of For us to be 1 Signe 2 Seale 3 Meanes us are three First To be a signe and that to represent Secondly To be a seale and that to confirme Thirdly To be a means and that to conveigh Jesus Christ unto us with all his benefits And thus much for the generall and speciall knowledge that every Receiver must examine himselfe of Now come wee to the second thing to be examined and that is faith for every man receiveth so much as he beleeveth he receiveth Gold is a precious thing and therefore men dig deep into the mine to find it and labour much in the fire to purifie and refine it saving Faith is a precious thing so Saint Peter calls it x 2 Pet. 1. 1. Faith must bee examined Therefore every Christian ought by examination to dig into their hearts to find it and by the Word as by fire to trie whether it bee a saving faith or no. This is that that puts life into us I the life of God for till then our cogitation is darkned and wee are strangers from the life of God hee that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already y Ioh. 3. 18 because he beleeveth not A Tree liveth not without moysture nor a Bird without aire nor a Fish without water nor a Salamander without fire so the soule liveth not without faith the just doth live by his faith a Hab. 2. This is the Spirit and Soule of the inward man wee have a name to live yet are we dead if wee want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith the Apostle b Gal. 2. 20 Our care therefore must bee with Saint Paul that we be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith c Phil 3. 9. for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ d Rom. 8. 1. It concernes all men to know that untill they bee beleevers they belong not to God for as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be black so God rejecteth mē and receiveth none till they beleeve none are the sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in Degrees in Faith Faith The first is a rudiment Deg. 1 or entrance which our blessed Saviour calleth Smoking flax e Mat. 12. 20. The second is a weake faith him that is weak in faith Deg. 2 saith S. Paul receive unto you f Rom. 14 1. The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance Deg. 3 of Faith such a Faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope g Rom. 4. 18. But no Faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake Faith as a sick man may bee knowne from a dead so a weake Faith from no Faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of Faith for Gods Spirit worketh that but no Faith is accursed he that beleeveth not is condemned already A desire of Faith a token of Faith Faith is Gods Gate whereby God enters into our soule the light that found the lost groate the purifier of the heart the conqueror in the race the pole-starre for the Sayler the life of the soule and by Faith CHRIST dwells in our harts O helpe us Lord wee beleeve O helpe our unbeleefe hee must beleeve that comes to Gods Table and as is our Faith so is our blessing Now this Faith that brings a blessing the holy Ghost adorneth it with many Epithetes he calleth it First Rich Faith h 1 Pet. 1. Secondly Holy Faith i Jud. 20. Thirdly strong Faith k 1 Pet. 5. 8. Fourthly Saving Faith l 2 Eph. 8. Fiftly Pure Faith m Acts 15. 9. Sixtly Precious Faith n 1 Pet. 1. 7. So that if either we regard Riches Strength Holinesse Salvation Purity let us looke to Faith which hath all graces in it as Paradise had all fruites in it as lapis Jndicus hath all cures in it Let us see some reasons Reasons why Faith must bee examined why every receaver must examine his faith 1. Because without this tryall Rea. 1 any Faith may be taken for a saving Faith a false Faith for a true an historicall Faith for a justifying If every Faith were a saving Faith then were it sufficient unto salvation to have some for in having some we must be accounted to have the saving Faith But every Faith is not a saving Faith therefore it stands us in hand to examine How shall a man know whether his Faith bee a Quast saving Faith or no. A saving Faith may bee How to know a saving faith Resp thus known First A saving Faith will save those that have it they are kept through the power of God unto salvation o 2 Eph. 8. But every Faith will not save them that have it for if this could bee then the Divells would bee saved who beleeve and tremble p James 2 19 but S. Jude tells us that they are reserved in chaynes in darknesse q Jud 6. Secondly A saving faith never fayles those that have it I have prayed saith our blessed Saviour that thy Faith may never fayle thee r Lu. 22. 23. Now there is a temporary Faith in some who beleeve for a time and if temptation come they fall away and none that fall away finally can be saved because it is impossible that they should be renued againe by Repentance ſ Heb 6. 4. 5 6. Thirdly A saving Faith is a lively Faith it makes those that have it live the life of grace t Gal. 3. 11. Saint James tells us of a dead Faith u James 2. 20 26. Why we must examine our Faith because els a man shall be in the number Reas 2 of those that have not a saving Faith neither ever shall have a saving Faith and yet shall presume that hath a saving Faith If that every man and woman that comes into the World should bee sure to have a saving Faith wrought in them before they died then were this examination needlesse because though they had it not at one time yet they might have it at another but this cannot be First The Apostle tells us that all men have not Faith w 2 Thess 3. 2. And no wonder for all men have not that that is inferiour to a saving Faith and more common then a saving Faith an historicall Faith or beliefe of the Gospell x 1 Cor. 1. 23. Secondly All men have not a saving Faith because very few have it so it is said when the Sonne of man
the Father draw him g Joh 6. 44 2 To the second Person where the Apostle calleth Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith h Heb 12. 2. 3 To the third Person where the Apostle reckoneth Faith amongst the fruits of the Spirit i Gal. 5. 22 Secondly God works faith God in mercy workes faith of his meere good will So saith our blessed Saviour it is so Father because thy good pleasure was such k Mat. 11. 26. Now the end at which God aymed in working Gods ends in working faith this grace is two-fold First The setting forth of his owne glory Secondly The salvation of mankinde and therfore Saint Peter calleth salvation the end of our faith Now the Knowledge of this will First Humble us in letting of us see that it is not in our power that Faith is not hereditary God beginneth it and increaseth it and finisheth it The Apostles prayed Lord increase our faith l Luke 17. Now the meanes to get this Faith is double 1 Outward Meanes to get faith 2 Inward First Outward 1 Outward The Word The outward meanes is the Word hereupon saith the Apostle how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10 14. and thereupon thus concludeth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word preached n Rom. 10 8. And hereupon it is called the Word of Faith o Eph. 1. 13 and Paul saith of the Ephesians that they beleeved after they heard the Gospell and finely saith S. Chrysostome Acc enditur S. Chrysoâ—t fldei lampas igne Divini verbi the Lampe of our Faith is lighted by the fire of the Divine Word And this Faith is wrought in us both by reading and preaching of the Word and both are commended and ordained of God The Word a meanes p Deut. 3. 9. 1. For reading God himselfe commandeth it P and by reading S. Augustine was converted for hee confesseth of himselfe that being inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle lege take up and reade meaning the Booke of God which hee presently did and so by reading was converted for surely the reading of the Word is a meanes appointed of God to the begetting of faith and raising up the kingdom of God in the hearts of men so that to say that bare reading is bare feeding and a thing unable to worke faith in us is to avouch a great untruth Secondly For the Word The especiall meanes ordinary is preaching preached This is the especiall ordinary meanes and the most powerfull usuall meanes this is that which the Scripture layeth downe how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard how shall they heare without a preacher q Rom. 10. 14. and againe it pleased God by preaching to save r Gal. 3. 1. reading is profitable but preaching doth profit more than reading doth Spice when it is whole smelleth sweetly but when it is broken and bruised by the hand of the Apothecary it smelleth a great deale more so is the Word read of us or to us sweet as the hony and bringeth the light of life to many but if the spirituall Apothecary breake it and bruise it cut it and divide it as the Lord hath appointed by preaching then reacheth the savor of such heavenly sweet to many moe in a fuller measure by reason of the blessing God giveth unto it The Eunuch read but he understood not but when Philip preached unto him the sweet brake out to his lasting good Å¿ Acts 8. Secondly the meanes is The inward meanes for faith the Spirit of God inward whereby faith is wrought in us and this is the blessed Spirit of God which softneth and openeth our hearts and maketh them as good ground that when the seed of the Word is cast into them it taketh deepe rooting and bringeth forth the blessed fruit of faith The Apostle saith that his preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit that their faith might 1 Cor. 2 4. 5 be in the power of God and the preaching of the Gospell is tearmed a ministration of the Spirit u 2 Cor. 3. yea hee useth this phrase the Spirit of faith w 2 Cor. 8 15. because that faith is wrought inwardly by the spirit Thus yee see that faith is wrought inwardly in us by the spirit outwardly by the Word Now to propound a question and answer it Quaes How the Gospell How the Gospell works faith works faith Resp When the Gospell is preached First That commands us to beleeve in Christ and promises salvation and when wee come to heare the Spirit of God moves us for to heare and hee opens our hearts as hee did the heart of Lydia Secondly Vpon diligent hearing the Lord inlightens the minde to conceive and understand the way of salvation Thirdly Vpon this inlightning the great God perswades us to beleeve x Act. 15. 7 1 Cor. 3. 4 Fourthly After this God inclines the heart to be affected with the goodnes of the things promised which is salvation and to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Fifthly The Lord perswades the heart to trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation Now as this knowledge serves to humble us so it will bring us to this knowledge that faith is not common this confutes the Atheists confuted Atheists that think and say so all of them say that they beleeve but faith is a gift yea a most rare gift of God God sent his Patriarchs in the ancientest age of the world and could finde no faith he sent his Prophets in a latter generation and could finde no faith last of all he sent his owne Sonne a man approved of God and approved his doctrine with miracles and signes following and could finde no faith and when the Sonne of man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth y Luk. 18. 8 We reade but of two beleevers in the hoste of Israell a Num. 14. But of eight in all the old world b 1 Pet. 3. 20. But of one family that beleeved in all Asia c 2 Tim. 1. 26. But of a hundred and twentie in all Christs time d Act. 1. 15 But of a few in all Sardis e Rev. 3. 4. Caro sanguis non dant fidem sed Pater in Coelis Flesh and blood give not faith but the Father in heaven Many boast of faith but if they have any it is the Divels faith Nay many beleeve not so much as the Divell doth but say with the foole non est Deus non est Daemon non est infernus non est Coelum there is no God no Divell no hell no heaven And in that some few beleeve it is by grace not by nature Secondly it is said in the description wrought in the heart of a sinner and this must not bee understood indefinitly of any sinner or every sinner for First
The Divels are sin ners and yet they cannot have a saving faith and the reason is because they have no saving promise Secondly Reprobates are sinners and they have it not because it belongs only to the elect By sinners then understand such as know and beleeve themselves to bee sinners and have neede of Christ and Gods mercy such as use all meanes to have Christ that are undone without him these are they in whose hearts the Lord is pleased to work this grace Thirdly it is said whereby a sinner trusts in the Lord Iesus that is rests relies builds upon him cast himself upon the Lord for salvation the sinner owes a debt which must be paid now Christ hath promised to pay it he beleeves it and trusts in him knowing whosoever trusts in him shall be saved Lastly it is said for eternal blessednes Which consists in our deliverance from all hellish and eternall torments and the injoying of everlasting happinesse for soule and body it is called blessednesse because it comprehends all that can make a man perfectly blessed Eternall because it never shall have an end Thus much for faith The third thing that wee are to Repentance to be examined examine before we come to the Table of the Lord is Repentance Now the Reason is because there is a Repentance A false Repentance in the World like true re-Repentance but is not all is not gold that glisters First There is a Repentance which causes a kinde of remorse this was in Saul he lift up his voyce and wept f 1 Sam. 24 15. 16. 17. Secondly There is a Repentance which confesseth sinne this was in Iudas I have sinned saith he g Mat. 27. 3. in Pharaoh I have sinned the Lord is righteous I and my people are wicked h Exod. 9. 27. Thirdly There is a Repentance also which causes praying and fasting this was in Ahab Fourthly There is a Repentance which commeth to restitution Iudas brought againe the silver i Mat. 27. 34. Now all this may bee and yet no true Repentance so that wee may bee deceived and take that for true Repentance that is not true Repentance that changeth the heart Where there is true Repentance there is an aptnesse to ascend the affections are set on heaven and heavenly things k Col. 3. 2. if there were neither heaven nor hell such would be holy it is meate and drinke to them to doe their Fathers Will they will grow in grace and in Knowledge But seeing that there is a false Repentance like true Repentance let us see what true Repentance is Repentance may thus bee described Repentance descrâ—bed to be A present turning from all evill to all good wrought by God in the hearts of all that shall be saved In which description we may spend time in examining of many things as First In examining our Knowledge concerning the Act of Repentance Secondly The time of Repentance Thirdly The termes of Repentance Fourthly The Author of Repentance Fiftly The subject of Repentance First concerning Repentance Repentance Act is turning Act. Now the Act of Repentance or forme of it is turning Obs True Repentance is a turning By the sinne of our nature and practice wee have turned our selves away from God and cannot see his face and favour towards us now it is Repentance that turnes us back againe let us search and try our wayes saith the Prophet and turne againe unto the Lord l La. 3. 40. It is not onely a turning but is more First It is a whole turning Repentance turnes wholly Secondly It is a continuall turning First it is a whole turning the whole man turnes Reason because the Reas whole man is turned away from God and naturally and wholly evill m Gen. 6. The imaginations of his heart are evill all the imaginations of it are evill Secondly as it is a whole turning so it is a continuall Turnes continually turning True Repentance is a continued act of turning a Repentance never to be repented of a turning never to turne againe to folly if this were not the remedy would be short of the disease for the whole man is turned from God by sinne and Repentance must turne the whole man back againe Now the knowledg of this will teach us two things First That man hath ever something within him to turne from a flesh still resisting the Spirit many temptations of Satan many wicked fashions of the World Secondly That he can never get neare enough to God in this life nor ever turne so neare him as once he was and therefore he must proceede on till he doe attaine The second thing to Repentance time to day examine our Knowledge of concerning Repentance is the time Repentance time Now the time of Repentance is present so that Obs True Repentance is speedy Repentance hee that repents truly repents speedily to day whilst it is called to day The first thing the godly-man will set about is to repent he lookes First At God Secondly At himselfe Thirdly At othes Fourthly At his sinnes First hee lookes at GOD True Repentance looks at God First Commanding to day to heare his voyce m Psal 95. 7. First to seeke the Kingdome of God n Math. 6. 33. Secondly Grieving sinne greives his blessed spirit now the godly will greive God no more I as his Spirit to morrow will bee more grieved so his patience will bee more abused and his wrath increased Secondly as Repentance lookes True Repentance lookes at mens selves at God so also at a mans selfe and so begins betimes Reas 1. Because before Repentance wee can neither pray nor heare nor receive the Sacrament to our comfort whosoever will have any thing to doe with God or expects any thing from God must wash and make cleane so saith the Lord by the Prophet wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes n Isa 1 61 17 18. Then come let us reason together then come and pray come and heare come and receive Reas 2. Because to morrow wee shall bee more unfit qui non est hodie Cras minus aptus erit To morrow First The heart will bee more hardned Secondly The conscience more seared Thirdly The will more crooked Fourthly Corruption more rooted Thirdly Repentance lookes True Repentance lookes at others at others That they might bee brought into the way That so there might bee one Sheepe-fold and one Shepheard the Lord Jesus Christ Lastly Repentance lookes True Repentance lookes at sinne at sinne And sees it is good to begin betimes the longer it is before wee repent the more sinnes wee have to repent of First More in number Secondly More in strength Sinne is still ingendring and groweth more fruitfull The godly man therefore will not procrastinate It is Satan that tempts men with a delay he dares not say that Repentance is not needfull onely to deceive the simple he
and having begunne in the spirit should end in the flesh Fourthly That his desire The godly dâ—sire the continuance of meanes is that hee may continue under the meanes of grace One thing saith David have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life b Psal 27. 9. This is the godly mans care that he may keepe judgment and doe righteousnesse at all times c Psal 106 3. That he may feare alwayes Now let us examine our Knowledge concerning the motives to obedience and here it concernes all men to know that God is constant in love unto us The first Motive That God is constant in his love to us he hath loved God constant in his Love us and he doth love us and he will love us he will never give over Motive the second The wicked man continueth The wicked constant in sinne in sinne nothing will make them forsake it the mercie of God will not allure them nor the judgements of God terrifie them but for all that is done this they will doe even breake the lawes of God and his just commandements behinde their backes Motive the third All Creatures serve and obey him there is no Creature All Creatures obey God that God made but in his Kinde yeilds some delight and content unto God that made them he rejoyceth saith the Psalmist in all the Workes of his hands d Psa 104. 31. And is it not a shame that man whom hee made above all to take pleasure and delight in that man should not obey him Motive the fourth God is a royall pay-master God a royall pay-master in keeping the commandements of God there is great reward in our fathers house there is bread enough the wicked they shall have nothing but husks his children shall have bread I bread enough God is alwayes paying his children wages and never thinks they have wages enough he it is that gladeth us dayly with his benefits e Psa 68. 19. God to us hath given his Sonne and with him all things his Face was buffeted his Cheeks nipped his Eyes blinded his Hands nailed his Side lanched with a Speare he was as water powred out all his Bones were out of joynt his Heart like wax molten within the middest of his Bowells his strength was dryed up like a potsheard his tongue did cleave to his Jawes and he was brought unto the dust of death f Psal 22. 14 15. Non ergo caput faciem oculos manus cor illi trademus ut illi serviamus must wee not therefore give him Head Hands Eyes Face and Heart to serve him wee must not give our Members Weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne what then wee must give our selves to God and our Members of righteousnesse to serve God Thus much for the fourth thing every receaver must examine namely Obedience Now come wee to the fift and that is Love Our love towards God and reconciliation of our selves towards our neighbours for in vaine shall wee pretend Knowledge boast of Faith glory of Love to God must be examined Repentance if we faile in our love First wee must examine this Our love to God for if any man love him not let him bee Anathema Maranatha g 1 Cor. 16. 22. Every receiver must know First that God hath commanded God commands love this that we may know whether wee doe love him and might keepe our selves in his love i Deut. 6 5 Deut. 11 12. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God saith hee and againe what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare him and love him this by our Lord and Saviour is called the great Commandement the commander is great the object is great the use of the duty is great and their reward is great that care to doe it Secondly God doth love us and it is a matter of equity that wee Matter of equity to love should requite love with love againe for though we cannot love him as we ought and as hee loveth us yet must wee love for ours is an ascending his a descending love and love descending is more is more naturall more fervent and vehement then love ascending as wee see in Parents who love their children better then their children love them besides God loved us when wee were his enemies i Eph. 2. durus est animus qui si dilectionem nolebat impendere nolet rependere S. Augu. S. Augu. his heart is Oake not flesh but Flint that though hee will not beginne to love yet finding Love will shew no love Thirdly examine wee Loves commodity must because of the commodity for if this bee in us then First our Faith produceth those good duties which we owe unto God for Faith is as one hand receiving Love as the other giving for Faith worketh by Love k Gal. 6. 6. Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores such as our love is such is our life an holy love an holy life an earthly love an earthly life if a mans love be set on God his life must needs be good and though this bee certaine that a man is justified by Faith l Rom. 3. yet this is as certaine that the life of a man is justified by love Secondly having this love wee may know in what estate wee are in Saint Augustine saith Duas S. Augu. civitates duo faciunt amores Hierusalem facit amor dei Babyloniam amor seculi interroget ergo se quisque quid amat inveniet unde sit civis Two loves make two Cities the love of God maketh Hierusalem the love of the World Babylon therefore let but every man examine what hee loves and hee shall see in what estate hee is and to what City hee belongs As a man by looking upon a Diall may know the motion of the Sunne in Heaven so by looking upon the thing hee loveth he may know in what hee standeth whether hee belong to Babylon or Jerusalem to Heaven or Hell to God or the Divell Thirdly The love of Love ingenders love the godly will bee ingendred in us Fourthly This love is Love as strong as death as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our love to God doth mortify our love to the World and dispels rancor wrath malice and as the rising of the Sunne doth chase away the darknesse of the night so the love of God drives away the inordinate love of Worldly vanities Now it is not sufficient to know that God must be loved but wee must also know how God is to be loved This our Saviour sheweth m Matt. 22 37. How God is to be loved Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde First wee must love him God must be loved with all the heart with all