is a Rule of Righteousness Secondly When it is Resolute without Doubting as Joshua's was Josh 24.15 And the Reason of it is Because Resolution is the foundation of all Religion And because of the fickleness of our Spirits there being in every one of us the same seeds which there are in others of apostatizing from the Living God Thus of Obedience The Tryal of Love Q. WHat is the Fifth Sacramental Grace to be examined before you come to the Sacrament A. It is Love Q. What is that Love you are to examine A. Our Love to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and our Love to the Saints and to our Enemies Q. What signs have you of your Love to God A. 1. If it be a superlative Love to him above all the World and all the Creatures in it our Nearest and Dearest Relations even Life it self Matth. 22.37 Luke 10.22 Q. How else A. If it be with a fervent Love with all our heart and soul and mind and strength Deut. 6.5 Q. How else A. If it be with a Love of complacency and delight Psal 4.4 6. Psal 73.25 Q. How else A. If it be with a love of Assimulation it makes us like to him Holy as he is Holy 1 Pet. 1.15 Q. How else A. If it be an Obediential Love 1 Pet. 1.17 1 Joh. 5.2 3 4. Q. How else do you know you love God at your Father A. By this that he adopted me for his Child in Christ from all Eternity Ephes 1.5 Joh. 1.37 Q. How else A. By this That when â—he fulness of time was come he sent forth his Son made of a woman and made under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. Q. How else A. By this That by his Word and Spirit he hath wrought faith in me John 1.12 Q. How else A. By this that I have the nature of my Father and a desire and endeavour to be holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 Q. How else A. By this that my Desire and endeavour if to carry my self as a child towards him by studying and labouring to know him and love him and fear him and reverence and obey him and depend on him for all the good I stand in need of for soul and body me and mine this life and a better Psal 9.10 Q. How do you know the truth of your love to his Son the Lord Jesus Christ A. By this that I am willing to receive whole Christ and give up my whole self to Christ Q. How doth it appear that you receive whole Christ A. By this that I receive him on his own terms as my alone Lord Jesus Christ and my alone Mediator King Priest and Prophet Q. How do you know you receive him as your alone Lord A. By my renouncing all other Lords that command besides him and contrary to him and subject my self only and wholly to his command and service Isa 26.13 Q. How do you know you receive him as your alone Jesus A. By this my renouncing my own righteousness and desiring to be found only in his Phâ—l 3.8 9. Q. How do yâ—u know you receive him for your alone Christ A. 1. By this that I am anointed with the same spiritual unction of his Grace 1 Joh. 2.27 2. By this that I labour to observe and perform those offices to which I was anointed sc to be a King to govern my Family a Priest to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices in it and a Prophet to teach and instruct them Rev. 1.6 Q. How do you know that he is your Mediator A. By this that I renounce all other Mediators as Angels and Saints and do whatsoever I do in his Name Mediation and Worthiness Col. 3.17 Q. How do you know you love him as your Prophet A. By this that I am willing to be taught and guided only by his Word and Spirit in my whole conversation and not follow any further than they follow him Joh. 10.4 5. 1 Cor. 11.1 Isa 30.21 Q. How do you know you love him as your Priest A. By this 1. My high prizing of his righteousness above my own accounting all my own as filthiness and but Dross and Dung Isa 64.6 Phil. 3.7 8. Q. How else A. 2. By my continual seeking unto him for all that pardoning purging and sanctifying Grace I stand in need of 1 John 1.6 Q How do you know you love him as your King A. By my desire to know his Laws and yield universal obedience to them Joh. 15.14 my continual fighting his battels against all his and my spiritual enemies 2 Tim. 4.8 and my dependance on him for power and victory over them Col. 2.15 Q. How do you know you give up your wholâ— self to him A. By this 1. My willingness to deny my self take up his cross and follow him Mark 8.34 and 2. By my desire and endeavour to glorifie him both in my soul and body 1 Cor. 6. lâ—st Q. How do you know you love the Holy Ghost A. 1. By this my giving up my self to be his habitation to dwell in and Temple to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices in 1 Cor. 6.19 Q. How else A. By my hearkning to and obeying his call to faith and repentance Isa 30.21 my nourishing and cherishing his holy motions and resisting the temptations of my spiritual enemies 1 Thes 5.19 and 1 Pet. 5.9 Q. How else A. By my living in the Spirit and walking after the Spirit Gal. 5.25 Rom. 8.14 Q. How else A. By my loving frequenting and delighting in those Ordinances wherein he manifests himself his Word and Sacrament Psal 84. 122.1 Q. How else A. By my entring on Duty in his strength Ephes 6.10 and giving him the whole glory of my ability 1 Cor. 15.10 Q. How else A. By still blessing him for those special gifts and graces acts and operations in my soul as saving illumination vocation regeneration consolation supplication and sealing me up to the Day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 Q. How do you know that you love those that are Gods and Christs and the Spirits A. By this that my Love is a Brotherly Love Heb. 12.1 Q. What is that Brotherly Love Love defined A. It is a Fruit of the Spirit in the hearts of the Regenerate whereby they are kindly affectioned one to another being careful to express it by endeavouring the good of others souls and bodies especially the Saints Gal. 6.10 Rom. 12.10 Signs of Love Q. What signs can you give me of the truth of your Love 1 Sign A. 1. The Rise of it When it ariseth from the Love of God to them 1 John 5.1 And the command of God to love them 1 Joh. 4.21 Joh. 15.12 17. Q. How else do you know the truth of your Love 2 Sign A. 2. By the Properties of it Q. What is one Property of true Love A. 1. The Purity of it when it comes from a pure heart 1 Cor. 6.11 1 Pet. 1.22 Q. What is
another A. 2. When it is Spiritual Love and set on others for Spiritual ends and not for Carnal namely for Christs sake and for Grace sake and for Truth sake 1 Joh. 5.1 Mat. 10.40 41 42. 2 Joh. 1 2. Q. What is another A. 3. When it is Impartial Love Love to all the Saints one as well as another the Poor as well as the Rich the bound as well the free Col. 1.3 4. James 2.1 to 10. Q. What is another A. 4. When it is Universal to all sorts Foes as well as Friends after the example of God who loved us when we were enemies to him Mat. 5.43 44 45. Psal 35.12 13. Rom. 5.8 yet especially to the Saints Psal 16.2 3. 1 Pet. 2.17 Q. What is another A. 5. When it is a Cordial and Sincere Love from the heart not only in Word and in Tongue but also in Deed and in Truth 1 Joh. 3.18 Rom. 12.9 Q. What is another A. 6. When it is an Operative or working Love Working 1. Inwardly in well-wishing and fellow-feeling of others Sufferings 3 Joh. 2 3. Rom. 12.15 2. Outwardly 1. In well-doing Gal. 6.9 10. 2. Reconciliation to others Matth. 5 23 24. Mat. 6.14 15. And 3. Satisfaction for wrongs done Luke 19.8 Q. What is another A. When it is Permanent and constant in all estates in Prosperity and Adversity in Life and Death Ruth 1.16 17. 1 Cor. 13.13 Q. How do you know you love your enemies A. By this that I can pray for them Matth. 5.44 Acts 7.60 Luke 23.34 Q. How else A. By this that I can heartily forgive their trespasses against me as God for Christs sake forgave me without seeking any Retaliation Ephes 4.32 Col. 3.13 1 Pet. 2.1 Q. How else A. By this that I am willing and ready to do them good for the evil they have done to me Rom. 12.20 Thus of Love The Tryal of a Holy Desire Q. WHat is the Sixth Sacramental Grace to be examined before you come to the LORDS SVPPER A. Whether we have a Spiritual Appetite or holy Desire to the Sacrament Q. What is this Holy Desire A. It is a Gracious affection of a Gracious heart A Holy Desire defined carrying the soul out after Spiritual things in a Spiritual manner and for Spiritual Ends Isa 26.8 9. Q. How do you know the truâ—h of a Spiritual Appetite Signs of a Holy Desire or Holy Desire to the Sacrament A. 1. By the Rise of it 1. Sign Q. How by the Rise of it A. 1. When it ariseth from a sight and sense of our own weakness of Grace Mark 9.24 Luke 15.17 Q. How else dâ—th it arise A. 2. When it ariseth from a sight and sense of the Fulness that is in Christ for the supply of all our wants Luke 15.17 Câ—l 1.19 Cant. 4.16 Q. How else A. 3. When it ariseth from a principle of Grace Psal 40.8 Q. How else A. 4. When it ariseth from experience of the sweetness and goodness of God in his Ordinances 1 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. Q. How else do you know the truth of a Holy Desire 2 Sign A. 2. By the Properties of it Q. What is one Property of a Holy Desire A. 1. When it is Sincere after Grace as well as Glory Holiness as well as Happiness Psal 73.24 25. Q. What is another A. 2. When it sets a high Price and Value upon the thing desired as Paul Phil. 3.7 8 9. And as the wise Merchant Mat. 13.46 Q. What is another A. 3. When it is Industrious Earnest and Restless in the use of means for obtaining the thing desired For he that truly hungers and thirsts will endeavour in the use of means to have it allayed Isa 26.9 1 Pet. 2.2 Q. What is another A. 4. When it is firm and strong still growing Phil. 3.14 Psal 119.20 Q. What is another A. 5. When it is constant until it obtain Psal 119.20 And as Jacob Gen. 32.26 Q. How else do you know it A. 3. By the Fruits and Effects of it 3 Sign Q. What is one Fruit of it A. 1. When it is Glad of and Rejoyceth in the Opportunities of enjoying Communion with God in his Ordinances Psal 122.1 Isa 2.3 Q. What is another A. 2. When there is Retention When the soul not only closeth with Spiritual food but keeps it and digests it Heb. 3.14 Q. What is another A. 3. When it makes a man Impatient of delays Psal 42.2 Psal 84.2 Q. What is another A. 4. When a man takes content in nothing without Christ and Gods Love and favour in him Cant. 3.1 2 3. Q. What is another A. 5. When the soul is content with Christ and Grace in the want of all other things Psal 4.6 7. Q. What is another A. 6. When it Patients and quiets the soul in and under Sufferings from God and man Heb. 10.34 Q. What is another A. 7. When it moderates the desires after the things of the world Prov. 30.8 9. Q. What is another A. 8. When we are made willing to part with Temporals for Spirituals 2 Chron. 11.13 14. Q. What is another A. 9. When we are made willing to lay out all that strength and benefit that we have received by the Ordinance in the Service of God 1 Kings 19.8 Thus of a Holy Desire And thus of Habitual Preparation to the Sacrament of the Lords SUPPER OF Actual Preparation TO THE Lords Supper Question WHat is Actual Preparation Answer It is the Renewing Acting Actual preparation defined and Exercising of those Habits of Graces which we have found in our selves Q. Why is every one to Renew Act and Exercise those Graces before he come to the Sacrament A. 1. Because else they will lye dead in our souls and it will be all one as if we had them not if we do not Act and Exercise them Q. Why else A. 2. Because we are commanded at all times to stir up the Graces of God in us 2 Tim. 1.6 Q. Why else A. 3. Because else we shall Receive unworthily as the Corinthians did because they did not renew and act their Repentance before they came 1 Cor. 11.30 31 32. Q. How are we to renew act and exercise the former Graces A. 1. By Meditation and examination what our defects are in the former Graces 2. By humbling our selves under them 3. By Begging the Pardon of them and power over them and that this Pardon may be Sealed up to us in the Sacrament and given unto us by the Spirit of Christ for the enabling of us to walk more worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing Q. HOw are you to stir up the Grace of Knowledge before the Sacrament The stirring up the Graces before the Sacrament 1. Knowledge A. 1. By humbling our selves under our former coming to the Table of the Lord in so much Ignorance 2. By Labouring to get a more distinct Knowledge of those things which we do know 3. By dwelling awhile upon the meditation of
the Excellency Necessity and Utility of those things that we do know 1 Joh. 2.3 4. Q. How are you to stir up the Grace of Faith before the Sacrament 2. Faith A. 1. By taking notice of the want and weakness of our Faith wherein we have manifested unbelief since we were last at the Lords Table 2. By meditating upon the freeness fulness and sweetness of the Promises 3. By considering the Lords kind Invitation and hearty welcome of upright hearts Cant. 5.1 Q. How are you to stir up the Grace of Repentance before you come to the Sacrament 3. Repentance A. 1. By searching out our special sins that we have committed since we were last at the Table of the Lord Lam. 3.40 2. By a free a full and particular confession of them Prov. 28.13 1 Tim. 1.13 3. By sound humiliation under them and self-condemnation for them James 4.9 10. 1 Cor. 11.31 4. By earnest Supplication for the pardon of them and power over them in and by the Use of the Sacrament 4. Obedience Q. How are you to stir up your Obedience before you come to the Sacrament A. 1. By taking notice what our omissions defects and failings have been in our Obedience 2. By bewailing them before the Throne of Grace 3. By renewing our Covenant with God of new and better Obedience of more forwardness to it and Spiritualness and fruitfulness in the use of the Sacrament 5. Love Q. How are you to stir up your Love before you câ—me to the Sacrament A. 1. By taking notice of our wants and defects in our Love to Christ or any of his 2. By humbling our selves under all our unkindnesses to them 3. By a willingness and readiness to seek and accept of Reconciliation with others 4. By a Resolution and endeavour to manifest more fruits of Love and mercy to the Souls and Bodies of others especially those that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6.10 Q. How are you to stir up your Holy desire to thâ— Sacrament before you come 6. Holy Desire A. 1. By taking notice of our great want of Christ and need of Grace 2. By meditating on the great worth of Christ and the Alsufficiency of Christ and the readiness of Christ to supply all our wants 3. By considering the Greatness of the Feast the greatest that ever Heaven and Earth affords and the greatness of the Feast-maker being no other than the King of Kings 4. By considering the Lords Gracious invitation of us and the many precious Promises that he hath made to supply all our wants Psal 81.10 Psal 145.18 19. Of stirring up the Graces in the Sacrament 1. Knowledge Q. HOw are you to stir up the Grace of knowledge in the Vse of the Sacrament A. By a serious meditation of these Three things 1. The Greatness of the Majesty in whose presence we are 2. The Excellency of the Matter which we partake of 3. The things Signified by the Elements and the Actions about them Q. How are you to stir up your Faith in the Vse of the Sacrament 2. Faith A. By making particular Application of all the Sacramental Promises and Sacramental Actions and Sacramental Ends and Sacramental Benefits that are Signed Sealed and Exhibited in the Sacrament to any true Believer That they are Signed Sealed up and Exhibited to my self in particular Q. How are you to stir up your Repentance in the Vse of the Sacrament 3. Repentance A. By labouring to have our hearts feelingly affected with Godly sorrow for sin which was the principal in the Death â—nd Sufferings of Christ and so hating sin as never to leave pursuing it until we have the death of that which was the cause of the Death of Christ Q. How are you to stir up your Obedience in the Vse of the Sacrament A. By Renewing our Covenant of more circumspect walking for the future 4. Obedience and fetching Vertue from Christ to walk before him in new and better Obedience Q. How are you to stir up the Grace of Love to Christ in the Vse of the Sacrament A. 1. We are to stir up our Love to Jesus Christ 5. Love by taking notice of his wonderful Love to us in taking our Nature upon him and in Doing and Suffering that in our nature for us which neither we our selves nor the whole Creation were able to do and suffer for us Q. How else A. 2. By taking notice wherein we are or have been defective in our Love to him and humbling our selves under our failings and renewing our Covenant of more expressions of Love to him than ever Q. How are you to stir up the Grace of Love to the Saints in the Vse of the Sacrament A. By taking notice wherein we have been defective in our Love to them and humbling our selves under it and renewing our Covenant of exercising more Love to others and endeavouring to go in and out before others in all offices of Love Q. How are you to stir up your Holy Desire in the Vsâ— of the Sacrament 6. Holy Desire A. By opening our mouth wide that he may fill it and by an earnest expectation of all the good things Signed Sealed up and Exhibited in the Sacrament to all true believers Psal 81.10 A Right Disposition in the time of Administration of the Sacrament Q. WHat is Required at the time of the Administration of the Sacrament 4 Things Required in the time A. Four things 1. Reverence 2. Meditation 3. Affection 4. Prayer I. Reverence Q. What Reverence is Required A. It is both Outward and Inward 1. Outward To fix our eye upon the Elements and the Actions of the Minister about them 2. Inward in a sense of our own unworthiness and an endeavour to approve our hearts to God in all we do Q. What are those things that we are to Meditate on II. Meditation in the use of the Sacrâ—ment A. 1. We are to Meditate on the near Resemblance 1. On the Resemblances or Relation between the Bread and Wine and the Body and Blood of Christ Q. What are some of those Resemblances A. 1. As the Bread is the staff and strength of our natural Life so is Christ of our Spiritual life 1 Cor. 12.6 2. As the Corn hath much labour bestowed upon it before it come to be Bread so the Lord Jesus Christ suffered much for us before he could become Bread for our Souls 3. As Bread is but one body though it be made up of many Grains so all the faithful are but one Body though they are many Members Q. What Resemblanâ—â—s are there between the Wine and the Blood of Christ A. 1. As Wine quencheth the thirst of the Body so doth the Blood of Christ quench the thirst of the Soul Joh. 4.13 14. 2. As Wine cheereth and maketh glad the heart so doth the Blood of Christ cheer and make glad the drooping Spirits 3. As Wine warmeth the Stomach