Articles of the Christian Faith HE that believes viz. all the fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned a Mark 16.16 John 12.48 Here then examine 1. If you have learned being young what are these Articles or Points of Christian Faith whereinto you were Baptized or Christned and if you can now give a ready account of your Faith and this both in the very words of your Creed and also in the full sense and true meaning of each Article thereof b James 2.18 1 â—et 3.15 2. Do you stedfastly believe the infallible truth of each Article though perhaps you understand it not in its full extent Are you zealously affected with them all resolved to die in this Faith and if occasion be to die for it â— Tim. 6.2 â— Tim. 4.7 resisting even unto bloud whatever may oppose or infringe the same earnestly contending for that faith which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles of our Lord c Jude 3. 3. Dost thou not onely believe with the heart but also frequently confess this faith with the mouth for as with the heart man believeth unto righteousness so with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation d Rom. 10.10 4. Have neither the senseless neglect of some nor the profane scoffs of others made thee also neglect or be ashamed to confess thy Faith in publick And if so thy Faith is not sincere for he that truly believeth in God will not be ashamed * Rom. 10.11 openly to profess it remembring that there is a dismal shame and confusion of face threatned to him that is ashamed of Christ and his words f Mark 8.38 which are summ'd up in the Creed 5. Hast thou lived in the practice of this Faith framing both the affections of thy heart and the actions of thy life according to what each Article doth imply and implicitely command For thus the just man lives by his Faith g Hab. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 6. Have you not been mistaken in the nature of a true Christian Faith making it to be a presumption upon the Promises of the Gospel abstract from obedience to the Precepts thereof And hath not thy Faith been rather notional in the Brain then practicall in the heart and life been more in talk and dispute and verbal profession then in love and good works h Gal. 5.6 Jam. 2.17 and holy conversation For the Kingdome of God is not in word but in power i 1 Cor. 4.20 of holy actions CHAP. IV. The Rule of Self-examination by the DECALOGVE or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of thy life TO obey God's Commands is properly to serve him a Eccles. 12 13. which is frequently affirmed to be the plain road-way to Heaven b Matt. 19.17 Rev. 14.12 And 't were a high presumption Aug. de Sanct. as S. Augustine observes to hope to obtain what God has promised except we carefully observe what he has commanded These Commandments are the same which God spake in the 20. Chap. of Exodus c Matt. 19.18 19. Mark 10.19 the rule of Righteousness being the same under the Law and under the Gospell onely in the one 't is more plainly and fully understood then in the other Here then a more large and particular Examination of thy self is required viz. by all the Duties commanded and Sins forbidden in the Precepts of the Morall Law The First Commandment Thou shalt have none other Gods but me Examination by the First Commandment THe Duties enjoyned in this Commandment are I. To believe in God Since Faith in God is the ground of all religious worship examine First Heb. 11.6 Whether truly and without all doubting or harbouring any secret Atheistical thoughts you do believe the being of God and his providence over all Secondly Joh. 4.24 1 Tim. 1.17 Ecclus. 16.11 12. Psal 77.13 14. Deut. 28.58 That you believe of him what he truly is a pure spiritual invisible Essence a God most wise most holy eternal and infinite infinitely merciful and infinitely just infinitely great and glorious omnipotent and immortal without beginning of daies or end of time Gen. 21.33 Ps 90.2 Matt. 5.48 and in a word that his excellency perfection and felicity in himself is beyond all that the wit of man can conceive Thirdly Job 11.7 Is 40.28 That you believe in him as the great Creatour of the world Redeemer of all men and Sanctifier of his Church and people Matt. 28.19 1 Joh. 5.7 three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all blessed for ever And because the Faith of most iâ— but notional and verbal onely daily decaying as the world draws nearer to an end Luke 18.8 examine the sincerity of your Faith by these essential properties thereof 1. Acts 15.9 If it purifie your hearts from all unworthy thoughts of God and vile affections that separate from him 2. If it encrease divine Love in your heart which was Mary Magdalen's Faith Luk. 7.47 3. If it make you devout and intense in your Prayers which was the woman of Canaan's Faith Matt. 15.28 4. If thereby you cleave unto God and make him your choice above all the pleasures and treasures of the world Heb. 11.24 25 26. which was Moses's Faith 5. If it make you strong to resist even unto bloud Heb. 11.33 34. which was the Faith of all Martyrs 6. If it bring forth the fruits of good works which was Cornelius's Faith Acts 10.2 Jam. 2.26 and is the life of Faith II. To trust in him 1. Examine first whether both in prosperity and adversity your mind hath so been staid in the Lord Ps 62.1 2 Thess 3.3 as not to be puft up by the one or dejected by the other 2. Have you not betrayed your trust in the care and providence of God 1 Pet. 5.7 so as either to distract your mind with carking cares for worldly concerns or yet to use any unlawful means to acquire or preserve health wealth credit liberty or life it self 3. Have you not leaned to your own understanding Prov. 3.5 1 Tim. 6.17 Jer. 17.5 7. trusted to your own wit policie strength riches nor yet in the favour and power of any mortal man to the weakning of your dependence on God alone III. To hope in him 1. Whether to enjoy God and those joys which are in his presence attainable a Psal 16.11 be the great and main object of your hope b Ps 71.5 Jer. 17.7 as being created after his image and to attain the perfection of your being in the beatifical enjoyment of his Sacred Majesty c Psal 73.24 25 26. 2. Hath your hope to enjoy God been accompanied with a conformitie to the nature of God being holy as he is holy
merciful as he is merciful d 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Luke 6.36 For you hope in vain to see God in Heaven and enjoy him except you be God-like * Matt. 5.8 9. 3. Have you so hoped to enjoy the promises of God as to obey his precepts and be fruitful in all good works Hope in the Lord and be doing good f Psal 37.3 your hope is otherwise but a sinful presumption or the hope of the hypocrite that perisheth g Job 8.13 4. Hath not your hope in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ emboldned you to go on in any known sin unrepented of and banished grace out of thy heart IV. To fear God 1. Hath thy fear of God's Judgments equally balanced thy hope in his Mercies revering his justice and the direful threats and examples thereof in his Holy Word so as not to dare to sin against him Fear the Lord and depart from evil h Psal 4.5 Prov. 3.7 Phil 2.12 2. Have you not more feared to sin in the sight of men then in the presence of God more feared to displease man then to incur the displeasure of the Almighty more feared to lose thy credit amongst thy neighbours and companions then to hazard the loss of God's favour nor yet more feared the penalty of humane Laws then the threatnings of the Divine i Prov. 29.25 Isa 51.12 Luk. 12.4 5. 3. Hath thy Fear of God been rather filial viz. a fear to offend so gracious a Father then servile for fear of punishment But because we are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling k Phil. 2.12 examine whether the filial fear of God prevail in your heart and gather strength over the servile fear till at last it be quite cast out by perfect love l 1 Joh. 4.18 which is the next Duty in this Commandment injoyned V. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all c. This Divine Love includes all these graces Matt. 22.37 38 1 Cor. 13.1 2 c. and all the particulars of the duties we owe unto God And because every man pretends to love God how falsely and deceitfully soever he think or say it therefore this Divine affection is to be strictly examined by these following Rules And 1. as thy Hope so thy Love of God is not sincere except thou be in some good measure conformed to his nature pure as he is pure just good gracious as God is so Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love 2. If the will of God be the rule of thy will and moderatour of all thy affections Ps 97.10 Matt. 5.44 Luk. 14.26 loving what he loves hating what he hates even to the love of thine enemies and hatred of thy friends if in competition with the love of God 3. If the chief end of all your actions be to please God 1 Thess 2.4 Matt. 18.8 Matt. 10.37 more then to please your self or to pleasure any person how great and high how near or dear soever 4. Ps 122.1 Isa 2.3 Ps 27.4 Ps 42.1 2. Ps 71.20 c. Matt. 5.16 1 Pet. 2.12 If it be the joy of your heart to come into the House of the Lord to converse with him in holy prayers publick and private to contemplate his perfections and felicities so as to be inflamed with longing desires and affectionate breathings after him to glorifie him both with heart and voice both with your lips and in your life 5. If you be quick ready active Joh. 14.15 regular and constant in your Obedience to all his Commandments 6. If you long to have a more full enjoyment of God in the world to come Ps 63.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.18 and 5.1 2 3. and do not rather prefer a troublesome temporary abode in this life before the pleasures of God's right hand in the other By these Rules you may examine your self whether you love God in deed and in truth and not in conceit and verbally onely VI. To call upon God and give him Thanks In the habitual practice of the former Graces of the Spirit consists the worship of God in Spirit Joh 4.23 24. and they are all put in practice chiefly by holy Prayers unto God and Praises of him which is therefore the principal part of God's outward worship And Psal 50.23 1. Here examine how frequently you have slighted and omitted to call upon God being hereunto obliged Ps 134 2â— Matt. 6.6 Ps 55.17 Eccl 11.6 both publickly in the congregation and privately in your closet morning and evening at least signified by the morning and evening sacrifice 2. How often hath any slight occasion and pretence made you neglect this indispensable duty of Prayer especially the publick prayers of the Church and have you not been secretly glad when any such occasion hath happened 3. Being come into the House of God have you not neglected to joyn in the prayers and service of God there celebrated and through ignorance and dulness or a sinful shame omitted to lift up your voice in the congregation Eph. 5.19 Ps 106.48 to praise the Lord in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs and audibly to say Amen to the prayers of the Church For 't is not the Minister's duty onely to pray and preach in the Church but in the Temple of the Lord doth every man speak of his honour Psal 29.9 4. Eccles. 5.2 Have you not been too rash with your mouth to utter any thing before God that is either unfit impertinent or unlawful to be asked but have first weighed all your words in the balance of the Sanctuary Hos 14.2 Matt. 6.9 and have framed all your prayers according to the pattern which our Lord hath given us both by his own prayer and the prayers of his Church 5. Have you prayed for others viz. all Superiours and relations of every 1 Tim. 2.1 kind and not onely for such as are your friends Matt. 5.44 but for your very enemies also 6. Have you first endeavoured to purifie your heart from all hypocrisie Jam. 4.8 and to cleanse your hands from all your actual sins by true repentance before you make your approaches to the most Holy God by prayer 7. Do you practise as you pray in the careful use of those means which God hath appointed James 1.6 7 8. to obtain your petitions 8. Do you daily praise God for his great glories in himself and give him thanks for his manifold graces Eph. 5.20 both general to all men special to his Church and people and particular to your self â—xpressed And do you shew forth the praises of God Matt. 5.16 not onely with your lips but in the good works of your life that others may be thereby excited to glorifie God also The Second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any
by a full confession of them to God and in some cases to Man and that 3. with all contrition and godly sorrow for sin and 4. with a full purpose of amendment Heb. 10.16 17. renewing your covenant with God contracted in the foregoing Sacrament of Baptism and now to be sealed in the Sacrament of Christ's Bloud 4. Have you with all reverence and humility 1 Cor. 6.20 both of Soul and body approached to that Sacrament and have you received the same 1. Ro. 5.1 2. with a lively Faith in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ 2. with all Devotion and thankfulness of heart in the grateful acknowledgment of God's infinite love Joh. 3.16 1 â—im 1.15 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Joh. 6.51 Matt. 5.23 24 25. Isa 12.3 in giving his Son to be both the price of your Redemption and the food of your Soul 3. with an entire and unfeigned Charity towards all men 4. being inwardly affected with a spiritual joy in the Lord 5. After the participation of those divine Mysteries examine 1. whether you feel your former sinful motions sensual and worldly lusts dying and decaying in your heart 2. whether you have any sense of God's mercy refreshing your Soul as to the pardon of your sins past Rom. 14.17 and 3. of Grace quickening and strengthning you to serve God more sincerely and industriously for the time to come If not you may justly suspect your self guilty either of an undue preparation or some sinful defect in the participation thereof And because the Name of God is called not onely upon his Word and Sacraments but also upon the Place where those are administred examine whether you have made your approaches to that House which is called by his Name 1 Cor. 3.17 Ps 93.5 Matt. 21.13 Psal 5.7.132.7 Ps 11.4 Hab 2.20 viz. the Temple of the Lord the house of God c. and demeaned your self therein with that lowly Reverence and Humility both inward and outward as becomes the place that is separate to his service and sanctified by his special presence therein If otherwise remember with horrour if any one defile or profane the Temple of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy 'T is here objected that the immediate following words which Temple ye are do imply this Text to relate to holy Persons not to any holy Houses of God But 't is answered That this makes not void that duty of holiness which becometh the House of God but rather confirms the same for these words which Temple ye are are an illation or consequence flowing from this which the Apostle takes for an undeniable principle The Temple of God is holy And the plain and full meaning of the whole Verse is in other words briefly this The material Temple or House of God is a figure of the mystical Temple or People of God As therefore the material Temple is an holy place being sanctified to the holy Service of the most Holy God and whosoever profanes the same by irreverent and undecent carriage there him will God destroy so the People of God being his mystical Temple must keep themselves undefiled and pure both in heart and life that God destroy them not The Fourth Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day c. Examination by the Fourth Commandment 1. HAve you wisely distinguished betwixt times sacred and profane Ecclus. 33.7 8 9. by esteeming of such days as are devoted to the service of God in a select and separate respect from such as are common or ordinary days allowed for the service of man 2. Have you not omitted the Christian Duties required to the Sanctification of the Lord's day and of every day holy to the Lord viz. 1. the publick Prayers with Thanksgivings Eph. 5.19 Isa 56.7 the Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in the Lord's House 2. the offices of Charity Matt. 12.12 Mar. 3.4 Alms-deeds Visiting the sick 3. Have you not profaned any days devoted to God's publick Worship Isa 56.2 Ex. 20.10 by doing such servile works that might be omitted or by going unnecessary journeys Isa 58.13 or by spending the same in idleness or vain sports luxury and wantonness 4. Have you observed not onely the Festival days Joel 1.14 Matt. 6.16 1 Cor. 7.5 Lev. 16.29 30. but also those daies of Fasting and Humiliation which have been observed in all ages of the Church of Christ by the devout people of God and are injoyned by lawful Superiours in order to the obedience we owe to the Commands of God 5. Have you kept the true Christian spiritual Sabbath which is to rest from the service of sin and to be wholly devoted to the service of God here Heb. 4 9 10 11. so that you may reasonably hope to keep an eternall Sabbath of peace and joy with God and all the Chore of Heaven hereafter The Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Examination by the Fifth Commandment THE Christian Duties enjoyned in this Commandment are as many as there are Relations of Superiority and Inferiority amongst men 1. As to your natural Parents Have you not been stubborn and irreverent in your carriage towards them Deut. 21.18 Prov. 20.20 and 23.22 Prov. 30.17 Pro. 1.8 4.1 13.1 Eph. 5.1 Ecclus. 3.12 13. Mar. 7.11 12. Have you not secretly despised them in your heart nor openly published their infirmities Have you not slighted their wholsome admonitions nor disobeyed their lawful commands Have you not neglected to comfort and relieve them to the best of your power and skill in their sickness wants weakness and old age and have you not secretly coveted their estates though by their death 2. If you be a Father or a Mother of Children examine 1. have you taken care to see they were rightly and in due time Baptized 2. Eph. 6.4 that they be taught as soon as they are able to learn what a solemn Vow was made in their name when Baptized with the Principles of Religion implied therein and depending thereupon 3. to correct them for their offences Heb. 12.9 10 11. that they contract not a custom in sin 4. to give them good example 5. to pray for them in private and openly to give them your blessing 6. Ecclus. 3.9 1 Tim. 5.8 to provide for them according to your ability and not to spend in needless riot or otherwise what ought to have been reserv'd for their maintenance 3. As to your civil Father 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Jud. 8. Pet. 2.10 11. Rom. 13.6 Tit. 3.1 Rom. 13.1 2. Pro. 24.21 Eccles. 10.20 who is the King as Supreme have you not been censorious and malapert in judging and traducing him or his government Have you not grudged to pay him toll or tribute refused to obey his lawful commands had no hand in rising up against him nor contributed thereunto by sowing sedition and faction spreading
thy Cross my Crown and thy Death my Life for ever God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world b Gal. 6.14 III. Meditations out of the Prophet Jeremy IS it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ob that mine head were waters Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the Sufferings of my Saviour Shall I not weep for him who both wept and bled for me yea wept out every drop of his most precious Bloud to deliver me from weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever In the natural Body if one Member suffer all suffer with it and 't is thus in the Body mysticall also If I be a lively Member of Christ his Afflictions will afflict and pierce my heart his Passion will excite both compassion and compunction in my Soul so as to bewail not my Saviour onely but my self and my Sins also to bewail my self and the hardness of my heart that I cannot even with a floud of tears bewail my Saviour in his Sufferings nor yet sufficiently lament and abhor my Sins the causes thereof Upon the Passion of our Lord the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom That Temple mystically represents the Heart of man which signifies by its triangular form that 't is framed to be a Temple consecrated to the thrice-blessed Trinity But woe and alas my Heart is harder then the stones of that material Temple and receives not any deep impressions of that honour and happiness whereunto it was created Yet if any thing will mollify its stifness it must be the precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer which was for this very end shed upon the Cross There he bled whilst he had one drop to shed and there together with his precious Bloud he poured forth his righteous Soul with strong cryings and tears to melt the stony hearts of the sons of men into tears of Penitence and Devotion of divine Love and Obedience The gaping Wounds of my dear Lord are as so many Mouths opened to shew forth the bowels of his Compassion and through the hollow of his pierced Side may the devout Soul behold with the eye of faith his broken Heart flaming with the love of Man and dying for love O senseless ingratefull Soul who art not wounded with the Wounds of thy Saviour who art not throughly pierced with the dart of his Love who was pierced to the heart for the love of thee whose mouth is not continually opened in the praise of him all whose Wounds were as so many mouths praising the Lord for thy Redemption I am surely bound deeply engaged to love to honour to obey and wholly to live unto him who died for me even to give up my self my whole self all that I am and all that I have to his service who gave up his whole self every member of his Body every power of his Soul every drop of his Bloud a Sacrifice for my Sins And the very God of peace sanctify me wholly to his service And I pray God my whole spirit and Soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father BEhold Holy Father thy Blessed Son suffering for me great and grievous things Regard most glorious King who it was that suffered and remember in mercy for whom he suffered Is not this He my Lord even that Innocent one whom to redeem a Servant thou offeredst up being a Son Is not this He even that Authour and Giver of Life who was led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter and became obedient unto thee even unto death and feared not to undergo the most bitter of all deaths Is not this He whom thou the dispenser of all Salvation didst beget from all eternity but in fulness of time wouldst have him partaker of my infirmity This is truly thy Deity who hath put on my mortality who was lifted up on the Cross and in my flesh suffered that sad punishment of a cursed death Look back O Lord my God with the eyes of thy Majesty upon this unspeakable work of mercy Behold thy sweet Son in all the parts of his Body extended and rackt See his innocent Hands flowing with his precious bloud and pardon in great mercy the iniquities which my wicked hands have committed Consider his naked Side pierced with a cruel spear and renew me in the sacred Font which I believe to have issued thence Behold those immaculate Feet which never stood in the way of sinners but alway walked in the Law of the Lord cruelly bored and transfixed with nails remove far from me the way of iniquity and make me to chuse the way of truth to hate and decline the ways of the ungodly and to walk in the paths of thy Commandments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not I beseech thee O King of Saints by him who is the chief of Saints my Blessed Redeemer make me to run the way of thy Commandments that I may be united unto him who abhorred not to be cloathed with my flesh Behold most merciful Creatour the Humanity of thy beloved Son and have mercy upon the infirmity of thy frail creature His naked Breast is white and wan his pierced Side red and bloudy his distorted Bowels wither his splendid Eyes do languish his majestick Countenance is pale his procerous Arms are stiff and cold his marble Thighs hang down whilst his precious Bloud like water bedews his Feet Behold the punishment of God made Man and relax the misery of created man consider the sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the sins of the redeemed This is He my Lord whom thou hast stricken for the sins of thy people although he be thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased This is He who knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and yet he was numbred amongst the Transgressours and bore the sins of many CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the Creatour and Redeemer of all mankind we give thee thanks unworthy though they be yet desire they may be devout and acceptable to thee who for us miserable sinners camest down from Heaven and tookest flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary of her thou vouchsafedst to be born to be wrapt in swadling-cloaths and laid in a manger to suck the breasts to be circumcised in thy tender flesh to be manifested to the Wise men and adored by them to be presented in the Temple to be carried
with the Minister and the Congregation in publick Praiers and Praises of God in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in Confessions Thanksgivings and Benedictions as wherein chiefly the service of God consists Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord even in the Courts of the house of our God Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord b Psal 134.1 2. As for me I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name c Psal 138.2 Thirdly as to your Carriage and Demeanour in the House of God you are commanded Keep thy foot when thou goest unto the house of God d Eccles. 5.1 enjoyning thee 1. to beware of all light unseemly indecent and irreverent carriage and to shew Humility and Devotion in all the Gestures of thy Outward man bowing down thy self and kneeling before the Lord thy Maker * Psal 95.6 before him who made both thy Body and Soul and joyned them together that they might be joyned in his Service So worshipped the people of God the whole congregation bowed themselves with their faces to the ground f 2 Chron. 7.3 And so all good people resolve to doe We will goe into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool g Psal 132.7 2. The foot of the Inward man must also and chiefly be kept upright in the House of God Thy Affections are the feet or motions of thy Soul these must be kept free from all secular Cares pure from all sensuall Lusts clean from all wanton wicked Inclinations yea from all Thoughts of any worldly concerns For ye cannot serve God and Mammon h Matt. 6.24 In the High-priest's forehead was engraven in a plate of gold Holiness to the Lord i Exod. 28.36 and every ordinary Priest was commanded to wash before he entred into the Sanctuary k Exod. 30.19 20. intimating that exact Purity and Holiness which is required of all both Priests and people when we approach the presence of the Lord in his holy Temple So saith the holy man of God Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever l Psal 93.5 and he resolves accordingly I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I goe to thine Altar m Psal 26.6 Be not slothfull and negligent averse and careless backward and tardy in coming to the Church for many and mischievous are the Consequents of coming late For 1. you rob your self of the opportunity of your private Praiers for a Blessing upon the publick 2. You lose the benefit of the publick Confession and Absolution which are of high esteem and value to all who are wisely Religious And 3. to deprive your self wittingly and willingly of any part of God's publick Worship is both a sin and a loss of so great an account as cannot easily be exprest or will be ordinarily believed Against such sinfull sloth and neglect endeavour to have imprinted in your heart the love of God's House and of his Service there performed Say with the man after God's own heart Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth o Psal 26.8 I was glad when they said unto me We will goe unto the house of the Lord p Psal 122.1 Our feet stand in thy gates O Jerusalem q Verse 2. 1. When you come to the Church-door Consider that you are now upon entrance into the Presence-chamber of the Great King of the world whose Throne of glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God this is the Gate of heaven r Gen. ◠16 17. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Yea the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God Blessed are they who dwell in thy House they will be always praising thee †Psal 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple 2. When you are entred and View the Baptisterion or Font Give hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your life's end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great privileges rewards and honours of being a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. When you view the Pulpit Remember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great Day of your Triall Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer onely deceiving your own self 4. When you look up towards the Altar say What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord t Psal 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning 5. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Praier Let thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the praiers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistent to us in all the holy actions of this day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer And since by reason of our Sins we are unworthy to offer up any Sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant mercifull Lord both to me and to all thy faithfull people pardon and peace that being cleansed from all our Sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ Directions relating to some parts of the publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the publick Worship all your private Meditations and Praiers must be waved and your mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in
wills for the Will of God their own Fancies for Divine Illumination the love of themselves for the Love of God and the revelations of flesh and bloud for the Dictates of God's holy Spirit The mind of man saith S. Gregory doth often bely it self and conceits both in a good work to love what truly it loves not and also in an evill work to hate what throughly it hates not nor can such secret collusions of the deceitfull heart of man be throughly sifted and found out until the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed in that great day of a generall examination and triall 1 Cor. 4.5 2. As the end of every Religious action is to be examined whereby the equity or iniquity sincerity or hypocrisy is discerned so the care and caution fervour and devotion of the heart in its performance is to be considered Jer. 48.10 for Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently When the heathen Priests offered Sacrifices to their false gods in the midst of their idolatrous Ceremonies an Herald cried unto them Age quod agis Be intent upon what you are about And 't is surely unreasonable to imagine that the all-seeing spiritual God or the God of the spirits of all flesh should be pleased with any worship or act of Religion where the heart is not wholly intent thereupon and devoted thereunto 3. After any holy action performed in publick examine your own thoughts whether they reflect not upon your own dextrous wit wisedom elocution zeal or holiness for any of which you may expect to be praised and extolled by men And though your heart be so upright as not to seek and hunt after popular applause yet if you be affected and delighted with the praise of men 't is not without some tincture of vain-glory 4. Have you not been so secure and conceited of your Religious performances as to lay your self the more open to after-temptations For the more fervent and frequent you be in holy actions the more earnest and forcible will be your temptations And these also shall the more easily prevail against you the more secure you think your self of the Divine grace and favour upon such or such Religious Duties conscienciously performed CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance HAving by all these particulars examined your self to find out your sins it will be necessary to try your Repentance also that the great Antidote against the poison of sin be not defective nor counterfeit And the first particular herein to be examined is the duty of Examination it self 1. Psal 26.2 Have you daily considered your daily offences duly weighed them and emptied them out of your heart by a full and particular Confession of them in the presence of God 2. Have you so deeply considered your sins in the stain and danger thereof as to beget in your heart true compunction 2 Cor. 7.10 and that godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of 3. Luk. 11.24 Joh. 5.14 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Hath not your Repentance been too often an hypocritical mocking of God by returning again to your sins repented breaking your promises of amendment in time of sickness danger and the like 4. Matt. 3.8 Hos 14.1 2. Dan. 4.27 Have you brought forth fruits meet for Repentance Such are 1. more frequent and hearty Devotions for your sins of ungodliness 2. Alms-givings for your sins of unrighteousness 3. Joel 2.12 Matt. 3.10 7.16 17. Fasting for your sins of Intemperance If the tree of Repentance bring not forth such fruits 't is neither lively nor likely to be accepted CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin 1. HAving discovered the black stains and pollutions of Sin your Soul hath contracted in the strict Examination of your heart and life by the foregoing particulars with what other your own judgment and conscience may suggest unto you your next work must be to empty them all out of your Soul to cast them out with an abhorrence which is to be done by a particular and punctuall Confession of them all unto Almighty God in prayer Num. 5.6 7. Without such a sincere and through Confession of Sin Lev. 16.21 26.40 Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.9 the Pardon thereof is not promised and therefore not likely to be obtained by a bare and naked Faith in Christ who very probably wil not pardon and forgive men their trespasses but upon his terms prescribed 2. 'T is not to be imagined that God therefore commands the Confession of Sins as if he were ignorant or unmindfull of any of our evill doings Psal 90.8 for he hath set even our most secret sins in the light of his countenance But hereby first in all humility we acknowledge our undeservings of the least of God's mercies which secondly Jos 7.19 Quando homo detegit Deus tegit cùm homo celat Deus nudat cùm homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Aug. in Psal does magnify the glory of his grace and the greatness of his glory thirdly we discover our soars to our Physician and our wants of mercy to the Father of mercies our great needs of pardon to the fountain of goodness fourthly we declare our great obligations for pardon granted and mercy obtained fifthly our hearts are excited and our affections inflamed with the greater love of our dear Lord who died to merit so great a mercy sixthly the Confession of sin doth imprint in our hearts the deeper sense with an abhorrence of them and lastly being cordially done 't is an evident sign that we have abjur'd and forsaken them 3. But the outward confession of the mouth without the inward compunction of the heart is but the shell of Repentance without the kernell a carkass without a Soul to quicken it King David 1 King 15.5 Isal 6.6 for his onely Sin in the matter of Vriah every night washed his bed and in the day-time also he watered his couch with his tears Mary Magdalen also with her penitent tears washed the blessed feet of our Lord Luk. 7.38 and such must be a floud of tears and not a few drops onely S. Peter for one single sin Luk. 22.62 wept bitterly and 't is recorded of him that he never heard the cock crow through the course of his life but by a showr of tears he declared the sorrow of his heart for his offence And some of the Fathers have styled Repentance the Baptism of tears Clem. Alex apud Euseb as not to be exactly performed with dry eyes in an outward verbal Confession of Sin 'T is confessed that for sins of daily infirmity small peccadillo's and frequent failings through ignorance inadvertency the daily confession of sins saying devoutly as S. Augustine Forgive us our trespasses as we will be sufficient Quà m magnè deliquimus tam granditer defleamus Poenitentia crimine minor non sit Cypr. Serm. de Laps through
by a timely true Repentance and Amendment that sad and dismall sentence at the last Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire h Matt. 25.41 4. Disobedience to these commands of our Lord in the neglect of this Blessed Sacrament doth declare every such person so neglecting whatever his excuses may be 1. in generall that he is more in love with his Sins then with his Saviour with the errours of his ways then with the Truth that is in Jesus i Eph. 4.21 or 2. more particularly that he prefers either his sloth and negligence or his enmity and maliciousness or his temporall concerns and covetousness or in a word some secular or sensual lust before the purification of his Soul in the Bloud of Christ and its nourishment to life eternall 5. He disobeys the commands slights the orders contemns the discipline of Christ's Church makes no conscience of conforming to the practice of and of holding communion with all sound and orthodox Members of Christ but rather implies nay openly declares that he is none of Christ's number but separate and divided from Christ's mysticall Body which is the Church k Col. 1.24 and consequently not quickened with his Spirit for these two are inseparable one Body the Church and one Spirit l Eph. 4.4 viz. of truth and holiness which quickeneth this one Body and this alone The guilt of any which particulars is so inconsistent with the state of true Christianity that there is no person who reads and seriously considers them can reasonably call himself a Member of Christ or acceptably call upon God as such and yet still continue his neglect of this Blessed Sacrament 6. And this amongst others is one of the greatest causes of so great a decay of Piety of so much dulness and deadness of heart in all Religious performances of so much averseness from the publick Worship of God in his House of prayer and of so much irreverence and profaneness therein 'T is the cause of so many spiritual diseases in the Souls of men of so much weakness against Temptations of so much wavering in opinion of so many Errours Schisms Factions even because the Souls of all such are not fed nourished strengthned and refreshed quickned and confirmed with the precious Body and Bloud of Christ the which being rightly and reverently received illuminates the Understanding purifies the Will cleanses the Heart rectifies the Affections and renders the whole Man apt and active to every good work of the Lord. II. The Second general Duty in order to this Holy Sacrament is To use all possible means and endeavours to receive the same worthily There will need no other Reasons to enforce this Duty then the terrour of those known words of the Apostle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself And this Unworthiness consists in not discerning the Lord's Body as it immediately follows m 1 Cor. 11.29 Here then every man that hath any care of his Soul will desire to know what it is not to discern the Lord's Body which makes a man liable to Damnation by being an unworthy Communicant at the Lord's Table To understand this fully and clearly we must use the light of a distinction For there is a threefold Body of Christ abstracted from that of his personal subsistence as Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting viz. 1. Mystical 2. Doctrinal 3. Sacramental And not to discern the Lord's Body in any of these three meanings thereof makes unworthie Receivers 1. The Mystical Body of Christ is his Church n Eph. 1.22 23. Col. 1.24 And he discerns not this Body of Christ who rightly believes not the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints 'T is one of the names whereby this Holy Sacrament is called The Holy Communion excluding thence as unworthy all that are not within the Pale and Communion of Christ's Church both Unbelievers and Misbelievers Hereticks and Schismaticks all disobedient factious contentious spirits with all sorts of Separatists from the Church of Christ whether in Faith or Charity Doctrine or Worship For all worthy Communicants being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another o Rom. 12.5 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 2. The Doctrinal Body of Christ is the Doctrine of Christianity or the Body of Faith wherein all found orthodox Christians do agree and are united as Members of the foresaid Mystical Body of Christ the Church which is therefore called the common Faith p Tit. 1.4 and 't is that Faith which was once given to or rather by the Saints q Jude v. 3. the holy Apostles of our Lord. He discerns not this Body of the Lord who understands not the Principles of his Religion which are summed up in the Vow or Covenant which every person rightly Christned hath made with God in his Baptism the positive parts whereof besides the negative are 1. the Apostles Creed 2. the Ten Commandments with what is implied therein and depends thereupon viz. 3. the Lord's Praier and 4. the Doctrine of the Sacraments Not to know these general Heads of Religion which be plainly and fully delivered in the Church-Catechism or having learned them by heart when Children not frequently to remember and consider them when come to age so as to understand and hold them fast as the Essentials of Christianity is the second general kind of Unworthiness of the Lord's Supper from whence all ignorant and careless foolish and sottish persons are excluded r Jer. 24.7 Heb. 8.11 with all such as hold not fast the first Principles of the Oracles of God †Heb. 5.12 3. The Sacramental Body of Christ is the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament This is expresly affirmed by our Lord saying This is my Body This is my Bloud Who then dare say as the Fathers frequently observe This is not his Body but a Figure of his Body onely He discerns not this Body of our Lord 1. who sees not with the eye of Faith Christ really present under the Species of Bread and Wine though he conceive not the manner thereof who doth not with all gratefull acknowledgment and divine love and with the greatest humility and devotion adore the infinite wisedom power mercy goodness and condescension of this Presence of our Lord not curiously questioning much less pragmatically defining the way and manner of his Presence as being deeply mysterious and inconceivable Those old Verses expressing the Faith of the wifest of our first Reformers may satisfy every modest humble and sober-minded good Christian in his great Mystery of godliness It was the Lord that spake it He took the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it So I believe and take it 2. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who knows not in some measure the nature ends uses and benefits of this Sacrament with what is required of them that come thereunto All