whatever the sinner may plead for himself Certain it is a man may as easily bless God as take his name in vain To speak well of our neighbour is as soon done as to speak amiss A good word costs us no more pains than a bad one And what wretched sinners are we who chuse to do amiss when it is as easie for us to do well and certainly so it is in many cases 9. Another aggravation of our sin is when we have not only sinned our selves but caused others to sin too This brand was upon Jeroboam that he did not only sin himself but also caused Israel to sin Certainly our own scores will be great enough we shall not need have the sins of others to account for besides It will well become us to consider of this when we search into our hearts and lives whether we have not by our counsel or example by our neglect and unfaithfulness caused others to go astray who might have been preserved from the errour of their way had we been faithful to them in our reproofs and exhortations 10. Lastly another degree of our sin is when it is come to an habit or custom And this does still make our sin the greater for now our sin is grown up to a full measure and to the highest stature and pitch and then we may well reckon our selves to be not only sinners but workers of iniquity It is very advisable that we should consider of these Agrravations of our sins in order to the more full humiliation of our Souls before God It is very needful that those things which do greatly encrease our guilt should be particularly confessed and lamented in the sight of God Now it is very evident that the particular above-named do very much heighten and increase our guilt Indeed every sinner does transgress the Law of God that Law which is holy just and good for sin is the Transgression of the Law But then he that sins against the clear dictates of his own Conscience also contracts a double guilt he that sins after his solemn vows of obedience adds treachery to his other guilt and he that sins after many mercies adds ingratitude to his other sins every sin makes us obnoxious to Gods displeasure but yet are there many degrees in our sins which do greatly aggravate our fault and introduce a new and greater guilt upon us And certainly to abound in sin under the greatest means of grace to continue in our folly when the rod of God lies heavy upon us to commit the sin which it is so very easie to avoid to repeat our sin when we have confessed and bewailed it to sin and to cause others to sin also to contract habits and customs of evil doing these are things which are by no means to be forgotten in our search because they do import so much of guilt and so great a degree of wickedness But all that hath been said is but relative to something else we are not fit to receive the Sacrament as soon as we have found out our sins The Jews were not only obliged to search for their Leaven at the Passover but also to purge it out And their search was in order to their putting it away They might not leave it where they found it but were obliged to put it from them we must do so by our sins too and therefore we must now consider what we are obliged to do in the next place CHAP. VI. WHen we are gone thus far and have found out our sins we must then put them away by a true and hearty Repentance Unless we do this we shall eat and drink Damnation to our selves Now because though Repentance be very commonly pretended to yet we do often mistake our selves in it and take that for it which comes far short of it therefore it is very necessary we should examine our Repentance and very carefully try whether it be such as is never to be repented of For as it is very common with men to think they have not sinned when they have so it is very common with men to think they have not sinned when they have so it is also as usual a thing with them to conceit that they have repented when indeed they have not For we are too apt to think Repentance no more but a calling to God for mercy or a general confession that we are sinners or some sudden purposes of amendment of Life or at most the actual abstaining from our sin Therefore it will be worth our while that we examine our Repentance and that we may do by the following Rules 1. He that Repents is greatly sorrowful for his sin He is inwardly grieved that he should offend God by his sins and would rather chuse any loss or trouble than commit his sin again His sorrow is very hearty and unfained he is grieved in earnest and his grief is great according to the measure and proportion of his sin and folly He is vile and base in his own eyes and is greatly afflicted for his wickedness Indeed the sincerity of his sorrow is not altogether to be measured by his tears which he sheds For though tears be reputed the expression of our grief yet are they but the expression of it Grief does many times break out this way But yet a man may be greatly forrowful when the greatness of his grief cannot be gathered from the multitude of his tears Some there are who do easily weep a very trifling matter will draw forth plenty of tears But there are others who grieve more and yet weep less But then it is still an ill sign if when we have tears for every little trouble we have none for ouâ— sins We read of one Alexander Pheraeus that he was ready to weep at the acting a Tragedy Plutarch Pelopidas and that he left the Stage that the Spectators might not behold his tears But then we also read of the same man that he shed the blood of many Thessalian Nobles with dry cheeks Such false tears had that Tyrant at his command Certainly we may well suspect our selves when we can find none at all for our hainous offences against God For it may be reasonably thought that if our grief were hearty and pungent which we have for our sins it would break out at the same vent which it is wont to find upon all other occasions Certain it is however that the true Penitent is a very sorrowful man and though his temper may not give way to plenty of tears yet his real grief is not the less Though he do not weep so plentifully yet he grieves as heartily as he that doth He does afflict himself for his sin he judges and condemns himself and feels as much pain in his Soul and as cordial a sorrow as he that weeps bitterly 2. He that truly repents does confess his sins unto God And this he must do in order to his pardon If we confess our sins he is faithful
are about We had need use our utmost care that we may attend upon God without distraction else will our hearts before we are aware slide into vain or impertinent entertainments And when they are once let loose we shall not so very easily recollect them and bring them back They will soon run into the ends of the earth and if we be not watchful and resolute they will leave nothing but our bodies for so great a service as this Our hearts are treacherous and our thoughts are like the servant of the Prophet who secretly run after the Syrian for a talent of Silver and two changes of raiment without the leave of his master and if we call them not in they 'l contract a more dismal leprosie than that servant did We cannot let them gad abroad without a great loss at such a time as this We may be assured they will fare as Dinah did they will return defiled home And therefore let us be sure to set a strict watch upon our selves lest our spiritual enemies steal away our hearts at such a time as this Let us lift them up to God and there let them be kept whiles we worship his holy name 2. When you approach to the Table of the Lord endeavour to raise up your heart to the greatest thankfulness to Almighty God for his undeserved love to thee O consider how gracious thy Lord is unto thee a wretched sinner That he should not only give thee his Son to die but also give thee his flesh to eat Not only receive thee to pardon but also entertain thee at his own Table as his guest and friend Say within thy self Lord what am I that thou shouldest not only shew me pity but do me so great a favour to receive me as thy friend What a love is this that thou art pleased to shew to my Soul when there are so many that have not heard of these thy mercies so many that have foregone them I may well wonder that thy mercy lets me live that I have bread to eat or thy air to breathe in and yet thou art pleased to give me Angels food and to feed me with bread from Heaven I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies but then this miracle of love may well overwhelm me Who has ever heard of such a love of so great a condescension Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Let me never forget so great a mercy never be ungrateful after such a condescension of Heaven What shall I render unto the Lord for such an unspeakable love as this that he should spread me a Table and fill my Cup who am unworthy of the crumbs that fall from his Table Oh the height and depth the length and breadth of this love which passeth knowledge It well becomes us thus to raise up our hearts to all thankfulness to God when we do approach to this Feast For we do here commemorate the greatest mercy that was ever shewed to Mankind And it requires of us the greatest praise and thanksgiving This is a service of praise and therefore it is called the Eucharist And certainly if we think our selves obliged to commemorate our Benefactors and Friends which we frequently do we must think our selves much more obliged with all thankfulness to remember the love of our dearest Lord who dyed that we might live 3. VVhen we see the Bread broken and the Wine poured out let us meditate at once upon the Passion of our Lord and the hainous nature of our sins that put him to that pain Think you saw your dearest Saviour hang upon the Cross that you were eye-witnesses of the shame and sorrow that he underwent O think you saw the blood that he shed running down his Body that you saw the Spear and the Nails that pierced his Hands his Feet and Side Call to mind the Agony that he was in the sorrowes that he underwent Have some pity and regard to thy bleeding Lord pass not by but see and behold that there is no sorrow like to his sorrow Thy heart is very hard sure if thou dost not now relent Thou art very devoid of pity if thou hast no compassion for thy bleeding Lord. But then remember what it was that brought upon him all this sorrow and shame that thou seest him in Not any fault of his own but thy sins were the cause of it They nailed him to his Cross they pierced his Side they Crowned him with Thorns and gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink they did him the despight and the affronts which he endured They were the Judas the Pilate the false Witnesses the chief Priests that contrived and accomplished his sorrowes 'T was thy Covetousness that betraid him thy unbelief and wickedness that brought him to his Cross and caused him to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Raise up then a great indignation against thy sins as thou hast any love or pity for thy dying Lord. Say thus to thine own heart Shall I not be ashamed of those sins which put my Lord to so much shame shall I not mourn for those sins which put him to so much pain may not they well break my heart which have so deeply wounded and pierced my blessed Saviour If he dyed for sin well may I be ashamed to live in it If my sins made him cry out and bow the head how shall I then give them any entertainment Well may they be heavy on me which were so great a burden to my Lord. How have I made a sport of that vile wretch as I am which made my Saviour sweat drops of blood Did my Saviour suffer such pains that he might destroy sin and have not I harboured it I have taken part with the most implacable enemies of my dying Lord. Alass I have not considered the sorrowes of my Saviour but like a vile wretch I have Crucified him afresh I have trampled on his Blood and done him open despight and shame Methinks I see him hang on the Cross and methinks I hear him cry out to me and bid me see whether there were ever such a sorrow and also that I should not be ungrateful to forget his love What an hard heart have I had that have had no more regard to him Oh that mine eyes were a fountain of tears that I might mourn for my sins that have Crucified my Lord. Sure my heart is very hard if I do not mourn now for mine iniquities when I behold my bleeding and dying Saviour I have tears for other things have I none for my sins none for my Lord I have sometimes wept when I have thought of a dying Friend Have I no tears for my dying Saviour who dies that I may live O my God smite this rocky heart of mine that I may weep when I look upon him whom I have Crucified Look upon me my Lord as thou didst once upon thy Disciple who denied thee
and just to forgive us our sins c 1 Joh. 1.9 But then this confession alone does not bring us nearer our pardon we must confess them with shame and sorrow we must judge and condemn our selves and after the most humble manner debase our selves and beg pardon from God Our confession must be very humble and very full We must be particular in it and not content our selves that we confess our selves to be sinners in general but we must confess our particular sins unto God We must confess all the sins we can find all that we can remember And then for those which we cannot find or do not remember it will be needful that we should pray also for the pardon of them as the Psalmist does Cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 19.12 And as we must confess our sins so we must also confess the degrees and the aggravations of them for these do greatly inhance our guilt and swell our sins into a very great measure But all this while we must be very greatly careful that our confession be the result of our real sorrow and trouble of heart God will not be put off with a parcel of good words If we do not abhor our sins it will not avail us that we do confess them God knows our sins already nor is he pleased to hear us repeat them to him unless we hate them and be really pressed with the burden of them 'T is the burdened sinner whom God hath a respect unto He that is full of his sorrow for his sin 't is he that confesses his sin as he ought such a man finds the advantage of an humble confession of his sin unto God For this gives a great ease to his Soul which would have been overcharged if he should have kept silence This the Psalmist tells us When I kept silence says he my bones waxed old and my mosture is turned into the drought of summer But then he adds I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin And then we find him greatly at ease and quiet Psal 32.3 4 5 6 7. 3. He that truly repents does forsake his sins and lead a new life He does not only purpose but he really does that good which he did intend to do He does not lead such a life as he did before He abstains from the sin which he formerly loved and followed Nor does he only abstain from it but he does abhor it and so he does every sin whatever and gives up himself to an universal obedience to all the Laws of God We have no reason to think we have repented till we lead a new and an holy Life 'T is this which compleats our Repentance and nothing short of this can give us any assurance that we have Repented and that we are in the state of Grace It is a vain thing to think that we are the better for purposes of amendment when we do not amend If we purpose never so much to do well and yet continue in our evil doing we shall be reputed amongst the workers of iniquity Repentance imports a change both of heart and life It requires a new life and conversation and where there is this grace there is this change to be found The Holy Scriptures annex our pardon to our Repentance but then they require such a Repentance as does import no less than a new life and conversation Thus we find in the Prophet how the Repentance of a Sinner is expressed If he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right if the wicked restore the pledg give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not die Ezek. 33.14 15. Again If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live and not die Chap. 18. ver 21. And when the sinner is called upon to repent we find it thus expressed Seek the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord Isa 55.6 7. By which it is evident that Repentance implies a change of Life and so indeed it does That man that resolves to do well and does not do it does at once mock God and cheat his own Soul 4. He that truly repents his Repentance does arise from his love to God and an hatred to his sins because they are an offence to God This is the root from whence Repentance does spring The love of God constrains the Sinner to Repentance and his love to God it is that makes his Repentance of the right kind and stamp It is very possible that a man may be greatly sorrowful upon the account of his sins and that he may make a particular confession of them to God and when he hath done that he may forsake his sins too and yet not have the grace of true Repentance all this while And that because this change does not arise from a love to God and an hatred of his sin as it is an offence against God A man may be very sorrowful for his sins because they have brought a great misery upon him and do besides expose him to the justice of God Such a man is sorrowful for the ill consequence of his sin rather than for its obliquity and immorality And perhaps he forsakes his sin too and yet is no true Penitent For he may leave his sin for many reasons and yet not repent of it A bare abstaining from sin is no sufficient argument that he hath repented of it A man may forbear his sin and abstain from it because he cannot follow it or hath not the liberty to enjoy it any longer and yet his mind remains unchanged still or else perhaps he exchanges one sin for another and chuses a sin which he judges most expedient But the true Penitent abtains from his sin because he loves his God Nay he does not only abstain from his sin but he hates it also The reason why he leaves his sin is because he is himself changed in his mind and affections He now hates what he loved before and flies from that which before he did pursue He sees his folly as well as his misery and leaves his sin not only because God is just and will severely punish the wicked but because he is good and holy and cannot endure to behold iniquity He abstains from his sin not only because it is forbidden fruit but because it is contrary to his nature He that is not in the state of Grace may abstain from his sin as a sick man does from salt meats which yet he greatly loves because his Physician and his interest severely forbid him But
Blessed Saviour But our remembrance of it must be 1. Affectionate and vigorous as we remember the death of a dear friend that died and died in our quarrel and defence who at once shed his blood for us and for the truth How passionately can we rehearse the praises and preserve the memory of such an one as this 'T was thus with our dearest Lord he fell a Sacrifice at once for the testimony of the truth and for the sake of our precious Souls He died that he might rescue us from eternal misery and death And this we must remember when we do remember the death of our Blessed Lord. 2. With all thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a mercy Let us awaken our Psaltery and Harp all our powers and faculties and all that is within us to praise his holy name Let us have our hymn of praise Matth. 26.30 'T is an heavenly feast we are going to and who goes to a feast with a sad countenance or heart Let us be filled with the spirit Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. We are Gods guests at this time and God loves we should be chearful and rejoyce He would have the Jews so in their Festivals Deut. 16.11 14. And certainly we have more reason to be so than they God having provided some better thing for us Heb. 11.40 This Sacrament is an Eucharist or service of praise and as such was observed by the first Christians Who breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 47. 3. It must be such a remembrance as works in us a detestation against our sins which put our Blessed Saviour to death Coâ—â—â—â—ve you saw him hang upon the Cross and saw the nails pierce his hands and feet that you heard him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that you saw the blood he sweat and the thorns he wore That you saw the Sun darkened the Dead arise and the rocky Earth rend in pieces certainly if your hearts were not more hard than the rocks you would relent especially when you consider that all this was for your sins and that he died that you might live 'T was thy Covetousness that betrayed him Thy Iust that made him bleed Thy unbelief and wickedness that loaded Him with the Cross that crowned Him with thorns that nailed his hands and pierced his side and filled his Soul with horror and amazement This should work in us a great indignation against our Sins as that which crucified our dearest Lord. Should a tender Mother lose a Child by a knife or some other instrument that is but the occasion of its death Surely she would not endure to see that instrument in her sight If we loved our Saviour we should hate our sins which made him bleed and bow his head Since 't is a most certain truth that he that commits sin does more displease i. e. does that which is more against the mind and will of Christ than Judas that betrayed him and those that hanged him upon his Cross And therefore as you pity your Saviour add not to his sorrows as you have any compassion to Him add not to the bitterness of his Soul Bring not with you instruments of crâ—â—lty when you pretend to remember his love â—e shewed in his death But think thâ—◠〈◊〉 that if God did not spare his Son that 〈◊〉 might not go unpunished that he will mucâ— less spare you who go on in your sins and love them III. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians might by it be united together in the strictest bond of love and charity It is indeed a feast of love and that which does not only joyn us to God but firmly cements us also to one another This indeed is the great Commandement of our Blessed Saviour that we should love one another as He hath loved us John 15.12 Nay he hath made this the mark by which his followers shall be known from the rest of the World By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13.35 And in the early days of Christianity the Heathen World took notice how the Christians loved one another Nay the Holy Scriptures tell us that in the beginning of Christianity The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Act. 4.32 And they shewed their love to one another by making all things common that there might be no lack and wants among them Acts 2.44 45. But then 't is added when it was that they loved one another thus greatly viz. While they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart verse 46. Whiles there were frequent Communions in the Church of God there did remain a fervent Charity among Christians But when they were but seldome celebrated Charity also grew cold For indeed this Sacrament was appointed for the keeping up a fervent charity among the followers of Jesus And very plain methinks are the words of the Apostle to this purpose We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 i. e. We that partake of this Heavenly feast are by that made one we are of one kind and 〈◊〉 just as Bread and Wine though they be made up of several grains and grapes yet are made up together into one similar body all whose parts are homogeneous and of the same sort or kind so we that are Christians tho as men we differ from one another and have our several affections and designs distinct from each other yet for all this by the death of our Saviour and by the participation of the Sacrament of our Lords Supper we are made one we are reconciled to the same designs and interests acted by the same Spirit and by this Sacrament united into one Spiritual body However we are other wise divided it is the intention of this Sacrament to make us One. And therefore the Ancients called the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Collection or gathering together into one those who were otherwise divided The partaking of this Feast makes the partakers of one mind and heart where they do receive it worthily What is said of Pilate and Herod when our Saviour was about to suffer That they were the same day made friends together who before had been at enmity between themselves Luke 23.12 The same is true of all true Christians that do aright partake of this Sacrament of the death of Christ they are now united and reconciled and made of one heart and mind And this seems to be the great design of the Eucharist to unite Christians together in the closest bond of unity and
bestow upon all those who perform the conditions of the new Covenant God is not only pleased to make a Covenant with us and plainly to declare his readiness to perform his part but also gives us his seal and so does abundantly assure us of his own stedfastness and constancy For such is our weakness so great our unbelief that we need very great supports and an abundant assurance to buoy up our sinking and incredulous hearts And on the other hand so great is the meroy and condescension of our gracious God that he is ready to consider our frame and to give us the greater security assurance He does not only promise us the pardon of our sins in his New Covenant but he also gives us his seal to it besides That so by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 2.18 Thus gratiously does God deal with Mankind He gives them his Covenant and his Seal too He not only gives out his decree in the expresses of his will but he signes and seals it also that we may be assured that it is unalterable as it is said the Law of the Medes and Persians in that case was Dan. 6.8 God makes a Covenant with Noah and his sons that he will no more destroy the earth by a flood but to give them still a greater assurance he sets his bow in the cloud as a token of this Covenant between himself and them Gen. 9. And when God makes a Covenant with Abraham and with his seed he does command Circumcision as a token of this Covenant between himself and them Gen. 17.11 God does not only give us his Word but his Sacrament the token of his truth This God does because he is gracious and because our wretched unbelief is so great that we need the utmost assurance And this certainly is one great end of the Sacrament that we might have alwayes with us a sure pledge of the favour and grace of God that we might not miscarry through our unbelief that we might have a full assurance that God would pardon our sins if we do on our part perform the condition of the New Covenant Our Saviours words are plain to this purpose This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Matth. 28.26 This Sacrament is the instrument of conveyance the Seal that gives us right and title to this great grace and mercy of God We receive in this Sacrament the Body and Blood of Christ and the benefits of his Death The pardon of our sin is here made over to us God hath given us visible pledges of his readiness to forgive our sins And because we are very jealous and suspicious very unapt to believe that such wretches as we are should be received into Gods favour he hath given us this abundant assurance He receives us to his own Table gives us under the symbols of Bread and Wine the Body and Blood of his Son who died for our sins and entertains us with this food of heaven In that God hath given us his Son and given him up to death and this death he underwent for our sins we have a great assurance that with him he will give us all things and that he is ready to pardon those sins for which our Lord hath shed his blood But then this blessed Sacrament is greatly efficacious towards the obtaining of this pardon because it is the ministery of the Death of Christ by which our pardon was procured But then we must be careful that we do not think that our pardon is procured by any inherent vertue of the outward elements of Bread and Wine or that our partaking of these alone will procure this remission of sins For the pardon of sin is procured by the blood of our Saviour and we attain not to it without a lively faith and a performing the conditions of the Gospel But if we do this we have good assurance of pardon when we partake of this Sacrament which is the Ministery of the Death of Christ But then we must have a faith in Christ that is as we eat the outward Element of Bread and drink the Wine so must our Souls receive our Lord Jesus Christ They must entertain him with all his precepts and in all his offices Our hearts must receive him as our Prophet to instruct and teach us as our Lord to rule and govern us as well as our Priest to make a satisfaction for us to the Divine Justice And as we hunger and thirst for our bodily food so we must hunger after the Spiritual provisions that Christ hath made for our Souls We must earnestly breathe after righteousness and purity of heart There must be in our Souls an hunger and a thirst they must receive and feed and not our bodies only It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing John 6.63 As our mouth eats the outward element so faith must eat too And it is not a notion not an empty nothing that will feed a lively faith It conveys as real a supply to the Soul as the outward Elements do nourishment to the body The body receives the outward symbol the Soul the inward grace We eat and drink the Element but 't is the Soul that feeds on the thing signified and represented And therefore let not the sinner who lives in his sin and loves it think to obtain his pardon by partaking of this Sacrament This Sacrament will not avail such a man as this is for the death of Christ will profit him nothing if he lives in his sins and loves them and therefore this Sacrament can avail him nothing it being but the Annunciation of the Death of Christ and therefore it cannot save that sinner whom the death of his Lord does not avail It is a vain thing for such a sinner to take sanctuary here If there be not in our souls a principle of new Life it is not the outward Elements of Bread and Wine that will help us God is ready to forgive our sins and we may see it clearly in this Sacrament but while we love our sins we are uncapable of this grace of God 'T is the burdened and the ladened sinner that shall find this favour 'T is he that hates his sin and strives against it These are those whom Christ came to seek and save 'T is not the outward work will save us if there be not in us the grace of God There is no pardon in the Gospel for the obdurate and impenitent sinner and therefore we may not look for it in any of the exterior offices of Religion And therefore let no man deceive himself in this matter He that comes in his sins out of hopes of a pardon will be so far deceived that instead of obtaining a pardon for his former guilt he will contract
a greater and instead of preventing he will but increase and enhaunce his own condemnation CHAP. II. I Shall now mention some of those practical Inferences which the severals beforenamed do suggest unto us 1. If this Sacrament be intended for a renewal of that Covenant we entered into in Baptism we may see what great reason we have at this time to examine our selves and to bewail our misdeeds and strengthen all purposes of amendment of Life The end of its institution does most severely and indispensably require all this at our hands We must prepare our selves to meet the Lord that he may be sanctified by us when we draw nigh unto him We read that at the giving of the Law when the Israelites entered into Covenant with God how solemnly they were prepared for it Exod. 19.14 15. lest their uncleanness should render them unfit for so great a work God is holy and they that make their approaches to him must be so likewise We must purifie and cleanse our hearts and cast out every thing which does defile before we are fit to make so solemn an address to Almighty God God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him Lev. 10.3 Certainly God is too wise to be imposed upon and mocked too holy to behold our iniquities too just to clear and absolve the obdurate and impenitent sinner We must not come to this holy Table before we have examined our own hearts and bewailed our sins and come we must with full purposes of amendment of Life If we cannot find that we are thus prepared we must not dare to adventure If we find that we love our sins and are not willing to part with them we shall eat and drink damnation to our selves when we eat of this bread and drink of this Cup. 2. Hence also we may see the great obligation that lies upon those which do partake of these holy mysteries to lead holy lives for the time to come It is no small sin after we have been partakers of this â—â—crament of the Lords Supper to relapse â—â—â—o our former sins and misdeeds It is â—â—ngerous looking back after we have so â—â—â—â—mnly set our hand to the Plough â—â—en the unclean spirit is gone out of a man and after that his house is swept and garnished if then he shall return thither again the last state of that man will be worse than the first Mat. 12.43 44 45. A relapse is many times of greater danger than the first disease 'T is always so in spiritual things He that commits the same sin after he hath communicated contracts a greater guilt He does not only sin against his Conscience but against his most solemn Vow and promise He sins against greater grace and with greater scandal he offends them that communicate with him and opens the mouths of them that do not He does by his Saviour as Judas did he eats of his bread and lifts up his heel against him Joh. 13.18 The sin of an unbeliever is great but this is much greater still this is the highest treachery and falseness We betray Christ when yet with Judas we kiss him and salute him with an Hail Master Nothing can be more detestable than this is No wonder that the rule Soldiers and the Roman Pilate should be unkind to our Saviour but that a Disciple should deny him and betray him this is that which swells the sin to the greatest magnitude You then that eat of his body and drink his blood have you a care that you betray him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in 1 Cor. 11. For shame let not those hands minister to oppression or injustice that have received the Body and Blood of Christ Let not oaths lyes and filthiness proceed out of that mouth into which the Body of our Lord hath entred Let those vessels be kept clean which have been the receptacles of these sacred Mysteries Let them be shut up as the Gate in Ezekiel against every evil thing because tâ—e Lord the God of Israel had entred in by it Ezek. 44.2 Let there be no passage for any thing which would defile the man where thy Lord hath entered You have taken Christ for your Lord have a care now that sin do not reign in your mortal bodies Do not despise the Blood of Christ who died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 Know this that if you sin wilfully now there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10.26 27. God will not be mocked by those that trample on the Blood of his Son It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God You run into an unspeakable danger whatever you may think of it You have entered into Covenant with God and you cannot fall back without contracting a great guilt unto your selves It was the ancient manner that when a Covenant was made they did slay a beast shed its blood and cut it asunder Jer. 34.18 19. in token that he that did not stand to his Covenant should himself be obnoxious to the like severity When God makes a Covenant with us in the Gospel he gives up his Son to death the blood which he shed is the blood of this Covenant Heb. 13.20 and 10.19 If now we transgress and trample upon the blood of Jesus we are liable to all the wrath of God which our Lord endured and to bear it also to all eternity And though we may escape temporal plagues yet will it be worse for us if we fall into hardness of heart blindness of mind and a reprobate sense These are the surda verbera those secret and benumming strokes those stupifying ones which do not indeed so much amuse our senses and render us examples to others of Gods displeasure but yet they are of as ill an Omen and presage and of a worse consequence by far than the heaviest and sorest afflictions that befall our estates or bodies in this present world You then that have been cleansing and purifying your selves have a care that you do not defile your selves again Let every such man rather say with the spouse I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Cant. 5.3 Have a care you do not with the dog return to your vomit and with the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 I shall conclude this particular with the words of Siracides He that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body if he touch it again what availeth his washing So is it with a man that fasteth for his sins and goeth again and doth the same who will hear his prayer or what doth his humbling profit him Eccles 34.25 26. 3. Hence we may see what great reason we have to give
sometimes be alone and set apart some portion of our time for our service of our God We have our Saviours example for this though he were much called upon and greatly employed and that always in doing good to Mankind yet he finds time to be alone And rather than neglect it he will defraud himself of his Rest Thus we are told that he rises a great while before day and departs into a solitary place and there prays Mark 1.35 He continues in prayer all night Luk. 6.12 And when his Disciples were asleep we find him praying upon his knees Luk. 22.41 and praying more earnestly ver 44. So that no man may now think himself excused through the multiplicity of his affairs from his holy solitudes and retirements Our Blessed Lord found time for these things though he were so much called upon to heal the sick and help the needy We must then separate our selves from the world and from all its cares and pleasures and devote our selves and our time to the service of God And as it is adviseable that we should do this often so is it more especially that we should do it before we approach to the Table of our Lord that we may be at leisure to fit our selves for so great and so excellent a service 2. It is very necessary that we should examine and try our selves Let a manexamine himself and so let him eat c. 1 Cor. 11.28 We must descend into our own souls and try what we are This is the duty of every man lest he bring destruction upon himself No man is to be too confident of himself he must bring himself to the rule and measure himself by that We are very apt to think too well of our selves For we are too forward to judge of our selves by an imperfect rule and measure to think our selves good because we are not so bad as the worst or to judge well of our selves because other men judge well of us or to acquit our selves because our Conscience does not condemn us or perhaps we judge our selves in a safe condition because we are innocent as to some things and give an hearty obedience to some of the Laws of God Or else it may be that we think our selves in a safe condition because we mean well though we do not always do as we should do We are ready to call our great sins little ones and our little ones none at all Or else we think our selves safe because we are as we think of an orthodox belief or of a more refined sect or party of men A great many ways there are by which we may deceive our selves and miscarry eternally And therefore we had need use a most severe scrutiny and search For our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked and do easily impose upon us 'T was a wise speech of one of the Jews That a man should not put any trust in himself as long as he lives Hillel Avoth c. 2. S. 4. And King Solomon tells us that all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the Spirits Prov. 16.2 We do easily absolve our selves for we are partial and greatly favourable to our own side We are often heard to say that indeed we are great Sinners but then we add that we repent That we do not keep the Law we do confess but then we profess to believe the Gospel We have done amiss we say but then we do declare that we will be more heedful for the time to come We have quarrell'd with our Neighbours indeed but yet we do give out that we forgive them We have not done as we should but yet we affirm that we desire to be better But all this while it is a great question whether our Repentance and Faith our Charity and purposes of amendment and desires of becoming better be sincere or not For all this while we are supposed not to have examined our selves for when we come to do that by the unalterable Law of God we may perhaps find our sins great and Repentance less than now we conceive it to be If we try our purposes of amendment our Charity and Faith and desires of becoming better we may not find them to be that which we would have them be thought to be It will be well for us therefore that we examine and prove our selves as the Apostle requires we should lest we deceive our selves for ever when we take up with that which is counterfeit and insincere We are easily perswaded to do this when our Estates or Lives are concerned In that case we love to take a sure course and to search into the bottom of the thing 'T were well for us we were as curious where our Souls are so nearly concerned We shall find it worth our while to examine and try our selves And I shall shew what things they are which we are to examine in order to the fitting our selves for the Supper of the Lord and the right understanding what will become us in so weighty an affair CHAP. V. THE first thing that we are to examine is what we have done amiss and what we have omitted We are obliged to consider our ways and to look back upon our lives and conversations and observe wherein we have transgressed the holy laws of God We must make a diligent search into our hearts and most carefully reflect upon our lives past And for the better success of this work we may take these following rules 1. We must be greatly careful that we be not remiss and careless in this search That we do not search for our sins as some negligent officers search for offenders whom they have no mind to find out But as the Jews were very curious in searching for leaven and as the Priest was obliged to be very exact in searching after the Leprosie that did arise in a man or house so must we be We must search narrowly as the faithful Physician does by his Patient whose health he does consult He does curiously observe the nature of his disease all the moments of its rise and growth its symptoms and its types that he may know how to help nature and counterwork the disease Or as a faithful and skilful workman that would uphold a decaying house he searches diligently into its several parts examines the foundation considers its sides and superstructures that he may obviate and prevent its fall So must we do we must descend into every corner of our hearts look very diligently over our lives and well consider our wayes that we may find out what is amiss in us The interest of our Souls is greatly concerned if we leave any sin which we might have found out our condition is full of danger A little leaven leavens the whole lump and therefore it concerns us highly to be very exact in our search 2. We must be careful that we make this search by the light of Gods Law The Jews require when men
is also very wicked that stops his ears and will give no heed to what he does command him The one rebells against the light and the other shuts it out The one will not admit the truth when the other will not obey it but detains it in unrighteousness There are no men so deplorably blind as they that will not see 'T is to be feared there is too much of this abroad in the World Men are afraid of the light and therefore they run away from it And are therefore like the old Turk we read of who being conscious that by his Law he ought not to drink any Wine was yet resolved to drink it and so he did but before he drank he gave some great shouts which he did as he said to give his Conscience warning that it might stand away Busbequii Legat. Turc Ep. 1. and not behold his wickedness nor be guilty of it Certainly too many men take this course or else they could never do what now they do They dismiss their Consciences when they would interpose And find out ways either to keep them from speaking or else from being heard But whoever hath used these arts hath contracted a great guilt 3. Another great aggravation of our guilt is that we have sinned after Vows of better obedience And there is something of this to be found in every sin we commit for it is committed against our Baptismal Vow when we did most solemnly devote our selves to the service of God in opposition to the Devil the World and the Flesh And many of us have made the same Vow again upon a bed of sickness in times of danger or when we did partake of the Supper of our Lord. And to relapse after all this does greatly increase our guilt We are very wretched sinners if we break these bands asunder and cast away these cords from us 4. But still our sins are again the greater when they are committed and continued in after the singular and eminent mercies of God towards us which lead us to Repentance Rom. 2.4 For now we add the greatest ingratitude to our other guilt and do by that fill up the measure of our iniquity And there is no man living but may easily find this aggravation in his sins For certain it is however we complain of our miseries and needs we are encompassed about with the mercies of Heaven And there is no man living so miserable or wretched but if he would but consider and reflect would easily find this to be a truth Certainly the hopes that we still have of Heaven and the means of grace are most unspeakable mercies But besides if we look back we may find many other singular mercies of God towards us which do upbraid us for our great unthankfulness He hath many times kept our Souls from death our eyes from tears and our feet from falling He hath long waited for our return who might long ago have placed us among the dead and damned which is a plain demonstration that God hath been greatly kind unto us and so far from desiring our death that he shewed himself when we did chuse the paths that lead to death desirous that we should turn and live 5. That our sins are committed under the means of grace is still a farther aggravation of our guilt The Gospel hath provided us sufficient help and assistance to do the will of God If we do amiss it is because we will not use the means which God hath offered us that we might become better There is a sufficient aid at hand if we will make use of it The Gospel does not only require our obedience but also enables us to obey If we do but humbly beg the holy Spirit of God and do it but as earnestly as the hungry child will beg bread of his Father we shall as certainly receive this heavenly aid Luk. 11.13 This Spirit will help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 And if he dwell in our hearts we shall find him that is in us greater than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 Now certainly we are very fond of our sins if we will not do our utmost to get rid of them The way is easie and plain before us we may be better if we will not make light of the aid and assistance of Heaven Our freedom from sin is purchased by our Lord and offered us in the Gospel if we accept it not upon such easie terms we deserve to be slaves for ever 'T will be but just we should be used as the servant under the Law who might have his liberty and refused it he was made a publick shame for his great folly in refusing to go free when his freedom was offered him For that is thought to be the meaning of what followed upon his refusal for his Master carried him away to the Judges and at the gate of the house or court of Justice he bored through his ear with an awl and he was at once marked and condemned to be a servant for ever Exod. 21.6 It is no little aggravation of our crime that we do amiss when we have such advantages of being and doing better 6. That we continue in our sins notwithstanding the very severe afflictions which God hath sent upon us to wean us from them is another consideration that does heighten our guilt Nay we many times commit our sin when Gods hand is striking us we little regard the discipline of Heaven when his judgements are upon us yet we will not learn Righteousness There is a mark set upon Ahaz for this In the time of his distress did he yet trespass more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 This was a most hainous impiety and that which very greatly increased his crimes 7. Again another thing which adds a weight to our guilt is this when we relapse frequently into those very sins which we have formerly confessed to God and begged his pardon for When we do confess and sin again and keep in this black circle of the Devil In this we do mock Almighty God and may well be ashamed to lift up our eyes to Heaven if we well consider it In our dealings with one another we esteem that man void of all ingenuity that begs our pardon that he hath offended us and yet holds on to do us the same despites and injuries How horribly disingenuous are we then when we daily put affronts these upon God himself when we do often confess but never forsake our sins 8. Another aggravation of our guilt is when we continue in those sins which we have no temptation to commit and might most easily avoid Such are generally the sins of the tongue there is no natural desire that is gratified by swearing or by evil speaking and slandering one another These are indeed most hainous offences against Almighty God and their guilt is the greater because there is nothing of temptation to commit them and they are most easily avoided
cleanse his heart He that believes it as he ought endeavours to be holy as God is holy Again the Gospel tells us that we must not swear at all Matth. 5.34 Nay more than that that we shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Matth. 12.36 Now certain it is that there are many who swear in their ordinary conversation and others also who forswear themselves and whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness And who can think that such men as these are do believe the Gospel as they should do He believes aright who does practise those precepts which he professes the belief of He that does not that is an unbeliever He may profess that he knows God but in works he denies him Tit. 1.16 and they that do so the Apostle reckons among the unbelieving ver 15. Our Saviour tells us that he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life i. e. he that obeyeth the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he presently adds he that believeth not the Son or he that obeyeth not the Son as those words may well be rendred shall not see life Joh. 3.36 And when the Apostle tells us that God sware to some that they should not enter into his rest he adds that it was to them who believed not so we render the words but they might be rendred to them who obeyed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then he presently infers we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3.18 19. To believe on the name of Christ is to receive him Joh. 1.12 But if we receive him as we should we must receive him and acknowledge him in all his Offices as our Prophet Priest and King That is we must believe the truth of his Doctrine as he is our great Prophet and that Teacher who came from God and then we must obey his Precepts as he is our Lord and our King as well as expect pardon from him as he is our Priest and our Atonement We must receive him as he is offered to us in the Gospel and not only confidently expect our pardon from him but we must receive him as God hath sent him and God hath sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3.26 Now that it is such a Faith in Christ as I have been speaking of which the Scriptures require of us in order to our eternal Salvation will appear 1. If we consider the great end of the manifestation of Jesus Christ or the great purpose for which he was sent into the World Now we must not think that Christ came into the world and did and suffered those great things which we read of him only to procure our pardon and indemnity we must not think that the only end of all this was that we might be delivered from the evil effects and bad consequents of our sins he would be certainly a welcome Saviour to the worst of mankind upon this score For provided we may enjoy our sins we are content that he should suffer for them We are very willing that he should bear the blame provided we may but have the liberty to commit the fault Though we love our sins well yet are we not fond of the sorrows which they bring with them We are willing enough that Christ should pay our scores and well pleased to live in our sins and take it kindly that Christ would die for them But certain it is that Christ appeared and suffered for us too that he might deliver us from the power and dominion as well as from the guilt of our sins He did not die for sin that we might live in it He never came to discharge us from our duty we think unworthily of our Saviour and of our Religion if we think thus He came to plant the divine life in our hearts to make us better and more like unto God Let the holy Scriptures speak in this matter His name is called Jesus because he should save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 It is ridiculous to say that by sins is meant no more than the punishment of them Nor can we think that Christ came into the world for no other end He would then have taken away the effect and left the cause remaining This would be to remove the less evil and to let the greater continue as if a Physician should only project how to remove or abate the symptom and take no care to suppress the disease and remove the morbifick matter which is the cause of it Certainly we think meanly of our Saviours design if we think this was all his business in the World He came to save us from our sins and they are a greater evil sure than the effects of them This is a nobler conquest than to deliver us from death And this sure was the great purpose of our blessed Saviour When God promised the Messias no less blessing was contained in that promise than this that we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our Life Luk. 1.74 75. The Apostle certainly understood the great end for which Christ appeared He tells us that for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 And that this was one great end why our Lord laid down his life no man can deny that gives any credit to the Holy Scriptures There we are told that he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Again it is said that he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil World Gal. 1.4 And that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 He dyed for his Church indeed but then he gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Eph. 5.25 26 27. The same Apostle tells his Colossians that Christ hath reconciled them in the body of his flesh through death to present them holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight Col. 1.21 22. Besides what hath been said we are from the death of Christ exhorted to an Holy Life 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Rom. 6.3 4. 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Which certainly we could not so effectually have been had our Saviour only dyed for our Indemnity and to procure our pardon But since he dyed for sin that we might not live in it well may we from his death be exhorted to an Holy Life and Conversation Which if we do not lead we do then frustrate and make void the
great end and purpose for which our Lord was sent into the world Now this makes it evident that where there is a saving Faith in Christ it is accompanied with an Holy Life And that we do but pretend to be Believers of the Gospel if we do not obey its Precepts and perform those Conditions which it doth require at our hands For we then do believe the Gospel when we believe all the parts of it Now certain it is that the Gospel does not only bring us the tydings of pardon but it makes known the conditions upon which this Grace and Favour is offered And it will avail us nothing that we accept the pardon if we do refuse the condition upon which it is offered unto us for this is but to believe the Gospel in part and to be but almost Christians The Gospel does not only contain an History of what was said and done and suffered by our Lord but also promises precepts and threats and he does fully believe this Gospel who not only believes the truth of what is there related but obeys its Precepts submits to the condition of its promises and reveres its threats We do easily believe that Christ dyed for our sins but this is but part of what the Gospel tells us We must also believe that therefore we are not to live in them And that he did not only dye to redeem us from wrath but from our vain Conversations also We believe that Christ is our Atonement 'T is well but then we must believe that he is our Law-giver and our Lord and must own him for our King as well as for our Priest And if we believe that he dyed for this end that he might be our propitiation and our ransom we must also believe that to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.9 And certainly if we think it an act of Faith to acknowledge him for our Priest and consequently to rest upon him for our Salvation we must needs think it an act of Faith to acknowledge him for our King and Lord and consequently to obey his commands And unless we do obey him we do but mock him when we call him Lord Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which 〈◊〉 say Luk. 6.46 If Christ be our Redeemer he is our Lord too and if he came to procure our pardon he also came to amend our hearts and lives for the time to come And methinks the words of St. Peter are very plain and yet very Emphatical also to the purpose in hand He tells the Jews that God had exalted Jesus with his right hand and for what end he had exalted him he adds in the next words to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. 5.31 So that if we believe him to be our Saviour yet we must believe him to be our Prince and when we hope for forgiveness of sins we must be first endued with repentance in order to it Our Saviour he is but then he is our Lord first He is the Author of Eternal Salvation but to whom is he so it is to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 He came to save sinners 't is true but he came to save them from their sins They must be divorced from their sins or else may not expect to be saved He was not obedient that we might have leave to rebel he did not suffer for sin that we might live in it without controul He did not do his Fathers will that we might do our own He did not come only to dispossess the Devil out of Temples and Oracles or the bodies of men but to drive him also out of mens hearts and lives He came to set us at liberty from our sins and from the evil effects of them And we may not think we have gained the end of our Saviours being manifested till we are set free from the slavery of our sins And that Faith which lets us spare our sins and suffers us to live in a contradiction to the commands of Christ will never save our Souls 2. This will farther appear to be a great Truth that a true and saving Faith is productive of a good life and that the Gospel does not require a less Faith than this if we do consider the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of the faithful His Faith is much spoken of in the New Testament and seems to be set there as the pattern of our Faith And therefore it will be worth our while to consider what kind of Faith that is which the Holy Scriptures take so great notice of Abraham for Now there are two things very remarkable in this Faith of Abraham 1. That he did believe that God would make good his promise which he had made to him And this he did firmly believe notwithstanding the great unlikelihood of the thing promised had he consulted with flesh and blood He had a great assurance that God would make his word good unto him though it seemed to contradict the ordinary course of nature and the common reasonings of Mankind He knew not how the thing could come to pass but yet he judged him faithful and able to do it who had made the promise to him ' Being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when hs was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarahs Womb He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4.19 20 11. Thus did Abraham against hope believe in hope v. 18. He could have no natural hopes that this promise should be verified but yet he believed it would because God had made the promise upon this it is that he rests and stays himself He does not dispute either Gods Veracity or Power Now then our Faith is like that of Abraham when we do believe what God hath revealed and promised though the thing revealed should in it self seem very mysterious and strange to our reason and the thing promised very unlikely in it self to come to pass We ought to believe that which God sayes for his revealing of it makes it evidently credible though the thing it self be not in it self evidently true We have sufficient reason to believe when yet this reason does not stand upon the evidence of the thing but upon the veracity of him who makes it known to us Then we do believe as Abraham did when we acquiesce in Gods Veracity and Power He that hath a true Faith does believe what God hath revealed and doubts not but God will make his promise good He does intirely trust in God in whom he hath believed And he will neither reject an Article of Faith because his reason cannot comprehend it nor yet will he distrust Gods
All-sufficiency and Veracity when he is in straits and difficulties He that believes as he should when trouble comes is not dismaid for his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. He well knows that God is faithful and therefore he quiets himself when the greatest storms arise 2. Abraham did yield himself obedient to Gods commands also how cross soever they were to flesh and blood And his doing that was an act of that Faith which he is celebrated for in the Holy Scriptures When God commands him to leave his Country his kindred and his Fathers house Gen. 12.1 He readily departs ver 4. And obeys God who had commanded him though the thing it self were so very difficult For 't is no easie thing at such an age to leave ones Country our kindred and fathers house and go to a land which we know not of But this Abraham did and it was an act of his Faith also By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Again when God had given him a Son a Son of all his hopes and of his old age a Son whom he loved and his only Son too a Son of the promise and of the free Woman yet when God who gave him requires him of him he is not only willing to part with him but with his own hands to sacrifice him where God appoints him Gen. 22. And this was an act of his Faith also for so we read By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten Son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called Heb. 11.17 18. Such a Faith had this Father of the Faithful and such a Faith as this must we have also if we would be the Children of Abraham He hath the Faith of Abraham and he only that doth his works If our Faith be saving we shall yield our selves obedient to all the Laws of God Nothing will be so dear to us as the words of Gods mouth We shall part with every thing quietly which God commands away from us We shall obey his Precepts as well as believe his promises if our Faith be of the right stamp We shall be at Gods dispose if we be such Believers as we ought to be And our great care will be this that we resign up our will to the will of God We do but pretend to Faith if we be void of good works And then we may only be thought to be the Children of Abraham when we do his works Abraham shewed his faith by his works and so must we do also For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Jam. 2.26 3. It will farther appear that a saving Faith is productive of a good life if we do but diligently consider what great things the Holy Scriptures speak of Faith For it is greatly magnified in the holy writ and such things are said of it as do greatly advance it above that lazy and ineffectual faith which we please our selves with Very many and very excellent things are said to have been done by Faith Heb. 11. This made the Sacrifice of Abel more excellent in Gods sight than that of Cain 'T was by Faith that Enoch pleased God and was translated This puts Noah upon making the Ark in which a remnant of of the World were saved By Faith Moses contemns the riches and pleasures of the Egyptian Court and rather chuses to suffer affliction with Gods people This carried the Israclites through the Red Sea this threw down the Walls of Jericho and saved Rahab from that common destruction Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lions overcame fire and sword made weakness strong turned armies to flight This put courage and resolution into the weak and prevailed against that which did oppose it Great are the works which a true and saving Faith hath done It enables both to do and suffer for the name of Christ It enables us to perform the hardest tasks of Religion It will enable us to forgive our offending brother Luk. 17.5 And to cleanse our hearts of our filthines Act. 15.9 Aye and beside all this the Apostle tells us that this is the vistory that overcometh the World even our faith 1 Joh. 5.4 And when the Apostle exhorts us to put on the whole armour of God he bids us above all to take the sheild of faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Ephes 6.16 So that it is the great engine against the Devil the World and the Flesh It vanquishes our Spiritual enemies and triumphs over them It works miraculously where it is It subdues our lusts and enables us to conquer our greatest enemies And certainly then the Faith which the Scriptures speak thus greatly of is not a sluggish and lazy Faith but it does produce in us a great change of Heart and Life Our Saviour tells his Disciples that if they had faith as a grain of mustard-seed they might say to a mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing should be impossible unto them Mat. 17.20 It is true indeed the first Preachers of the Gospel had the power of doing Miracles bestowed upon them such a faith had they but we have it not But yet we have a Faith still if we be the genuine followers of Christ that does enable us to do works that are miraculous also though not in the same kind with theirs Indeed they had power to do great Miracles and wonderful works in the World for the confirming that Gospel which was but newly planted among men This power is now ceased with the reason of it vid. Chrysost vol. 5. p. 274. Edit Savil. But yet a true Faith does very mighty works and such as are as pleasing to God and of themselves more advantagious to us than that power of working Miracles would have been They cast out Devils and could easily dispossess them from the bodies of men but then our Faith enables us to cast him out of our hearts They cured diseases that were bodily our Faith cleanses our Souls They could raise the dead our Faith raises us from the death of sin to the life of Righteousness They could heal Lepers give sight to the Blind restore the Lame and destroy the obstinate offenders Our saving Faith cures our leprosie of Sin opens our blind eyes enables us to walk in Gods ways and throws down the obstacles that lie in our way What was done by the first Preachers of the Gospel is done daily by every sincere Christian If they destroyed the Devil so does he They turn'd him out of his Temples he out of his heart The works of Faith now are as momentous as that of Miracles He that overcomes the world and vanquishes
that I may be able to weep bitterly as he did It will well become us when we commemorate the death of our Saviour to be very deeply humbled for our sins which put him to death 4. When thou receivest the Bread renew your Covenant with God Consent heartily to receive thy Saviour in all his Offices of Prophet Priest and King Desire earnestly to be joyned to thy Lord in the strictest bond Resolve to give thy self up intirely to the obedience of his Holy Laws Beg of him that he would dwell in thine heart give him the full possession of thy self Tell him thou art his for the time to come and that thou dost willingly give him entrance and possession of thy whole heart Say to him Lord I do heartily and joyfully entertain thee And though I am unworthy that thou shouldest come under my roof yet since it is thy condescension to visit me a poor sinner I do most joyfully receive thee Grant that I who eat of thy Bread may never lift up my heel against thee And that though many Lords have ruled in me I may henceforth only make mention of thy name Strengthen my feeble Soul that I may perform my Vows Help me that I may now be thine and that I may continue in thy love Be thou that to my Soul which bread is to my mortal and frail Body Grant that my Soul and Body may be separate and for ever set apart to thy service suffer me not to profane and unhallow what is thus solemnly consecrated to thee I offer thee my heart Lord unite it to thy fear and service Grant it may no more run astray from thee that it may not be seduced by the deceitfulness of sin by the allurements and blandishments of this wicked world but continue constant and stedfast in thy Covenant Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right or constant spirit within me Psal 51.10 5. When we receive the Cup let us again renew our consent that Christ shall rule over us And let us particularly meditate upon the great danger of revolting and sliding back This is the blood of the New Covenant the blood of the immaculate Lamb of God which was shed for us It was an ancient custom of entring into League and Covenants by slaying of beasts and shedding their blood this was in token that he that failed to perform his part did devote himself to the like destruction Oh consider then what a wrath hangs over thy head if thou trample upon the blood of Jesus There will remain nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation And therefore consider well how greatly dangerous it will be for thee to disobey thy Lord for the time to come Say thus within thy self I am now renewing my Covenant with God I do now undertake to obey the Laws of Christ and make him a solemn promise of Obedience for the time to come And that I may bind my self the faster to my Lord I take the Sacrament upon it I drink of this blood of the new Covenant So that I am now bound in a stricter bond than ever I have professed a service to him a great while I have now listed my self and as it were taken a Sacramental Oath that I will be faithful This blood of my Saviour will witness against me if I fall back and so the blood of Jesus will be upon me if I prove unfaithful And therefore O my Lord look in Mercy upon me Grant that I may not after all my other sins be guilty of the blood of Christ That I may never have the blood of my Saviour to answer for Then will my case be worse than that of the Jews who Crucified him but yet knew him not to be the Lord of Glory But I know him and am dedicated to his service My sin for the future will be of a deeper dye Grant Lord that I may not be guilty of the blood of Christ that I may not put him to death that came to save my life that his innocent blood may not cry to Heaven against me and be laid to my charge What a wretched Creature shall I be if my Saviour shall be my Accuser Thus may we meditate when we receive the Cup. And indeed it will be a very seasonable meditation we shall be very wicked indeed if we do now return to our sins and evil wonts when we have not only eat the flesh but drank the blood of Christ The blood of Christ was shed for our remission and our pardon but how sad will it be with us if it be laid to our charge if that blood from whence we expect our pardon shall cry for vengeance against us There is a saying among the Jews Vi. Buxtorf Lexicon Talmud in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used proverbially Wo be to that man whose advocate becomes his accuser And 't is very applicable to the matter in hand Our Lord is our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 but if we refuse to obey his Precepts he becomes our Accuser and our Judge The blood of Jesus pleads for us if we continue obedient to his Precepts but if we trample on his blood it will speak no better things than the blood of Abel and certain it is that Abels blood called to Heaven against him that shed it And how miserable is that man who instead of receiving pardon from Christs blood receives a greater guilt from it and falls under that curse which the Jews called on themselves when they said His blood be upon us and our children 6. This will be a very fit season to intercede with God for others we shall do well to pray at this time for the whole Church of God and particularly for that part of it which is planted among us especially for all Christian Kings and Governours who do greatly need our Prayers and may very justly expect them also And here we shall do well while we are attending upon this service to pray for our friends and relatives and for those who have desired our prayers This is a Feast of love and a greater expression of our love to our brother we cannot give than to intercede earnestly for his Soul and as we are alwayes obliged to do it so are we more particularly bound to do it at this time when we commemorate the great love of our dying Saviour which he expressed to the Souls of men And we shall do well at this time to send up Ejaculations to God for them Nor must we forget to pray for those who are our enemies without a cause This our Saviour did when he was upon the Cross and when we remember his Agonies we must not forget to do as he did Let us heartily pray for them that God would forgive their sins and that he would turn their hearts We are obliged to this both by the precept and by the example of our dearest Lord Nor may we expect pardon for
least spark of goodness you will find it shine and glow and spread it self to your infinite joy and contentment of heart Among all the various degrees and conditions of Christian people there will none be found that come hither with sincere affection to do this in remembrance of their Saviour but may go away rejoycing loaded with many Divine benefits Heads of Self-Examination by which we may be directed to find out what sins we are particularly to repent of either before the Sacrament or at any other time which we set apart for Repentance and Humiliation of our selves Wherein are laid before us the several duties we owe to God our Neighbour and our Selves To God FAith or belief of his Word A well grounded Hope in his Mercy Love and Fear of Him above all Trust in him Submission to Him Honour to His Holy Name Word Appointments Thankfulness Worship Repentance To our Neighbour in General Justice which requires a doing by him in all respects as we would be done by and forbids all injury whether it be by drawing him into Sin endangering his Life depriving him of his Peace invading his Bed his Goods or good Name and forbids all Envy and Malice and Covetous desires of what belongs to Him and Charity by which we wish well to him and are disposed to assist and help him In Particular To our Superiors Reverence and hearty Obdience and Submission to our Equals unfained Friendship and Kindness To our Inferiors Gentleness Mercy and a great care of their Souls To our Selves Humility Meekness Consideration Content Diligence and Watchfulness over our Selves Chastity or purity of Heart and Life Temperance in Eating and Drinking Moderation in our Sleep or Rest and Recreations and in our Garb and Expences Hy these Heads we may examine our selves And we must particularly confess wherein we have failed and we must not onl confess the sin but the circumstances of aggravation with which it was attended Of which see the first chapter of this Book And as we must confess with shame and sorrow so we must come to the Sacrament with express resolutions to forsake these sins for the time to come A Prayer before the Sacrament O Most Glorious and for ever Blessed Lord God Thou art and there is none like unto thee in Heaven or in Earth thy Wisdom is infinite thy Power irresistible and thou art of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity with approbation It is of thy unspeakable Mercy that I am not long ago consumed I blush and am ashamed when I lift up my eyes unto thy Divine Majesty I do in all humble reverence prostrate my self before thee and implore thy gracious favour in the name and Mediation of Jesus Christ the Righteous who ever lives to make intercession for those who come unto God by him I do acknowledge thy many mercies towards me I received my being and my breath from thee I have ever since I came into being been sustained by thee Thou hast preserved mine eyes from tears my feet from falling and my Soul from death My Life and Health my Liberty and all the comforts of my life are intirely owing to thy gracious goodness and bounty But above all thou art to be acknowledged for thine inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and hope of Glory Thou hast given thy Son to dye for me revealed thy gentle and holy Laws to direct and guide me promised thy Spirit to assist me propounded Eternal Life to encourage my endeavours I have been received into thy Church by Baptism and promised and professed obedience to thy holy Laws But notwithstanding all these obligations to sincere and universal obedience I have many wayes offended against thy Divine Majesty I have not honoured thee as my Creator nor loved thee as my Father nor obeyed thee as my Soveraign Lord and Master And whereas I have been very sensible of the kindness shewed my by my fellow Creatures I have had but very little sense of the innumerable and underserved favours which thou hast heaped upon me from time to time I have sinned against thee in thought word and deed I have sinned greatly and deserve the death which by my wickedness I have pursued I am guilty after the clearest light and knowledge Here make a particular confession of sin after the most indearing mercies and favours after the most solemn Vows and promises of obedience and the most awakening Judgments I have sinned under sufficient means of Grace and after many experiences of the evil of departing from thee I have contemned and despised thy divine Majesty and suffered my self by an easie and small temptation to be drawn away from thee the fountain of my Life and Happiness and the great lover of Souls O Lord look down from heaven with an eye of pity and compassion upon me a wretched sinner I am less then the least of thy mercies and am vile in my own eyes I beg thy pardon and forgiveness for Christ his sake who came into the World to seek and save that which was lost In a deep sense of the wickedness of my former life and the hainous nature of my offences I approach unto thy Divine Majesty with full purpose of amendment of Life I trust in thy mercy O Lord through Christ Jesus and do with all possible thankfulness keep in memory his precious death And being very sensible how much I stand in need of thy mercy and forgiveness of all my sins and the circumstances of aggravation which have attended them I do declare that I do forgive all my Enemies and that I come before thee with sincere and universal Charity to all mankind Search me O Lord and try my heart and lead me into the way Everlasting I am coming to thy Holy Table to renew the Covenant with thee which I have broken I am unworthy of the Crumbs which fall from thence But most gracious Lord look upon me in Christ Jesus Help me that I may attend upon thee without distraction Work in me all those holy and heavenly dispositions which may render me fit for this service Grant that I may come before thee with lowly thoughts of my self and the most raised apprehensions of thy love in Christ Jesus strengthen my weak Faith perfect my Repentance confirm my resolutions of amendment and enlarge my Charity grant that I may receive Christ Jesus my Lord and that I may walk in him That I may partake of the benefits of his death and of the fruits of his intercession at thy right hand I most humbly beseech thee not only to pardon all my past sins and to speak peace to my Soul but that thou wouldest renew my nature and write thy laws upon my heart Englighten my dark mind rectifie my crooked will sanctifie my depraved affections and purifie all the thoughts and intentions of my Heart and grant that for the time to come I may forsake
Majesty and us thy Creatures the work of thy hands Between thy infinite power and our weakness thy Wisdom and our Folly thy Eternal Being and our Mortal Frame But Lord we have set our selves at a greater distance from thee by our sin and wickedness We do humbly acknowledge the corruption of our nature and the many rebellions of our lives We have sinned against Heaven and before thee in thought word and deed We have been prophane Contemners of thy Majesty and of thy Holy Laws We have also sinned against our Brother and our own Souls by omitting what we ought to have done and committing what we ought not We have rebelled against light despised thy Mercies and thy Judgments broken our own vows and promises neglected thy means of grace and opportunities of becoming better Our iniquities are multiplyed and our sins are very great We confess them O Lord with shame and with sorrow with detestation and loathing We are vile in our own eyes as we have rendred our selves vile in thine We pray thee to be merciful unto us in the free pardon of our sins for the sake of thy Dear Son and our alone Saviour Jesus Christ who came not to call the righteous but sinners to Repentance And we pray thee to renew our natures and to write thy Laws upon our hearts Help us to live righteously soberly and Godly in this present World Make us humble and meek patient and contented and work in us all the graces of thy Holy Spirit Preserve in us a sense of our dependance upon thee and of our great Obligations to thee Help us that we may love thee with all our heart and that we may universally obey and cheerfully submit to thy holy will Save and defend us from all sin and danger from malice and ill will from covetousness and sensuality from pride and vanity and from all the deceits of the world the crafts of the Devil and lusts of the Flesh Direct us O Lord in all our difficulties supply our wants support us under our troubles enable us against our temptations prosper our honest endeavours and above all things purifie and cleanse our thoughts Prepare us for death and judgment and let the thoughts thereof awaken us to a great care and study to approve our selves unto thee in well doing Bless thy whole Church these Kingdoms to which we belong And bless with thy choicest Blessings our Sovereign Lord the King Defend him against all his enemies Let his dayes be many and his Reign prosperous Bless him in his Royal Relations in his Counsellors and his Counsels Bless all the Governours and Teachers of thy Church grant them such a measure of thy Grace and Divine Wisdom that they may by their Doctrine and by their examples gain many souls unto thee Help all that are in trouble sorrow need sickness or any other adversity Give them patience under their troubles a sanctified use of them and in thy good time a deliverance from them Be merciful to our Friends and forgive our Enemies and accept or our humble acknowledgment for thy preservations of us this last night and for all thy mercies to us And we pray thee to take us into thy protection this day and to keep us in perfect peace and all we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ who hath taught us to say Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a Family MOst gratious and merciful Lord God from whom descendeth every good and perfect gift and our most merciful Father in Jesus Christ we offer up to thy Divine Majesty our unfeigned Praise and Thanksgiving for all thy mercies towards us Thou didst make us at first and hast ever since sustained the work of thine own hands Thou hast given us thy Son to dye for us and hast admitted us into thy Church and given us assurance of pardon upon our Repentance and sincere obedience of thy holy precepts Thou art pleased to lengthen out to us the time of Repentance and to move us to it by thy word and by thy Spirit by thy mercies and thy judgments Out of a deep sense of thy mercies and our own unworthiness we appear before thee at this time We are ashamed of our vile ingratitude We have sinned O Lord and done very wickedly Be merciful unto us O Lord and pardon us for Jesus Christ his sake Instruct us O Lord in all the particulars of our duty and give us true wisdom who hast promised to give wisdom and upbraidest not Be with us under every Tryal and temptation and suffer us not to be tempted above what we shall be able Take care we pray thee of our affairs and more and more direct us into thy truth Defend us against all our Enemies but especially against our spiritual ones Suffer us not to be drawn away from thee by the blandishments of the world by carnal desires the cunning of the Devil or the deceitfulness of sin Work in us thy good will and pleasure and discharge our minds of all things that are displeasing to thee of all ill will and discontent wrath and bitterness pride and vain conceits of our selves and render us charitable holy pure in heart patient and Heavenly minded Be with us at the hour of death dispose us for it and deliver us from the slavish fear of it and make us all willing and fit to dye when ever thou shalt call us hence Bless O Lord all the race of Mankind let the world be filled with the knowledge of thee and thy Son Christ as the waters cover the Sea Be gracious to thy whole Church and especially to that part of it planted in these Kingdoms Bless the Kings Majesty and let his Crown flourish upon his Head and let no weapon formed against him prosper Bless all his Relations and teach his Senators wisdom And bless all that are to govern and teach thy Church make them successful in their labours and grant they may consider the account they must one day give Pity the sick and weak the poor and needy the Widowes and Fatherless and all that mourn or are broken in heart Be merciful unto them according to their several necessities Bless our Friends and grant us Grace to forgive our enemies as heartily as we do desire forgiveness of thee our Heavenly Father We pray thee to defend us this night from every thing that is evil and do more for us than we can ask or think for Jesus Christ his sake in whose name and words we continue to Pray Our Father c. FINIS