Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Text 2
VERSE 28. But let a man examine himselfe, and so let him eate of this Bread, and drinke of this Cup.
LEt us know that some make these words [Let a man examine] to be a bare permission and concession, that if they wil they may doe it. Others make it a councell or advice; that according to the rule of Prudence or discretion they should doe it. A third sort, and that the truest make it a mandate or command that wee must doe it, and the seeming indifferency in the English tongue is necessitated in the Greeke,Reasons of the necessity. foreign.
1. The first is taken from the Majesty of that God,1. to whose presenee wee approach. Lord what prodigious state did Ahashuerosh, an earthly Prince stand upon, Esther. 7.12. The woman that was thought fit to bee his wife, must bee purified twelve moneths before, six moneths with the oyle of myrrhe, and six moneths with sweet odours; Behold a greater than Ahashuerosh is here; and therefore those that come to his Table, must seriously examine and prepare themselves before.
2.2. From the great profit which we receive thereby if we come prepared.
3.3. From the grievousnesse of the punishments if we be unworthy Receivers: The Sacrament is not like to those harmlesse Receits, (as innocent as the Prescribers are simple) which some good old women give sick people, which if they doe no good, do no harme; but this is a true maxim, To him to whom the Sacrament is not Heaven, it is hell: If it brings not profit, and spirituall grace, it drawes great plagues and punishments on us.
Examine himselfe. A Christians eyes, ought to be turned inward, and chiefly reflected on himselfe: yet how many are there, whose home is to be alwayes abroad; It is a tale of the wandring Iew, but it is too much truth of many wandring Christians, whose thoughts are never resident on their own souls, but ever searching and examining of others: These say not with the souldiers, Luk. 3.14. And what shall we do? but are questioning alwayes, as S. Peter is of Iohn, Ioh. 21.21. And what shal this man do?
Yet a mans examining of himselfe excludes not his examination of those who are committed to his care and charge; as Pastors examining such young people, as according to the orders of the Church they are to catechise. As for that Father, who trieth his wife and children, he still examineth himselfe.
Two sorts of people are unfit to receive. 1. Those that wilfully wil not examine themselves. 2. Those that cannot by reason of their want of age, or some other impotency.
Yea children which are old enough to conceive the words of a Minister, yet as yet not of age to partake of the Sacrament. Thinke not that the Church maketh cyphers of you, and esteemeth you of no account, you are heires apparent to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, none can hinder you from it; yet during your minority thy Church is your Guardian, and carefully keepes that treasure for you, till you come of age, provided you carefully learne your Catechisme, to be able to answer your Minister. But I will turne my Precepts to you into prayers for you, and so wish you good successe in the name of the Lord.
In examining of this word Examine, learned men run in three severall streames, some prosecute the Metaphor of a Gold-smith, searching the purity of his gold, foreign, being a proper word to them in their mysterie, 1 Pet. 1.7. foreign, That the tryall of your faith being much more precious then of gold that perisheth, though it be tryed with fire, might bee found unto praise, &c. Others because bread and wine to bee taken in the Sacrament, are both food and physick, please themselves best to insist on the similitude of a Physician, giving preparatives to his patients before he receives the physicke. A third sort make Examine here to bee Verbum forense & juridicum, as Magistrates question offenders, and therefore chuse to follow that resemblance: David was in a great strait, betwixt three evils; I am in a straight betwixt three goods, not knowing which to chuse: how ever wee will follow the latter as most consonant to the Apostles sense.
A man in examining himselfe, must personate three, and act three severall parts. 1. The part of the Offender. 2. Of the Accuser. 3. Of the Iudge. The part of the Accuser, may be wel performed by that faculty of the soul, which is called Conscience; for besides her office, to be the Regester and Recorder of the soule, and Remembrancer of the acts thereof; It is also the Atturney Generall of the King of Heaven in our hearts, to press the evidence against us after the inditement. As for our reason and judgement, that must supply the office of a Iudge, Et secundum allegata & probata, acquit or condemne us.
But here it is to be feared, men will be partiall to themselves in two respects; first in not giving their conscience fair play: they will not give it that liberty Agrippa granted to S. Paul, Act. 26.1. Thou art permitted to speak for thy selfe, but what in whol they cannot silence, they wil in part disturb & interrupt. 2. It is to be feared our judgement wil not be upright, but as S. Peter said to our Saviour, foreign, Master spare thy selfe, Propitius tibi sit, Mat. 16.22. So our judgement will be partiall, and favourable to us, as foundred feet will never tread hard.
Wherfore because of this double suspition of partiality; this is a sound and safe Rule. Let us account our selves to be worse, than upon examination wee find ourselves to be: Thus did Saint Paul, 1. Cor 4.4. For I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judges mee is the Lord. That is, since his conversion, his conscience accused him of no great sinne unrepented; and yet hereupon he durst not pronounce himselfe to be innocent, for God judgeth not as man judgeth, neither seeth as man seeth; but those who are acquitted by themselves, may be condemned by him.
Seeing thus as it is said, a man is to act three parts, by the way wee may observe.
DoctA Christian, though alone may make company for himselfe, Psalme 4.4. Commune with your hearts in your Chamber, and be still, Psal. 43.5. Why art thou so heavy O my soule? why art thou, &c. One, (as wee have said) may make himselfe three, Offender, Accuser, Iudge, so that hee should never be lesse alone, then when alone, being alwayes in the company of heavenly Discoursers in himselfe: Had men the art of these selfe-examinations, and Soliloquies, they need not (to put away melancholly, as they pretend, and to avoid solitarinesse) repaire to the schools of drunkennesse, there to seeke for bad company, that there (to use their owne expression) they may drive away the time. Fools to drive away that which is winged, and which though they should strive to stay, they cannot.
1. Now the Interrogatories; wherupon every man is to be examined, are these. 1. Whether thou dost repaire to receive the Sacrament, with a competent measure of knowledge?
2. Whether dost thou come with unfained Repentance for thy sinnes past? which Repentance consisteth not so much in outward sorrow (for their faces may be flints, whose hearts may bee Fountaines, their soules may drop blood, whose eyes cannot shed teares) as in the inward contrition, and hatred of sinne, and shunning of it in the sequell of our lives.
3. Whether dost thou come with a lively faith, relying upon God in Christ, for the pardon of thy sinnes?
4. Whether dost thou come with love undissembled, freely from thy heart to forgive all injuries committed against thee? Some when they are to partake of the Sacrament, say to their malice, as Abraham did to his two servants, Gen. 22.5. Abide you here, and I will goe yonder, and worship, and come againe to you. They leave their injuries at the Church doore, till they have received the Lords Supper, and then returning make a resumption of them againe: But let us not onelyonly lop the bowes, but grub up even the roots of our malice, not only suspend the act, but depose the habit of our hatred.
And here as God said to the Iewes, Ezek. 18.3. that they should have no occasion any more to use that Proverbe in Israel; The Fathers have eaten sower Grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge; In like manner I could wish no occasion, that the English by-word be any more used, I forgive him, but I will not forget him. Such people I dare say, neither forgive nor forget; like sluts, they sweepe the house of their heart, but leave all the dust still behind the doore; but let us not only breake the teeth of our malice in forgiving, but also pluck out the sting, which is still behind in the tayle, and labour fully to forget.
To these Interrogatories, some have added these additionals, which vertually are contained in the former: Whether dost thou come with an earnest desire, and longing to be made partaker of these heavenly mysteries?
Whether dost thou come with thankfulnes to the God of heaven; for this his great blessing?
Hereon let every one examine himselfe, I dare boldly say, none can decline the answering to these interrogatories; not that common evasion, Non tenetur respondere, as if they were not absolutely pertinent to the matter in hand, but it concernes every one of us to make a punctuall and direct answer thereunto.
VponUpon examination all will confesse themselves guilty, except a dumbe Devill, or a Pharisaicall spirit hath possessed any. Yet are there degrees of guiltinesse: Some are guilty that they have not these graces at all, but the opposite vices in stead of them; in stead of knowledge ignorance. All the reason Laban could render Iacob in cozening him with the elder sister for the younger, was but pleading the custome of the countrey, Gen. 29.26. And this is the best account some can giuegive, why they receive the Sacrament: It is an old ceremony, a fashion of their Fore-fathers, a custome of the Church, that young men and maidens at such an age use to receive; and so of the rest; in stead of repentance, obstinacy in sin, in lieu of faith unbeliefe, in place of charity, malice, an indifferency for desire, and ingratitude for thankfulnesse; these in no case must presume to receive, but tarry till these vices are amended, and graces in some degree begotten in them.
Others are guilty, that though they have them in sincerity, yet they have them not in perfection, these are bound to come to Gods table, his dainties are provided properly for such guests, & by his blessing these holy mysteries may worke in them what is wanting, and strengthen what is weak. And to conclude, as the father of the lunatick child cryed out, Mar. 9.24. Lord I beleeve, help my unbeliefe; so may the best of us all, when we come to communicate, call out with teares, Lord I come with knowledge, helpe my want of knowledge, Lord I come with repentance, help my want of repentance. Lord I come with faith, helpe my want of faith. Lord I come with love, help my want of love, Lord I come, &c.