The Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 5 – Chapter 7
CHAP. 5.
Of Repentance.
GOD, beſides our faith, doth alſo looke for our repentance, and newneſſe of life: For in this Sacrament we profeſſe our ſelues, to forſake our ſinnes and luſts, and the Deuill, and to become new men, and that wee will hereafter walke with God in new obedience: all our ſeruice and ſacrifices elſe will not be accepted of God: the Lord reiecteth all outward ſeruice and ceremonies (though they were ordained by himſelfe) when they are not accompanied with the conuerſion of the heart, and innocency of life. See Eſa, 1.13, 14, 15, 16. & 66.3. Therefore the Lord biddeth, when wee appeare before him, ſaying, Eſa. 1.16, 17. Waſh you, make you cleane, take away the euill of your wayes, ceaſe to do euill, learne to doe well, &c And Dauid ſaith, Pſal. 26.6. I will waſh mine hands in innocencie, & ſo I will compaſſe thine Altar. This is eſpecially neceſſary in this Sacrament, wherein we ſhew forth the Lords death till he come. 1 Cor. 11.26. which we can doe no better, then by dying vntounto ſinne our ſelues, which is called mortification, which belongs to the firſt part of repentance; and muſt bee ſeconded with viuification, or newneſſe of life, which belongs to the ſecond part of repentance.
The dueties then heere to be performed, are; Firſt, diligently and ſeriouſly to examine our owne conſciences, and to find out our ſinnes, both originall and actuall; againſt both Law and Goſpell, that ſo we may returne to God by repentance: Pſal. 119.59. Lam. 3.39, 40. Without this ſight of ſinne, wee cannot repent, as ſeeing nothing that hath turned vsus from God; and repenting, wee ſhall not be accepted, without this turning firſt into our own hearts, Deut. 30.1, 2. 1 King. 8.47. eſpecially we muſt labour to find out our ſpeciall ſinnes, vntounto which we are moſt of all inclined, and which moſt of all wound our conſciences; to this end, we are carefully, Firſt, to obſerue the checks of conſcience; Secondly, to obſerue our thoughts, on what eſpecially they runne moſt: Thirdly, to make vſe of ſome faithfull friend, who may faithfully tell vsus, wherein they obſerue vsus to offend, ſeeing wee our ſelues are naturally blinded with ſelfe-louelove: to this end, obſerue what ſinnes GODS Word preached or read condemnes: yea, obſerue (becauſe malice is quick-ſighted) what thine enemies obſerue in thee, and do caſt in thy teeth. But aboue all, fourthly, looke thy ſelfe and thy face, in the Glaſſe of Gods Law, and bring thy ſelfe to the Ballance and Touch-ſtone of Gods Word, both Law and Goſpell: examine thy ſelfe by each Article of thy Créede, and by each Commandement apart, according to the true meaning of each Commandement, which binds the inward man, and thine affections, as well as thy words and workes, and ſo thou maiſt find thy ſinne: (to this end) make vſe of that direction which is ſet downe in Maſter Perkins Booke of Repentance, and in the Booke called, the True Watch, firſt Part, and alſo the ſecond.
The ſecond duetie is, when wee ſee our ſin, to conſider how hatefull a thing it is in it ſelfe, how abominable to God & all good men; that ſo wee may know it, with a féeling of the burthen of it, and with true ſorrow, that thereby wee ſhould offend, and ſhew our ſelues vnthankfull, to ſo louing a Father, and bountifull a GOD.
Then muſt wee humble our ſelues in hearty and earneſt Prayer vntounto GOD, confeſsing vntounto him our ſinnes: our vnknowne ſinnes generally, our knowne ſinnes particularly, and that fréely, without any excuſe, defence, or hiding the leaſt of them. So did Dauid, Pſal. 32. & Pſal. 51. and withall, wée muſt make earneſt intreaty, and deprecation to God, in the Name and mediation of Chriſt Ieſus, who died for our ſinnes, that God would in mercy pardon them all, and ſeale vntounto vsus the pardon of them by his Spirit: and héere eueryevery one muſt frame his confeſſion according to his owne néede, at the leaſt, in ſighes and ſobs of the heart, and the ſecret deſires thereof. To this end, (where & whiles men cannot in priuate ſo well pray of themſelues) may bee vſed ſuch formes of prayer, as may bee found in the Leitargie of the Church and in riuers godly Bookes, framed for this particular occaſion.
Laſtly, there muſt be in our repentance, an holy and full purpoſe of heart, and intendment of new obedience for time to come, and a reſolution with Gods helpe to withſtand all ſinnes, and to vſe care to preuent all occaſions thereof.
CHAP. 6.
Of Charity.
BEſides all theſe, (which reſpect God) wee muſt alſo bee in louelove and perfect charity with our neighboures; If they hauehave offended vsus, wee muſt bee ready to forgiue them, eſpecially vponupon their requeſt and acknowledgement, euen as God for Chriſts ſake forgaue vsus, who had offended him, and as wée our ſelues in the Lords Prayer deſire to be forgiuen as wee our ſelues forgiue others.
And if we hauehave iuſtly offended others, wee muſt ſeeke peace with them, & their louelove, and not be aſhamed to acknowledge our faults: This is ſo neceſſary, that God will hauehave his ſeruice ſtay till it bee performed, and without it will not accept our ſeruice and ſacrifice: He would hauehave vsus leaue our offering; Goe thy way, and firſt bee reconciled to thy brother, &c. Math. 5.24.
CHAP. VII.
Of Examination.
ALl the fore-named things are neceſſary in eueryevery Chriſtian at all times: but eſpecially when wee are to come to the holy Communion, wee are to practiſe theſe dueties, and to renew our faith and our repentance, & to examine our ſelues, whether theſe graces bee in vsus in truth and ſynſerity, or no; according to 2. Cor. 13.5. & 1. Cor. 11.28. eſpecially our Faith, and Repentance.
Our Faith is true, when, firſt, it is grounded namely on Gods Word, and not on traditions or authority of men: When wee find that Gods Word hath beene effectuall in vsus and our ſelues altered thereby, ſo that we remaine not ſtill the ſame we were long ſince: and if therfore we hauehave a louelove and deſire to Gods Word, that by it our Faith may bee increaſed.
If our Faith be ſet on a right Obiect, that is, if it beleeue the ſame Word of God, as well the threatnings of it, as the promiſes: eſpecially, if it truely rely vponupon the mercy of GOD, and merits of CHRIST.
By the fruites of it wee may know it, if our Faith purifie our heart, Act. 15 9. and if it work in vsus an endeuour is pleaſe God in all things: if wee can beleeue God and his Trueth, euen before experience, as did the Woman of Canaan, Math. 15.22. and when wee feele not his preſence; yea, if with Iob, wée can truſt in God though hee ſeeme to kill vsus, and bee our enemie. Theſe may ſuffice for the preſent.
Our repentance is then true, Firſt, when wee are ſorry, not ſo much for puniſhment or ſhame of our ſinne, as that thereby we hauehave offended and diſpleaſed our louing God and Father. Secondly, when we are ſorry and repent of all ſin, and doe not ſecretly deſire to liue in, or to inioy ſtill, any one pleaſant ſinne, but reſolue to leaue eueryevery ſinne for the louelove we owe to God. Laſtly, when wee preſently and without delay, ſo ſoone as wée ſee and know our ſinne, doe repent: Sée Pſal. 119.59, 60. I made haſte, and delayed not to keep thy Commandements.
Our Charity and louelove to our brethren is then good and ſound, when wee louelove them, not in by reſpects, for feare or profit and delight, but as they are Chriſtians, and becauſe God loues them, they being his friends; yea, becauſe we louelove God: ſo, when wee wiſh them the beſt things, as that they were partakers with vsus, of Chriſt, and of life euerlaſting: when we can forget and forgiue priuate iniuries, and hate not their perſons, but their ſinnes, &c.
☞Note, If after examination wee finde theſe graces in vsus, though but weake, yet wée may bée comforted, and wée muſt come: If we feele our ſelues vnworthy; knowe, that this ſenſe and feeling of ſin, (where there is no purpoſe to liue in ſin) is an argument of grace: by our corrupt nature, wee cannot diſcerne of our corruptions, but by grace onelyonly. This Supper is a remedy for our weaknes and corruption, Chriſt calling the weary, humble and contrite vntounto him, Matth. 11.28. Luke 4.18. Wée muſt not looke ſo much to come perfect, as to goe from it perfect, that is, more perfect and better then wée came. If thou canſt but deſire that grace which thou wanteſt, aſſure thy ſelfe of it, God will giuegive it; nay, He accepts the deſire for the grace it ſelfe: For, if luſtfull deſire after a woman, be in Gods account adultery, and the ſinne it ſelfe, Mat. 5.28. much more is the deſire of any Grace, in Gods acceptance, the Grace it ſelfe deſired: God inclining as much to mercy, as to iuſtice, and as ready to take in good worth our good deſires, as to take the aduantage of our euill deſires.