Directions for a Godly Life, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of Premeditation and Prayer.
THus of the firſt thing to be performed in our preparation, namely Examination of our owne fitnes to receiue. The ſecond is the Premeditation of the benefits, which wee are to receiue: which we muſt not omit, that we may the better be ſtirred vp to ſeeke God, and to cōmunicate at his Table with joy and gladneſſe; for there is nothing which makes vsus more cold and backward in ſuch duties, than this, that wee hauehave not ſufficiently taſted how good the Lord is to thoſe which ſeeke him; the conſideration whereof is alone able to moue any man to a longing deſire after him. Wherefore, hauing ſearched into our own eſtate by a ſerious examination, leaſt wee ſhould yet fall backe to a lukewarme careleſneſſe of what we are to doe, (to which the Diuell will bee ever ready to tempt vsus) and ſo become the more vnfit to cō municate at the Lords Table, either to Gods glory or our owne comfort, let vsus ever quicken our devotion vvith a ſeaſonable premeditation, before vvee come, of the benefits vvhichwhich vvee are to receiue by comming. All which are cōprehended in this one word life; vvhichwhich vve receiue in the Lords Supper, by receiuing Chriſt, vvho is Life it ſelfe. Iohn. 14.6.
Now the life of a Chriſtian is either the life of Grace here, or Glory hereafter.
The life of Grace (vvhichwhich we obtaine in this Supper) conſiſts of 2 things.
1. A happy freedome from a twofold euill: firſt of ſin; from vvhichwhich vvee are freed by the Death of Chriſt: vvhoſe blood (if we relie on him) will make our ſinnes (though as red as ſcarlet) to become as white as vvooll.
2l of Puniſhment; from vvhichwhich Chriſt hath redeemed vsus by the ſhedding of his blood; ſo that there is no condē nation to thē which are in Chriſt Ieſus. Rom. 8.1. vvhence vvee may boldly ſay, who is hee that condemneth? it is Chriſt that died; yea rather that is riſē againe, who is even at the right hand of God, making interceſſion for vsus: verſ. 34.
The ſecond thing is a comfortable enjoyment of a threefold good.
1 An inſeparable vnion both vvith Chriſt our head, from whom nothing ſhall bee able to ſeparate vsus: Rom: 8.38. as alſo with our brethren & fellow-members in louelove and charity; which Dauid accounted a good and ioyfull thing: Pſal. 133.1.2 A bleſſed ſtrengthening of our faith, whereof this Sacrament is a ſure ſeale, (as before) whence it ſhall come to paſſe, that wee ſhall bee able to reſiſt the temptations of the Divell, (who ſtriveth by all meanes to make ſhipwracke of our faith and vsus) and reply with David, Pſal. 16.9. I hauehave ſet God alwayes before mee, for he is on my right hand, therefore ſhall I not fall: this is that which will make our hearts glad, and our fleſh to reſt in hope, as it is ver. 10. which bringeth in a third good, and that not the leaſt, that God vouchſafeth to his people in this world, namely, Peace of Conſcience.
This is that which wee are moſt carefully to ſeeke after, and which in the latter end, will bee more worth vntounto vsus, than ten thouſand worlds of pleaſure which we can enioy: and therefore Davids counſell is, Keepe innocency, and take heed vntounto the thing that is right, for that ſhall bring a man peace at the laſt. Pſal. 37.38. Now wherein can wee better keepe innocency, than by being carefully and faithfully exerciſed in Gods ſervice? and what greater comfort of heart, and what greater peace of conſcience can redound to a poore ſinfull ſoule, than the full aſſurance of the forgiuenes of his ſinnes, & his inſeparable vnion vvith Chriſt Ieſus which vve receiue, if vve receiue aright, by receiuing the Sacrament. This is that, beſides vvhichwhich there is nothing in vsus that ſhall be able to ſtrengthen & comfort vsus againſt our enemie the Diuell, in the day of our departure hence; vvho will then be ſure to affright vsus with the vglines of our ſinnes (though now in policy he couer them) that ſo hee may, if it be poſſible, driue vsus to diſpaire of Gods merciemercy tovvards vsus: then (I ſay) by the helpe of a good conſcience, as Samuel reſolutely ſpake vntounto the Iſraelites, 1. Sam. 12.3. ſaying, Behold, here I am; witnes againſt me before the Lord & before his anoynted; whoſe oxe hauehave I taken? whom hauehave I defrauded? and I will reſtore it you: ſo ſhall we be able to nonplus our calumniating enemie, & ſay; Behold, Satan, here I am, witneſſe againſt mee before the Lord, wherein hauehave I done thoſe evill things which I ſhould not hauehave done? wherein hauehave I omitted thoſe good duties which I ſhould hauehave done? whē did I at any time diſpaire of Gods mercy, or neglect the ſame? whē did I prophane, or abuſe his holy ſabboths? whē did I contēne or neglect his word & Sacraments? here I am; witneſſe againſt me: but my cōſcience tells me to my comfort, that I hauehave diligently, according to my power, performed what I ought, and therefore thou haſt no part in me. If wee can thus cleare our ſelues, then ſhall wee bee able to ſay with Saint Paul, 2. Tim. 4.7.8. The time of my departure is at hand, I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finiſhed my courſe, I hauehave kept the faith: and that which followeth herevpon, is, Henceforth is laid vp for me a Crowne of righteouſnes. This Crowne is that benefit, vvhichwhich we ſhall receiue, after this life of grace is ended, in the life of glory. In the meane time, vvhile vvee liue here, vvee ſhall receiue, though not this Crowne actually, yet the full aſſurance thereof, beleeuing vvith Saint Paul, that it is laid vp for vsus, which the Lord the righteous Iudge ſhall giuegive vsus at the laſt day.
Theſe are the benefits, which eueryevery true communicant receiueth at the Lords Table: vvherefore (as vve deſire to receiue theſe benefits, which paſſe all vnderſtāding) let vsus carefully meditate thereon, that vvee may be inflamed vvith the deſire of them.
But (becauſe all that vvee can doe, is nothing vvithout Gods bleſsing) vvee are in the next place to pray to God, that he vvill be pleaſed to bleſſe our endeavours, and to accept vsus in his Sonne; vvhichwhich is the third duty required of vsus in our Preparation: vvithout the due performance of vvhichwhich, though othervviſe vvee hauehave diligently prepared our ſelues, vve cannot expect to receiue any comfort of ſoule vvith the Bread and Wine; becauſe God onelyonly giueth that vntounto vsus, and hee is debter vntounto no man: let vsus therefore ſeeke vntounto him by prayer for a bleſſing, vvho is the giuer of all bleſſings. This vve ought to doe firſt in priuate, ſetting aſide ſome cōuenient times, vvherein vve may freely betake our ſelues to this duty: but eſpecially in the morning, vvhen vve are to receiue, vve ſhould riſe early and conſider what wee are to doe that day, namely, ſit at the Lords Table, and therefore be ſure that we conſecrate our ſelues to God by Prayer and good meditations. Secōdly in publike with the Congregation; where wee ought to preſent our ſelues at the very beginning, that ſo wee may joyne together in all things which we are to performe, & there at our firſt entrāce powre forth vntounto God (as at all other times) this or the like prayer.
O Lord ſtregthen mee againſt the temptations of Sathan who ſtriveth to draw away my heart from thee; & accept the prayers, which I ſhall now make vntounto thee through Ieſus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Which done, joyne with the Congregation in ſuch prayers as are then vſed.
In both wee are carefully to conſider 2. things.
1. For whō we ought to pray; and that is, not for our ſelues only, but for others alſo, according to the Counſell of Saint Iames. Chap. 4. v. 16. Pray one for another; which wee learne from the patterne of prayer, the Lord's Prayer, left vntounto vsus by Chriſt himſelfe.
2 How we ought to pray; & that is, firſt in humility, with a feeling of our owne wants, for which the poore Publican was rather iuſtified than the proud Phariſee for his vaine boaſting. Luke 18.14. Secondly in a ſetled & fervent devotion: when wee pray, our mindes ought not to bee fixed on any thing elſe (as many, God knowes, are) for God will hauehave the whole heart or none. 3. In faith; with confidence that wee ſhall receiue what wee aske; for hee, which wavereth, that is, not beleiveth, Let not that man thinke that hee ſhall receiue any thing of the Lord. I am. 1.7. If we be deficient in any one of theſe conditions, we aske amiſſe, and ſo ſhall receiue accordingly. Wherefore, as wee deſire to receiue benefit & cōfort by the Lord's Supper, let vsus ſeeke vntounto God for it: & as we hope to hauehave our prayers heard; let vsus pray both for our ſelues & others in true humility, fervencie & devotiō, & aſſured hope of obtaining.