A Preparation to the Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the triall of our repentance.
THE ſecond maine grace, that is in all thoſe that are in grace & fauour with God, is Repentance; the trial wherof, is alſo a triall of our faith. That perſon, whoſe heart is deſtitute hereof, is as yet odious in Gods ſight; & therefore a moſt vnworthy partaker of this Sacrament.
Repentance, is an vnfained hatred of all ſin, ariſing eſpecially from faith.
As they that want faith, want a mouth to eat the Body and bloud of Chriſt; So they which want repentance, want an appetite and a ſtomacke thereunto. For how can they hunger & thirſt, after the Lambe of God, which taketh away the ſinnes of the world, who hauehave not this grace to repent them of their ſins? And how can they thankfully and worthily eat the body, and drinke the bloud of that Lambe, which was ſacrificed for their ſinne, that hauehave no deſire nor appetite thereunto?
The meanes then to try, whether this Repentance be in vsus or no, is; To make inquiſition after the ſpeciall ſignes & effects thereof: As,
Pſa. 51, 3, 4 Dan. 9.7 8 1 Cor. 11 31 Mat. 11.381 VVhether wee doe feele and perceiue, that we are grieuous ſinners, and accuſe & condemne our ſelues from our harts for our ſins, and acknowledge the iuſt merit and deſert of our ſinne?
Ro. 3.20 & 4, 15 & 7, 7 Pſ. 119, 18 143, 1762 Whether wee did come to the ſenſe and feeling of our ſin by the Law of God; and whether wee louelove the ſame Law the more, by how much the more it diſcouereth our ſinnes. And whether alſo wee louelove thoſe meanes beſt, that are moſt powerfull and effectuall, to bring vsus vn-the knowledge, ſenſe, & feeling of our ſinnes.
3 VVhether the more that we heare,Gal. 5.24 1 Iohn 3, 9 Rom. 6.2 3, 4, 5 & beleeue the Goſpell, and in it, the louelove and mercy of Ieſus Chriſt towards ſinners, the more wee hate and forſake our ſinne.
4. VVhether wee hate a ſinne, as much, or more in our ſelues, then in another, and whether wee louelove another, becauſe of conſcience he forbeareth to ſinne.
5 VVhether wee hate & ſtriue againſt that ſin, that our nature is moſt diſpoſed vntounto, & which loueth and haunteth vsus moſt.
6 VVhether the more, that wee hauehave formerly ſinned againſt God,Luk. 7, 47 and by our ſins diſhonoured God, the more now wee deſire and indeuour to pleaſe God.
7 VVhether wee doe ſtriue againſt, not onelyonly great ſinnes,Gal. 5.9 1 The. 5.22 ſuch as are puniſhed at Aſſiſes and Seſſions: but alſo ſmall ſinnes, ſuch as are not puniſhed, nor neuer called in queſtion, in the Courts and Conſiſtories of men.
8 VVhether we hate and abhor in our ſelues, not onelyonly thoſe ſins, that are hatefull and deteſtable in the eyes of men: but euen thoſe alſo,Gen. 36.9 which men will account a grace and honour vntounto vsus to commit: And for which they will recompence and reward vsus; when it ſhall be reuealed to vsus, out of Gods word, that they are ſinnes.
9 Whether wee hate ſin principally, becauſe God hates it, and forbids it; And not onelyonly, and eſpecially, in reſpect of the curſe & puniſhment, or of the lawes of men.
10 VVhether we doe not repent, that wee did no ſooner repent: And whether wee would, for any worldly good be in that eſtate,Phil. 3.7, 8 that we were in before our Repentance.
11 VVhether we can inſtance, in any ſpeciall or particular ſins, which formerly wee loued and delighted in, which now we hate & ſtriue againſt.
12 Whether wee doe ſo much the more ſtudy and imbrace the contrary vertues vntounto ſuch ſins, as we now repent of, by how much the more we hauehave beene formerly giuen vntounto them.
13 VVhether we are not afraide, that ſomething that wee louelove and affect, ſhould (by the word of God) be diſcouered to be a ſinne; And whether we doe not deſire and pray, that God wold diſcouer vntounto vsus, al our ſins, to the end that wee may ſtriue againſt them, and forſake them.
14 VVhether we doe reioyce and vnfainedly thanke God, when any thing (that we take pleaſure and delight in) is diſcouered to be a ſinne.
15 VVhether wee eſteeme it, a ſingular bleſſing of God, that wee hauehave beene, and are croſſed of God in thoſe ſins, which our nature thirſteth after; And that we hauehave not had that opportunity & meanes of committing them, which our corruption hath deſired.
16 VVhether wee doe not hate, but rather louelove him, that dutifully louingly, and brotherly doth admoniſh vsus of a manifeſt ſin, eſpecially if it be a Miniſter of God.