A Preparation to the Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of new Obedience, and the triall thereof.
ONe maine and ſpecial effect, and fruit of true Repentance, and conſequently of Faith, (without which our perſons cannot be acceptable vntounto God) is new Obedience.
1 Pet. 4, 2 & 1.21 Rom. 6, 15 Acts 13, 1 Dan. 3.18New obedience, is a conſtant purpoſe to forſake all ſin, and an endeauour to obey God in all things for Chriſts ſake.
EueryEvery Article of our Faith, is an vnreſiſtable argument, to proue that wee owe this duty vntounto God: And if we beleeue them truely, they will moue vsus, yea force vsus vntounto the ſame in ſome meaſure or other.
The means to try whether this grace bee in vsus, or no, is to examine our conſciences in theſe points following:
1 Whether we deſire and indeuour,1 The. 5.21 Act. 17.11 Pſ. 119.15 to know the will, pleaſure, and commandement of God, that wee might thereby frame our ſelues to pleaſe God: and whether wee doe (to this end) vſe the moſt likely & approued meanes, to come to the knowledge thereof: and whether wee reioyce in the knowledge thereof, after we hauehave attained vntounto it.
2 Whether wee are content,Gal. 5, 24 1 Cor. 1, 18 19, 20 Mat 26, 39 Nū. 22, 19 to ſubiect our owne wills, reaſon and affections vntounto Gods reuealed will: and doe not exalt our owne wiſdome and will aboue his.
1 Pet. 4, 12 16 Matth. 19 28, 29 1 Pet. 4, 17 18, 19 Phil. 1, 29 Pſ. 119.71 1 Cor. 1, 4 Rom. 5, 3 1 Pet. 4, 133 Whether we labour to perſwade our ſelues, that wee ſhall loſe nothing, by yeelding obedience to Gods wil: and that it ſhall be worſe for vsus, for croſſing his will in any thing whatſoeuer; yea, that the more wee loſe, by our obedience to God, the more we ſhal be ſure to gaine thereby.
Ro. 17, 24 2 Cor. 12, 8 Pr. 30, 8, 94 VVhether wee are not grieued, when wee meet with any lets and hinderances: by meanes whereof, we cannot doe his will, as we ought and would doe it: and whether wee are vnfainedly ſorry, that wee want ſtrength and ability to doe it, as wee would and ſhould.
5 Whether we count it a grace, honour,Mat. 16, 24 and fauour vntounto vsus, that God would vouchſafe to command vsus any ſeruice: and whether wee thinke nothing too baſe for vsus to doe, that he requireth at our hands.
6 VVhether it bee grieuous vntounto vsus,Pſ. 119, 136 that others do not obey God: and whether it bee hatefull vntounto vsus, that another man ſhould diſpleaſe God, to pleaſure vsus.
7 VVhether we thinke all the ſeruice and duties, that God requireth of vsus, to bee performed either to himſelf,Rom. 9.3. Ge. 22.1.2 or to our neighbour, to be leſſe by many degrees, then hee hath deſerued at our hands: and whether, if he ſhold deſire greater matters at our hand, wee thinke our ſelues bound to yeeld obedience vntounto them.
8 Whether wee account meanly and baſely of our obedience,Lu. 18.13 Pſal. 51, 17 Eſa. 66.2. and of the beſt ſeruice wee can performe, or at any time hauehave performed to God, as that which is of no value, to merit the leaſt grace and fauour of him.
9 VVhether it bee a tediouſneſſe and vexation vntounto our ſoules, to liue in thoſe places,Pſa. 120.5 Pſa. 84.1, 2 3, 4 & 27.4 where wee cannat hauehave opportunitie to ſerue & pleaſe God, as wee would, and ought to doe: and whether we louelove thoſe places moſt, where wee hauehave moſt meanes and opportunitie to ſerue and honour God.
10 VVhether we louelove thoſe perſons moſt,1 The. 5, 12 from whence wee hauehave moſt helpes and encouragements to ſerue and pleaſe God: and whethere of all other perſons, we miſlike them moſt, that croſſe & hinder our obedience vntounto God, & will not ſuffer vsus to performe thoſe duties vntounto him, which we are able to doe, and willingly would doe; and which lay ſnares and ſtumbling blocks in our wayes, that we may not freely ſerue him as wee would.
11 VVhether we deſire to liue no longer,Phil. 1, 9 10, 11 then that we may bee able to do God ſome honour & ſeruice; and whether, eueryevery day, more then other, the longer wee liue, wee thinke our ſelues bound, and indeuour to do better and better ſeruice vntounto God, and to make him amends for our negligence paſt, all the daies of our life before.