A Worthy Communicant, Treatise · Chapter 16
Chap. 16. Habituall graces to be quickned and renewed, before the receiving of the Sacrament.
CHAP. 16 THus have wee ſeene the ſecond thing, in which actuall preparation ſtands, namely, examination. The third thing followes, and that is the quickning and renewing of our habituall graces. That which S. Paul wiſhes Timothy to doe, and which is needfull for Chriſtians to do at all times, is of ſpeciall uſe, and needfull to be done before the Sacrament, namely that 2 Tim. 1. 6. I put thee in remembrance, that thou ſtirre up the gift, or grace of God that is in thee, that thou blow up, and cauſe to kindle, the grace of God. Fire that lyes raked up in the aſhes, here and there a coale, wil not on a ſudden kindle and burne out into a flame, but if a man before-hand gather the coales together, and lay on ſome ſmall ſticks, and blow thoſe coales, and kindle thoſe ſticks, then when a man will, hee adding more fuell, he may have it burne and flame out as he pleaſe. At the Sacrament a man would be willing to have all his graces up in a burning flame; now that will not be done on a ſudden, but if before the Sacrament we lay theſe coales together, and bee blowing them, and kindling them with ſome fuell in private, then when we come at the Sacrament, they will the eaſier and ſooner flame out. Now the graces ſpecially to be quickned, and renewed, are faith and repentance.
1 Firſt, it is not enough for a man that he have faith, but if a man will come in due order, he muſt before his comming, quicken, awaken, and ſtir up, and renew his faith. Though a man have faith, yet if he come with his faith halfe aſleepe, he comes not in due Order. A man that is ſleepy and drowſie, is a true man, but yet he is an unfit man to be implyed in a buſineſſe of weight, wherein he had need to have his wits about him, in a buſineſſe that will require the activity of all his parts and faculties. A faith that is drowſie, and halfe aſleepe, is haply a true faith, but yet is not a fit faith to come to the Sacrament, it being a buſineſſe that requires all the livelineſſe and activity that poſſibly faith can have. A man that would have a good ſtomack to his meat, and have his meat doe him good, will a little before his meat uſe ſome exerciſe which may awaken his ſpirits, and ſtirre up his naturall heate: he hath life in his body before, and heat in his body before, but yet if a little ſtirring and exerciſe be uſed before meat, it raiſes a mans ſpirits, prepares for, and helpes digeſtion, and a mans meat does him a great deale the more good. So in this caſe ſome exerciſing of faith, and ſetting it on worke before the Sacrament, would bring warmth and heate into it, and would ſweetely prepare it to worke the more kindely at the Sacrament, and ſo would the Sacrament doe a mans ſoule much the more good. The Phyſicians ſay, that a breakfaſt moderately and Seaſonably taken, gets a man the better ſtomacke to his dinner, becauſe thereby a mans naturall heat is awakened, and the ſpirits raiſed, and ſo the better way prepared for concoction. Doe ſo here, take a breakfaſt before this feaſt, ſet Faith a feeding on ſome promiſe or other, and ſo whet and provoke the appetite of thy faith. A man that is to run a Race, will not put off all to the very point of running, then would he be ſo purſie and breathleſſe that hee would run to little purpoſe, but becauſe he would be ſure to have his wind and legs at command in his Race, he will for many dayes together bee exerciſing himſelfe before the day of his Race, he will run ſo much one day, ſo long another, and ſo will be every day breathing himſelfe, that when he comes to run, he may have wind at will, and neither legs nor lungs may faile him. So, before the Sacrament, it is good to be exerciſing our faith, that it may be in breath, and fit to performe its office when at the Sacrament. A faith unexerciſed before, will prove purſey and ſhort winded, when it ſhould do the main buſines at the Sacrament.
Queſt. But how ſhould a man thus exerciſe and quicken his faith, before he comes to the Sacrament.
Anſ. Take ſome of the promiſes and ſet thy faith on worke upon them. Thou commeſt to the Sacrament to eat Chriſt. Before thou commeſt to eat him at his Table, firſt labour to taſte him in chewing ſome promiſe; and that taſte gotten of him in the chewing of a promiſe, would ſweetly prepare faith to the eating of him in the Supper: we ſhall conceive it the better by ſome inſtance. God commands us to come to Chriſt, Come, for Luke 14. 17.al things are ready. We have not only a commandement which yet might have ſufficed, but wee have a promiſe, Ioh. 6. 37. Him that comes to me I will in no wiſe caſt out, that is, I will with all hearty welcome, imbrace, and receive him that comes unto me, that beleeves in me. Why then I ſee, that come and welcome. He that bids me, if I come at his bidding, he will bid me welcome. Doth my ſoule doubt of it? Why then doe but conſider what Chriſt is now, by what he was when on earth. I finde in the Goſpell that the pooreſt and meaneſt that were might come unto him. I ſee Matth. 21. 14. That the lame and the blinde came unto him; they came, and they were welcome, They came unto him, and he healed them. I ſee then if I come to him, I ſhall finde him an healing Chriſt. And how much doth my ſoule need healing? I ſee, Mat. 8. 2, 3. that a Leper comes, a foule uncleane Leper, and yet he is not loathed for his leaproſie, neither doth Chriſt check him, and bid him keepe off, but he was welcome to, and had his leproſie cleanſed. I never find Chriſt diſpleaſed with any for comming to him, never finde him complaining of any for comming. I ſee none refuſed or forbidden comming unto him. I heare him complaining, that men did not, would not come unto him, Iohn 5. 40. And ye will not come unto mee. I finde him diſpleaſed with his Diſciples, for forbidding little ones to come unto him, Mark 10. 13, 14. and V. 16. Suffer little children to come, yea and he imbraces and bleſſes them. Then I ſee Chriſt barres none from comming. My conſcience diſcourages me, and tels me, If I were ſo holy as ſuch a man, &c. then I might come. But what wilt thou that haſt beene ſuch a ſinner doe going? Well, but I ſee the lame, the blinde, yea, the Lepers were admitted with welcome. What then though I bee a Leper; yet ſince he bids mee come, and promiſes to bid me welcome, I will go to him, Lord Chriſt I will come to thee. What ever I have beene, I have beene but a prodigall, and I ſee prodigals ſhall be welcome if they come. The Prodigall leaves his Fathers houſe, runs riot, waſtes all, and being pincht with hunger, bethinkes himſelfe of his Fathers houſe, I will, ſayes he, goe unto my Father, &c. Go to his Father: alas, what ſhould ſuch an one that hath run his race do going to his Father? with what heart or hope, with what face and forehead, could he come into his Fathers fight? but yet he aroſe and came to his Father, Luke 15. 20. And what followed, But when hee was yet a great way off, his Father ſaw him, and had compaſsion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kiſſed him. Behold, O my ſoule, the unconceiveable readineſſe and uncredible forwardneſſe of the Lord to welcome and receive a comming, a beleeving ſinner.
1 Firſt, I ſee that his Father ſees him firſt, yea, before he ſees his Father. No ſooner doth a man thinke upon looking towards God, but God lookes towards him. How great is the Fathers deſire towards his ſon! It is ſaid, that after Abſoloms three yeeres exile, that Ioab perceived that the Kings heart was towards Abſalom, 2 Kings 14. 1. Thus ſeemes this Fathers heart to be towards his ſonne, yea, that his deſire ſuch, as if he ſate in ſome higher place, watching to ſee when he ſhould come, that he might no ſooner bee within ken, but hee might ſpie him, according to that, Iohn 30. 18. The Lord will wait, that he may be gracious unto you. I ſee then the Lord ſtands waiting and watching, that we can no ſooner be upon our way to come, but he ſees and ſpies us to bid us welcome.
2 Secondly, I ſee that he ſaw him whileſt he was yet a great way off. He was but yet in the beginning of his way in comming. His Father might have let him alone till he had beene come quite home to his houſe, and it had beene ſingular mercy to have welcomed him then. But it is done whileſt he is yet a great way off. Is the Lord thus ready to welcome mee, when yet a great way off, what will he be if I be come neere to him. Certainly, the Lord that will draw nigh to ſuch, as yet, a great way off, will much more draw nigh to thoſe that draw nigh to him.
3 Thirdly, I ſee his Father had compaſsion on him, I ſee his bowels yerne, worke, and ſtir within him at the ſight of his ſonne, at the ſight of him afarre off. Gods bowels yerne within him, towards a beleeving repenting ſinner. It is ſaid of that Harlot, 1 Kings 3. 26. That her bowels yearned, or were hot upon her ſon. So when the Lord ſees a ſinner come to him, his bowels wax hot, and yerne within him, Ier. 31. 18. 20. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have mercy upon him. God hath not only mercy, but bowels of mercy, Luke 1. 78. And theſe bowels be ſounding bowels, or a multitude of bowels, Iſay 63. 15. He delights in loving kindneſſe, Ier. 9. 24. And he pardons ſin, becauſe mercy pleaſes him, Mic. 7. 18.
4 Fourthly, I ſee that his Father ran. How rich and aboundant mercy had it beene in his Father, to have ſtood ſtill till he had come at him; but what mercy is this that he will goe towards him, and give him a meeting. Oh mercy, that his Father ran not from him; but what mercy call you this, that his Father runs to him? If hee would needs goe meet him, why might it not have ſerved the turne, to have walked towards him with a ſoftly and grave pace! No, no: I ſee that ſerves not the Lords turne. When a ſinner comes to the Lord, mercy not only comes, and goes a foot-pace, but mercy runs. Mercy comes upon the wings. Gods rowling bowels ſets his feet on running. That as David ſpeakes of Gods readineſſe to helpe him, when he called upon him in his danger, Pſal. 18. 6. 9. 10. He rode upon a Cherub, and did flye, yea, he did flye upon the wings of the winde. So when a ſinner comes to God, mercy comes to him; not walking, but running, not on foot, but riding, riding on the wings of the wind. That looke as Gabriel came with an anſwer to Daniels prayers, Dan. 9. 21. Hee being cauſed to flye ſwiftly, or with wearineſſe of flight; he not only came, but came flying; not only flying, but flying ſwiftly; yea, ſo ſwiftly, as hee had wearied himſelfe with the ſwiftneſſe of his flight to make haſte. So comes mercy to a man comming to Chriſt; it is cauſed to flye ſwiftly, with wearineſſe of flight. The Father ran: mercy comes full ſpeed. Nay, what a difference doe I ſee, betweene the offending ſon, and the offended Father! The ſons pace is, He aroſe, and came; he came walking on towards his Father. The Fathers pace is, And hee ran. The ſon moſt needed to have run, his belly was pincht with hunger; yet he onelyonly walkes, but the Father runnes. Bowels troubled with mercy, out-pace bowels pinched with hunger. God, I ſee then, makes more haſte to ſhew mercy, than we make to receive mercy. Whileſt we doe but go towards him, he runs towards us. Whileſt miſery goes but a walking, mercy comes a running pace. God, who is ſlow to anger, Pſal. 103. 8. is ſwift to mercy. He ran. And why then, O my ſoule, ſhouldeſt thou bee ſlow of heart to beleeve? up, and run to him, that will come running with his mercy, and his Chriſt to thee.
5 Fifthly, I ſee him falling upon his neck: And fell on his neck; that is, he hugged, and imbraced him. How! Fell upon his necke, and imbraced him! Who would not have beene loth to have toucht him? yea, to have come neere him? Is he not in his loathſome ſtinking rags? Smels he not of the Swine he kept? Could a man come neere him, without ſtopping his noſe? Would not a man be ready to lay up his ſtomack, upon ſuch an imbracement? Certainly, a ſinner is a loathſome verminous perſon, not onelyonly clothed in rags, but in ſtinking and vile rags, Iſay 64. 6. All our righteouſneſſes are as filthy rags. What then are our unrighteouſneſſes? What loathſome rags are they? And yet let a ſinner come to the Lord, and the Lord will fall upon his neck, will hug him, and imbrace him. Iſaac ſmelt the ſavour of Iacobs raiment, and he bleſſed him, Gen. 27. 27. That was a ſweet ſavour. The ſmell of my ſonne is as the ſmell of a field which the Lord hath bleſſed: no wonder that Iſaac bleſſes him. But here is one in ſuch an unſavoury pickle, that when his Father ſhould ſmell the ſavour of his garments, one would have thought he ſhould have curſed him, becauſe his ſmell was as the ſmell of a Swine, as the ſmell of a Gaole. But yet for all that his Father claſpes him in his armes, and bleſſes him with an hearty welcome. Mercy then, I ſee, is not ſqueamiſh, is not nice, and dainty, but let a ſinner have beene what he will, let him be as filthy, as unſavory as he can; yet if once he loath himſelfe, God will not loath him; if hee once come to God, God will claſpe him with the armes of mercy. The Prodigall comes to his Father, with the ſavour, and in the habit of a loathſome rogue, and yet his Father fals upon his neck. O the ſtupendious and aſtoniſhing mercies, and goodneſſe of God, to a ſinner that comes unto him. And will God thus imbrace a Prodigall in his loathſome rags, and will he not imbrace him much more afterwards, when he hath put the beſt robe upon him? Oh the welcome then that they ſhall finde with God, that have put on Chriſt, and are clothed with the ſweet ſmelling garment of their elder brother, that have the whole raiment of Chriſts righteouſneſſe upon them!
6 Sixthly, but yet behold a greater wonder than all the reſt. I ſee him kiſsing his ſon. And he kiſſed him. Who could have brooked to have imbraced a perſon in ſo filthy a pickle; much more, who could have brooked to have kiſſed ſuch an one? What! kiſſe thoſe lips that had beene lately lapping in the Hogs trough! Kiſſe thoſe lips that had ſo often kiſſed thoſe baſe and baggage Harlots of his! Kiſſe him! A man would have thought he ſhould rather have kickt him, than have kist him: and yet his Father kiſſes him. There is a paſſage ſomewhat like this, Gen. 33. 4. Eſau ran to meet Iacob, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kiſſed him. A ſtrange, and a wonderfull thing, that he that had threatned to kill him, and came now upon that errand, to kill him and all his, that his heart ſhould ſo ſtrangely bee altered by God, that killing ſhould be turned into kiſsing. It was very ſtrange that Eſau ſhould kiſſe Iacob; but it is more ſtrange here, that this Father ſhould kiſſe this Prodigall. It is an obſervable thing in that place, Gen. 33. 4. That over that word kiſſed, in the Hebrew Text, there be ſet three extraordinary pricks, or markes, to put the Reader in minde, that he ſhould obſerve this matter well, as a very ſtrang thing. Now how much more might three ſuch pricks, nay three times three ſuch markes be ſet over this word here, He kiſſed him! Here is a matter of greater wonder, worthy greater obſervation, that ſuch a Father ſhould kiſſe ſuch a ſon, in ſuch a filthy pickle. It had beene much if he might have kiſt his Fathers hand, but he gives him not his hand, but his mouth to kiſſe. Was it not much that Chriſt would ſuffer that ſinfull woman, Luke 7. who had defiled her lips wth many an adulterous kiſſe, to kiſſe his feet; but Chriſt gives not his feet, but his mouth, his lips, to be kiſſed by beleeving, repenting ſinners, Cant. 1. 1. Let him kiſſe mee with the kiſſes of his mouth. Behold then the ineffable goodneſſe of God to all that come to him. Though this ſon a Prodigall, yet his Father kiſſes him, gives him a kiſſe, the ſeale and pledge of his pardon and remiſſion. See then, oh my ſoule, what here is to excite and ſtir up thy faith, and to quicken it mightily. Behold, God hath an eye of mercy, he ſees a farre off. Hee hath bowels of mercy; Hee had compaſſion. Hee hath feet of mercy; He ran to him. He hath armes of mercy; He fell upon him, and imbraced him. He hath lips of mercy; And he kiſſed him. Wouldeſt thou not come to God, if he would looke upon thee? He will ſee thee whileſt yet a great way off. Wouldeſt thou not come, if God will compaſſionate thee? He will draw forth the bowels of his compaſſions to thee. Wouldeſt thou not come to him, if he would meet thee? Behold, he will run to meet thee. Wouldeſt thou not come, if God would imbrace thee? Loe, he will fail upon thee, and claſpe thee in the armes of his mercy. Wouldeſt thou not come if he would pardon thee? He will ſeale thy pardon with a kiſſe. Oh my ſoule, up, come to Chriſt, receive and imbrace him without any more adoe. Thus by conſidering GODS promiſes, and weighing his ſweet mercies in Chriſt, faith cannot but receive much life and quickning. So may a man doe with other like places, and with promiſes, whereof the Word is full. This ſhall ſuffice for inſtance to direct us, and let us ſee how much the conſideration of the promiſes would conduce to the quickning of our faith.
2 Secondly, it is not enough for a man to have repented in his firſt converſion, nor to have it renewed it upon ſome ſin ſince fallen into; but it is required that before the Sacrament, there be alwayes a freſh renewing of repentance. So oft as the Prieſts went into the Tabernacle, they waſht their hands and their feet, at every freſh entrance, a freſh waſhing, Exod. 40. 31, 32. When they went into the Tent of the Congregation, and when they came neere unto the Altar, they waſhed, as the Lord commanded Moſes. So muſt it be here, there muſt be a freſh waſhing in the laver of repentance, before the receiving of the Sacrament. And that upon theſe reaſons:
1 Firſt, though wee bee well waſhed before one Sacrament, yet before another it is a great deale of ſoile that our ſoules gather. Though wee waſh our hands well this morning, yet becauſe a man is medling with this buſineſſe, and medling with that worke, it cannot bee but his hands will bee ſullied before next morning againe. Men have many occaſions of buſineſſe in the world, meet with many ſnares and tentations, have many ſlips, and treadings awry, and ſo contracting freſh pollutions there is need of freſh purgations. Wee deſire at the Sacrament to have CHRIST make a freſh entrance into our hearts, therefore there muſt bee a freſh trimming and dreſſing up of the houſe; as when wee looke for gheſts, though our houſes bee tollearably handſome already, yet we doe afreſh dreſſe up our houſes for their entertainment, and make them more than ordinarily handſome; every roome is ſwept, waſhed, rubbed, ſtrewed, and garniſhed. How much more ſhould there be a freſh trimming, and dreſſing up of the roomes of our hearts, for the entertainment of ſo glorious a gheſt as the LORD CHRIST is. Looke as it is ſaid of Sathan in his kinde, Mat. 12. 44, 45. That when he findes his houſe ſwept, and garniſhed, then hee enters and dwels there; ſo it is true of the LORD CHRIST in his kinde, that when he findes his houſe ſwept and garniſhed, then he enters and dwels there. He will not enter into, nor dwell in a ſluttiſh undreſt heart. Repentance renewed before the Sacrament, it ſweeps and garniſhes the heart, and ſo fits it for Chriſts entrance. The entertainment wee ſhould give the Saints of God, ſhould be much more given to Chriſt himſelfe. How ſhould the Saints of God be entertained? ſee 3 Iohn 6. foreign, Deo convenienter, ſayes Beza. It is a phraſe hard to be engliſhed, Agreeably to God, as one would ſay. Chriſt is God, bleſſed for ever; and therefore when we entertaine him, we muſt entertaine him foreign, with ſuch entertainment as beſeemes God. Then wee doe ſo entertaine him when the heart is ſwept and garniſhed. That is done by the freſh renewing of our repentance, when we come to receive him in the Sacrament.
2 Secondly, when wee come to receive the Sacrament, wee come to renew our acquaintance with the Lord. Now what it is that helpes to bring us into acquaintance, the renewing of that muſt renew our acquaintance. What is it that helpes bring us into acquaintance with God? ſee Iob 22. 21. 23. Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him. If thou returne to the Almighty. Repentance a great meanes of acquaintance with God, and ſo renewing of repentance a great meanes to renew acquaintance with God. Since therefore in the Sacrament there is a renewing and a refreſhing of our acquaintance with God, there muſt neceſſarily be a renewing of our repentance before the Sacrament.
3 Thirdly, the Scriptures ſpeake of a ſealing with the holy Ghoſt, 2 Cor. 1. 22. Epheſ. 1. 13. Ye were ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe, and Epheſ. 4. 30. Now as in Courts, there be ſome dayes that are called Sealing-dayes; ſo there be ſome ſpeciall ſealing-times and ſealing-dayes in this kinde. Sacraments are ſeales, Rom. 4. 11. And Sacrament dayes are the ſealing dayes of the Court of Heaven. So that when a man comes to the Sacrament he comes to be ſealed. And therefore in this regard there muſt be a renewing of repentance before the receiving of the Sacrament. Otherwiſe a man is not ſealeable, not capable of the ſeale and the impreſſion of it. Hard wax will not receive the print of the ſeale. Before we put the ſeale to the wax, wee firſt melt the wax, or warme, and ſo ſoften it at the fire, and ſo prepare it for a capacity of the ſeales impreſſion. So when the heart is melted and is ſoftned, then it is fit to take the ſeale of the Spirit in the uſe of the ſeale in the Sacrament. Now the renewing of repentance before the Sacrament, is a melting, a warming, and a ſoftning of the heart, and a fitting it for the ſeale. So needfull then and requiſite, as the melting or ſoftning of the wax is before ſealing, ſo needfull is the renewing of repentance before the Sacrament. Many come to the Sacrament, and there is no print or impreſſion made in their heart, there is no appearance of any ſeale; let ſuch conſider whether they did not neglect the ſoftning of their hearts by not renewing their repentance.
Queſt. Wherein ſtands this renewing of repentance?
Anſ. 1. Firſt, in a freſh examination of our hearts, to finde out our ſinnes and corruptions. We ſaw before, that we muſt examine our graces, but that is not all, there muſt bee an examination of our ſelves for our ſins. That Lam. 3. 40. Let us ſearch and try our wayes, is to be done in our renewed repentance before the Sacrament. Better we our ſelves ſearch and make inquiry, before we goe to the Sacrament, than God ſhould inquire after our iniquities, and make a ſearch after our ſins at the Sacrament. Iob complaines, Iob 10. 6. That God enquired after his iniquity, and ſearched after his ſin. That is a ſore thing. We can looke for no better at the Sacrament, if we have not done it before we come thither.
2 Secondly, in a ſolemne confeſſion of ſin, with deepe humiliation for them. This confeſſion, let it be full, and bring out thy ſins, as they tooke the Veſſels of the Temple, Ezra 8. 34. By number and by weight. By number firſt. Charge thy ſelfe impartially with all the ſins thou canſt recall. So let thy confeſſion be full in regard of enumeration, Lev. 16. 21. All their iniquities, all their tranſgreſſions. Then by weight; ſo let thy confeſſions be full in regard of aggravation, make them as great and as foule in their natures and circumſtances as thou canſt, Pſal. 25. 11. Pſa. 40. 12. 2 Sam. 24. 10. And thus haply may we underſtand that place, Levit 16. 21. He ſhall confeſſe all their iniquities, and all their tranſgreſsions in all their ſins: not only their ſins, but all their transgreſsions in their ſinnes; that is, hee ſhall not onelyonly confeſſe their ſins, but he ſhall aggravate their ſins, by laying open how many tranſgreſſions were wrapped up in their ſeverall ſinnes, and how many tranſgreſſions were in the ſeverall circumſtances of their ſins. The laden ſoul is called to come to Chriſt, is promiſed eaſe and refreſhment: and this promiſe is made good in the uſe of the Sacrament. As therefore we would bee in the number of thoſe whom Chriſt cals, and to whom he promiſes eaſe and refreſhment; yea, as we would have this eaſe and refreſhment in the Sacrament, ſo come with laden ſoules as much as we can. The heavier and the weightier wee make our ſins in our confeſſions, the likelier they are to lade us. And let thy confeſſions be with deepe humiliation; let them bee dolorous confeſsions with griefe and ſorrow for ſin, and from a ſight and ſenſe of it. Labour to ſee and feele thy ſin, and ſight and ſenſe of it will worke ſorrow for it. Sight helpes to ſorrow. As in that caſe, Lam. 3. 51. Mine eye affects mine heart: ſo is it true in the ſight of ſin: the eye that ſees ſin affects the heart, feeling of ſin helpes to ſorrow. The weight of it felt, will bring the heart to ſorrow in confeſſion. Davids confeſſion was with ſorrow, Pſal. 38. 18. I will declare, that is, confeſſe mine iniquity. But how ſhall his confeſſion be qualified? I will be ſorry for my ſin. How comes he by his ſorrow? Surely by that, Verſ. 4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavie burthen; they are too heavie for me. What can make the heart more heavie than when it feeles the heavineſſe and weight of ſin? So ſhould a man carry himſelfe in his confeſſion before the Sacrament, as Ephraim did in that confeſſion of his, Ier. 31. 18. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelfe. Make thy confeſſions before the Sacrament, bemoaning confeſſions. Let our confeſſions be ever ſo long and ſo large, ever ſo exact and particular, yet if done without ſorrow, it is but an hiſtoricall confeſſion. It is all one, as if a man ſhould come and tell God a Story, or a long Tale of his ſins. God doth not require our confeſſions before the Sacrament, to tell him that which hee knowes not; he knowes our ſins better than our ſelves, but that in our confeſſions wee ſhould have our hearts ſorrowfully affected for them. Be ſure therefore before thou come to the Sacrament, to renew thy repentance in confeſſion: one ſweet advantage ſhalt thou have by it amongſt others, and that is this; Our ſelfe-accuſations in our confeſſions will be a prevention, and a diſappointment of Satans accuſations againſt us. The Divell, even at the Sacrament, will bee laying in againſt us; it is good therefore to take a courſe to defeat him. He will be pleading againſt a man, Lord, ſhall this man be welcome to thy Table? Shall he receive the benefit of thine Ordinance? He hath done thus and thus; I can lay to his charge theſe and theſe ſins. Thus by his accuſations will he ſeek to put in a bar againſt a bleſſing upon us. Now when a man before the Sacrament renewes his repentance, and hath in his confeſſions brought in the accuſations Praeventus Diabolus in accuſatione, ultra nos accuſare non poterit. Et ſi ipſi noſtri ſimus accuſatores proficit nobis ad ſalutem, ſi vero expectemus ut a Diabolo accuſemur, accuſatio illa nobis cedit ad poenam. Orig. Hom. 3. in Levit.againſt himſelfe, Satan is prevented: for then wee doe, as I may ſay, furniſh the Lord with an anſwer to ſtop Satans mouth: for then will the Lord be ready to anſwer for us, Why Satan, thou accuſeſt this man of nothing, whereof he hath not already, to the full, accuſed himſelfe; he himſelfe hath accuſed himſelfe of all this already. Thou commeſt too late, all thine accuſations ſhall be no barre to my bleſſing. The elder brothers noſe ſwels at his Fathers kindneſſe and goodneſſe to his prodigall brother, and therefore Luke 15. 30. He rips up all his courſes, and throws the filth of them in his face, that hee was one that had devoured his Fathers living, and had ſpent it among Harlots. And this hee doth now whileſt they are at the Feaſt, at the fatted Calfe, and good cheere. Yet all this doth the prodigall no hurt, the muſick ceaſes not, the Feaſt is not broken off, nor he thruſt out of dores againe. And how comes it about that all this did him no hurt? Becauſe the prodigall had prevented his brother, he himſelfe had accuſed himſelfe to the full in his confeſſions, when he came to his Father: and ſo by his owne confeſſion, had tooke out the ſting and poiſon of his brothers malicious accuſation. So that his brother comes too late now, the Feaſt and the merriment goe on nevertheleſſe. So will the Divell bee ſnarling againſt, and picking quarrels againſt men, even in the Feaſt time; but he comes too late to doe them hurt, if they themſelves have firſt put in the bils of their owne inditements againſt themſelves in their confeſſions before their comming to the Sacrament.
3 Thirdly, in judging and condemneing our ſelves. The duty inſtanced in S. Paul, 1 Cor. 11. eſpecially in judging our ſelves unworthy the favour and honour of comming to the Lords Table. Lord, I am not worthy, ſayes the Centurion, that thou ſhouldeſt come under my roofe. So ſhould we acknowledge our utter unworthineſſe of comming under the roofe of Gods houſe, much more of comming to his Table. We ſhould judge our ſelves unworthy of ſuch fellowſhip with God. And the more unworthy we judge our ſelves, the worthier gheſts ſhall we be in the Lords acceptance. And thus muſt our faith and our repentance bee renewed, before our comming to the Lords Table.