The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 16
Chap. 16. Of the knowledge of God: the first part of examination.
AS we hauehave waighed the necessity of preparing and examining our selues: so let vsus consider the manner how it is to be performed. Such as will in an holy manner prepare themselues aFour points required in examination of our selues.to celebrate the Lords Supper to the glory of God and comfort of their owne soules, must diligently acquaint themselues with these 4. pointes, with knowledge, faith, repentance, and reconciliation to those whom they hauehave offended. It is required of all persons that come to this Sacrament, to know the grounds of religion, and vnderstande the doctrine of the sacramentes. Secondly, to beleeue in christ, and to looke for saluation in him alone, inasmuch as there is no other name vnderunder heauen by which we must be saued. So then we must come with faith, which is the hand to apprehend christ. Thirdly, to abhorre and detest our sins, to hate them with an vnfained hatred as our deadly and most dangerous enemies, and to hauehave godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented off. Lastly, to louelove our bretheren truely and sincerly, yea euen our enemies. If we find not these things in our selues, we must carefully vse al holy meanes appointed for this purpose, to begin them in vsus: otherwise our estate will proue to be fearefull and dangerous. We must with al sincerity, conscience, and zcale, vse prayer, the word read and preached, conference, meditation, and such like helpes as may further them in vsus. If we do find them in vsus, though feeble and in great want and weakenesse, we are not to abstaine from the sacrment, but to come thereunto to seeke strength of faith & encrease of obedience. Wherfore, bMat. 11, 28our sauiour calleth such vntounto him, come to me all ye that are weary and sore laden, and I will ease you: take my yoke on you, and ye shall find rest vponupon your soules: for my yoake is easie, and my burden is light. And Chap, 12. A brused cMatt. 12, 20reede shall he not breake, and smoking flaxe shall he not quench, till he bring forth iudgment vntounto victory.
Touching the first, we are to obserue, dThe 1. part of examination is knowledge of gods word.that such as wil come aright to the lords Supper, must hauehave the knowledge of Gods word, which is the foundation and ground-work of faith. We must know what to beleeue, and must learne the doctrine of saluation out of the Scripture. Our Sauiour Christ, in that heauenly prayer which he made a little before his passion, vseth these words to his father, eIohn 17, 3This is eternall life to know thee to be the onelyonly very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. We must know how miserable all men are of themselues, that we are seperated from God, the children of wrath by nature as wel as others, and the very firebrands of hel. They that want this knoledge, cannot iudge aright of the partes and vses of this Sacrament, nor desire this heavenly meate which nourisheth to eternall life. So then, knowledge must necessarily go before faith: for it is the nature of faith to beleeue that which it knoweth, and therefore where there is small knowledge, there is a little faith: and where there is no knowledg, ther can be no faith: according fRom. 10, 17to the doctrine of the Apostle Roman. 10. Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The knowledge required of vsus when we approach to this Sacrament, standeth in these two gWhat particular pointes are necessary to be known of al that cōe to the communion.pointes: first in the knowledge of God, Secondly in the knowledge of our selues. In these two braunches standeth the first part of examinarion. And these two pointes are so neerely ioyned and knit together, that no man can throroughly know God, vnlesse he know himselfe: and no man can hauehave the perfect knowledge of himselfe, except he know God in whom hAct. 17, 28he liueth, moueth, and hath his being. VnderUnder these two heads, many particular points are containd, necessary to be known of those that offer themselues to bee partakers of this sacrament. First, that there is onelyonly one God, that hath made himselfe knowne in three persons, iIohn 5, 7the Father, the sonne, and the Holy-ghost: Secondly, that God made man and all other creatures good, and gouerneth all thinges well: Thirdly, man did fall through the entisement of the Deuill, and his own wilful disobedience in breaking the commandements of God: Fourthly there are ten commaundements diuided into two tables: where of the foure first commaundements concern our duties to God, the sixe last our dutyes toward our neighbour: Fiftly, we cannot keepe these commandements, nor any one of them, but we breake them daily, in motion, in thought, in worde, and in deede: the breache where of deserueth kDeut 27, 26the cursse of God, that is, all miseries in this life, death in the ende of this life, and Hell fire after this life: Sixtly, there is no meanes or remedy in ourselues or in any creature, but onelyonly in Iesus Christ the eternal son of god, lLuk. 1, 35who is god & man: God, that he might ouercom death: and man, that he might die for our sins. He hath pacified gods wrath, fulfild the righteousnes of that law, sanctified our nature, adopted vsus to be the children of god, and maketh our duties (though weake) acceptable to his father. Seuenthly, all hauehave not deliuerance by him, but onelyonly such as beleue in Christ, m1 cor. 1, 30whose obedience and righteousnes is made ours by a liuely faith, whereby we are perswaded that through him our sinnes are forgiuen, and wee made the children of God: Eightly, faith is a gifte of God applying Christ and al his merits particularly to our selues, and teaching that he is a Sauiour vntounto vsus. Ninthly, beeing saued by christ thrugh faith, nLuk. 1, 74we may not liue as we list: this vnspeakeable mercy teacheth vsus to deny all vngodlinesse, and all worldly and sinfulllusts, to to liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present euill world, and to walk in newnes of life, oEphe. 6, 5because no vnrighteous person shal enter into the kingdome of heauen.
Tenthly this faith which bringeth forth a reformed life, is wrought in our heartes by the Holy-ghoaste through the preaching of the word, being truely expounded, and profitably applyed with doctrin, confutation, exhortation, correction, reformation, and consolation: and it is encreased besides, by reading, praying, and receiuing of the sacraments. Eleuenthly touching prayer, we hauehave a perfect platforme left vsus qMatth 6, 9by Christ in the Gospell, which containeth sixe petitions, the three firste concerning the glorie of God, and the three last concerning the necessities of our owne bodies and soules, 12. the sacraments are another help to strengthen and increase faith, which are outward signes and seales ordained of God, to assure vsus that Christ& all his sauing graces are giuen vntounto vsus. These are two in number. Baptisme, the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth, assureth vsus by the washing of water, that our sins are for giuen by the blood of Christ, and wee borne a new to god. The Lords supper assureth vsus, that by bread and wine giuen and receiued according to gods ordinance, Christ is giuen vsus to be our spirituall norishment to euerlasting life.
These grounds of religion must be knowne and vnderstood, that we may learne how wretched and miserable we are by nature, and what remedy god hath ordained for our deliuerance. We shall neuer feel the sweetnes of gods mercy, vntill we find the greatnes of our owne misery. We cannot perceiue how greatly we stand in neede of Christ, vntil we knowe our owne woful and wretched estate by reason of sin. Such then as are ignorant in these necessary points of christian religion, and especially in the doctrin of both the sacraments, can neuer come aright vntounto them, can neuer shew forth the Lords death, can neuer discerne his body, but blindly run on to the daunger of their owne soules. Wherefore it standeth all men vponupon, to desire the sincere milke of the word r1 Pet. 2, 1, 2that they may grow thereby, to seeke after knowledge, as for siluer, and after vnderstanding as precious stones. A loathing stomack neuer wol digesteth the meat that is put into it: and he that is ful, despiseth the Hony combe. What is the reason, that they remaine blind in the matters of god and their owne saluation, and as bruit Beastes in vnderstanding? Surely, because they desire not the waies of god, they regard not his fear, they contemne knowledge, as Esau did the blessing, and the Israelites did their Manna. For no man truely desired the knowledge of god and of godlines vn sainedly, but he had the meanes offred vntounto him at one time or other. Cornelius, desiring to be throughly instructed in the way of saluation, was directed by the Angel to sende for peter, fAct. 11, 13Who should speake words vntounto him, whereby he and his houshold should be …. Thus Dauid, going the way of all fleshe, instructeth his sonne Salomon, t1 chr. 28, 9Thou Salomon know thou the God of thy fathers, and serue him with a perfect hart and with a willing mind: if thou seeke him, he will be found of thee, but if thou for sake him, he wil cast thee off for euer. This is it also which the Prophet proclamed. 2 chron, 15. O Asa and all … and Beniamin, hear ye me: the Lord is with you, while ye be with him: and if ye seeke him, he will be found ofyou: but ifye for sake him, he will for … you. Likewise, the Euangelist teacheth, that when Zacheus sought to see I esus, he shewed himselfe vntounto him, he entered into his house, and that which is more into his heart, uLuk. xix, 3, &c.and that day saluation was begun in him and … his family, being made the chi'de of Abraham. Heerby is fulfild that which the Prophet speketh. Psal. 145. The Lord is neere aPsa. 145, 18, &c.vntounto al that cal vponupon him, euen to all that cal vponupon him in truth: he wil fulfil the desire of them, that fear him, he wil also heare their cry, and wil saue them Where he teacheth, that if we truely desire knowledge, we shal effectualy obtain it. God wil not be wanting to vsus, if we be not wanting to our selus. When the Eunuch came to Ierusalem, and exercised himselfe in the scriptures in reading the prophet for increase of knowledge, as he sat in his chariot: did not the lorde direct Phillip to goe to him, and ioyne himselfe to his chariot, by whom he was farther instructed and baptized? So shall it bee with al that hunger Act. 8, 28, 29and thirst after the doctrine of godlines, they shall not bee lest destitute, but be filled with the knowledge thereof to their endlesse comfort. The hand of God is not shortned, he is as ready to help vsus as euer he was, cMatth. 5, 6according to the promise of Christ our Sauior. Math. 5. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes, for they shalbe filled. Heereunto tēdeth the general promise, deliuerd in the general words of him that is the author of grace, dMatth. 7, 7, 8Ask and ye snalreceiue, seek and ye shal find: knock and it shalbe opened vntounto you: for whosoeuer asketh, receiueth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shalbe opened. Heer we hauehave an excellent comfort and encouragement, to consider that our holy indeuours shall not be in vaine in the Lord.