A Catalogue of Sins, Title page – Preface
A Catalogue of Sins: Highly Useful to Self-Acquaintance, Experimental Prayer; And above all To a Suitable Preparation, for a Worthy Partaking of THE Supper of the LORD.
WITH A Preface exciting to an Examination of our Selves, and shewing the Use and Benefit of all these.
By Iohn Woodhouse.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Astwood, and are to be, Sold by Iohn Lawrence, at the Angel in the Poultrey. 1699.
To that Part of Christ's Flock, to which I am more Especially related: Meeting at Little St. Helen's in Bishopsgate-street, London.
My dearly Beloved in our dear Lord,
SInce you have Called me (how Unworthy soever) to undertake the Pastoral Care of your Souls, faithfulness to my Lord and You hath Engaged me to Endeavour the Service of you, as in other Pastoral Cases, so also in that of the due Celebration of the Supper of our Lord.
And as I have oft Recommended to you A Catalogue of Sins, as highly Conducive hereto, so having found many of you destitute of such as are published, duplicate page duplicate page and of Leisure to Transcribe this I ha… for you, I was willing to put it (… Easily as I could) into your Hands.
The Unanimity of your Call to me t… fix amongst you: Your kind Acceptance of my poor Labours, Adherence to, and peculiar Affection for me; Your p… and exemplary Piety, which manifests i… self in your Stedfastness in the Tru… of the Day, (in a Giddy Season) together with the Genuine Effects of it; your Diffusive and Inexhausted Charity upon all occurring Occasions, give me Assurance of your kind Acceptance an… regular Improvement of it, to a Heart… Acquaintance and Holy Communion which is hereby Mainly designed, and Earnestly desired by
Your Fervent Lover, tho' Unworthy Pastor, Iohn Woodhouse Ʋpper-Moorfields, Dec. 20. 1698.
THE PREFACE.
AS our Admission to the Lord's-Table, is a Priviledge of Unspeakable Benefit to such as prepare to meet their God, so our coming Unworthily, exposeth us to the Just Indignation of Heaven, and not only adds to our Guilt, but makes us Guilty of the Blood of Christ, which is the Only Attonement for all our Guilt.
How miserable is that Man, who encreases his Guilt, when he should receive his Pardon! How lamentable is his Case, to whom the Cup of Consolation becomes a Cup of Trembling and Astonishment! The way to prevent this, is to Examine our selves, as the Apostle commands us; Let a Man examine himself, and so let him eat; 1 Cor. 11. 28.
Great are the Benefits of Self-Reflection, it will lead us to the Knowledge of our selves, of our Sins, of our Graces, and of our Defects. This is the certain way to an Established Peace, and Well-grounded Comfort; Such as live in the Neglect of this Important Duty, are great Srangers to themselves, great Strangers to God and Jesus Christ.
For the Right Performance of this Duty of Self-Examination, take these general Directions.
1. Set some Time apart for it, the Week, or Day, before you come to this Holy Supper. Apply such a part of Time to this solemn Work, and let nothing divert thee The World will be apt to break in upon thee, and disturb the most fixed Intention of the Mind. Bid it stay behind, (as Abraham di… his Servants and the Asses) whil'st thou ar… going to the Mount, to converse with God and thy self. Take the most convenient Season when thy Mind is in the best Frame, and in the the greatest Tranquility.
2. Retire into some Secret Place, where thou may'st more freely, and unobservedly Commune with thy own Heart. Let no Eye see thee, but his alone, to whom thou approvest thy self, and from whose Favour thou expectest an Open Reward of thy most Secret Duties.
3. Call in the Assistances of the Spirit of God, without whom all we do is in vain. Say with David, Psalm 119. 23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my Heart, try me, and know my Thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
4. Be very Solemn and Particular in this Work. Rest not in meer Generals; In Ʋniversalibus latet Dolus; Universals are deceitful. Some People's Confessions are like Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, they'll acknowledge in the General they are Sinners, but when you come to Particulars, The thing is gone from them, Dan. 2. 8.
5. Be willing to know the worst of thy self. Remember, that when All the Ways of a Man are clean in his own Eyes, the Lord weigheth the Spirits, Prov. 16. 2. Expose thy Face to the Glass of God's Word, and carefully Observe all the Spots and Blemishes of it.
6. Set thy self as before the Judgment Seat of God. The Judgment of Conscience is a Prelude of the last Judgment. Every Man has a Tribunal in his own Breast, which hath Authority of passing Sentence upon him. The Determinations of a well informed Conscience, will be ratified by the Supream and Unerring Judge, 1 Ioh. 3. 20. If our Heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
7. Pass an impartial Judgment on thy self. Let not Self-abhorrence make thee too Severe in thy Censure, or Self-love too favourable. Do not side with Satan to over-look the good that is in thee, do not take part with the Flesh, to over-look the Evil that is in thee. The Word of God is the Measure of Judgment, make that thy Rule, and thou can'st not miss.
But to be more particular, take these following Directions.
I. Examine thy State, whether thou art in a Regenerate, or in an Unregenerate Condition; a Child of God, or of the Devil.
If a Child of God, thou dost resemble God, hast received the Spirit of Adoption, and cryest Abba, Father, Gal. 4. 5, 6. Thou lovest the Brethren, yea, the Brotherhood; 1 Pet. 2. 17. Thou lovest them because they are Brethren, born of God, 1 Ioh. 3. 14.
The Lord's Supper is the Bread of Children, designed for 'em, and blessed to 'em, for their Spiritual Growth and Nourishment,
Examine thy self, art thou in Christ, a Believer, or an Unbeliever; 2 Cor. 13. 5.
If a Believer, the Lord Jesus is precious to thee, 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that believe, he is precious. If a Believer, Faith worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6. thou dost evidence thy Faith by Works of Repentance, Mortification, Righteousness and Charity, Iam. 2. 14, 15. If in Christ, thou hast received the Spirit of Christ, Rom. 8. 9. thou art a New Creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Thou walkest not after the Flesh, but afer the Spirit; Rom. 8. 1. Thou hast begun to crucifie the Flesh, with the Affections and Lusts thereof, Gal. 5. 24. thou livest upon him, and unto him, Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 1. 21. Thou art willing to suffer the loss of all things, that thou may'st win Christ, and be found in his Righteousness, Phil. 3. 7, 8, 9.
II. Examine thy Graces, look into thy Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Love, Fear, Hope, Humility, Patience, &c.
Examine First, The Truth of them, whether thou hast the Reality, and not the meer Appearance of them. All is not Godl that glisters, all is not Grace that appears to be so. What has not the Stamp of Heaven upon it, is false and counterfeit, and cannot bear the Refiners Fire, the strict Tryal of the Sanctuary.
If thy Grace be true and saving, Christ is the Spring and Center of it, it flows from and runs to him, who is made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, unto us. True Grace is fed and nourish'd by the Word of God; all New born Babes do as naturally Desire the sincere Milk of the Word, as the Infant does the Breast, 1 Pet. 2. 2. There is a Rabbinical Tradition, that when the Queen of Sheba came to try the Wisdom of Solomon, she presented him with Artificial Bees, which mov'd in an Undistinguishable Imitation of the Natural, with these she intermixes some living Bees, and desires Solomon to distinguish the one from the other; he calls for Honey, and sets it on a Table, the living Bees presently discovered themselves by coming to the Honey, which is their Natural Food. It is even so with Living Grace, the Word of God is as the Honey and the Honey-Comb unto it, it feeds upon and delights in it. True Grace is active in the Soul, it puts forth it self in Ordinances and Providences.
Examine Secondly, The Strength of thy Grace. Ordinances are Spiritual Food, and if our Souls be not under some prevailing Indispositions, will nourish and strengthen us. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? Mic. 2. 7. If our Graces be strong, we have Senses exercised to discern both Good and Evil, Heb. 5. 14. We can live upon a bare Promise, and rest our Souls upon the Power and Faithfulness of God, Rom. 4. 20, 21. We have Overcome the Wicked one, and are Victorious in Temptations, 1 Iohn 2. 14. We rejoyce in the Gifts and Graces of others, tho' they outshine and diminish us, Ioh. 3. 29, 30.
If Grace be strong, there is an Evenness in our Spirit and Way. The weak Christian is scarce a Day in one Frame, he is this Hour elevated with Flights of Affectionate Raptures, the next Hour sunk into Flatness and Despondencies; but as Graces grow stronger, he is more steady, uniform and solid in his Devotions.
His Conversation and Way is more regular and even, he is not subject to such Slips and Falls as the weak Christian is, he has great Peace, and nothing offends him, Psalm 119. 169. When the Weak are apt to stumble at every Rock of Offence, he not only gets over Stumbling-Blocks, but improves them as Helps in his Way.
Examine Thirdly, The Usefulness of thy Grace: Dost thou glorifie God with it? This is the great End for which it is given us. All the Talents of our Great Lord, must be improv'd for the Honour and Service of the Owner. We are Stewards, and not Proprietors of the manifold Gifts of God, and must be accountable for the Trust committed to us. Grace is given us, not only for the saving of our own Souls, but for the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom, and the Exaltation of his Name. So far as we do not honour God with our Grace, so far we receive the Grace of God in vain.
As the Doctrine of Grace may be wholly received in vain, so may the Principle in part be received in vain, when it is not actuated to such Degrees of Usefulness, as would recommend Religion to the World. Who is the better for thy Graces? Doth the Fragrancy of thy Box of Ointment sill the whole House? Doth thy Light so shine before Men, as to attract the Eyes of those that sit in Darkness, to behold the Luster of it? Is thy Fruit a Pregnant Seed, which is productive of a Blessed Increase? The Fruit of the Righteous is a Tree of Life, and he that winneth Souls is wise, Prov. 11. 30.
A Conversation expressive of the Grace of God, has a great Tendency to remove Men's Prejudices against Religion, and to convince them of its Divine Original, Heavenly Design, and Efficacious Power.
III. Examine thy Corruptions; know the Plague of thine own Heart. Ask thy Conscience, What have I done? And that thou may'st profitably perform this Work, I would recommend to thee the following Catalogue of Sins, drawn up some Years agoe for Private Use, (mostly out of Bishop Wilkins's Gift of Prayer, Mr. Byfield's, and Mr. Ambrose's Catalogue of Sins) and now made Publick for thy sake, hoping it may be helpful to thee in the great Duty of Self-Examination, as it has been to the Composer and others; which that it may be, take these following Directions.
1. Read it over with Deliberation, Attention and Self-Reflection, and if thou wilt attend to the Dictates of Conscience, thou canst not but read thy own Charge.
2. Mark in thy Catalogue, or write on any other Paper, those particular Sins, which thy Heart (in so solemn a way) smites thee for, and chargeth thee with. Keep this Paper on thy Table, that thou may'st often review it. Awaken and Rouse up thy Conscience against every Sin mentioned in it, not only at thy Approach to, but in, and after this Ordinance: Thy End in finding out Sin, is to do Execution upon it. Therefore,
3. When thou hast found out thy Sin, consider the many Aggravations wherewith it is attended. Thou hast sinn'd against infinite Greatness and Goodness, against Light and Love, against Means and Mercies, against Vows and Promises, against Threatnings and Judgments, against Convictions, and Purposes of Amendment. All these, and many more, are great Aggravations of thy Guilt.
4. Be deeply humbled before the Throne of Grace for all thine Iniquities: Get thy Heart affected with the Evil of Sin, as contrary to the Unspotted Nature, Boundless Perfections, and Unerring Will of God, destructive of our Present and Future Happiness, and the procuring Cause of all the Penal Evils of this Life, and of the most Exquisite and Endless Torments of Hell. Offer unto God the Sacrifice of a Broken Heart, and a Contrite Spirit, with a Humble Confession of thine Iniquities: If we confess and forsake Sin, we shall find Mercy.
5. Get the Blood of Christ apply'd to thy Soul, by a Lively and Active Faith; this is that Fountain opened, which can only wash thee from Sin and Ʋncleanness. Let not the Greatness nor Number of thy Sins discourage thee, for there's Vertue in the Blood of Christ to cleanse from Sin, yea, from all Iniquity. Nothing can hinder thy cleansing but Unbelief. There's more Vertue in the Blood of Christ to save, than can be in Sin to destroy. Our Sins are the Sins of Men, his Blood the Blood of God, Acts 20. 28. Thou canst not more affront Jesus Christ, than by limiting the Power of his Grace, and declining that Throne of Mercy, which only can relieve the most desperate Sinners. There remains no other Sacrifice for his Sin, who despises and neglects the great Propitiatory Sacrifice, made by the Death of Christ.
6. Hunger and Thirst after the Righteousness of Christ, Come with great Expectation: Open thy Mouth wide, and it shall be fill'd. Ordinances are empty Things without Christ, it is he that nourishes the Soul to Eternal Life. Thou must come with an Appetite to this Royal Feast, and nothing will more encrease it, than to eat our Passover with the Bitter Herbs of Penitential Sorrow.
7. Renew thy Covenant with God, and renounce every false Way. The Lord's-Supper is an Authentick Seal of the Covenant, in which God promises Grace, and we promise Obedience. The End of Examination is Self-Condemnation and Reformation. Go forth then in the Strength of the Lord, and make mention of his Righteousness, even his Only.
And when all this is heartily and sincerely done, betake thy self, to Mr. Faldo's Abridgment of Mr. Dykes's Worthy Communicant instructed; or such other Book or Books, as may be Useful to thee for this Great End: For I present thee not with this, to take thee off such Books, but to further thy Better Improvement of 'em.