The Right Administration and Receiving of the Lords Supper, Treatise · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. Of Examination in order to this Sacrament.
1 COR. 11. 28.
But let a man examine himſelf, and ſo let him eat of that Bread, and drink of this Cup.
§. 1 HAving ſhown you, That to a man that eats and drinks worthily, this Ordinance is (as I may ſay) a Tree of Life, but to the unworthy a Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, drawing upon them a heavy guilt and condemnation. Now I come to that expedient which the holy Ghoſt affords us, both for the obtainment of the Benefit, and for the avoidance of the Judgement, and that is in theſe words, But let a man examine himſelf. In which words we obſerve two things,
Firſt, That Admiſſion and Acceſſe unto the Lords Table is given with a proviſo, in theſe words, foreign.
Secondly, That God affords the Uſe of the Lords Table to a profeſſed Chriſtian upon fore going ſelf-examination.
The firſt of theſe [And ſo] I have been all this while in handling, though not in terms, yet in effect, and have taught you, That no man may come hand over head, at all adventures, for that the Sacrament is not a Common without hedge or barre, but a Several, incloſed, as appears by this ſhort word [And ſo] The celebration of this Ordinance requires ſome previous preparation, and beſpeaks ſome due and competent qualifications of the Communicant therein. This medicine that it may have its effect and fruit, requires a preparative; One duty prepares unto another, Ile waſh my hands in innocency (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) and ſo will I compaſse thine Altar: The unclean under the Law had their Purifications before they drew near to God in his holy Ordinances, for, ſaith God, I will be ſanctified in all that draw nigh to me. I hope you are not onelyonly convinced of this, but well ſatisfied in it, by what I have delivered to you, and therefore I will not draw the Saw, and ſay over againe what is already ſetled.
§. 2. Of Self-Examination.
§. 2 Doct. The Lord affords the free Uſe of his Table to a profeſſed Christian upon fore-going Self-examination. This is the proviſo of this priviledge; Here is Admiſſion, and Acceſſe here is free, both invitation and allowance, But let a man examine himſelf, and ſo, &c.
1. Let a man foreign, that is, foreign, Every man, as the Hebrew language ſometimes expreſſes it ſelf? What, every man an examiner? Yea, of himſelf, For what man knows the things of a man, but the Spirit of man which is in him? 1 Cor. 2. 11. a partial examiner, you may truly ſay, but it is at his peril; The Rule whereby he muſt proceed is impartial, man that hath a Reaſonable ſoul hath this power above bruits, which have not that we call conſcience, that he can make reflexion upon himſelf, he can accUſe, teſtifie, judge of, and call himſelf to account; But is every man in the world meant here? The word examine rightly interpreted will anſwer that Queſtion, in the mean time I think it hath this reſtraint, every man, or every one of you, and of them that are ſuch as you Corinthians, viſible profeſſours of Chriſt, incorporate by Baptiſm. Churchmembers, that have all outward qualifications unto this Sacrament, every ſuch man, Let him examine himſelf.
2. Let every man examine, foreign, as we try metal or gold by the touchſtone, or by the fire, ſo the Greek verſion of the Septuagint Uſeth this word, Prov. 17. 3. God tries the hearts, he tries man by tentations, afflictions, as gold by fire; man tries himſelf, as gold or ſilver by the Touchſtone, the Rule and Standard of this examination is the word of God, called a Canon, as a man that will not truſt the fair looks of a piece of money, rubs it on the ſtone, and thereby diſcerns it, whether true or ſpurious; ſo not truſting the ſuperficial outſides and forme, which flatters us. We muſt bring our ſelves to the ſtandard, and thereby judge whether we be droſſe or gold.
3. Let every man examine himſelf, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your ſelves, prove your own ſelves. Chryſostome 1 Cor. 11. 28.takes this word ſignantly, foreign, &c. He doth not bid one (ſaith he) to examine another, but a man himſelf to prove and ſearch himſelf: And Paraeus on the place, ſpeaking in oppoſition unto, and deteſtation of the Popiſh Auricular Confeſſion, ſaith, Non dicit Sacerdotes probent, &c. He ſaith not, Let the Prieſts examine and dive into mens conſciences, but every man himſelf, not that we refUſe any juſt trial, but we abhorre their tyranny and ſuperſtition. I know men are backward to have their wounds ſearcht, and very partial and indulgent to themſelves, but if conſcience be ſet on work in the duty, this unpopular Tribunal, this foreign, as Chryſoſtome cals it, is the moſt excellent, for a man is within himſelf, others are without him, and he that is within may ſearch the hoUſe better than he that ſtands without; Our ſecret hypocriſies and heart luſts may be diſcerned by our ſelves, not by another, and there is no mans heart but ſtoops moſt of all, and is laid flat in the duſt under ſelf-conviction, ſelf-judgement, Therefore let a man examine himſelf.
And ſo I have open'd the words, Let a man examine himſelf, which if any one cannot do, as infants, ſtupid ignorants, men beſides themſelves, or will not do, becaUſe he hateth the light which diſcovers him, or doth not do, becaUſe worldly imployments poſſeſſe him, or dare not do, leaſt he create trouble and pain to himſelf, then he hath not performed the provilo, which is, And ſo let him eat of this Bread, &c.
Queſt. There may be in ſome of your thoughts, as there hath been in mine, a Queſtion upon this, and it is thus, What if Judas by reflexion upon himſelf finde that he is conceived with a tReaſonable intention, which he mindes to purſue, and to bring forth? What if any man upon examination of himſelf finde himſelf without any ſpark, and without any deſire of grace? What if he be a ſcorner of all godlineſſe, and purpoſes ſo to be, a vicious and flagitious ſlave of ſinne, and will not be made free, Shall he come and eat this Bread, becaUſe he hath examined himſelfe? Shall he plead his priviledge, becaUſe he hath examined himſelf?
Solut. If this were ſo, then Examination, is required for Examination ſake, but that is not ſo; for ſelf-examination is a duty, foreign, tending to a further end, and that is our meetneſſe and fitneſſe to come to this Table, it is to finde a ſacramental diſpoſition foreign is that we may finde foreign, as a learned man ſaith, Let us ſearch and try our wayes, and turn again to the Lord, that's the end and effect, Lam. 3. 40. Prove your ſelves whether ye be in the faith, examine whether Jeſus Chriſt be in you, 2 Cor. 13. 5. So here, Let a man examine himſelf, that is, Let him prove in himſelf a diſpoſition of fitneſſe and meetneſſe, and ſo let him come, as a man that tries gold at the ſtone, he will not take it, becaUſe he tries it, for he findes it copper, but if it be indeed true gold; So one will not go abroad, becaUſe he hath beheld himſelf in the Looking-glaſſe, for he may finde deformity and filthineſſe, but becaUſe he hath corrected all inconcinnity by the glaſſe, and compoſed his dreſſe; And ſo except we will prevaricate the holy Ghoſt intends a fitneſſe and meetneſſe found by this ſelf-examination, and then, and ſo, Let him come and eat, &c. The garment is not made by taking meaſure, nor the wedding-garment by meer examination.
For the clearer opening of this point of ſelf-examination, I might thus diſtinguiſh, There is a ſelfexamination required of all men, of all Chriſtians, of all Communicants.
That which is required of all men, is, To ſearch and try their wayes in order to converſion or repentance, Lam. 3. 40. Let us ſearch and try our ſelves, and turn unto the Lord, which if diligently done they might know and own their miſery, and finde an abſolute neceſſity of converſion, the want of this is the Reaſon that men lie ſo faſt aſleep in ſecurity, and purſue their beloved ſinnes without check or control, Jer. 8. 6. No man repented him of his wickedneſſe, ſaying, What have I done? Every one turned to his courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the battel; And how is that? He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted, He ſaith among the Trumpets, Ha, ha, Job 39. 19, &c. It would take off their edge and metal; If men did but conſider and believe how directly their wayes point toward the eternal damnation of their ſouls. The Rule of this Examination, or the glaſſe which makes this reflexion is the ſevere Law of God which involves all ſinners under a curſe.
That which is required of all Chriſtians is to prove their own works, whether they be wrought in God, in order to their own comfort, Gal. 6. 4. Let every man prove his own work, and ſo ſhall he have rejoycing in himſelf▪ And this is the ſweet and immediate reward of all ſincere duties, which leave a ſweet taſte, or ſavour behinde them, Heb. 11. 5. Enoch before his Tranſlation had this teſtimony that he pleaſed God: This is that reward, which God gives his people before their tranſlation▪ as firſt-fruits before the harveſt, the unſpeakable comfort of a ſincere duty; Nor only his works, but a Chriſtian is to examine his ſpiritual eſtate, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether you be in the faith, Know ye not that Chriſt is in you, we ſhould not only be, but know we are, and this by examining, The Rule of which examination is the Goſpel, which gives marks and evidences of it.
That which is required of all Communicants is, to examine their fitneſſe and meetneſſe, which is their worthineſſe to come and eat at the Lords Table, and the Rule of this Examination is the Ordinance it ſelf, or the inſtitution of it, as I have before ſhew'd, for the graces to be exerciſed in it, and beſpoken by it, are the Rule by which we muſt examine our ſelves, whether we have them in us or no, and this ſelf-examination, this particular whereof the Sacrament it ſelf is the Rule, is that I have to inſiſt upon, and therefore I am not bound by the Law of the Text to flie ſo great a compaſſe, as to handle the commonplace of ſelf-examination in all his latitude, neither will I do it, but onelyonly premiſe certain generall practicall poſitions, whereby we may be either moved unto, or directed in the performance of this unpleaſing duty, ſelf-examination, and they are theſe.
§. 3. Practicall Poſitions to move us unto, and direct us in the duty of examining our ſelves at all times.
§. 3 Firſt, The benefit of ſelf-acquaintance is exceeding great foreign, is one of the old wiſe ſentences, though interpreted by them the proud way, not as Religion teaches the humble way; Of all acquaintances which you can have in this world, this is the neareſt acquaintance, and indeed the hardeſt to get, if we were not unwilling to get acquaintance with our ſelves, the Scripture need not Uſe ſo frequent exhortations: How miſerable are they which purſue diſcoveries, and amaſſe knowledge of almoſt every thing, and yet live and die ſtrangers to themſelves? One of the firſt works which the Word and Spirit works in men, is to give them a light to go down into the dark cellar of their hearts, and make diſcoveries; then a man begins to be amazed, and tremble at the fight of himſelf. It's ſaid of the loſt ſonne, Luke 15. that he came to himſelf; Self-knowledge is the School-miſtreſs of humility; We are proud, becaUſe we know not our ſelves; He that knows not himſelf muſt needs be proud; He that knows himſelf loaths himſelf; He that knows his ſins, ſees neceſſity of Chriſt; He that knows his wants, prayes; He that knows his weakneſſe, fears and flies to the Rock; He that brings knowledge of himſelf to a Sermon, gathers out of the garden thoſe herbs that are medicinal to him; He that knows his own temptations, avoids the occaſions that Uſe to enſnare him; He that knows his own experiences, hopes with patience, when he ſees no light: It's true, the heart is deceitfull, and who can know it? But we need not taſte all the water in the Sea to know it to be brackiſh, nor taſte every crab to know the tree; We know the earth well enough, though we never digg'd to the centre; no man is bound to number all his ſinnes or thoughts, God hath taught us, that all a natural mans imaginations are onelyonly evil, continually evil; It's enough to know our ſelves judgingly, ſo farre as may occaſion us to know Chriſt ſavingly, whoſe riches are unſearchable, and cannot throughly be known, and perfectly.
Secondly, A man may be deceived in his ſpiritual eſtate all his life time, for want of ſelf-examination in a due manner, by a right Rule we are full of ſelfflattery, and of hypocriſie; we diſguiſe and extenuate our ſinnes, we ſet a varniſh and good aſpect on our works and virtues; Before his converſion Paul Rom. 7.thought himſelf alive, and that he was in the right, afterward he cals it, Confidence in the fleſh. After a Phil. 3.man comes into the opinion and profeſſion of Chriſt, he may be in the caſe of the Church of Laodicea, Thou ſayeſt I am rich, and knowest not that thou art naked; The Jew outwardly, thinks he is a Jew inwardly; The fooliſh Virgins do not ſee but that they are wiſe. I know there is a Rule of certain diſcerning, but if we put not our ſelves into the ſcales, we may ſeem to our ſelves to be good weight when we are too light. I do not think that all hypocrites are diſcover'd to themſelves, which is the ſaddeſt miſtake that can be in the world, never to be convinced, till we hear that word, Depart, I know ye not; Not that I think that any ſincere heart, that is willing to come unto the light, and cries with the Pſalmist, Pſal. 139. 23. Search me, O Lord, and try me, doth ever periſh in this deceit, for ſuch a one hath Chriſt, and therefore hath life; and we are not ſaved, becaUſe we know we have him, but becaUſe we have him, Some are in Chriſt, but do not perfectly own it. It's a ſafe errour, but they that think they believe in him and do not, are not ſaved becaUſe they think they do, but damned becaUſe they do not, and this is a dangerous errour. The Lord put it into your hearts to examine your ſelves, and prove your ſelves, the onelyonly way I know to get out of this flattering miſtake.
Thirdly, Men that live in the boſom of the Church, are by nothing more kept out of Chriſt, than the opinion that they have him already. They have a faith which keeps them from faith, and a believing that holds them faſt in unbelief. Dr Whitakers approves that ſaying of Melancthon, That hiſtorical faith infinitely differs from juſtifying faith, and therefore (which I would have Obſerved) the Corinthians whom the Apoſtle exhorts to examine themſelves, Whether they were in the faith, whether Christ Jeſus was in them, were not Heathen Corinthians, but the Church, profeſſed Chriſtians already, and ſuch as had a faith of profeſſion, and then that Text will prove, that thoſe that have ſome faith may be in the Apoſtles ſenſe reprobates, becaUſe they are not in the faith. It concerns us all, that are profeſſed members of the Church as they were; Can faith ſave you, ſaith James, Chap. 2. meaning a ſuperficial, opinionative, inoperative faith? Alas he tels you of believing devils, that by confeſſion of all are damned; Let not this faith keep you from Chriſt, which doth not cloſe you with him, you may be a graff to the ſtock with a ſtring, but it will not knit and live, becaUſe it is not engraffed in: So you may be reputed Chriſtians and believers by an outward profeſſion and agglutination, by that faith you have, but never live ſpiritually or eternally by it, becaUſe Chriſt Jeſus is not in you; All the terrour of the Lord draws no bloud; All invitations of the Goſpel move not, And why? BecaUſe you lie under the ſhell and ſhelter of this faith and believing, which defeats the operation both of Law and Goſpel, till God open your eyes to ſee thorow it, and bring you to ſee the need of a Chriſt accepting faith.
Fourthly, There are but two ſpiritual eſtates, and all men while in this world muſt be in the one or other, not in both at once, and they are uſually known by the names of nature and grace, or as Scripture uſually, darkneſſe and light, death or life; This is a compendious Rule, and brings this work of ſelf-examination into a narrow room upon this interrogatory, Art thou in the ſtate of unbelief and unregeneration, or tranſlated into the Kingdom of Chriſt Jeſus? Art thou in the narrow, or in the broad way? There is a great latitude, and many varieties and degrees of men in each of theſe, but from Rahab to Abraham, from O ye of little faith, to O woman, great is thy faith, all are under the line of life, and ſo from the beſt flower in natures garden to the ſharpeſt thorn, all under the black line of death; The diſcovery is the ſooner made, becaUſe the partition is but into two, goats and ſheep, walking in two ſeveral wayes, to two ſeveral ends: You will ſay, Unto which of theſe will ye reckon them that are in tranſitu, as it were, in the birth, in the paſſage? I ſhould ſay, that as we reckon the daybreak to the day, and the embryon of a man is reckon'd to humane kinde, and the contracted woman is called wife; ſo though I love not to diſtinguiſh of theſe moments, yet if any day-break of light, any ſeed of faith or good deſires, any little of Chriſt appear in any, I ſhould reckon them to the happier part the regenerate, for they are ſmoaking flax, and bruiſed reeds under the ſweet promiſe of Chriſt, to be blown up, and to be ſtrengthened, and ſo would I have them comfortably in their ſelf-examinations to reckon themſelves: As likewiſe all men in the world may compendiouſly reckon themſelves under ſinne and wrath, and in ſtate of damnation, upon and by the argument, which is the convictive argument of the holy Ghoſt, Joh. 16. 9. All men are under ſinne that believe not in Chriſt, Of ſin, becaUſe they believe not in me, and it reaches all the world: Not believing in Chriſt proves every man under ſin, if not propter infidelitatem, for their unbelief, therefore Thomas and other Schoolmen deny it, as to them, that never heard of Chriſt, yet ratione infidelitatis by Reaſon of their not believing, The wrath of God abides upon them, as all confeſſe, and as the Scripture ſpeaks. Theſe four things may ſerve as motives to this duty of ſelf examination, and there are two more that rather look like directions therein.
Fifthly, The Rule of this ſelf-examination muſt be (according to the properties of a Rule) a known and certain inflexible Rule, that is not partial to or againſt us; for how ſhall we proceed from examination of our ſelves to judge our ſelves, verſ. 31. if the proceſſe be not regulated, ſo as the judgement may be true and certain; therefore the word of God muſt be that Canon or meaſure, by which, if we will not be deceived, we muſt be tried, for that muſt judge us another day; by a falſe ſtandard, or a falſe touchſtone, or falſe rule we diſcern nothing; and therefore when thou goeſt about this work, baniſh all thy own flattering Reaſons, all other mens fooliſh and fraudulent comforts and counſels; Let the Word of God ſit upon thee, and ſtand or fall before that Tribunal; Seeſt thou not how the Phariſee flatter'd himſelf, judging himſelf by his own traditional exerciſes? The young man flatter'd himſelf, All this have I done; Paul ſhows upon what confidences he flatter'd himſelf, and indeed every man will be in good eſtate, if he may judge by his own fancy, flattery or conceit, but falſe mediums beget but fallacies in concluſion, and our ſouls are betray'd and undone by Lesbian rules, a ſincere heart will not ſtand to that teſt, knowing that fleſh and bloud may ſpeak good to me, as the falſe Prophets to Ahab, and the word of God ſpeak evil, as Michaiah did unto him; God is not pleaſed that any man ſhould bear falſe witneſſe againſt, or for himſelf; We may neither proudly and partially acquit our ſelves upon falſe and flattering perſwaſions, nor on the other hand deny the leaſt evidence of grace, and of the Spirit in our ſelves, wherein the godly do often deſerve blame by ſlighting and undervaluing the work of grace in their hearts; There are proud ſelf complaints as well as ſelf flatteries; The Word is the moſt impartial Judge of our ſtate, or of our actions.
Sixthly, It's neceſſary to ſtick upon the work of ſelf-examination, untill we bring it to an iſſue, and be able to make a judgement upon our own ſelves, for we are apt to pull off the plaiſter, when it begins to ſmart before it hath done its work, and are unwilling to ſet up all our Reaſonings, and bring them to a non plus, and ſo we never know our ſelves, never judge our ſelves; ſometimes a man is Sermon-ſhaken, and his heart begins to tremble, and to Queſtion with it ſelf, and if he would but follow the ſtroke he might come to finde out his condition, but he lets the iron cool again, and like Felix when he trembled, he diſmiſſes Paul till another time; This the Apoſtle ſhews us in theſe words, Jam. 1. 24. he goes away from the glaſse, and ſtraightway forgets what manner of man he was, and therefore he ſaith, we muſt look into the glaſſe, and continue therein, reſolving to be deaf to fleſh and bloud, friends, carnal counſels, and by the Rule of the Word to bring the Queſtion to an iſſue, whether pro or con, for us, or againſt as.
§. 4. Conſiderations about examining our ſelves in order to the Lords Supper.
§. 4 I have laid down theſe ſix Rules, which are of good Uſe, and great ſervice in the examination of our ſelves at all times, or at any time. Now I come to the particular buſineſſe of the Text, which is ſelfexamination in order to our worthy coming to the Lords Table, for that's the work which lies before us; And for your better inſtruction, I ſhall draw down your thoughts in order to the point, by certain conſiderations.
1. The Rule of this ſelf-examination is the very Ordinance according to Chriſts Inſtitution heretofore recited; You ſee the Apoſtle doth not particularly number or rehearſe what the graces, or what the requiſites are upon which interrogatories the examination muſt be made; He ſaith not, Let a man examine himſelf of this, and of that, but Let a man examine himſelf; The Reaſon is that which I learn from Chemnitius, That if the Ordinances Chem. exam. de Euchar.be the Rule by which the examination is to be made, then it will follow, that what ſuch a repreſentation of Chriſts death and ſufferings, and ſuch a demonſtration of Gods offended Juſtice, as is here made, what ſuch an offer and exhibition of Chriſt his body and bloud unto us, for communion thereof, doth beſpeak and require of us; That frame of ſpirit, thoſe affections, thoſe graces are requiſite unto the Communicant, which what they are hath been already deduced from the nature of the Ordinance it ſelf, and by me declared.
2. They being known what they are, it follows that a man examine himſelf, whether they be in us, for elſe we cannot come ſuitably to the Ordinance, nor take and eat the body and bloud offer'd to us, the effect and fruit of ſelf-examination being to know our own ſelves, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether Christ be in us, Whether we be in the faith; To know what graces are required, is no point of ſelf-examination, but whether we be in ſome meaſure furniſht with them or no, and by the duty enjoyn'd it is eaſily inferr'd, That a man may know whether he have thoſe graces, for elſe all examination was unprofitable and vain, and known they are by reflexion and inſight into our ſelves, as a man knows his thoughts, his own purpoſes, his meaning, and can tell them to another being asked; ſo we may know the graces and workings of the Spirit in our hearts, Qui credit fidem ſuam videt in Auſtin. de trin. l. 13. c. 1.corde ſuo, ſaith Auſtin, that is, except ſuch a darkneſſe and ſmoak be within, that they appear not, as ſometimes clouds ariſe and cover the face of the Sun, but that is not for want of an eye, but for want of clearneſſe in the object, and then if there be a vapour upon the glaſſe, it makes no reflexion; And there is great Reaſon that a man ſhould not only have the graces required, but ſhould by ſelf-examination know that he hath them, becaUſe otherwiſe he might blindfold, and at all adventures ruſh upon the Ordinance, and eat and drink damnation to himſelf.
3. BecaUſe a man can only then be ſaid to know he hath the graces required, when he doth diſcern and diſtinguiſh them from all counterfeits or ſemblances that are like, therefore is ſelf-examination neceſſary; For as gold hath copper, a counterfeit of it ſelf: ſo have all true graces ſome thing like themſelves, and called by their name, which are not right, but ſome ſlighty ore lying nearer day; As there is a faith called which is not faith, a repentance not repentance, a love of God which is not the love of God, a ſorrow for ſinne which is not godly ſorrow, there is meekneſſe, not a grace, but a moral vertue, &c. And therefore examination of our ſelves is both neceſſary and difficult, that we take not Leah for Rachel, and ſo come to the Lords Table to no more purpoſe than he that goes to the market with a braſſe ſhilling, which he thinks to be good money.
4. Then we have this priviledge, And ſo let him eat of this bread, &c. When we by examination finde that we have, though but a ſeed or ſpawne of thoſe right and genuine graces which are differenced and diſtinguiſht from all ſemblances and counterfeits which are called by the ſame name; If every faith confeſſing Chriſt were ſaving; If every nollem factum, I am ſorry, were true repentance; If every mans ſaying dolet, it grieves me, were godly ſorrow, there are few or none that could be called unworthy, but there is a difference that makes diſtinction between ſemblance and truth, which few do finde in themſelves, becaUſe they reſt in generals and equivocals. I have in a Sermon upon this point formerly given the Characters of true grace, and need not ſay it over again at this time. Let every man examine the truth of his graces by theſe Characters, and ſo make Uſe of this priviledge, Let him eat &c.
And if I might give you the Iliads in a nut-ſhell, theſe are the differences and the characters.
§. 5. The Differences between true Grace, and what is not ſuch.
§. 5 The Difference between Nature and Grace is,
1. Nature begins all his actions from, and refers all unto ſelf, pride, profit, pleaſure, glory, common honeſty of men to men; Grace hath this Character, it turns the face of, and ſets a by as on the heart, whereby it intends, aims to ſeek to pleaſe, to know God, and therefore diſcovers that we ſaw not, that emptineſſe of, and enmity to God which is in us; In a word, it ſets up Gods intereſt above ſelf, which nature cannot do.
2. Between knowledge and knowledge. There is a ſpecial knowledge of God and of the Word, which is large and beautifull, but the character of true knowledge is affection, as the light that's joyn'd with heat and aſſimilation of a man to that he knows, forming 2 Cor. 3. ult.and conforming to the image of God, We are changed into the ſame image; We ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him, 1 Joh. 3. 1.
3. Between faith and faith. There is a Chriſt confeſſing, a Chriſt acknowledging faith, Alii cogitant pij credunt, ſaith Austin, but the character of true faith is, That it accepts of, and cloſes with Chriſt himſelf, both as a Lord and Saviour, and that upon Goſpelterms, to deny ſelf, and take up his Croſs, and be his, and this faith is inſeparable from holineſſe, or a godly life, never to be found in a wicked or unregenerate man.
4. Between Repentance and Repentance. There is a Repentance like that of Judas, full of anguiſh, a tormenting anguiſh of ſpirit; But the character of repentance unto ſalvation, is the riſe of it from godly ſorrow, which feels love, the nature of it is a purpoſe to ſinne no more, but to cleave to God, the effect of it is fruit unto holineſſe; Conviction, contrition, converſion, make it perfect.
5. Between Love and Love. There is a love of God ariſing from ſelf-love, ſo one Publican loves another, as a Benefactour: But the character of true love is, that it riſes from ſenſe of his firſt and ſaving love to us loſt ſinners, and carries us on to deſire him, to delight in him, to have fellowſhip, to be in friendſhip with him, and to be like him.
6. Between Deſire and Deſire. There is a deſire of ſalvation to be out of hell, a deſire of grace meerly as a ſign and ſecurity for heaven to eaſe our painfull anguiſh; But the character of true deſire is ſanctification as well as ſalvation, grace, not meerly for a bridge to heaven, but for Union, Communion and Conformity with, and unto Chriſt Jeſus.
I will proceed no further, this is a taſte of what I before delivered; Theſe are the graces of a Communicant; Theſe are their Differences and Characters; Theſe lead you on to the priviledge granted, And ſo let him come and eat, &c.
Great Uſe may be made of this point, and the Uſe is rather to be made by you than me, for ſo the Text, Let a man examine himſelf, but I will point you to it in a word or two.
§. 6.
§. 6 You ſee your duty, and you ſee the priviledge, So let him eat. Let me exhort you to perform this work carefully, conſcionably. I have ſaid enough, to move you, enough to direct you, the benefit is great, the danger great, the means to obtain the benefit to eſcape the danger is this; If you finde ſinne labour to bring repentance; If you need a Saviour, come and take him as freſhly bleeding, but bring thirſt and faith with you; Have an eye to the Serpent on a pole, reſt your ſouls as the Dove did upon this Ark, a crucified Chriſt; but do not deceive your ſouls, by a ſlight performance; Call your lives and wayes to the bar; Examine, judge your ſelves; Do not neglect, becaUſe no body ſees you, there is a God will ſearch out your ſinne, and judge alſo; You have great imployments, make opportunity, you are in ſuits, one Ordinance of God doth not diſable another, you may lawfully purſue your right, and yet purſue peace, and keep charity; If you ſuffer wrong, forgive, it's glorious; If you do wrong, Leave your gift at the Altar, and be reconciled firſt, that's more glorious; Set apart time, ſet apart your ſelves, Commune with your heart in your cloſet in ſilence, no man caſts up his accounts in a croud or throng, you need no other buſineſſe while you do this; Seek of God by prayer and faſting a ſelfſearching heart, and do it as if ye were to die; make the accounts between God and your ſouls even, and ſeQueſter your ſelves to that purpoſe; for ſo when you caſt up your accounts, you Uſe to ſhut up your ſhops.
2. That Donatiſtical principle of ſeparation from Congregations or Churches, wherein there is a mixture of worthy and unworthy, doth from hence receive ſome check; for a man is to examine himſelf concerning his fitneſſe, and if he eats unworthily he eats damnation or judgement to himſelf, and therefore a private member hath here no call or warrant to examine the fitneſſe of others, nor do they that are unworthy eat judgement to him, but to themſelves; But of this I have already ſpoken at large.
§. 7. Of the Miniſters or Elderſhips examining Communicants before Admittance.
§. 7 I know you will ask me, what I ſay to that examination of men and women, competents or candidates of this Sacrament, which hath been Obſerved in your Congregations of later time; for the exploration only of their competency of knowledge in order to their Admiſſion to the Lords Table; I profeſſe my hearty ſorrow for the rents and diſcontents which have enſued, not will I ſtand up to juſtifie any ſcandalous procedure, which hath armed any man with argument or indignation, but ſhall clearly without any fraud or prevarication declare my opinion upon the thing it ſelf.
1. I do not enforce it upon this Text, which doth not intend an Examination meerly by propounding Queſtions, but a finding out of our ſpiritual eſtate, and of that whole fitneſſe and meetneſſe required of us in order to our acceſſe to the Lords Table; That in queſtion was an exploration by Queſtion, touching knowledge, competent or ſufficient; This in the Text is required before every Sacrament, that but once in order to firſt Admiſſion, and therefore as I prove it not by this Text, ſo I muſt needs ſay, it is not diſproved by it; And therefore they that infer from hence againſt all Examination by others, muſt neceſſarily deſtroy all catechizing, whether by parents, maſters or others, which cannot be; Every man is bound to examine himſelf, but not bound from examining others that are under his charge, for then he ſhould be bound from his duty, and therefore it holds not negatively, that no man may examine another, and ſo both parts may let this Text reſt.
2. The Church of Chriſt did never hold her ſelf unconcerned in the admittance of members into her ſociety. In the primitive Churches; when men of years came in unto the Church from Idolatry and Heatheniſm, they paſſed a ſevere teſt, and were catechized a long time before they became competents for Baptiſm, and at their Baptiſm had Queſtions propounded, and by them anſwer'd, as touching their faith and purpoſe of life, and having paſt the teſt, then it was needleſſe at the Supper, except they fell into groſſe ſin, but that caſe and ours is different, when all are baptized in infancy, and therefore muſt be catechized and inſtructed in the fundamentals of Religion, and have the teſt of the Church before they come to the Lords Table, or elſe never.
3. Therefore in all Goſpel Churches, we may find footſteps of this exploration, look into the Romiſh and Popiſh way, they have auricular Conceſſion, which is a mixture of tyranny and ſuperſtition, but the people muſt paſs this teſt, which did not they ignorantly take for an eaſie way of pardon of ſin, they would be ſenſible of as extream ſlavery; and it's Paraeus his Obſervation, That this Confeſſion was of old inſtituted ad hanc probationem, for this trial or probation of mens fitneſs to this Sacrament. The Lutherans have ſuch a way of Examination and Confeſſion too, as Chemnitius confeſſes; And the Augustan Confeſſion, as Bellarmine notes, is plain for it, Nulli admittuntur niſi prius explerati; And ſo in England it was ordered, That no man ſhould be admitted that had not learnt his Catechiſm, &c. I do not bring theſe inſtances to any end, but to cry down the ignorant opinion of novelty and ſtrangeneſs; For if we in England had followed our own Rule, it had not been ſuch a ſtranger as it now ſeems,
4. The intent and end of this Examination in queſtion was, partly that thereby the Church might know her own members, and their due qualifications, partly that there might be a help to prepare, and put into the way ſuch as could not examine themſelves; For if the Church ſhould afford her Communion to all at all adventures, to what ſcandal and contempt ſhould ſhe proſtitute her ſelf and the Ordinance, there would be no wiſdom in making her Communion like that of a common Inn, where known and unknown are all alike; Nor would there be charity to ſuffer blind folks to run into an open pit, and ruſh on the ſword-point; You may Obſerve how willingly a patient will anſwer a Phyſician Queſtioning him about his bodily eſtate; And a clyent his counſellour Queſtioning him about his title or caUſe, becaUſe both are in order to adviſe, and help of them that cannot help themſelves, and ſuch is this, if it were ſo well interpreted; but miſrepreſentation and prejudice judges otherwiſe, for men look upon it as a dominion over their faith, not a help to their weakneſs, eſpecially if they ſee a diſtance kept, and authority aſſumed; They look upon it as an arraignment, and take themſelves to come to a Bar or Tribunal to be examined upon delinquency, which kinde of diſtances I like not in ſuch a buſineſs as tends to ſociety and communion, where poor and rich are all one in Chriſt Jeſus; And if any man through miſtake have conceived, That this doth but ſet up a Tribunal upon him, to dive into his bReaſt, to extort his ſecrets like an auricular conceſſion, I blame him not of his backwardneſs to appear, for ſo ſhould I, for I abhor both that tyranny, and that ſuperſtition, but if no more be but that the Church would know my faith or help my ignorance, I ſee not but I may conclude with Mr Hooker, a man I know of reverence with you in his fifth book of Eccleſiaſtical Polity, when in anſwer to Mr Cartwright upon this point, hath theſe words, The Examination of Communicants when need requireth for the profitable Uſe it may have in ſuch caſes, we reject not; And ſo Paraeus, Examen publicum aut privatum non reſpuimus 1 Cor. 11.modo abſit, ſo as tyranny and ſuperſtition be kept out.
Give me leave upon thoſe words of Mr Hooker to infer and ſay,
1. To them that ask for a direct precept or injunction for this in the New Teſtament: I anſwer, That 'tis a point of order, not of faith; It's of profitable Uſe, ſaith Hooker, not of abſolute neceſsity, for then I muſt be examin'd too, and it would extend to all the world, as well as us, and yet you exact it not at Miniſters hands, nor men of known ſufficiency, Therefore it's not of abſolute neceſsity, but of order, I mean not of neceſsity to worthy receivers.
3. In ſome caſes profitable; and I muſt tell you we were in a ſingular and particular caſe here in England; for you know men and women had been by Law compell'd to receive the Sacrament ſo oft in a year, which compulſion, to diſcover Recuſancy, with the neglect of catechizing, brought in a world of people blinde and unworthy, the Remedy and Reformation of which inveterate abUſe, and the prevention of Separation from our Churches (had no order been appointed) which muſt have univerſally followed by the neceſſity of the thing, and inſtigation of them that lay on the advantage, were ſuch Reaſons as could enforce no leſſe; Nor do I know how poſſibly otherwiſe the matter could be remedied or radreſt, not intended to deſpiſe any that had right before, and had been long admitted.
3. The principal thing is, that the end of this Examination be obtained, though the form or manner be not punctual, as namely, That a man have competent knowledge of this Ordinance, and be ſo known to have, whether by good teſtimony of others that are able, or by our acquaintance, or by conference, or he is a learned man, a knowing man, a Miniſter of the Word, which may be juſtly preſumed to have due knowledge, as Paul preſumed that Agrippa believed the Prophets. I ſay in theſe caſes, the end of Examination is attained: Nay, if one ſhould come and declare himſelf by confeſſion of his Chriſtian faith, and purpoſe of life without any Queſtion propounded or asked, I ſhould not ſo dote upon Queſtions and forms of Examination, as not to paſſe ſuch a one for a knowing man, becaUſe I have attained the end of all Examination, which is, I know, that he hath knowledge competent, not that I would encourage any man to break a wholſom order, or eſtabliſhment; for the Scripture requires, and the Apoſtle enjoyned to ſee order in the Church, Col. 2. 5. But that I would principally intend the thing it ſelf above the form, not denying the right which he hath by his knowledge and profeſſion, nor thruſting him upon a ſeparation meerly upon a form, except in one caſe, that a man intend to break a publick order, and to deſtroy it by his example; As if a man tear my hedge upon a juſt occaſion, I take no offence, but if he purpoſe to let all the Swine into my corn, I ſhould oppoſe him.
4. I could wiſh that all Examination were bounded and limited to ſuch Queſtions as are of neceſſity to this Sacrament; There were printed ſome few Queſtions and Anſwers, as the rule and bounds of it ſome five or ſix years ſince; For I dare not truſt the diſcretion of all men without a gage; And if any man ſhould ask me ſuch a Queſtion as is not neceſſary, or for a Scholar to know, or to pry into my ſecrets, I ſhould, though I could anſwer, crave excUſe. I am afraid of, and terribly hate auricular confeſſion, I love no ſtep toward it, and therefore I would not anſwer upon my own liberty.
5. Though ſome will ſay, I can declare my ſelf to my Miniſter, but not otherwiſe. I confeſs the Paſtour hath the greateſt account to make of his people, and is moſt concerned: But what if the Church will not truſt him with that report, as all Miniſters are not to be truſted with it, ſuch is their looſneſſe in this point, and too much facility? And were I to chUſe, I had rather do it under the eye of witneſſes, eſpecially in converſing with women, who though in one regard, their modeſty hinders to ſpeak before others, yet in other regards is matter of occaſion to them that are ill minded, which muſt needs be avoided, providing things honeſt, not before God but men.
6. Laſtly, Let men lay conſcience to the point, and ſet by paſſion and prejudice, both examiner and examined, and in humility and meeknes deny themſelves, to keep up ſome face of order in theſe broken times; Let your thirſt to this Sacrament carry you thorow a thorn-hedge, and I on the other hand ſhall ſtoop low, rather than a thirſty ſoul ſhould want the Sacrament, or be thruſt on the Rock of Separation, and ſo we ſhall meet at the end, though differ in the way. It ſhould be a very ſorry anſwer indeed, that I would not make the beſt of, and (I hope) you would not make the worſt of any errour or infirmity in me, I know Order in an Army (as he ſayes) kils no body, yet without it they are a Rout, and not an Army.
FINIS.