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A13854 Directions for a godly life especially for communicating at the Lord's table. Intended first for private vse; now publish'd for the good of those who desire the safty [sic] of their owne soules, and shall bee pleased to make vse thereof. By H. Tozer Mr of Arts, and fellow of Exceter Colledge in Oxford. Tozer, Henry, 1602-1650. 1628 (1628) STC 24161; ESTC S122218 43,206 213

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is the supreame Iudge of all There is indeede a time wherein wee may make confession before men either in publike before a whole congregation by way of pennance being by the Church therevnto commanded or else in private and that either for satisfaction to our Neighbour whom wee haue wronged or for consolation to the Minister when our consciences are troubled But that confession which is a part of our Repentance for our sinnes past against God and wherein wee desire full pardon for the same wee are to make to God alone for hee it is who is offended and hee alone that canne forgiue our sinnes 3. Our Confession must not bee of the heart onely but of the mouth also for God who made both expecteth to bee honoured by both as both haue bin vncleane before him soe they ought both also to acknowledge the same that hee may cleanse and purifie both them with them the whole man Againe our confession must proceed frō a twofold ground 1 Hatred of sinne because by it wee dishonour GOD 2. Hope of mercy which is that wee ayme at in our confession and it must further bee qualified with sincerity with shame and sorrow that wee haue offended soe gratious a GOD least GOD reiect vs as hypocriticall Let vs therefore hencefoorth leaue off censuring the faults of other men and beginne to aggravate our owne and especially before wee presume to come to the Supper of the LORD Let vs take some time vnto our selues wherein wee may bee most private and shut our selues vp in our closets and there humbly on our knees lay open before God those sinnes which wee haue committed in our life past and that fully and faithfully neither diminishing the number of them nor mincing the haynousnesse of them for God will not bee mocked These are things which wee are to performe in respect of the time past as for the time to come we must know that hee which will truely repent must not only turne from Euill but also turne vnto Good therefore hauing confessed our sins past with sorrow for them we must if wee expect pardon constantly purpose for euer after by Gods grace to amend reforme our liues resoluing as much as in vs lieth to avoide all occasions which may draw vs into the like sinnes againe and to make better vse of those meanes which God hath affoorded vs than wee haue done heretofore and that by so much the more by how much we haue offended so gracious a Father But of this resolution of amendment more in the 12 Chapter CHAP. VIII The Examination of our Faith THe Examination of our Faith is that wherevnto S. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians saying examine your selues whether you bee in the Faith or not 2. Cor. 13.5 The necessity whereof appeareth euen from this that without Faith wee cannot please God in any thing wee doe Heb. 11.26 much lesse in this weighty businesse yea Faith is so necessary that without it wee doe receiue nothing at all when wee doe receiue for although with our bodily hands wee receiue the Bread Wine yet if we haue not Faith wee want a hand to receiue the Body and Blood of CHRIST and the comfort which thence ariseth vnto our Soules for how can wee be perswaded in our consciences that our receiuing is acceptable vnto God and that the merits of Christ Iesus belong vnto vs without Faith it is impossible that wee shoūld receiue any more comfort than what wee beleeue and therefore our Sauiour CHRIST sayth hee that beleeueth on mee shall neuer thirst Ioh. 6.35 therein implying that hee which doth not beleeue in him shall euer thirst yea which is fearefull he which beleeueth not shall bee damned Mar. 16.16 Now that Faith which is here required of vs must not be only a generall faith whereby wee beleeue that the Word of God is true and that God is a just Iudge for this the Divells themselues beleeue and tremble at it and well they may considering what is due to them eternall condemnation but wee must goe on further to a more speciall kinde of Fayth and which they cannot doe apply the merites of CHRIST and the promises of GOD made therein vnto our Soules and Consciences saying with Iob chap. 19. v. 25. I know that my Redeemer liueth I know by the knowledge of Faith or I beleeue and not only the Redeemer of Man but My Redeemer liueth Of which that wee may the more fully perswade our selues wee must beleeue first concerning our selues that we are not able of our selues to do any thing that is acceptable pleasing in the sight or God for we haue nothing but what we haue receiued of God as S. Paul testifieth whether good gift or ability of doing good 2. Concerning the meanes of our Saluation wee must beleeue that the merites of CHRIST'S Death and Passion are alone sufficient for our Redemption without any merits at all or satisfaction of ours 3. Concerning GOD wee ought to beleeue that if wee truly repent vs of our life past constantly purposing to lead a new life hereafter and sincerely vse those good meanes which hee shall affoord vs hee will then bee mercifull vnto vs in accepting our indeavours through the merits of Christ Iesus 4. Concerning the Sacrament wee ought to beleeue that it is a meanes ordained of God to exhibite vnto vs Christ Iesus with his merits a seale to confirme our Faith If vpon consideration of these particulars we can be thus perswaded of our owne insufficiency and unworthinesse that yet notwithstanding vpon our sincere humiliation obedience God will bee mercifull vnto vs if we can not only say in generall that God is a mercifull Father and that Christ died for the redemption of Man but euery one of vs in particular thus apply vnto himselfe I beleeue that God is my mercifull Father and that Christ Iesus died to redeeme me as well as any other all which I shall haue plainely confirmed vnto mee in the receiuing of this Sacrament wherein I trust God will in mercy accept mee for Christ's merits though of my selfe I be vnworthy if I say wee can finde that wee are not hypocritically but sincerely not verbally but hartily thus perswaded then may wee hauing thus made peace with GOD by our Faith and Repentance boldly approach vnto the Lord's Table CHAP. IX The Examination of our Charity HAuing examined our selues in those former duties towards God wee are to goe on to another duty which concerneth our neighbour namely Charity which is a free forgiuing of those that haue offended vs with a testification of the same when occasion is offered and a reconciliation of our selues to those whom wee also our selues haue wronged That wee may be the better perswaded vnto a due performance of this duty wee are to obserue 2 things 1. The motiues therevnto 2. The manner how it ought to be done The motiues which invite vs to the necessity of it are drawne from the
offered according to the example of those in the Acts who continued stedfast in breaking of bread Act. 2.42 The Necessity of which duty will further appeare if wee consider these 2 things 1 the principall cause which often keepes vs from it 2 the motiues which may draw vs vnto it First that which makes vs backward in the performance of it is questionlesse the policy of our Arch-enemy the Diuel who striues by all meanes to draw vs away either by a carelesse neglect of our chiefest good to feede rather on our owne foolish imaginations as hee did them in the Gospell who had rather see their groūd or proue their oxen than taste of that Supper to which they were invited Luke 14.18.19 or else by a timorous fearefulnesse of our owne vnworthinesse to approach vnto so holy a banquet as this is And truely if we could but see that this is his doing wee would by all meanes striue against his temptations for who amongst vs would not endeauour to the vtmost so farre to resist his temporall enemy as that hee should not bee able to hurt him either in body or in goods and shall wee bee more carefull for the preservation of our earthly bodies then of our heauenly Soules which Christ Iesus hath redeemed by his precious bloud God forbid we must know that God expects more at our hands and that our soules are neuer so safe as when they are in greatest opposition and doe that which is most displeasing vnto our chiefest enemy the Divell for the more wee please him the lesse we please God the nearer wee are to him the farther we are from God The Motiues which may draw vs to the performance of this duty are taken from a due consideratiō of these 2 things 1 who it is which inviteth vs vnto it 2 what bee the consequents of receiuing or not receiuing Hee which inviteth vs is God himself whose ordinance it is and who requires it at our hands as a principall part of his seruice and therefore as often as wee omit it wee may bee sure that wee offend him which hee himselfe testified in threatning to cut off that soule from his people which should forbeare to keepe the Passeouer Numb 9.13 and if so then doubtlesse the neglect of this Sacrament wherein Christ is so fully exhibited vnto vs is very displeasing vnto him which is also exprest in the parable of the great Supper Luke 14.24 None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Why because they came not when they were invited and if we refuse to come when the Lord calls who knowes whether hee will giue vs life vntill the next invitation Let vs therefore take the Lord's offer while it is to day lest wee be cut off before the morrow The next motiue is taken from the consequents and that 1 of not receiuing If wee receiue not wee offer a twofold injury the one to Christ the other to our selues To Christ 2 wayes 1 in contemning his ordinance who commaunded his Disciples to receiue it 1 Cor. 11.24 and in them vs. 2 in neglecting his loue towards vs who as a Father on his death-bedd in the night that he was betrayed bequeathed this seale and pledge of his loue vnto vs which therefore ought to bee right deare vnto vs and at noe time neglected when it is offered Againe if wee receiue not wee injure our selues and that also 2 wayes 1 in respect of our name and profession for if wee come not when others doe wee expose our selues to the censure of them shewing that wee are at least neglecters if not contemners of GOD'S ordinance who will haue all to come to it Matt. 26.27 yea that wee haue not the life of a Christian in vs for whosoeuer eateth not the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath no life in him Ioh. 6.53.2 we injure our selues frō the benefites thereof for the remembrance of Christ's death and passion if duly considered cannot but be a great comfort vnto vs which we put from vs as often as we omit the Lords Supper and thus much wee may assure our selues that the Diuell will bee ready to take the least occasion to suggest other meditations vnto vs and what a miserable thing is it for vs to bee exercised in our owne pleasures or such like when others with whom wee are bound to bee present are reverently gathered together to the comfort of their owne soules to feede at the Lords Table If we say that wee are then exercised in other good duties as reading the Word of God or such like wee must know that such duties good in thēselues are not acceptable to God at such times and who knowes seeing that heerein we neglect the Lords ordinance how farre he will giue the Diuell leaue to tempt vs and draw vs away euen from those duties also to wicked imaginations 2. The Consequents of receiuing cannot but invite vs to a constant performance of this duty Now these consequents respect either God or our selues That which respects God is our duty of thankfulnesse and praise which heerein wee offer vnto him for his mercy which is very pleasant vnto him and necessary to bee performed of vs because hee is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer towards them that feare him and how then can wee but with Dauid haue our hearts ready to sing and praise him with the best mēber that we haue Ps 108.1 That which respects our selues is the benefitt which we receiue thereby which is twofold 1 Generall 2 more speciall The Generall benefitts which wee receiue by the Lords Supper are chiefly two 1 Asupply of all our wants which wee shall bee sure to haue if wee receiue aright for hee which eateth the flesh of Christ shall neuer hunger he which drinketh his bloud shall neuer thirst as Christ himself hath promised neither need wee doubt of the truth hereof for hee is full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 in him dwelleth all fulnes Col. 1.19 how then can wee want any thing if wee possesse him that hath al things 2. An excellent rule to our whole life for when wee hereby consider God's great loue vnto vs we cannot if there be any loue feare of God in vs but bee carefull to avoyd any thing which may bee displeasing vnto him so that hereby our bodies are made more obedient vnto our Souls our Souls vnto God The speciall benefit which we receiue by the Lord's Supper is in regard of our faith and this againe respects either our selues and others or else our selues alone The first is a testifying of our faith vnto others for hereby wee both shew vnto others the faith which wee professe and also by our example stirre them vp to the performance of the same duty in this respect therefore it is necessary that wee should often receiue In the second respect it is a confirmation increase of that faith which wee haue in vs