the Lord are pure as the psa 12. 6 siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seauenfold The lawe of the Lord is Ps 19. 7. 8. perfect the statutes of the Lord are perfect All thy commaundements are Psa 119. 86. verse 140. true Thy word is prooued most pure Gold had need to be fined but Gods word is without all drosse And therefore it is the fittest rule for all our actions Sixtly The word of God is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword entreth through euen vnto the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. Therfore fit to be our Iudge and the Touch-stone of our tryall As in a * Non coâ—itationes solum et meâ—tis tuae consilia sed actiones etiam et viâ—aeinslituta adeoque te ipsum tibi tanquam aliquod illustre specuiuÌ„ oftendet et demonstrbit Mirrour or looking-glasse a man may discerne his face so by the word of God we may discerne our selues and see the faces of our soules As the Gold-smith doth iudge of gold by touching it with his stone so by viewing our selues by Gods word we may iudge of our states As the Corn-dresser may by his Fanne discerne the wheat from the chaffe so we by the word of God may distinguish betwixt vice and vertue and see whether there be more wheat of grace or chaffe of sin in the heape of our heart and whether the chaffe of fin and dust of corruption as ashes â—o the fire soÌ„times as chaffe doth wheat doth * couer and ouer-lay the good corne of Gods graces and whether they be mixed together as light and darkenesse in the twilight When REBEKAH felt the twins strugling in her wombe she went to aske the Lord so when thou art in conflict with thy self when doubts arise within the womb of thy heart not knowing what to do or what to determine or think of thy selfe aske counsell of the Lord in his word and thou shalt in due time receiue an answere as by Oracle from heauen Dauid saith that the testimonies of the Lord were his Counsellours Ps 119 24. To conclude wouldst thou know whether thine examination and preparation be right and good then consider the word of God for it is the * mouth the tongue Vox summi sensuâ—que Dei quem fudit abalta meÌ„te Deus the voice and sentence of the Lord the line of our loue the rule of repentance the squire of obeience the touch-stone of faith the determiner of truth and the surest Iudge both in and of our examination The word of the Lord is * Pro. 30. 5 Ps 59. 8. Lex Ctristi est lux Christiani et speculuÌ„ humanae animae pure in it selfe and giueth light vnto the eies of those that search belieue and obey it It is as a bright shining torch or candle in a darke night lending vs light both to try our selues and to discerne whether our tryall be as it should be right and good And so much for the second generall point By what we ought to prooue our selues CHAP. 6. THe third point is of what things we must examin our selues For it were absurd for a man to seeke he knowes not what or to cast his angle into the water not knowing why A Magistrate cannot examine a man of nothing neither can we make tryall of our selues of nothing Examination presupposeth aswell the thing to be examined as the person vpon whome it is to be made The thinges then wherof we ought to examine our selues that we may come well prepared to the Lords Table are these especially which I will propound in order and do coÌ„mend to your christian consideration They are in number eight First we must examine our selues concerning our knowledge for it is fit that euery receiuer should haue a three-fold knowledg First of God to wit that there is a God a Iehouah that there is but one God that he is a spirit that he is infinite for goodnesse mercy iustice wisedome power time and glory that he is the Creator and Gouernour of the world that he is distinguished into three persoÌ„s the Father begetting the Sonne begotten the Holy ghost proceeding from them both that these three are one in nature and essence and will but three really distinguished in their maner of subsisting the Father of himself the Son of the Father the holy ghost from both and this from all eternity finally that all these are one in worship will haue onely that worship performed to them which is prescribed in the holy scriptures and that in spirit and truth Secondly it is meete that he should not be ignorant of the three fold estate of man the state by creation the state of the fall the state of grace As first that man was created righteous and good yet mutably Secondly that he fel Eccl. 7. 31. voluntarily away at the suggestioÌ„ of the Deuill and so lost his originall purity and withal plunged himselfe into a gulfe of misery First in that he is become prone to all manner of wickednesse secondly in that he doth now dayly transgresse against God both by omitting good and committing euill Thirdly that he is now subiect to the curse of the lawe Gal. 4. 10. both in this life and in the end of it and in the life to come In this life in the body to diseases in his goods to losses in his good name to ignominie in the end of his life to death which hauing cut asunder the threed of life made a deuorce between the soule and body doth immediately set open Hell gate for his soule to enter in In the life to come in a dying life and a liuing death euen to euer lasting confusion of soule and bodie from the presence of God liuing alwaies like flesh in the waters of Gods wrath and neuer drowned liuing alwaies in Hell fire like a Salamander and yet neuer consumed alwaies in dying yet neuer dead alwaies aliue and yet alwaies dead Thirdly for the state of Grace we must first know that we are redeemed from this misery onely by Christ who fulfilled the law for vs by his death hath defaced death and sin the sting of death and satisfied for all our sins to the full Secondly we must know that we are regenerated by the Holy Ghost who is therfore called the Spirit of sanctification or holines It is he that by the fire of his operation Rom. 1. 4. eateth out the drosse of sin and purgeth our soules from wickednesse He is the water which washeth away the filth of our hearts and as salt he seasonethvs throughout with sauing graces If we either will well or worke well it is of the Lord onely who worketh in vs both the will and deede Phil. 2. 13 of his owne good pleasure
honest Lawyer will truly examine his Clients cause and a skilful and carefull Surgeon will throughly search his patients wound wherefore then should not we exactly curiously search and examine our selues that we rush not without reason vpon these holy mysteries Hee that comes without this examination may pertake of the type but not of the truth he may meet with the shadow but he misseth the substance Christ will not be eaten of those that come with foule hands and filthy hearts He wil not giue him selfe to them that giue themselues from him to serue sin Sathan and their sinful lusts To conclude this first poynt The wicked proceed from one degree of wickednes to another Cain Gen. 45. 8. 9 was offended that God accepted not his offering then he grewe in dislike with his brother after that he shewe him after that he tolde God a lye in saying that he knew not where his brother was thence he fell to saucy language with the Lord Am I my brothers keeper And after all this to dispaire My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen So likewise Herod Act. 12. killed Iames and clapt Peter vp in close prison after this approued the wicked and atheisticall acclamation and applause of the people to Gods great dishonour Now if it be the marke of the wicked thus to adde sinne vnto sinne ought not Gods chosen to adde grace vnto grace one good motion one good worke vnto another To desire to come to the Lords Table is good in it selfe and wil be also good in and vnto thee if this thy good motion intent thou second with another worke as good by examining thy selfe searching thy state and so preparing thy selfe vnto it In a word as no wise man will vndertake any businesse vnlesse he perceiue himselfe fit to goe through with it so let no man heer assembled be so bolde as to meddle in these matters vnles he finde and feele himselfe in some good sorte prepared which no man can be without serious search examination of himselfe For as Marchants cannot without searching of their bookes knowe nor make a iust account of their debts and loanes of their receipts expences of what they haue solde and bought so is it impossible for vs without search and examination of our selues to know our estates Our memory is weake our eye-sight bad our debts are many our receipts are many our accounts are great We haue to answer for many cogitations many coūsels for many works for many moe words But when we come to this Tryall we shall finde it like Salomons 1. King 3 24. 27. sworde which found out the true mother of the childe It may be God layes claime to thee it may be Sathan also dooth the same perhaps the Church challengeth thee for hers it may be the world doth so too Thou canst not be both theirs they are not both thy father at one time nor both thy mother But search thine heart and thou shalt perceiue by the spirit and grace of God whose thou art and to whome thou dost belong By tryall men finde out the nature of mettals so by trying thy selfe thou maiest know the mettal whereof thou art made the founder that hath moulten thee the mould wherein thou wast cast The husband-man by searching his ground may come to knowe what is in it and for what it is fit so wee by proouing searching the ground gardē of our soules may knowe their quality what growes in them most whether the sweet pleasant flowers of Gods graces or the stinking weedes of sinne Frō these similitudes these two points are illustrated first that without examinatiō of our selues we cannot know our estates now where this knowledge fayleth there can be no due preparation for the comming to the Lords Table and where due preparation is wanting it were better to stay then there to be Secondly hence appeareth that by this examination we may come to know our selues which is an excellent benefit and a preparatiue to much good A Captaine cannot be said to haue prepared him-selfe to encounter with a stout and puissant Prince vnles besides other dueties he haue first tryed his owne strength so no man can be sayd to haue fitted him-selfe for this holy busines till he haue first examined himselfe And as euery sicke person that is discreet perceiuing the daunger of Ad medicam dubius confugit aeger opem Ouid his disease will seeke abroad for a remedie so euery man of vnderstanding perceiuing by his examination the corruption and crazines of his condition will stirre vp himselfe to seek a cure that his state may be bettered and himselfe amended Pharoah no sooner perceiued a Exod. 8. 8 28. 9 28 10 17 plague but he was by and by vpon Moses that he would be a suter vnto God for the remoouing of it When Elymas was smitten blinde that he could not see the Sun he went about seeking some to leade him by the hand Act. 13. 11. and no doubt but desired his eye-sight with all his hearts and shall not we when by this examination of our selues we finde the wretchednes of our states as that spirits of vncleannes like those Frogs of Aegipt Ex. 8. 3. 9. haue crept into the chambers of our hearts and that we are pestered with whole swarmes of sinnes as the Aegiptians were with swarmes of Flies Grashoppers that our soules are polluted with the botches blisters of iniquitie as their bodies were with scabs Ex. 9. 10. And that worse then Elymas his blindenes we are destitute of the eyes of our mindes vnable to behold the Sun of righteousnes and to looke vpon let in the light of Gods loue and finally that we are as blinde of minde ignorant as concerning true light and sauing knowledge as Aegipt was blacke when it was couered with darkenes which might be felt Exo. 10. 21. I say shall we not nay can we but seeke about for comfort for counsell for cure and for recouery Haue we not good cause to goe to Christ our Moses to flye to God by earnest suplication that he would remoue these plagues eiect those spirits disperse those Frogs dispell those swarmes salue those sores and restore our eye-sight As he permitted that strong man Sathan to work these works within vs so he is able to vnarme and binde him to cast him out and to cast downe his workes Thus we see the benefite of this examination and the reasons which should perswade vs to make it CHAP. 2. THe second point to bee considered is the thing by which wee must examine our selues For if the Mason build by a wrong line or the Carpenter cut by a wrong squire their labour is but lost and their time consumed so if we try our selues by a false Touch-stone and examine our estates by partial or vnfit iudges wee shall delude our selues deceiue our soules we shall wrong
of Christ do sometimes meane by a figure his whole obedience actiue and passiue and the benefits that arise from the same The second kinde of things signified are those things which are resembled by those actions of the Minister and communicants According to the foure-folde actions of the Minister foure other thinges are signified First his taking the bread and wine into his hands doth represent an action of God the father by which he did from all eternity seperate and elect his sonne to performe the office of a Mediatour betwixt God and man Secondly his blessing of the Elements wherebe he doth prepare destinate and sanctifie them to be a sacrament of the body blood of Christ doth signifie a second action of the father by which he did in the fulnesse of time send his son to execute the office of a Mediatour vnto which he was before ordained Thirdly the breaking of the bread and powring of the wine doth signifie the bitter passion of Christ the piercing of his body and the shedding◠of his blood and the rending as it were of his soule for our sins for as Esay speaketh he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities he was plagued for our wickednes Isai 53. 5. 7. Fourthly his destributing of the bread and wine vnto the communicants signifieth an action of the Father offering his Sonne to all but giuing him only to the faithfull To proceede according to the two-folde action of the communicants two things are resembled First the receiuing of the bread and wine signifieth a spirituall action of the receiuer to wit his receiuing of Christ by the hand of faith Secondly their eating and drinking of them signifieth and sealeth their application of Christ to their hearts by faith or their inward and spiritual eating and drinking of his body and blood and feeding vpon him as vppon a most delicate and wholesome dish for the nourishment of their soules For as there are two parts of man body and soule so there are two sorts of feeding the one outward or sacramentall the other inward or spirituall the former is ordained of Christ to resemble and expresse this latter So much of the material cause of this Sacrament The internal and proper forme thereof is the relatiue sacramentall coniunction of the signes and things signified whereby they are made one in respect of resemblance proportion a reciprocal relation and affinity one with another The end of this sacrament is manifold 1. That the death of Christ may be reteined in remembrance 1. Cor. 11. 24. 26. Luke 22. 19. Do this saith Christ in remembrance of me By which apeareth first Christs loue vnto vs for the property of loue is to make the louer desire to liue in their memories whome he doth loue secondly his faithfull foresight is hereby cleared in prouiding that his benefit conferred might truly profit vs for as by forgetting benefits are lost so by remembring of them they are conserued 2. That God might visibly represent his inuisible guifts to our outward sēces our sight taste touch that the whole man being stirred vp both in soule body might with great chearefulnes ioy celebrate this sacred and sumptuous banquet 3. That it might be a signe seale and confirmation of our communion coniunction and incorporation with Christ our head and by him with the father and holy spirit 1. Cor. 10 16. Ioh. 6 56. 4. To signifie and seale vnto vs our spirituall feeding vpon and foode by Christ prouided that we come prepared For as meat or medicines for the body are not onely vnprofitable but also hurtfull if they be not taken as they should euen so it is with the supper of the Lord a meat or medicine for the soule if it be not aright receiued we harme our selues 5. That it might be a token and seale of the new testament or couenant betweene God and vs wherein God doth testifie that he doth receiue vs to fauor and remit our faults for the righteousnes of Christ and for the merrit of his death liuely set forth and shadowed by this sacrament 6. To signifie and seale vnto vs the resurrectiō of the soule from sin the bodie from the graue 7. That it might be a token and Iohn 6. 54 pledge of our communion one with another We all eat of one bread and drinke of one cup or drinke as fellowes in one family and seruants of one Lord. 8. That it might be a publike testimony of our profession and seperation from pagans and Infidels Thus we see the nature of this sacrament these things we ought all to know and we ought to prooue our selues before we do receiue whether wee doe know these things or the substance of them yea or no. If not we must vse meanes to get this knowledge least we come vnprepared and so prouoke the Lord against vs thus much for the first thing whereof we must examine ourselues CHAP. 8. THe second thing whereof we must examine our selues is true faith which is a certaine and perticuler knowledge of confidence in Gods speciall mercy or a sure apprehension and application of Christ and his merrits vnto our selues in particular Prooue your selues saith Paul 2. Cor. 13. 5 whether ye are in the faith This duety is at no time vnnecessary but then very necessary when we are to come to the Lords table For faith is the eye whereby we looke vppon Christ hanging vppon the crosse who is that brazen serpent which cureth our soules in ridding thē of the stings of sin of the poyson of the serpēt Satan Faith is the hand which apprehendeth Christ in the sacrament the mouth which receiues him the tongue that tasts him the teeth that chew him the throate that swalloweth him and the stomacke which digests him Therefore it must in no case be wanting in those that intend to receiue the Sacrament Now as a tree may be knowne by her fruits so may faith be discerned by the fruits and signes thereof He that goeth vp the riuer may in time come to the spring and he that followeth the heat may soone perceiue where the fire is There are three infallible tokens of true faith that I may not number many The first is Loue which as Paul teacheth 1. Timot. 1. 5. proceeds from faith vnfaigned The second is Feare for if a man be perswaded that God doth loue him and that Christ was crucified for his sinnes he wil be afraid to displease them by his sinnes and will stand in a reuerentawe The third is a vehement and constant desire to haue perfect fellowship with and a full fruition and sight of God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost VVhen a man shall vnderstand that some great Prince did so affect him as that he gaue his only sonne to death to saue him from death and that he continueth in his affection stil vnto him he wil long to see him and will willingly bestow himself vpon him that he might