Of tlu articular Preparation needful to aCommtmicant. $~liS of Grace. 6o5 ~efi. 1 r. JYbat U the particul~tr preparatio~ nr~dful to a fit Communic~nt.? !J<.:te{l. 1 I• A 1 rfw. This bringcch me up to the ne_xt DJreel;ton. • . , •. . SS"· 29 • o ·rc.Cl. 5· Let your Prepar.JtJon to thu Sacrament confl)t of thefl paruculllrJ fo~~z,zg: Dzrell. 5· 1 , Tnymtr dray with your own conftie_ncer and hearts: 2· InJourdtttytowardsGod: 3.And zn yoU#' duty tt~IV.ttdt yn"r nC"igbbour. §. 30 • I. Your duty with your hearts confi{\cth in thefe particulars:. t· That.youq_o your bell in the clofe Exami11atjo11 of your hearts about your flatu, and the fincenty of your FaJth,Kepentanct aud Obedience : To know whether your hearts are tr~~ to God, ~n the Covenant which you are to re· new 311 d feat. which may be d6ne ~y thcfe enqumes, and dJfcerned by thefe figns. I· 'Whether Mflrks of Sin.: you truly lotbe your fc:IV~s for ~~~the l~ns of ym~r heart~ and live~; and are a greater otfcnce a~d ccnty. burden to your fdves becaufe df your tmperfeCbons. and cormpoons than all. the world ~efide .1s. [ .(;t Ezrk,6· 9· &20•43• &36·3•· Ro~·7·24· 2.Whethcr you have no hn but what you are truly ddirous to ~n11w ; and no known hn but whlt you. are truly defirou.s ro b~ r.td o~: and fo de ... firous as that ynu had rather be perfeCtly freed from lin, than from any affitCbon m rhe world, Rom. ;. 221 r8, 24· B 8. z8. 3· \\'hether you Love the fear~hing and reforming. light, even the moll {latching parts of the \o\'ord of God, and the moll fearchmg Books, and fearchmg Sermons,that by them you m1y be brought to know your fclves, in order to your fetlcd peace and reformation. J ohn 3· 1 9, 20, 2 t• 4· Whether you <ruly love that degree of Holinrfs in others which you have,not yet attained your te!ves, an~ love Chrift in ~~s.children wirh fuch a~ unfeigned lo~e,. as will caufe you to rdievt' them accordmg to your abJlilles, and fuffer for thc•r fakes when 1t tS your duty. 1 J ohit3••4,16. JPet.J . 22·&3.8· Jt:~mn2·1'1:,I3,I4,IS· M:Jtrb·25·40,&c. 5·Whether you can uuly fay, that there is no degree of Holincfs fo high, but you defire ir, and had rather be pcrfdr in.the Love ofGod and the obedi<nce of his Will, than have all the riches and pleafures of this world, Rom. 7· I8, 2I, 24· Pj:J/. 119· 5· .Mauh. 5· 15. •~d had rather be one of the HJiitfl: Sainu than ef the moO: renowned profperous Pnnces upon earth, Pf,;/, I 5· 4· & 16. 2· P[al. 84. 10.. & 6 5 •' 4 • 6. Wht'ther you have: fo far laid up your ueafure and your hopes in Heaven, as that YOt\ are refo\ved to take that only f01' yJur portion; and that the hopes of Heaven an<f inrcrdl of your fouls hath the prtbtminwcc in your heartJ againll all that ftands in compctitimwith it, Col. 3• 1,3,4• MaHh· 6. 20, 21· 7· Whether the chiefefi care of your hearts, and e11deavour of your lives, be to {erve and plea{t: God, and to enjoy him for ever, rather than for any worldly thing, Mattb. 6. 33• ] obit 5· 26. 2Cor. 5· r, 6, 7, 8, 9• 8. Whether it be your daily dcfire and endeavour to mortifie the jlcfh, and maltcr iu rebellious oppofition to the .Spirit; and you fo far prevail, as not to /i.ve, and wall<., and btltd by thcjltjh, butthat the courfe and drill of yourlife is fpiritual, Rom. 8. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, I3· Gal. 5• I7· 21, 22. 9· Whether the world and all us honour, wealth aad pl<afure ap– pear to you fo frnall and contemptible a thing, as that you efleem it as dung, and nothing in corn· parifon of Chrill, and <he Love of God and Glory >and are Rcfolved that you will rather let go all, than your part in Chrifl? and which ufeth to carry it in the time oftryal, io your deliberate choice? Pbi1.3·7,8,9,13,I4,I8,r9,20. •John2·15· Lult,.ti4·26,3o,33· Mattb. I3· I9,2 I· to.whe– thcr you are rt[olved upon a courfe of holinefs and obedience, and w ufc thofe means which God doth make known to you, to be the way to pleafe him, and to fubdue your corruption ; and yet fetling the frailries of your hearts, and the burden of your fins,.do tru!\ inChrijl as your Rij;hteouf– nefs before God , and in the H11/y Ghoft whofe grace alone can illuminate, fanctitie and con· firm you, A{Is I J • 23· Pfal. t 19· 57, 63, 69, 106. I Cor. I· 30. Rom. 8. 9· John 15. 5• 2 Cat.l2•9• By thefe tignsyou may fafely try your jlms. ' ~· 31. 2· When this is done, you.arc alfo to try theftrtngth and tncafure of your grace : that jou may pc_rc.eive your weaknefs, and know for what help yuu Chould (cck to Chrifl: And to find out what inward Corruptirnu and finful inclinalionJ arc yet jtrongtft in you, that you may know what: to 1ament, and to ask forgivencfs of, and help again!\. My Book called DirtOionJ for wta~ Cbrijli11ns, will give you fuller advice in this. -.. 9· 32. 3· You arc alfo to take a firi6t account of your Lives; a:nd to look over your dealings with God and men, in fecret and pubtick, erpccially of late, finet' the Iall renewal of your Covenant with Pfal. 4· 4,1,8, God, and eo bear what God andConfcicnce have to {ay, about your fins and all theit aggravations 1 • Pfsl. r39· 23· I Cor. 11· 28. 9· 33· 4• And you mull labour to get your hearts affdtcd with your conditlon as you do difco– ver it: To be humbled for what is finful, and to be dcfirous of help again!\ your weakn<fi and thankful for the Gucc which you d1fcern. . . ' §. 34· 5· Lal\ly, you mun conlidcr of all the work that you go to do, and all the mercies which you an: going eo receive) and what Graces are nc:cdfuy to all this, and how they rnufi be ufed: and accordingly look up all thofe Grms, and prepare them for the exercife to which they are to be called our. 1fhall nawe you the padicul.u,; anon. 9· 35· I I, Your duty towards God in your Preparation for this Sacrament is, I· To call down your fclves bctorc hin.l in humbk.penircnt con~eilion and larnentation of all the fins which you difco– V<r: And to bt:g l"s pa~don m lecret, bctorc you come to have it publickly fealed and deli– vorcd•. 2• :ro look up ro htm With that 'thankfulnt{s, Love and J oy as becomes one that is going to _rec<~ve fo great a ~<rcy trom h1m : And humbly ~o beg that grace which may prepare you, and qutcken you to, and m the work.
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