A Body of Practical Divinity

Secondly, This solemn preparing for the Sacrament, as it consists in examining our selves, so in dressing our Souls before we come. And this Soul-dress is in two things.

1. Washing in the Laver of Repenting Tears: To come to this Ordinance with the Guilt of any sin unrepented of, makes way for the further hardening of our Heart, and giving Satan fuller possession of us. Zech. 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him. The Cloud of Sorrow must drop into Tears. We must grieve as for the Pollution, so for the Unkindness in every sin: To sin against Christ's Love who died for us. When Peter thought of Christ's Love, who called him out of his Unregeneracy, made him an Apostle, and carried him up to the Mount of Transfiguration, where he saw the Glory of Heaven in a Vision, and then to think of his Denying Christ, it broke his Heart, he wept bitterly, Matth. 26.75. To think before we come to a Sacrament of our sins against the Bowel-Mercies of God the Father, the bleeding Wounds of God the Son, the blessed Inspirations of God the Holy Ghost, it is enough to broach our Eyes with Tears, and put us into an Holy Agony of Grief and Compunction: And we must be so distressed for sin, as to be divorced from sin. The Serpent before he drinks casts up his Poison. In this we must be wise as Serpents; before we drink of the Sacramental Cup, we must cast up the Poison of sin by Repentance. ^*Ille verè plangit commissa, qui non committit plangenda—He doth truly bewail the sins he hath committed, who doth not commit the sins he hath bewailed. And this is the Dressing our Souls before we come, washing in the Waters of true Repentance.

1. Washing in the Laver of Repenting Tears: To come to this Ordinance with the Guilt of any sin unrepented of, makes way for the further hardening of our Heart, and giving Satan fuller possession of us.