5. There is much in the nature of the sacrament, which tendeth to the conversion of a hypocrite.
6. And God often blesseth it to the conversion of hypocrites; so that it may thence be said to be his secondary intention.
7. But yet he that knoweth himself to be a mere hypocrite, or void of saving faith and repentance, should not come first and immediately to the sacrament, to be converted by it; but should first so long hear, read, meditate, and pray, till he repent and believe, and his heart consent to the covenant of God; and then he should come with penitent contrition, and solemnly renew his covenant in this sacrament, and there receive a sealed pardon.
[335] Luke xxii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 24; Acts ii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. x. 16; 2 Cor. vi. 14; Acts viii. 13, 37, 38; 1 Cor. xi. 27-30.
Quest. XCVII. Must no man come to the sacrament, that is uncertain or doubtful of the sincerity of his faith and repentance?
Answ. 1. He that is sure of his unsoundness and hypocrisy should not come.[336]
2. He that upon trial is not sure, but yet as far as he can understand his own heart and life, doth judge himself an impenitent hypocrite, should use other means to know himself certainly, and fullier to repent before he cometh. And though some melancholy and timorous persons be falsely persuaded that they are impenitent, yet it is better that such forbear the sacrament, while they use other means for their better acquaintance with themselves, than that all the hypocrites, and wicked, impenitent people be told that it is their duty to come, if they can but make themselves uncertain whether they be impenitent or not.
3. But he that after the best endeavours he can use to know himself, can say, I am not certain that I truly repent, but as far as I can know my heart I do; is not to be hindered from the sacrament by that uncertainty. 1. For few of the best attain to a full certainty of their own sincerity. 2. And all that can be expected from us is, that we proceed according to the best of our understandings, and the best acquaintance with ourselves that we can get. 3. And otherwise it would keep us from all other duties proper to true christians; as from thanksgiving for our justification, sanctification, adoption, &c.
4. He that only erreth about the nature of true faith and repentance, and not about the reality of it in himself, should not be kept away by that error; as if he can say, As far as I know my heart, I am willing to part with every known sin, and to know every sin that I may part with it; but I am afraid this is not true repentance; or he that saith, I believe the gospel to be true, and I am willing to have Christ upon his covenant terms, and wholly to resign myself unto him; but I am afraid yet that I am not a true believer. This person is truly penitent, and is a true believer, and therefore ought to come.
5. The case de esse, whether a man be a true christian or not, is in order before the case de scire, whether he be certain of it, or not.[337] He that is a hypocrite is bound by God first to know that he is so, and then to repent, and then to communicate. He that is sincere, is bound by God to know that he is sincere, and to be thankful, and to communicate; and man's neglect of one duty will not make God change his laws, which still bind them to all this at once.